A/N: So these are pretty much deleted scenes that I could't actually bring myself to delete. If it fits in a certain part of the story then I'll put it in an author's note. Otherwise, it just kinda goes where ever in Thus...The Stars. I might make references to some of the details from this piece in the main story depending on what it is. I'll let you know if I do that too. As usual ST isn't mine, no matter how many dandelions I wish on. I do this for fun. Thanks for being awesome. Hope you enjoy these little excepts.

Uhura was in the mess with Charlene trying to fix the replicator's coffee settings. The task required her to don a protective jumpsuit—which was inexcusably ugly— and tie her hair back with a very utilitarian red elastic headband. She laid on the cold tiled floor face up and opened the panel underneath the interface, revealing the wire sinews. It wasn't her specialty, but everything broke down into code and when it came to codes, she was pretty much a magician. And Kirk had given her permission, figuring she couldn't do anything to make it worse.

"Read that chemical composition out to me again," Uhura requested. Masters recited coffee's basic chemical makeup from the tablet she was holding and Nyota entered the sequence into the machine. "Try it now."

She heard the moving parts shift with a clink and heard the cup being taken out the little cubby followed by a slurp and the sound of liquid being dribbled back out of someone's mouth. "That tastes like dilithium sludge."

Uhura grunted in frustration and scanned it again. "Do me a favor. Ensign Chekov has coffee—authentic. Tell him I need about a tablespoon of it. I'm going to scan it and then feed the readings directly into this thing's computer."

It took a while, but her friend returned with Chekov and his grinds.

"Uhura," he began. "You look like you belong in an Academy brochure under the "Work with Complex Machinery" subheading."

"If the recruits knew that they would spend four years in school and still not know how to fix the coffee machine, I think enrollment might drop."

He laughed and waved the instrument over the little measure of ground beans before handing it back to her. She linked the two devices with the press of the button and waited for the tell-tale ding, which came a few seconds later. "Try it again."

"Well, it doesn't taste like embalming fluid anymore."

"That's something," Nyota retorted blandly, taking Chekov's hand and getting to her feet. "What do you say, Helmsmen?"

"It almost tastes like the real thing, I think." He chirped enthusiastically.

She sipped some herself and decided it was a huge improvement and that Charlene was just a coffee snob. "I think it's time for the official Captain's test. Uhura to bridge," she said as she switched on the nearest comm unit.

"Bridge, Kirk here."

"Coffee, Sir?"

"Bring it on up, Lieutenant."

Alpha shift was long over but Kirk was working a double so the bridge was darkened and quiet. The hum and beep of the computers was melodic and oddly soothing. The view screen showed the stars, running past at dizzying speeds, burning in a variety of lively colors. It was strange to be up here when she wasn't on duty, it was one of those rare little moments when it stopped feeling like a job and she remembered that she had actually done it. She lived in space.

"Coffee that tastes like coffee," she beamed proudly as she presented the cup. Her voice hung in the relative silence until Jim spoke.

"Will wonders never cease?" Once he'd tasted it, he licked his lips and nodded approvingly. "You've earned your pay for the week, Uhura."

"Why, thank you."

"Am I asking too much if I request some flavor infusion…say almond?"

"I'll see what I can manage."

"Good. Thanks," he smiled, hazel eyes glittering. He was more handsome than he had the right to be. Traditionally, storybook handsome. He was the knight in shining armor—23rd century version. His big silver starship standing in for the comely steed. Bravely traversing the enchanted forest of deep space, rushing to the aid of the weak and defenseless. Sometimes his charisma was so obvious it was too much to take. And the more she looked at him the more she felt like he was trying to woo her—even if was totally involuntary on his part.

"Night, Sir. Don't work too hard."

"Me, work too hard? Why, Ms. Uhura, wherever would you get an idea like that from?"

"Oh, silly me," she crooned exaggeratedly. "For a second I had you confused with the hardest working man in the fleet or something."

"I'm not the hardest working man in the fleet," he glanced down sheepishly, focusing on the liquid in the cup. He looked up again, his eyes locking with hers. "But I do have the finest crew."

Now it was her turn to be bashful before turning on the charm. "And don't you forget it, Sir." She winked and sauntered over to the turbo lift, holding up pretty well under his heart melting smirk while she waited for the doors to close.