I Sold My Soul For Freedom (1/?)
Title: I Sold My Soul For Freedom, or Reticence
Author: M.E.
Fandom: Star Trek: 2009
Summary: The Enterprise is ordered to transport a high profile prisoner and Jim is forced to make a difficult choice. The consequences of a single event are far-reaching and unpredictable. What would you decide: your soul…or your freedom? Is it worth it?
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. Lost it all in a drinking game with a bunch of Klingons. Bit of advice: never challenge a Klingon to a drinking contest. Those guys could drink an alcoholic elephant under the table.
Characters/Pairing: Jim Kirk, Chris Pike, Enterprise crew, OCs, etc... Pairing undecided, if any.
Warnings: Bits of language, some death threats, and not much else at this point.
Rating: T
Word Count: 960
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chapter i
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Captain James T. Kirk stared blankly at the screen on the starship Enterprise after Admiral Barnett had signed off, with unholy glee at his expression. He blinked once…twice…and shook himself out of it. His posture tense and rigid, eyes blatantly avoiding his bridge crew’s concern, he quietly ordered Uhura to patch him through to Admiral Pike, please. She did so at once, her professionalism never faltering despite her curiosity. Pike’s face appeared within moments and Jim only had to glance at him to know he had been waiting for this call. So he decided to avoid the pleasantries.
“Admiral Pike, you want to tell me what the fuck is going on.” And he hadn’t realized precisely how pissed he was until he spoke to this man, this man who knew exactly why this mission should never be his, and he heard his voice go low and shaky with rage.
Pike actually grimaced. “I’m sorry, Jim, but Starfleet needs her flagship to handle this one if only for the political ramifications. I shouldn’t have to tell you that.” He paused and Jim just looked at him, “You’re right, I know that. But there’s more no one’s saying.”
Pike sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. “Jim…we have to be sure. And there’s no one else left to verify it.” Jim forced himself to retain his composure before practically hissing the words through his teeth.
“I understand. But I don’t think you realize the problem here.”
“Oh?” Pike looked honestly curious. Jim took a deep breath and focused his gaze on one of the few people not part of his crew that he trusted. Pike almost startled under the full force of Jim Kirk’s blue, blue eyes. It was rare for anyone to get his entire attention like this and Pike knew it. Jim was well aware of how unsettling the intensity of his full attention could be. Then he spoke, and Pike was reasonably certain he had never heard that tone from the boy before. And he hoped to never hear it again.
“This mission cannot go to Enterprise because if I find myself within a hundred meters of that motherfucking bastard, I will not be held responsible for his death. There can be no negotiation. Are you getting this, Pike? He steps foot on my ship, I will kill him.”
His voice was cold and heavy with ruthless certainty. There was a wildness to his eyes in that moment that Pike couldn’t tear himself free of.
Jim was vaguely aware of his bridge crew gaping at him incredulously, even fearfully, not understanding what was going on, but realizing this was far more serious than they had imagined. Jim did not kill unless there was no other option, even on away missions gone wrong he aimed only to stun. This…was not a side of James Kirk they had ever seen before. He seemed almost inhuman, his posture stiff and predatory, feral.
Jim released Pike’s eyes after a few more seconds and swept his eyes over his bridge. His look clearly stated no questions would be answered and they had better get back to work. They did. Meanwhile, Pike took a deep breath and Jim’s eyes came back to settle on him.
“Alright, Jim. I get it. But I can’t change your orders. This one’s out of my hands.”
“Then who do I need to talk to?” Jim forced himself to relax his figure and keep his voice calm.
“I’m not sure, Jim. These orders came from higher up. I don’t think there’s anything you can do.” Jim stood still for a minute, his gaze far away, and then he offered Pike a razor’s grin.
“Admiral Pike, I’m hurt. You of all people should know I can never turn down a challenge like that.” There was a pause before Pike chuckled ruefully as he realized what he’d just set in motion. Jim Kirk was taking his thoughtless comment as a challenge. He almost pitied his superiors. With a last small smile and a, “Good luck, Jim,” he signed off.
Jim didn’t waste any more time. Turning again to Uhura, he snapped out orders, “Uhura, set up a secure private channel in Briefing Room 3. No eavesdropping.” She did as he asked immediately and glared at him for the last comment as he marched to the lift. “You have the con, Mr. Spock,” echoed over his shoulder as the doors slid shut.
Once the doors were sealed, Jim allowed himself to lean tiredly against the far wall and close his eyes. It’d been a year since he was awarded command of the Enterprise. His crew was amazing and he worked hard to be a Captain they could be proud of. But when assholes like Barnett started butting in and gave him shit like this and he was expected to just take it…he could admit to a quiet wish that he’d never gotten involved in Starfleet. But he knew he could never regret this. He had his crew and he had the Enterprise and they were worth the extra baggage.
Straightening up, he exited the lift on Level 2 and walked past two saluting Ensigns to the briefing room. He stepped in and straight away entered the code for the Captain’s lock. No one would have access to this room unless he suffered a medical emergency, and even then only Bones could override the lock. He took a seat and made himself as comfortable as possible before speaking, “Jim Kirk to private channel, clearance code alpha-delta-8-6-9-2-beta.”
The blank com screen on the opposite wall flickered before the image of a fifty-something man with thick auburn curls and broad shoulders materialized. The man looked up, carefully unsurprised. Jim decided to start things off.
“Mac.”
chapter ii