Anniversary Waltz Chapter Six
Title: Anniversary Waltz (6/?)
Rating: R (mature)
Characters/Pairing: Kirk/Uhura
Disclaimer: Characters and canon belong to Paramount, Roddenberry, Abrams and many others but not me. All rights reserved. No copyright infringement intended and no profit is made by the author.
Summary: One year prior, the Enterprise had shipped out for its first mission under the official command of James T. Kirk and the young captain had deemed it a day worthy of recognition.
Please note: this chapter contains violence.
Chapter Six
“The K’arangans are a fascinating species.” Ensign Caitlyn Delgado’s voice was as animated as the expression on her face. Excitement danced in the xenologist’s eyes, a clear and startling green which, combined with smooth caramel skin and a fall of raven hair bound in a neat tail at the nape of her neck, were evidence of her mixed Terran heritage.
Kirk’s gaze traveled idly from one face to another gathered around the conference room table. The planet K’aranga was visible through a window as the Enterprise maintained a lazy orbit.
“The ensign is correct.” Spock spoke in his usual measured tone. “The K’arangans are a curious people. Their technology is advanced but much of their culture and society is tribal by comparison.”
Kirk nodded in agreement and glanced reflexively at his notes though he had long ago memorized their contents as well as all the data which had been gathered by the Federation on the planet below and its people.
Although first contact with the K’arangans had been established only two years prior, their admission as a member planet was being fast-tracked by the Federation. The small planet was rich in vital natural resources, particularly in tritanium and negotiations with the K’arangan leaders had been swift in comparison to many of its predecessor member planets. The Enterprise was tasked with the mission of ferrying the freshly minted ambassador to his new post.
As the ranking officer of the Enterprise and representative of Starfleet, Kirk would administer the oath of office to the ambassador at a formal ceremony the next day and would sign the treaty admitting K’aranga as a member planet of the Federation.
Today he was leading a small landing party to the surface for an informal meeting with the K’arangan leaders and to take a tour of one of the villages.
“Okay, people.” Kirk rolled his chair away from the table and stood. The others scrambled to their feet as well.
“We leave in fifteen minutes.” He turned his head. “Lieutenant Uhura, please notify the Ambassador to meet us in the transporter room.”
“Aye, Captain.” She leaned over a console located in one corner of the room and transmitted Kirk’s orders then followed him to where he stood by the window.
“Gorgeous,” she breathed, staring at the planet below. The water surrounding the land mass visible to them was a hue so vividly violet, it took the breath away.
He turned his head toward her. “I wish you were going with us.”
“I’ll be at the ceremony and reception tomorrow.”
“I know. Still, K’aranga is reported to be absolutely beautiful. I’d like to experience it the first time with you.”
Her lips tipped upward in the private smile she reserved just for him.
“Tomorrow,” she promised. “In the meantime, remember the phrases I taught you and just be your usual charming self.”
She rolled her eyes as he visibly preened at her words and they shared a laugh.
“Just try not to cause an interplanetary incident,” she smirked.
“Yes, ma’am.” He drew himself erect to snap off a smart salute at her command and she bit back a snicker in response.
“I’d better go rescue Mr. Spock.” He tipped his head toward the other side of the room where the young ensign was bending his first officer’s ear with bubbling enthusiasm. They shared a quick grin at the look of patient stoicism etched on Spock’s face at Delgado’s puppy-like eagerness to get to the surface of the planet.
“All right, folks.” Kirk moved toward the doorway and clapped a friendly hand on Spock’s shoulder. “Let’s get this party started.”
“Good luck, Captain.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Kirk’s chin dipped in response to her words and he watched as she moved toward the turbolift to return to the bridge. Executing an about face that would have made his Academy instructors weep with pleasure, Kirk turned on his heel and began to make his way to the transporter room.
“With me, Commander,” he called as his first officer fell into place beside him, matching his brisk pace. The two men spoke quietly as they moved through the busy corridors of the Enterprise.
Entering the transporter room, Kirk stopped to greet the ambassador who awaited them and gestured politely for the man to ascend to the pad. Ensign Delgado fairly flew up the short flight of steps, followed by a video tech sent by the Federation to document the momentous occasion as well as Lieutenant Hendorff and another member of the security team. The small landing party waited for the captain to join them.
“The ship’s yours until I get back, Spock.” He bounded up the steps and took his place beside the others. “Don’t leave without me.” He grinned at the other man’s arched brow, which he had learned to interpret as the Vulcan equivalent of an eye roll. It never failed to amuse him when he managed to elicit that response.
“I shall speak with you upon your return, Captain.” Spock tipped his head to one side, the expression on his face one of enduring patience. “Perhaps we can discuss the day’s events during the evening meal.”
“Sounds good.” Kirk turned toward the transporter technician.
“Energize.”
******
The landing party reformed on the planet’s surface. Kirk blinked against the brilliance of the sun’s rays and took a quick look around. A party of K’arangans approached and one man stepped forward.
“Greetings,” he said in Standard. “I am Nobu, chief of my people. We welcome you.”
Kirk took the man’s outstretched hand and smiling, murmured the greeting Uhura had taught him.
“It is our honor to be among you,” he said in the native language.
The chief’s lips twitched into a returning smile. Taller than Kirk by about two inches, he was a prime example of his species. His skin was pale, almost to the point of being translucent, and the network of veins running beneath was clearly visible. His eyes were a blue so icy in color they were nearly as silver as the fall of hair which swept over his shoulders.
“Please allow me to introduce the rest of my party.” Kirk swept a hand out and the others stepped forward one by one as the introductions were made. Nobu nodded and made pleased sounding noises in his throat as he listened to the ambassador’s effusive greetings and he nodded politely to the rest of the team.
“And this is Ensign Delgado.” Kirk indicated the young woman who had moved forward. “She’s a xenologist and is quite eager to get to know more about your planet and your people. Isn’t that right, Ensign?”
Delgado was fairly vibrating with excitement as she greeted Nobu.
Staring at her, Nobu did not return her greeting. An older man, whose hair was shorn into a silver tuft at the crown of his head, separated himself from the small group hovering nearby and sidled up to the chieftain. He whispered frantically into Nobu’s ear, but the chief’s gaze never wavered from Delgado’s face.
She exchanged a confused look with her captain and took one hesitant step back. Long, awkward seconds passed and then finally Nobu shook his head and blinked. He stepped closer. His hand lifted almost involuntarily toward her hair as if compelled to touch, before he caught himself and dropped his arm to his side.
“Is… everything alright?” Kirk asked cautiously, subtly shifting his weight so that Delgado was shielded behind one of his shoulders.
“Forgive my rudeness.” Nobu offered an apologetic smile. “It is simply that the young lady is as one who has stepped from the pages of our sacred scripture. She is the image of M’ylana, the handmaiden to our god. I was caught by surprise.”
Kirk’s tensed shoulders relaxed marginally at the sheepish expression on the chieftain’s face.
“It was not my desire to cause you discomfort.” Nobu cocked his head to one side and studied the young woman standing near her captain.
Delgado’s uncertainty disappeared beneath the warmth of the chief’s smile.
The older man murmured quietly into Nobu’s ear once again and the chief’s expression grew thoughtful. He nodded once and turned back to address his visitors.
“Captain, when I awoke today, it was with lingering reservations as to the wisdom of joining your Federation and whether it was the right path for my people. I chose this day to make our unification official because it is a special time on my people’s calendar. It is the day on which our god took his rightful place in the heavens to rule over all which you can see.”
He raised his hands and gestured to the sky, then lowered them to point to the earth beneath his feet.
“Tomorrow your people will join us for a feast - a traditional K’arangan celebration, not only of our holiest of days, but also of our alliance with the Federation. But today we venerate our god with prayer and ceremony.”
His gaze rested once again on Delgado’s rapt face.
“I awoke this morning filled with uncertainty,” he said again. “But surely your presence here can only be seen as a sign that our god is pleased with the course we have charted.”
“I am unfamiliar with your sacred texts and beliefs,” Delgado began. “If it would give no offense to you or your people, I would very much like to learn all that you are willing to teach me.”
A joyful smile broke over Nobu’s face. He turned to share a quiet word with the wizened man hovering near his shoulder.
“We would be honored to have you participate in our ceremony today.”
Delgado’s eager gaze swung toward Kirk.
“Oh, Captain. Think of all we could learn. Why I could -”
Kirk laughed and raised both hands as if in surrender.
“Far be it from me to stand between a representative of Starfleet and her duty. Permission granted, Ensign.”
Nobu shared a look with the old man who turned and gestured with his hand. Immediately a group of women stepped forward. They surrounded Delgado, touching her hair and chattering excitedly as they led her away.
She craned her head and glanced over her shoulder, her excited gaze meeting her captain’s. With her dark beauty and the bright blue of her uniform, she was an exotic creature amid the silvery delicacy of the others.
“They will take good care of her,” Nobu assured Kirk. “Shall we?”
Flanked by Nobu on one side and the ambassador on the other, with security following at a discreet distance, Kirk set off to take a tour of the surrounding area as the video tech swooped about shooting footage.
K’aranga was, as Spock and Delgado had opined, fascinating. Though Kirk maintained a cool façade, he too felt the tingle of excitement at having the opportunity to take part in this moment. Though the Enterprise and her crew had encountered numerous alien cultures in the last year plus of travel, it was entirely different to be honored with the task of officially welcoming a new species into the fold.
K’arangan society was a unique fusion of advanced technology - as required by the Federation before first contact could be initiated - and a simplistic native lifestyle. No towering buildings speared upward to block the sky. The homes were low and modest structures, simple though not lacking in creature comforts. The people, though well-educated and obviously capable of achieving such advanced technology, dressed in a manner reminiscent of ancient earth cultures in simple robes which left the shoulders and arms bare. Theirs was a communal society, small clusters of villages dotting the landscape, inhabitants working together to raise the children, care for the elderly, and provide for the basic needs of the group.
And the landscape itself, Kirk thought, was every bit as beautiful as described. The air was perfumed with the sweet fragrance of the flowers blooming abundantly along the roadside and as far as the eye could see were carefully tended fields - golden and green - burdened with their crops nearly ready for harvest.
He breathed in, drawing the fragrant air deeply into his lungs, and looked forward to the next day when his crew - and more importantly, Nyota - would join him.
************
Kirk and the others had spent most of the day in the company of Nobu and after a light meal shortly around midday, were bidden by the chief to join him for the religious ceremony. The chief led them into the trees which surrounded the main village. He settled them in a shaded area near the base of a wide stairway which led to a stone temple. The temple, though simple in structure, nonetheless rose majestically from the ground to tower overhead. Riots of flowers grew along the base of the temple and the trees had been cut away to allow beams of sunlight to pour directly onto the temple roof.
The K’arangan people crowded into the clearing around the temple and the air hummed with countless hushed conversations. The sudden high tone of a single chime sounded and the crowd quieted.
The wizened old man whom Kirk had seen earlier in the day walked out of the temple doors and raised his arms to the large stone statue positioned prominently at the top of the steps. Though Kirk recognized only a few of the words spoken, it was obvious that the man was a priest and was offering prayers to the K’arangan god.
The crowd parted to allow a procession of women to pass through their midst. Draped in white robes, their silver hair raining down their backs, they pass in pairs through the crowd toward the temple steps. Kirk could not hold back a smile as Delgado, wearing a robe in the palest shade of green shot through with silver threads was led up the stone steps to the platform beneath the statue of the native god. Reverent whispers of ‘M’ylana’ rippled through the crowd as a garland of flowers was ceremonially draped around her neck and another crowned her hair which fell in a glorious ebony curtain to her shoulders.
Gentle hands guided her to face the crowd and a new energy pulsed through the assemblage. The hairs on the back of Kirk’s neck rose in response. The crowd’s arms lifted as one into the air and they began chanting something he could not understand. Though he could not clearly see her face from where he stood, he thought he detected something off in the way she moved.
“What’s going on?” he demanded, turning to Nobu. But the chieftain was as caught up as the rest of the throng. Eyes closed and body swaying, he ignored - or did not hear - Kirk’s question.
A frisson of alarm skittered along Kirk’s spine and he drew out his communicator.
“Kirk to Enterprise. Do you read me?”
“This is Enterprise.” Uhura’s voice sounded in his ear. “Go ahead, Captain.”
“Beam us out of here - now.”
The urgency in his voice caught the bridge crew’s attention.
“May I inquire as to what is happening, Captain?” Spock requested.
“No time to talk, Spock,” Kirk gritted. “Just get us all out of here.”
“Captain, we cannot get a lock on Ensign Delgado.” The disembodied voice of the transporter technician sounded across the comm link.
Kirk groaned.
“She’s not wearing her communicator,” he shouted. His eyes widened as he watched the women guide Delgado to lie supine on the stone table at the top of the stairs and dull horror slicked his skin with an icy sweat as he realized she was lying on an altar beneath the statue of the K’arangan god.
“Find her now!” he ordered.
“Scanning for her bio-sign,” came word from the transporter room.
On the bridge, the crew looked at one other in stark confusion.
“On-screen now,” Spock demanded. “I want to know what is happening down there.”
“Aye, sir.” Uhura’s fingers flew over her console and in seconds a somewhat grainy image flashed onto the main viewscreen.
“Can you clear the image, Lieutenant?”
“Working on it, sir. There is some distortion from the planet’s atmosphere.”
Confirmation came from the transporter room.
“Captain, I am having difficulty picking out the Ensign’s signal.”
The bridge crew watched as Kirk plunged into the undulating mass, trying desperately to push his way up the stone stairs.
“NO!” His shout echoed through the open comm. “Don’t do this!”
Security dove into the throng after the captain, fighting to get to him.
“Enterprise!” Hendorff called as he saw the glint of sunlight on the blade of the dagger held aloft in the priest’s hand. “Get the captain out of here now!”
Uhura’s eyes widened with alarm but she said nothing, her gaze fixated on the events taking place on the planet’s surface.
“Belay that, Mr. Spock.” Kirk ordered. “Don’t you dare.”
His shouts and curses grew increasingly frantic and he pushed and shoved his way through the crowd.
“Status, Enterprise. What is going on?” His breathing was ragged.
“Still trying to get a lock on Delgado, Captain.” Uhura forced a note of calmness which she did not feel into her voice.
As he neared the top of the steps, he shouted Delgado’s name. Her head turned sluggishly toward him. Though her face was curiously slack and her gaze clouded, her eyes pleaded with him for rescue. He faltered and froze in place. Though she had obviously been drugged in some manner, her eyes showed awareness of everything that was happening. One tear slipped free of her lashes to trickle over her cheek until it was absorbed into the thick mass of her hair.
“Please,” he screamed, renewing his efforts with increased urgency.
“Don’t!”
The bridge crew seemed to hold a collective breath, helplessness stunning them into inactivity as the captain’s frantic pleas echoed through the room.
“Don’t! Please. Stop! NOOOOO!!”
And then - complete silence as they watched the captain reach the top of the steps just as the priest plunged the blade into Delgado’s breast, piercing her heart. Her body arched once as pain exploded through her and then seemed to deflate as she collapsed onto the stone altar.
The crew saw Kirk fall to knees, arms outstretched in a final plea for mercy and the security team at last reached his side.
And then - bedlam as the K’arangans lifted their voices in a joy-filled song, hands reaching to the heavens. Kirk scrambled to his feet, intent more than ever on reaching Delgado. When the priest reached out to stop him, blood-stained dagger still clutched in his hand, Hendorff did not hesitate to shove the old man to the ground, stunning the crowd.
The multitude was silent now as Kirk pressed his fingers against Delgado’s jugular. His eyes swept over her, the green robes wet and stained with red like a macabre Christmas decoration.
A seemingly interminable moment passed as the bridge crew watched the captain carefully gather Delgado into his arms. He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered something and the only sounds that could be heard in the room were the ragged, stifled breaths of the crew.
And then , the captain’s voice - hoarse and devoid of emotion.
“Kirk to Enterprise. Beam us out of here.”
A/N: I actually have most of the next chapter written. I wrote that chapter before this which is odd for me as I’m a fairly lineal writer. I need to make some edits to tie the two chapters together but it should not be a very long time before the next chapter is posted.
Thanking you, as always, for your patience and your kind response to this story.
Rating: R (mature)
Characters/Pairing: Kirk/Uhura
Disclaimer: Characters and canon belong to Paramount, Roddenberry, Abrams and many others but not me. All rights reserved. No copyright infringement intended and no profit is made by the author.
Summary: One year prior, the Enterprise had shipped out for its first mission under the official command of James T. Kirk and the young captain had deemed it a day worthy of recognition.
Please note: this chapter contains violence.
Chapter Six
“The K’arangans are a fascinating species.” Ensign Caitlyn Delgado’s voice was as animated as the expression on her face. Excitement danced in the xenologist’s eyes, a clear and startling green which, combined with smooth caramel skin and a fall of raven hair bound in a neat tail at the nape of her neck, were evidence of her mixed Terran heritage.
Kirk’s gaze traveled idly from one face to another gathered around the conference room table. The planet K’aranga was visible through a window as the Enterprise maintained a lazy orbit.
“The ensign is correct.” Spock spoke in his usual measured tone. “The K’arangans are a curious people. Their technology is advanced but much of their culture and society is tribal by comparison.”
Kirk nodded in agreement and glanced reflexively at his notes though he had long ago memorized their contents as well as all the data which had been gathered by the Federation on the planet below and its people.
Although first contact with the K’arangans had been established only two years prior, their admission as a member planet was being fast-tracked by the Federation. The small planet was rich in vital natural resources, particularly in tritanium and negotiations with the K’arangan leaders had been swift in comparison to many of its predecessor member planets. The Enterprise was tasked with the mission of ferrying the freshly minted ambassador to his new post.
As the ranking officer of the Enterprise and representative of Starfleet, Kirk would administer the oath of office to the ambassador at a formal ceremony the next day and would sign the treaty admitting K’aranga as a member planet of the Federation.
Today he was leading a small landing party to the surface for an informal meeting with the K’arangan leaders and to take a tour of one of the villages.
“Okay, people.” Kirk rolled his chair away from the table and stood. The others scrambled to their feet as well.
“We leave in fifteen minutes.” He turned his head. “Lieutenant Uhura, please notify the Ambassador to meet us in the transporter room.”
“Aye, Captain.” She leaned over a console located in one corner of the room and transmitted Kirk’s orders then followed him to where he stood by the window.
“Gorgeous,” she breathed, staring at the planet below. The water surrounding the land mass visible to them was a hue so vividly violet, it took the breath away.
He turned his head toward her. “I wish you were going with us.”
“I’ll be at the ceremony and reception tomorrow.”
“I know. Still, K’aranga is reported to be absolutely beautiful. I’d like to experience it the first time with you.”
Her lips tipped upward in the private smile she reserved just for him.
“Tomorrow,” she promised. “In the meantime, remember the phrases I taught you and just be your usual charming self.”
She rolled her eyes as he visibly preened at her words and they shared a laugh.
“Just try not to cause an interplanetary incident,” she smirked.
“Yes, ma’am.” He drew himself erect to snap off a smart salute at her command and she bit back a snicker in response.
“I’d better go rescue Mr. Spock.” He tipped his head toward the other side of the room where the young ensign was bending his first officer’s ear with bubbling enthusiasm. They shared a quick grin at the look of patient stoicism etched on Spock’s face at Delgado’s puppy-like eagerness to get to the surface of the planet.
“All right, folks.” Kirk moved toward the doorway and clapped a friendly hand on Spock’s shoulder. “Let’s get this party started.”
“Good luck, Captain.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Kirk’s chin dipped in response to her words and he watched as she moved toward the turbolift to return to the bridge. Executing an about face that would have made his Academy instructors weep with pleasure, Kirk turned on his heel and began to make his way to the transporter room.
“With me, Commander,” he called as his first officer fell into place beside him, matching his brisk pace. The two men spoke quietly as they moved through the busy corridors of the Enterprise.
Entering the transporter room, Kirk stopped to greet the ambassador who awaited them and gestured politely for the man to ascend to the pad. Ensign Delgado fairly flew up the short flight of steps, followed by a video tech sent by the Federation to document the momentous occasion as well as Lieutenant Hendorff and another member of the security team. The small landing party waited for the captain to join them.
“The ship’s yours until I get back, Spock.” He bounded up the steps and took his place beside the others. “Don’t leave without me.” He grinned at the other man’s arched brow, which he had learned to interpret as the Vulcan equivalent of an eye roll. It never failed to amuse him when he managed to elicit that response.
“I shall speak with you upon your return, Captain.” Spock tipped his head to one side, the expression on his face one of enduring patience. “Perhaps we can discuss the day’s events during the evening meal.”
“Sounds good.” Kirk turned toward the transporter technician.
“Energize.”
******
The landing party reformed on the planet’s surface. Kirk blinked against the brilliance of the sun’s rays and took a quick look around. A party of K’arangans approached and one man stepped forward.
“Greetings,” he said in Standard. “I am Nobu, chief of my people. We welcome you.”
Kirk took the man’s outstretched hand and smiling, murmured the greeting Uhura had taught him.
“It is our honor to be among you,” he said in the native language.
The chief’s lips twitched into a returning smile. Taller than Kirk by about two inches, he was a prime example of his species. His skin was pale, almost to the point of being translucent, and the network of veins running beneath was clearly visible. His eyes were a blue so icy in color they were nearly as silver as the fall of hair which swept over his shoulders.
“Please allow me to introduce the rest of my party.” Kirk swept a hand out and the others stepped forward one by one as the introductions were made. Nobu nodded and made pleased sounding noises in his throat as he listened to the ambassador’s effusive greetings and he nodded politely to the rest of the team.
“And this is Ensign Delgado.” Kirk indicated the young woman who had moved forward. “She’s a xenologist and is quite eager to get to know more about your planet and your people. Isn’t that right, Ensign?”
Delgado was fairly vibrating with excitement as she greeted Nobu.
Staring at her, Nobu did not return her greeting. An older man, whose hair was shorn into a silver tuft at the crown of his head, separated himself from the small group hovering nearby and sidled up to the chieftain. He whispered frantically into Nobu’s ear, but the chief’s gaze never wavered from Delgado’s face.
She exchanged a confused look with her captain and took one hesitant step back. Long, awkward seconds passed and then finally Nobu shook his head and blinked. He stepped closer. His hand lifted almost involuntarily toward her hair as if compelled to touch, before he caught himself and dropped his arm to his side.
“Is… everything alright?” Kirk asked cautiously, subtly shifting his weight so that Delgado was shielded behind one of his shoulders.
“Forgive my rudeness.” Nobu offered an apologetic smile. “It is simply that the young lady is as one who has stepped from the pages of our sacred scripture. She is the image of M’ylana, the handmaiden to our god. I was caught by surprise.”
Kirk’s tensed shoulders relaxed marginally at the sheepish expression on the chieftain’s face.
“It was not my desire to cause you discomfort.” Nobu cocked his head to one side and studied the young woman standing near her captain.
Delgado’s uncertainty disappeared beneath the warmth of the chief’s smile.
The older man murmured quietly into Nobu’s ear once again and the chief’s expression grew thoughtful. He nodded once and turned back to address his visitors.
“Captain, when I awoke today, it was with lingering reservations as to the wisdom of joining your Federation and whether it was the right path for my people. I chose this day to make our unification official because it is a special time on my people’s calendar. It is the day on which our god took his rightful place in the heavens to rule over all which you can see.”
He raised his hands and gestured to the sky, then lowered them to point to the earth beneath his feet.
“Tomorrow your people will join us for a feast - a traditional K’arangan celebration, not only of our holiest of days, but also of our alliance with the Federation. But today we venerate our god with prayer and ceremony.”
His gaze rested once again on Delgado’s rapt face.
“I awoke this morning filled with uncertainty,” he said again. “But surely your presence here can only be seen as a sign that our god is pleased with the course we have charted.”
“I am unfamiliar with your sacred texts and beliefs,” Delgado began. “If it would give no offense to you or your people, I would very much like to learn all that you are willing to teach me.”
A joyful smile broke over Nobu’s face. He turned to share a quiet word with the wizened man hovering near his shoulder.
“We would be honored to have you participate in our ceremony today.”
Delgado’s eager gaze swung toward Kirk.
“Oh, Captain. Think of all we could learn. Why I could -”
Kirk laughed and raised both hands as if in surrender.
“Far be it from me to stand between a representative of Starfleet and her duty. Permission granted, Ensign.”
Nobu shared a look with the old man who turned and gestured with his hand. Immediately a group of women stepped forward. They surrounded Delgado, touching her hair and chattering excitedly as they led her away.
She craned her head and glanced over her shoulder, her excited gaze meeting her captain’s. With her dark beauty and the bright blue of her uniform, she was an exotic creature amid the silvery delicacy of the others.
“They will take good care of her,” Nobu assured Kirk. “Shall we?”
Flanked by Nobu on one side and the ambassador on the other, with security following at a discreet distance, Kirk set off to take a tour of the surrounding area as the video tech swooped about shooting footage.
K’aranga was, as Spock and Delgado had opined, fascinating. Though Kirk maintained a cool façade, he too felt the tingle of excitement at having the opportunity to take part in this moment. Though the Enterprise and her crew had encountered numerous alien cultures in the last year plus of travel, it was entirely different to be honored with the task of officially welcoming a new species into the fold.
K’arangan society was a unique fusion of advanced technology - as required by the Federation before first contact could be initiated - and a simplistic native lifestyle. No towering buildings speared upward to block the sky. The homes were low and modest structures, simple though not lacking in creature comforts. The people, though well-educated and obviously capable of achieving such advanced technology, dressed in a manner reminiscent of ancient earth cultures in simple robes which left the shoulders and arms bare. Theirs was a communal society, small clusters of villages dotting the landscape, inhabitants working together to raise the children, care for the elderly, and provide for the basic needs of the group.
And the landscape itself, Kirk thought, was every bit as beautiful as described. The air was perfumed with the sweet fragrance of the flowers blooming abundantly along the roadside and as far as the eye could see were carefully tended fields - golden and green - burdened with their crops nearly ready for harvest.
He breathed in, drawing the fragrant air deeply into his lungs, and looked forward to the next day when his crew - and more importantly, Nyota - would join him.
************
Kirk and the others had spent most of the day in the company of Nobu and after a light meal shortly around midday, were bidden by the chief to join him for the religious ceremony. The chief led them into the trees which surrounded the main village. He settled them in a shaded area near the base of a wide stairway which led to a stone temple. The temple, though simple in structure, nonetheless rose majestically from the ground to tower overhead. Riots of flowers grew along the base of the temple and the trees had been cut away to allow beams of sunlight to pour directly onto the temple roof.
The K’arangan people crowded into the clearing around the temple and the air hummed with countless hushed conversations. The sudden high tone of a single chime sounded and the crowd quieted.
The wizened old man whom Kirk had seen earlier in the day walked out of the temple doors and raised his arms to the large stone statue positioned prominently at the top of the steps. Though Kirk recognized only a few of the words spoken, it was obvious that the man was a priest and was offering prayers to the K’arangan god.
The crowd parted to allow a procession of women to pass through their midst. Draped in white robes, their silver hair raining down their backs, they pass in pairs through the crowd toward the temple steps. Kirk could not hold back a smile as Delgado, wearing a robe in the palest shade of green shot through with silver threads was led up the stone steps to the platform beneath the statue of the native god. Reverent whispers of ‘M’ylana’ rippled through the crowd as a garland of flowers was ceremonially draped around her neck and another crowned her hair which fell in a glorious ebony curtain to her shoulders.
Gentle hands guided her to face the crowd and a new energy pulsed through the assemblage. The hairs on the back of Kirk’s neck rose in response. The crowd’s arms lifted as one into the air and they began chanting something he could not understand. Though he could not clearly see her face from where he stood, he thought he detected something off in the way she moved.
“What’s going on?” he demanded, turning to Nobu. But the chieftain was as caught up as the rest of the throng. Eyes closed and body swaying, he ignored - or did not hear - Kirk’s question.
A frisson of alarm skittered along Kirk’s spine and he drew out his communicator.
“Kirk to Enterprise. Do you read me?”
“This is Enterprise.” Uhura’s voice sounded in his ear. “Go ahead, Captain.”
“Beam us out of here - now.”
The urgency in his voice caught the bridge crew’s attention.
“May I inquire as to what is happening, Captain?” Spock requested.
“No time to talk, Spock,” Kirk gritted. “Just get us all out of here.”
“Captain, we cannot get a lock on Ensign Delgado.” The disembodied voice of the transporter technician sounded across the comm link.
Kirk groaned.
“She’s not wearing her communicator,” he shouted. His eyes widened as he watched the women guide Delgado to lie supine on the stone table at the top of the stairs and dull horror slicked his skin with an icy sweat as he realized she was lying on an altar beneath the statue of the K’arangan god.
“Find her now!” he ordered.
“Scanning for her bio-sign,” came word from the transporter room.
On the bridge, the crew looked at one other in stark confusion.
“On-screen now,” Spock demanded. “I want to know what is happening down there.”
“Aye, sir.” Uhura’s fingers flew over her console and in seconds a somewhat grainy image flashed onto the main viewscreen.
“Can you clear the image, Lieutenant?”
“Working on it, sir. There is some distortion from the planet’s atmosphere.”
Confirmation came from the transporter room.
“Captain, I am having difficulty picking out the Ensign’s signal.”
The bridge crew watched as Kirk plunged into the undulating mass, trying desperately to push his way up the stone stairs.
“NO!” His shout echoed through the open comm. “Don’t do this!”
Security dove into the throng after the captain, fighting to get to him.
“Enterprise!” Hendorff called as he saw the glint of sunlight on the blade of the dagger held aloft in the priest’s hand. “Get the captain out of here now!”
Uhura’s eyes widened with alarm but she said nothing, her gaze fixated on the events taking place on the planet’s surface.
“Belay that, Mr. Spock.” Kirk ordered. “Don’t you dare.”
His shouts and curses grew increasingly frantic and he pushed and shoved his way through the crowd.
“Status, Enterprise. What is going on?” His breathing was ragged.
“Still trying to get a lock on Delgado, Captain.” Uhura forced a note of calmness which she did not feel into her voice.
As he neared the top of the steps, he shouted Delgado’s name. Her head turned sluggishly toward him. Though her face was curiously slack and her gaze clouded, her eyes pleaded with him for rescue. He faltered and froze in place. Though she had obviously been drugged in some manner, her eyes showed awareness of everything that was happening. One tear slipped free of her lashes to trickle over her cheek until it was absorbed into the thick mass of her hair.
“Please,” he screamed, renewing his efforts with increased urgency.
“Don’t!”
The bridge crew seemed to hold a collective breath, helplessness stunning them into inactivity as the captain’s frantic pleas echoed through the room.
“Don’t! Please. Stop! NOOOOO!!”
And then - complete silence as they watched the captain reach the top of the steps just as the priest plunged the blade into Delgado’s breast, piercing her heart. Her body arched once as pain exploded through her and then seemed to deflate as she collapsed onto the stone altar.
The crew saw Kirk fall to knees, arms outstretched in a final plea for mercy and the security team at last reached his side.
And then - bedlam as the K’arangans lifted their voices in a joy-filled song, hands reaching to the heavens. Kirk scrambled to his feet, intent more than ever on reaching Delgado. When the priest reached out to stop him, blood-stained dagger still clutched in his hand, Hendorff did not hesitate to shove the old man to the ground, stunning the crowd.
The multitude was silent now as Kirk pressed his fingers against Delgado’s jugular. His eyes swept over her, the green robes wet and stained with red like a macabre Christmas decoration.
A seemingly interminable moment passed as the bridge crew watched the captain carefully gather Delgado into his arms. He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered something and the only sounds that could be heard in the room were the ragged, stifled breaths of the crew.
And then , the captain’s voice - hoarse and devoid of emotion.
“Kirk to Enterprise. Beam us out of here.”
A/N: I actually have most of the next chapter written. I wrote that chapter before this which is odd for me as I’m a fairly lineal writer. I need to make some edits to tie the two chapters together but it should not be a very long time before the next chapter is posted.
Thanking you, as always, for your patience and your kind response to this story.