Never Give Up Hope (3-4)
A/N: Next two one-shots come out really quick and guess I have star trek on the brain :). in-du-ka means a tree with red leaves found near an oasis.
Solitary Confinement:
June 2287
Penal Colony 198
A fist fight followed by a brawl, and of course the finale of punching a guard had landed him here, in solitary confinement. Now this was not a place anyone wanted to be especially in the summer time, but lucky for him it was only the beginning of the season. The cell was dark, dank, and of course dreary. It wasn't the worst cell Jim had been in, but it was pretty far up there on the list. His bed consisted of straw tossed on the stone floor, a bucket for him to use if needed, and a gas lantern was his only light. It reminded him of the medieval ages he had read about in books in his youth even though it was the 23rd century. Solitary was not known for its luxury accommodations and even his cell beat this place hands down. The warden had thought that by making this cell as uncomfortable as possible that less people would end up in it for misbehavior. So far his plan had failed miserably.
Jim still felt satisfaction for punching Henderson in the jaw even if he had bruised his knuckles and it had stung like hell. Doctor Fisher had not been pleased to see him and had given him the riot act for his injuries. Of course this had reminded him of McCoy and he missed his best-friend. She had the same cranky and irate manner as his old friend when he got injured. Who would have known that the guard had such a hard jaw and a mean right hook. Still, beating the crap out of the guard had felt really good even if he was stuck in this cell.
It had started off as any other day on the Penal Colony. Jim, Telen, and Seren, had been assigned to work in the fields. This did not bother Jim since he loved working in the fields, helping to feed the animals, and of course being in the bright sunshine. For one thing, it wasn't kitchen detail and there were no dishes in sight. Of course it was also the day that Henderson and his goon guard squad were assigned to watch the prisoners in the fields. So far the guards had minded their own business and had left the prisoners alone. That had soon changed after the noonday meal when Jim's worse enemy had appeared. His name was David Griffon and the man was trouble. David had been tossed on the penal colony for beating up his commanding officer and threatening mutiny. This rash act had sentenced him to 30 years in prison and being court marshaled from the fleet. And of course he hated Jim with a passion or anyone who had been a part of Starfleet. For some reason though, he got along pretty well with Henderson, but then again why not. They were both men with giant chips on their shoulders, who would blame the world for their troubles before blaming themselves.
Seren had been vigorously pulling up onions with his gloved hands and tossing them in a wheel barrow. While Jim and Telen had been ripping up weeds and hoeing the ground a few feet away. Neither of them had noticed David walking over to Seren until they heard an agonized shout. Turning around, Jim's eyes had widned before flashing an angry green. He had shoved David roughly out of the way as he knelt down next to Seren. The Romulan was clutching his head and swearing angrily.
"Seren are you alright?" Jim asked worriedly.
"No, the bastard punched me when I wasn't looking!" Seren growled. He removed his hand and turned to face Jim. A bloody green cut was above one of Seren's arched eyebrows and was flowing freely.
Telen grabbed David by the front of his shirt and shook him roughly. "You little shit; I'll teach you to hit one of my friends."
"Ah Ah, you better play nice there are guards around." David smiled smugly while waving his hand around. A ring glinted in the sun which was smeared with green blood.
Jim helped Seren to his feet while glaring at David. He could feel his friend tensing beneath his hands and he knew a fight was about to start.
"Hold it!"
The prisoners were soon surrounded by guards and Henderson looked at them all pompously. He especially glared at Telen and Jim.
"What in the hell is going on here? And Telen let go of David's shirt."
Telen let out a snort. "The hell I will Henderson."
"What?"
"This little pig," Telen said while shaking David like a rag doll "hit Seren for no apparent reason."
"Did you do this David?"
"No I sure as hell did not." David ignored Telen's growl. "I was minding my own business when these three decided to rough me up; especially this brute holding my shirt."
"Oh then how did I get this above my eye?" Seren questioned while pointing at the cut.
Jim let out an annoyed laugh. "And how do you explain that blood on your shiny ring David?"
"Why self defense of course!"
Henderson whistled shrilly. "Alright, alright I have had enough of this. You three, let David go. It appears to me that you were bullying him and he defended himself in self defense."
Seren gasped in shock and Telen just shook his head in bewilderment at Henderson. Jim just couldn't help but throw his hands up at the stupid comment. It was obvious what had happened, but Henderson would of course take his buddy David's side. If they had started the so called scuffle with David wouldn't they all have some kind of injuries and be covered in dirt? The field they were in was mostly dirt since the majority of the ground was being tilled except for a portion where the onions were. In fact, the more Jim thought of Henderson's ridiculous comments, the more annoyed he got. He wasn't too surprised when Seren completely lost his temper and attacked David. Nor was he surprised when Telen punched a guard or threw another one across the fields. Shrugging his shoulders, Jim rushed Henderson and punched him in the jaw. It figured the man had a strong jaw and a mean right hook, but he was no match against Jim's fist.
It had taken several more prison guards to break up the fight and subdue everyone. Of course the warden had been angry and not to happy about this incident. The four prisoners had been sentenced to solitary confinement and Henderson had to guard the livestock for a few weeks. It appeared that some of the guards had not liked Henderson very well and had told the warden what had happened. All-in-all it sucked being in this tiny room, but Jim did not regret his actions.
~
Dreams:
August 2287
Penal Colony 198
A silver bird flew across the pale orange sky and let out a loud call. It echoed across the vastness of the rolling red sea of sand that stretched for miles. A few lone plants and rocks jutted from the desolate landscape. It appeared there were no signs of life besides the bird and the figures walking across the desert.
The heat was intense as Jim followed Spock across the desert plains. He was covered from head to toe in a gauzy gold material that was supposed to protect him from the harsh rays of the sun. Bells tinkled at the bottom of the robes and would go off every time he moved. Spock was similarly clad except he did not have bells on his gold robes and his face was exposed. The heat did not disturb Spock and Jim wished it did not bother him either. He couldn't help but wonder yet again why he had agreed to this expedition they were going on.
Ever since there Vulcan marriage ceremony had ended, Spock had asked Jim if he would follow him out to the desert. There was an old tradition that his family still practiced and he wished to complete it with Jim. They were to dress in a gauzy traditional marriage robes and march out into the desert. There was said to be an oasis not far from Spock's home and an old tree grew there. How the giant tree had grown so big on a desert planet no one knew for sure, but it was an ancient tree that had been around for thousands of years. In front of this tree, Spock wished to pledge himself to Jim by completing a wine ceremony. Of course Jim could never say no to Spock and that was how he was marching in the middle of the desert. They had been walking for 2-3 days now and Jim was tired.
"Jim." Spock called softly.
Jim looked up his bond-mate. "What is it Spock?"
Spock pointed across the desert. An oasis shimmered in the distant and Jim could make out a few trees. Now it made sense why he had seen a silver bird, since there had to be water nearby to support life out here.
Jim couldn't help but grin. "Finally I can sit down and rest my aching feet."
"Yes, beloved" Spock smiled at Jim, "and there we can complete the final ceremony to cement our bond."
A warm glow spread through Jim at the love he could see shining in Spock's eyes. "Well let's hurry over there."
The two of them strode quickly across the sands and finally arrived at the oasis. Huge trees towered over them and dappled light streaked through the red leafy branches. A large pool was in the center of the oasis, but what caught Jim's eye was the giant tree in the water. Huge leafy branches stretched up to the sky and giant roots sunk into the water, deep into the soil. Jim couldn't help but gaze at the tree in awe.
"This is one of the oldest trees in Vulcan. Legend has it, that even Surak himself came to the induka when he was wearied and was refreshed after leaving this place."
"So this is considered sacred ground?"
"Yes." Spock knelt down by the water and gently touched the surface with his fingers. "Many of the priestesses make pilgrimages each year to all the places that Surak had visited while he was still alive."
Jim watched as his bond-mate opened up the satchel he been carrying and placed a decorated ceramic jug with two cups on the sandy shore. Spock then began to disrobe and soon stood naked before him. He couldn't help but admire Spock's trim physique and other assets as well.
Spock raised an eyebrow at him. "You must disrobe as well Jim so we may complete the ceremony."
"Fine, spoil sport." Jim ignored the slight smirk on Spock's face as he disrobed quickly. He turned and followed his bond-mate into the cool water until they were standing next to the huge tree's roots. The water came up to Jim's thigh and he watched as little fishes swam in the clear pool.
"There isn't anything that will try to eat as in here?" Jim asked curiously.
"No Jim, the water is quiet safe." Spock placed the cups on a large branch and carefully poured the amber wine into each cup. He gave one to Jim and held the other one near his lips. Spock's brown eyes burned with sudden fire as he gazed at Jim. "Thy'la, I pledge to you before the ancient induka that I will be with you forever. Even if one of us should fade before the other or we both die at the same time, my katra and yours will be intertwined for all time."
Jim's eyes changed to gold and a tear slipped down his cheek. Those were the most beautiful words Jim had ever heard Spock say besides I love you. He could always feel Spock emotions through the bond, but this was somehow different. To hear the words spoken between them touched him all the way down to his soul. His love for Spock seemed to want to explode from his chest and another tear slid down his cheek. He followed Spock's example as he drank from the wine. It slid down his throat like fine ambrosia, but he wasn't paying attention. He had eyes for only Spock and quickly placed his cup down on the root. Throwing his arms around his bond-mate, he closed his eyes in bliss.
"I love you, Spock."
Agony flared in his mind as Jim sat up in his bunk and gripped his head. Tears slid down his face as he felt the broken bond pulsating in his mind. He could see the rough blanket on his thighs and began to sob. It was a memory from years ago and Jim slammed a fist onto the hard bunk. He cursed his mind, the broken bond, and memories he sometimes wished he could forget.
~
TBC
Solitary Confinement:
June 2287
Penal Colony 198
A fist fight followed by a brawl, and of course the finale of punching a guard had landed him here, in solitary confinement. Now this was not a place anyone wanted to be especially in the summer time, but lucky for him it was only the beginning of the season. The cell was dark, dank, and of course dreary. It wasn't the worst cell Jim had been in, but it was pretty far up there on the list. His bed consisted of straw tossed on the stone floor, a bucket for him to use if needed, and a gas lantern was his only light. It reminded him of the medieval ages he had read about in books in his youth even though it was the 23rd century. Solitary was not known for its luxury accommodations and even his cell beat this place hands down. The warden had thought that by making this cell as uncomfortable as possible that less people would end up in it for misbehavior. So far his plan had failed miserably.
Jim still felt satisfaction for punching Henderson in the jaw even if he had bruised his knuckles and it had stung like hell. Doctor Fisher had not been pleased to see him and had given him the riot act for his injuries. Of course this had reminded him of McCoy and he missed his best-friend. She had the same cranky and irate manner as his old friend when he got injured. Who would have known that the guard had such a hard jaw and a mean right hook. Still, beating the crap out of the guard had felt really good even if he was stuck in this cell.
It had started off as any other day on the Penal Colony. Jim, Telen, and Seren, had been assigned to work in the fields. This did not bother Jim since he loved working in the fields, helping to feed the animals, and of course being in the bright sunshine. For one thing, it wasn't kitchen detail and there were no dishes in sight. Of course it was also the day that Henderson and his goon guard squad were assigned to watch the prisoners in the fields. So far the guards had minded their own business and had left the prisoners alone. That had soon changed after the noonday meal when Jim's worse enemy had appeared. His name was David Griffon and the man was trouble. David had been tossed on the penal colony for beating up his commanding officer and threatening mutiny. This rash act had sentenced him to 30 years in prison and being court marshaled from the fleet. And of course he hated Jim with a passion or anyone who had been a part of Starfleet. For some reason though, he got along pretty well with Henderson, but then again why not. They were both men with giant chips on their shoulders, who would blame the world for their troubles before blaming themselves.
Seren had been vigorously pulling up onions with his gloved hands and tossing them in a wheel barrow. While Jim and Telen had been ripping up weeds and hoeing the ground a few feet away. Neither of them had noticed David walking over to Seren until they heard an agonized shout. Turning around, Jim's eyes had widned before flashing an angry green. He had shoved David roughly out of the way as he knelt down next to Seren. The Romulan was clutching his head and swearing angrily.
"Seren are you alright?" Jim asked worriedly.
"No, the bastard punched me when I wasn't looking!" Seren growled. He removed his hand and turned to face Jim. A bloody green cut was above one of Seren's arched eyebrows and was flowing freely.
Telen grabbed David by the front of his shirt and shook him roughly. "You little shit; I'll teach you to hit one of my friends."
"Ah Ah, you better play nice there are guards around." David smiled smugly while waving his hand around. A ring glinted in the sun which was smeared with green blood.
Jim helped Seren to his feet while glaring at David. He could feel his friend tensing beneath his hands and he knew a fight was about to start.
"Hold it!"
The prisoners were soon surrounded by guards and Henderson looked at them all pompously. He especially glared at Telen and Jim.
"What in the hell is going on here? And Telen let go of David's shirt."
Telen let out a snort. "The hell I will Henderson."
"What?"
"This little pig," Telen said while shaking David like a rag doll "hit Seren for no apparent reason."
"Did you do this David?"
"No I sure as hell did not." David ignored Telen's growl. "I was minding my own business when these three decided to rough me up; especially this brute holding my shirt."
"Oh then how did I get this above my eye?" Seren questioned while pointing at the cut.
Jim let out an annoyed laugh. "And how do you explain that blood on your shiny ring David?"
"Why self defense of course!"
Henderson whistled shrilly. "Alright, alright I have had enough of this. You three, let David go. It appears to me that you were bullying him and he defended himself in self defense."
Seren gasped in shock and Telen just shook his head in bewilderment at Henderson. Jim just couldn't help but throw his hands up at the stupid comment. It was obvious what had happened, but Henderson would of course take his buddy David's side. If they had started the so called scuffle with David wouldn't they all have some kind of injuries and be covered in dirt? The field they were in was mostly dirt since the majority of the ground was being tilled except for a portion where the onions were. In fact, the more Jim thought of Henderson's ridiculous comments, the more annoyed he got. He wasn't too surprised when Seren completely lost his temper and attacked David. Nor was he surprised when Telen punched a guard or threw another one across the fields. Shrugging his shoulders, Jim rushed Henderson and punched him in the jaw. It figured the man had a strong jaw and a mean right hook, but he was no match against Jim's fist.
It had taken several more prison guards to break up the fight and subdue everyone. Of course the warden had been angry and not to happy about this incident. The four prisoners had been sentenced to solitary confinement and Henderson had to guard the livestock for a few weeks. It appeared that some of the guards had not liked Henderson very well and had told the warden what had happened. All-in-all it sucked being in this tiny room, but Jim did not regret his actions.
~
Dreams:
August 2287
Penal Colony 198
A silver bird flew across the pale orange sky and let out a loud call. It echoed across the vastness of the rolling red sea of sand that stretched for miles. A few lone plants and rocks jutted from the desolate landscape. It appeared there were no signs of life besides the bird and the figures walking across the desert.
The heat was intense as Jim followed Spock across the desert plains. He was covered from head to toe in a gauzy gold material that was supposed to protect him from the harsh rays of the sun. Bells tinkled at the bottom of the robes and would go off every time he moved. Spock was similarly clad except he did not have bells on his gold robes and his face was exposed. The heat did not disturb Spock and Jim wished it did not bother him either. He couldn't help but wonder yet again why he had agreed to this expedition they were going on.
Ever since there Vulcan marriage ceremony had ended, Spock had asked Jim if he would follow him out to the desert. There was an old tradition that his family still practiced and he wished to complete it with Jim. They were to dress in a gauzy traditional marriage robes and march out into the desert. There was said to be an oasis not far from Spock's home and an old tree grew there. How the giant tree had grown so big on a desert planet no one knew for sure, but it was an ancient tree that had been around for thousands of years. In front of this tree, Spock wished to pledge himself to Jim by completing a wine ceremony. Of course Jim could never say no to Spock and that was how he was marching in the middle of the desert. They had been walking for 2-3 days now and Jim was tired.
"Jim." Spock called softly.
Jim looked up his bond-mate. "What is it Spock?"
Spock pointed across the desert. An oasis shimmered in the distant and Jim could make out a few trees. Now it made sense why he had seen a silver bird, since there had to be water nearby to support life out here.
Jim couldn't help but grin. "Finally I can sit down and rest my aching feet."
"Yes, beloved" Spock smiled at Jim, "and there we can complete the final ceremony to cement our bond."
A warm glow spread through Jim at the love he could see shining in Spock's eyes. "Well let's hurry over there."
The two of them strode quickly across the sands and finally arrived at the oasis. Huge trees towered over them and dappled light streaked through the red leafy branches. A large pool was in the center of the oasis, but what caught Jim's eye was the giant tree in the water. Huge leafy branches stretched up to the sky and giant roots sunk into the water, deep into the soil. Jim couldn't help but gaze at the tree in awe.
"This is one of the oldest trees in Vulcan. Legend has it, that even Surak himself came to the induka when he was wearied and was refreshed after leaving this place."
"So this is considered sacred ground?"
"Yes." Spock knelt down by the water and gently touched the surface with his fingers. "Many of the priestesses make pilgrimages each year to all the places that Surak had visited while he was still alive."
Jim watched as his bond-mate opened up the satchel he been carrying and placed a decorated ceramic jug with two cups on the sandy shore. Spock then began to disrobe and soon stood naked before him. He couldn't help but admire Spock's trim physique and other assets as well.
Spock raised an eyebrow at him. "You must disrobe as well Jim so we may complete the ceremony."
"Fine, spoil sport." Jim ignored the slight smirk on Spock's face as he disrobed quickly. He turned and followed his bond-mate into the cool water until they were standing next to the huge tree's roots. The water came up to Jim's thigh and he watched as little fishes swam in the clear pool.
"There isn't anything that will try to eat as in here?" Jim asked curiously.
"No Jim, the water is quiet safe." Spock placed the cups on a large branch and carefully poured the amber wine into each cup. He gave one to Jim and held the other one near his lips. Spock's brown eyes burned with sudden fire as he gazed at Jim. "Thy'la, I pledge to you before the ancient induka that I will be with you forever. Even if one of us should fade before the other or we both die at the same time, my katra and yours will be intertwined for all time."
Jim's eyes changed to gold and a tear slipped down his cheek. Those were the most beautiful words Jim had ever heard Spock say besides I love you. He could always feel Spock emotions through the bond, but this was somehow different. To hear the words spoken between them touched him all the way down to his soul. His love for Spock seemed to want to explode from his chest and another tear slid down his cheek. He followed Spock's example as he drank from the wine. It slid down his throat like fine ambrosia, but he wasn't paying attention. He had eyes for only Spock and quickly placed his cup down on the root. Throwing his arms around his bond-mate, he closed his eyes in bliss.
"I love you, Spock."
Agony flared in his mind as Jim sat up in his bunk and gripped his head. Tears slid down his face as he felt the broken bond pulsating in his mind. He could see the rough blanket on his thighs and began to sob. It was a memory from years ago and Jim slammed a fist onto the hard bunk. He cursed his mind, the broken bond, and memories he sometimes wished he could forget.
~
TBC