(no subject)
Title: And Saavik Makes Three
Author: spirktrekker42
Pairing: Kirk/Spock (established relationship)
Universe: ST:XI
Genre: Family, Romance, Action-adventure, Humor
Rating: PG -13
Summary: Kirk and Spock have adopted young female Vulcan Saavik into their family. But when Spock is kidnapped by Orion slavers, will Kirk risk his daughter's life to save his bondmate's?
Disclaimer: The rights to Star Trek belong to Gene Roddenberry, and NuTrek belongs to J.J. Abrams, Orci, and Kurtzman.
Ch. 15: Parted
.~.
Somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant, in Orion space
On the Orion ship, Spock was beginning to realize his grim fate. When he'd been sleeping, he'd been fitted with a shiny electronic collar, which monitored his every move, temperature fluctuation, and heart rate. His uniform was nowhere to be found. Instead, he'd been fitted with a shoddy brown loincloth, which barely covered his extremities. And while his captors did provide him with adequate sustenance, he strongly suspected that the liquid he'd been given was drugged with the same odorless substance that had been in his Vulcan tea.
Overhearing the Orion captain speaking the Vulcan female, he'd learned that he was to be sold at auction, and that he would fetch a fair price as a member of an endangered species. That alone was a sobering thought. There was also the fact that he was extremely uncomfortable wearing only the loincloth, not because it embarrassed him, but because it was quite chilly without his clothes.
But the worst of it was being mentally cut off from his bondmate. He'd had Jim in his head for over five years, and his mind felt empty without him. He'd forgotten what it felt like, not being able to communicate with Jim with a simple thought. He'd taken it for granted. It was a rather disconcerting feeling, as if he was living with a severed limb with phantom pain. But something had softened the total block from his beloved mate's mind - he successfully had established a weak father-daughter bond with Saavik. Spock had been amazed at how easily she'd accepted the familial link, especially with her initials misgivings and fear of melding. No thanks to Sybok, the Vulcan thought darkly.
His Vulcan captor, Heilak, interrupted his thoughts by entering his small room without any regard for knocking.
"Spock, I must see your mind."
He raised an eyebrow. "You will not succeed in your plan to rule the Vulcan colony. Even if I cannot stop you, others will."
"I assume you refer to your father, yes?"
Spock remained silent. He wished to keep her talking, in order to avoid the meld. It also was an opportunity to find out what their plans were for Sarek.
"Sybok went to him thirteen days ago. He offered to take Sarek's pain over losing his human bondmate and planet, and your father complied. He has been acting according to Sybok's will ever since."
"I cannot believe that," said Spock. "My father would never allow such a thing."
"Grief causes certain individuals to react in ways that we may not expect," Heilak reminded him. "It is regrettable that you must be sold; you are a symbol of hope for Vulcans everywhere."
"Pardon me?"
"Your relationship with Captain Kirk is legend. That t'hy'la can be found even in this day and age…" She trailed off, not wishing to sound too emotional. "It has encouraged many of our young to look to other species for bondmates. It was difficult for me to block your bond - if you had not been weakened, I never would have managed it."
"Then why do you go along with him?" Spock pressed her.
"This is all a part of Sybok's plan for the greater good of all Vulcans," Heilak said in earnest. "You will be reunited with James Kirk eventually - he has promised me this."
Spock inwardly sighed. How many young Vulcans like this one had Sybok tricked? He'd been told that his half-brother was telepathically powerful, yes, but cruel? It just didn't sit right with him.
"What of T'Pau?" Spock asked. "Surely she has not allowed Sybok to take her pain." It was not a question of allowing - T'Pau was the most powerful telepath of all the surviving Vulcans, including Sybok.
"Negative," Heilak admitted. "She is beginning to suspect something is amiss, but she has no proof as to who is behind it."
"Since I am to be sold, there is no harm in telling me Sybok's plan," Spock said slyly. "What did he find when he crossed the Great Barrier, that has garnered him so many believers in the ways of the V'tosh Ka'tur?"
"He has learned much from what he calls the Collective. Only when all of us are in harmony, when our thoughts are one, can we truly rebuild what we lost on Vulcan. It is a beautiful vision."
"Would you share it with me?" Spock prodded. "I am merely curious."
"I do not believe that is permitted."
"Perhaps then you would tell me where we are headed."
Heilak's eyes narrowed. "That is enough questions for today."
Spock watched her go, disappointed that he hadn't been able to gather more information from her. He was positive Jim would've managed it.
Since he was left alone, he decided to meditate on Sybok and his plan for the 'greater good'. Never had he known his brother to be cruel - separating bondmates, using mind control, manipulating an entire species… it just wasn't Sybok's style. He would've thought it a greater victory if he could convince Vulcans to follow him of their own volition. Something was definitely off about his actions.
Then Spock's thoughts turned from his brother to this mysterious 'Collective'. He fervently wished his counterpart was still alive, so he could ask him if he'd encountered something similar in his timeline. Although it pained him to admit it, perhaps there was something even bigger at stake here, than just the fate Vulcan race… The thought gave Spock the shivers. How he wished that he was back home safe with Jim and Saavik!
He would give anything to speak with his bondmate, just once more.
.~.
Back on the Enterprise
At that very moment, Jim had finished recounting his experiences on Tarsus IV to his young daughter.
"Although I experienced horrors no child should have to see, I was able to save myself and eight other children from starvation," Jim smiled fondly at his daughter. "I'd count that as a win, wouldn't you?"
Saavik gazed up at her dad with an expression of the utmost respect. Although his tone was light, she could tell the amount of effort telling the story was costing him. "You went through all that hunger, pain, and suffering and still managed to grow up to be a starship captain."
He sighed. "It wasn't that simple, trust me. I had quite a few bumps along the road - just ask Admiral Pike. But I always say, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." Kirk grinned at her. "I know Spock feels the same way, although I'm sure Vulcans phrase the sentiment differently than I do."
"So maybe what happened to me at the orphanage had a purpose after all," Saavik supposed.
Her parent nodded. "You can't let something that was out of your control ruin your hopes and dreams." Kirk leaned closer. "Saavik, I see many good things in your future."
"Really?"
"Yep. If you keep up your studies, I don't see why you couldn't be whatever you wanted. And if you wanted to apply to Starfleet Academy when you come of age, I could provide you with some awesome character references."
He winked at his daughter as she blushed and looked away. How had he known that she'd been seriously considering joining the 'fleet someday? After her successful experience on the shuttle, command track was looking more and more like a possibility.
Just then, the com system on the wall beeped. Kirk answered it, and then turned to Saavik to relay a message.
"Norvek and your other friends want to see you."
Saavik's eyes searched her father's face for his reaction. She did want to talk to her friends, as they had just lived through a dangerous situation. It almost felt like it was her responsibility to talk them through it. However, she didn't want to leave Jim. "Will you be alright here by yourself?"
Kirk's heart just melted a little inside at her concern. "Yeah, I'll be fine. In fact, I was gonna go visit Bones in a little while." He gave her a winning smile, although it was more dull than usual.
"I just wanted to make sure. I'll be back later, okay?" She turned to leave the room.
"Saavik, wait!"
She pivoted on her feet to face him. "Yes?"
Kirk laughed nervously. "Before you go, can I ask you a favor?"
"I know what you're going to ask." She frowned, wishing she could do more for her dad. "But it's impossible. I can't talk to him for you, remember? We can only communicate through images."
Jim smiled. "That's okay. I've got something in mind. Do you know what a sehlat is?"
Saavik nodded. "Uh huh, we learned about them in Vulcan studies." Kirk motioned for her to continue. "Sehlats are animals that are indigenous to desert climates. When tamed, they are very loyal to their immediate family, and although they have large fangs, they are quite even tempered one you get past their intimidating nature."
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Kirk couldn't help a bit of a smirk showing on his tired face. "Can you picture a sehlat in your mind and send it to Spock?"
"I'll try," she promised. A look of wonder crossed her young face as she received Spock's response.
"What? What'd you see?" Kirk urged.
"There was light everywhere. It hurt my eyes, it was so bright!"
"He knows it's me," Jim whispered. "Spock, you did it."
"Are you crying again?" The ever observant Saavik noticed the tears gathering in Jim's eyes.
"No, I've just got allergies," said her dad, sniffing a little as he rubbed his tears away.
Saavik decided not to call him on it. "Why did you have me send him a picture of a sehlat?"
Kirk smiled, a little wistfully. "That's my pet name for him, my 'wild sehlat'.
Saavik shot him a look of disbelief. "Spock isn't wild at all."
Shows what you know, Kirk thought. "That's the joke."
"And the light?"
Jim whispered, "He calls me his Bright One."
Saavik tried to get her dad to elaborate further, but he gently shooed her out the door to go meet up with her friends.
.~.
In the mess hall
"So let me get this straight," said Kira. "Jim's nickname for Spock is wild sehlat?"
"And Spock calls him K'ri'lior?" Clopek added.
"You didn't hear it from me," Saavik confirmed with a big smile. "But isn't that the most adorable thing in the universe?"
"I believe the concept to be extremely illogical."
"Norvek, will you quit it?" Saavik growled at the Vulcan boy. "Just because you are too young to understand the complexities of t'hy'la-"
"That is not what I meant," Norvek interrupted. "I only meant to say that such things are extremely private and should be kept as such. That is the Vulcan way."
"Boring," sang Saavik. "When I find my future bondmate, I'll want to make sure they know how I feel about them. This is just one of the ways that my dads express their love."
"I think it's a beautiful concept, Saavik," Kira assured her.
"Thank you." Saavik shot Norvek a smug look, who merely blinked at her.
"Clopek, what is your opinion on the matter?" Norvek desperately tried to get his male friend to back him up, but it didn't happen. Either Clopek wanted to score points with Kira or he was only saying what he believed to be the truth.
"It is truly remarkable that the captain and commander were able to communicate through Saavik even though Spock is thousands of light-years away." Clopek and Kira shared a dreamy smile, and Norvek's eye twitched, a sign that he was absolutely livid.
"I do not believe that we came here to discuss the captain and commander's terms of endearments for each other. We gathered to discuss our experience in the shuttle," he reminded him.
"And to make Saavik feel better," Kira added, squeezing her hand.
"I'm okay, guys, really," Saavik insisted, accepting a hug from the human girl. "I mean, yeah I'm worried about my father, but I know he's fine as long as the link is open to us."
"Then shall we review the shuttle experience?" Norvek suggested.
"Geez, why do you always have to make everything into a lecture?" Saavik whined. "Can't we just have an informal discussion, the way Captain Kirk and his officers do?"
"Vulcans on our world were taught to view everything as a learning experience," Clopek reminded her. "However, I believe her idea has merit."
"I would not be adverse to an informal discussion, but she tends to lead us off topic," Norvek glared at Saavik, who smiled innocently back at him.
"Why don't we give it a try?" Kira suggested. "And if Saavik gets us too off topic, you can give us a lecture."
Saavik turned Kira, her mouth gaping. "Whaaat?"
"It's only fair," she said, and Clopek agreed. Privately, they thought it would be a good incentive for Saavik to stay on topic, and if she did, they could avoid the lecture altogether.
"Fine," she relented. "I guess we'll both have to compromise. Fair?" Not thinking about the Vulcan connotations of the gesture, she held out her hand for him to shake.
Instead, he wrinkled his nose, proclaiming that he was not going to touch her hand.
"Ugh, why are you so difficult!" She groaned. "My father's missing and it feels awful - couldn't you just be a little nicer than normal?" Then she remembered that Norvek never knew his real father, and that he was still having difficulty adjusting to his adopted family.
Norvek looked away, the corners of his eyes twitching as he struggled to suppress his emotions.
Both Kira and Clopek gave Saavik the 'you've done it now' look.
"I'm sorry, Norvek," Saavik said quietly. "I didn't mean it like that."
"It is a fact that I did not know my father. You do not have to consider my emotions on the matter, as I am Vulcan."
"Yeah, but still I shouldn't have been so insensitive about it. I don't always think before I speak. I'm working on it, but with everything that's happened today…" She shrugged helplessly. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."
"It is of no consequence," the boy said in a flat tone. "I am aware that I can be difficult to interact with."
"That is not true," said Clopek, shooting a worried glance at Kira, for it would be difficult to support that statement. Norvek was, by nature, a perfectionist, which was somewhat annoying.
"When is an example of a time I was not difficult to work with?" Norvek challenged.
"Let's see…" Clopek thought and thought, but he just couldn't come up with anything.
"See? I am difficult." Norvek sounded absolutely miserable, and Saavik knew that she had to put things right between then.
"No, you weren't difficult today in the shuttle," she reminded him. "In fact, you all followed my orders without question. I never got to thank you for electing me as temporary captain, so uh, thanks."
"You deserved the position," said Norvek. "Out of all of us, you have the most experience with that kind of technology."
"She's also a natural leader," Kira said, causing Saavik to slightly blush.
"And she knows how to delegate responsibility," Clopek added.
"So we're all in agreement that I was pretty great in an emergency situation," Saavik smirked, proud of herself. Then her expression sobered. "But I couldn't have done it without you guys. We worked together when it really mattered. Some beings don't work well when they are under pressure, but you guys did fine."
"It is not logical to panic," Norvek said firmly.
"He is correct," Clopek agreed. "The most logical thing to was to return the shuttle to the Enterprise as quickly and safely as possible. As our energy was focused on obtaining our goal, we had no time to dwell on our fears."
"I don't know about logic, but I just watched how you three reacted," Kira admitted. "I saw that you didn't act scared, and so I swallowed my fears and go to work. I wasn't about to let our group down."
"I was scared, though," Saavik admitted. "I'd just established a link with my father, he was just taken away from me, and we were being fired upon - it was a lot to take in."
"I was frightened as well," said Clopek. "I was not expecting such a dangerous field trip."
Everyone looked at Norvek.
"I had no reason to be worried," said the boy, sounding a tad smug. "There were two outcomes of the situation - either we would return to the ship in one piece or we wouldn't. A Vulcan does not fear death, but rather embraces the journey."
"Ugh, I'm too tired for your BS," Saavik said, rolling her eyes. Kira exchanged a small smile with Clopek, and even Norvek's lips quirked upward. He was not ready to admit his emotions, and was thankful that his friends understood. Even if they did tease him.
They finished their dinner quietly, munching on their various entrees.
"I'm so exhausted, but I don't think I could sleep right now." As usual, Saavik voiced exactly how she was feeling to her friends.
"Perhaps we could venture down to the recreation deck?" Clopek suggested. "I believe we need to, as Lt. Sulu says, 'blow off some stream'." Everyone decided that it was a good idea, and after they recycled their trays, they followed Saavik out of the mess hall.
.~.
Meanwhile, in Sickbay
"I knew I'd find you in here sooner or later," McCoy commented, as Kirk entered his office. The captain collapsed in a chair, laying his head on the doctor's desk.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"What's there to talk about?" Kirk said, his voice muffled. "So I won't be seeing Spock for awhile - big deal. It's happened before. I just came to get something for my head."
"Jim, I'm not in the mood for your indifferent routine," McCoy growled. Then his voice softened, allowing his southern drawl to sound more prominent. "It's me. I know from experience how much you two hate being separated."
Kirk slowly sat up, his eyes bloodshot. "The bond doesn't like being blocked from Spock. It hurts."
"I know it must be hard." McCoy slung a comforting arm around his shoulder, knowing that he could reach his friend that way.
"Not being able to feel him like I normally do, it's like I'm missing this essential part of me and I'm not sure how to function without it. Bones, you gotta fix it!"
Then Kirk began to sob soundlessly, his shoulders shaking as he clung to his friend. McCoy didn't blame Kirk for crying - the human brain wasn't built for this sort of psychic trauma. And then there was the fact that his bondmate was at the mercy of a slave trader; that was enough to make anyone lose it.
"I wish I could give you a quick fix, but I can't. I can give you something for your head, but it will just alleviate the symptoms for a while," the doctor said with a knowing look. "What you need is a permanent solution. Have you started thinking of a plan to find him?"
Kirk's eyes brightened at that. "Actually…" He told McCoy all about Saavik's secret link with Spock.
"…they can't use thought-speak, but they can communicate telepathically using images," Kirk finished.
"Well, that's mighty helpful. It was brave of the girl to let Spock into her head. God knows I never would." Doctor McCoy shuddered at sharing space in his brain with the hobgoblin. It was an experience he didn't want to think about.
"I know, she has come a long way," Kirk agreed. "But you know what the worst part is? That scenario where I was afraid she'd be in danger, it's here. If we're going to get close to Spock, I'll probably have to take her with me."
Kirk looked so lost in thought, McCoy thought it was the perfect time to hit him in the neck with a hypo.
"Ow!" Kirk glared at his friend, and pulled away. "Traitor."
McCoy shrugged. "You said you wanted your head to feel better. There you go."
Kirk's shoulders sagged. "I'm so tired, Bones. I'm worried about Spock, and I don't know how I'm going to keep it together so that Saavik has some stability in the next few weeks. Running the ship is one thing, I've trained for that, a captain must keep up appearances. But once I enter my quarters, all of that falls away. I can't let her see me like that!"
"What would Spock want you to do?" McCoy suggested.
Kirk gave him a tired smile. "He would want me to continue to perform admirably."
"And so you will," McCoy predicted. "You wouldn't give Saavik anything less. But Jim, don't forget that you have friends. Me and Chapel, Scotty and Uhura, Sulu and Chekov, hell even Giotto, we all care about you. We will support you through this time."
"Thanks, Bones. I know you will help. It's just that Spock's such a big void to fill…" He cleared his throat, as there was no way he was going to start crying again. "I'd better go get that nap before my next shift starts."
"Now that's the Jim I know." McCoy gave his friend another hug.
But as Jim left sickbay, his worries returned. He hadn't told McCoy his greatest fear, that in their search for Spock, he would somehow end up losing both his bondmate and his daughter.
.~.
For the next thirteen days, Kirk and Saavik met after dinner for their three-way 'chat' with Spock. To initiate contact, Kirk would have Saavik send an image of a sehlat. Sometimes Spock would not respond right away, but he always did eventually. He would respond through Saavik with a burst of brilliant warm light, a symbol of his all encompassing love for his t'hy'la and daughter.
Jim would use this opportunity to update Spock on ship's business, and Spock in turn would tell them about being a victim of the Orion's whim. Thankfully, the Vulcan kept a sense of humor about it all. He hadn't been physically abused (he would fetch a better price in one piece) although the Orion did everything he could think of to take away Spock's basic freedoms. (He did not enjoy having to sing the Orion battle hymn every time he asked permission to go urinate.) Through the humiliation and taunts, Spock bore it with his usual Vulcan stoicism.
When it was time for Saavik to go to bed, she once again sent and received their standard greeting - it was kind of an 'aloha' for them. She basked in her Sa-mehk's strong feelings for Jim, and tried to convey what she felt to her dad, who was still suffering from the blocked marriage link. Then Spock would signal an end to the conversation by blocking her familial bond. Once she could no longer feel him in her head, Jim would hold her tight (or was it the other way around). She took to sleeping in Kirk's bed, pretending that she needed his comforting presence, but she was really on a secret mission for McCoy to make sure that Jim didn't drink himself into a stupor if the pain got to be too much. McCoy knew, just as Saavik did, that as long as Saavik was there, Jim would leave the alcohol alone.
Ship board routines continued as usual. Spock's absence was most noticeable to Saavik and her friends during their usual time for Vulcan studies. No one had taken over that class, as the only one qualified to teach it was no longer on board. But the foursome decided to keep up their daily chapter readings, so they could show their instructor how much they'd learned when he eventually returned.
Finally, the day arrived when the Enterprise warped into Orion space. In a rare bending of regulations, Saavik was allowed on the bridge, in order to give navigation direction to Spock. By this time, Spock's captors had landed on one of planets known for being a slave-trading hub. Saavik would describe the images Spock was feeding her and the computer would try to match them with the limited visual information the Federation had on the planets in the Orion sector.
There was one structure in particular where he was being held that stood out to Spock. The oval-shaped building was decorated with sharp, gleaming spikes and surrounded by the Orion version of barbed wire. The computer's top suggestion for that description was the Chatelle Arena on Orion V.
"That's it!" Saavik shouted excitedly, as the image projected on the view screen was almost an exact match to the image Spock had sent her.
"Yes!" Kirk cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "Saavik, you're a lifesaver." Her dad swept her up in a big hug, right there on the bridge. The crew clapped, and some briefly came over to congratulate her for locating their missing commander.
"Does Spock know we're on our way?" Kirk had to ask when the excitement had died down.
"Yes, he says he's very proud of me for all my help," a smug Saavik informed him. Her dad kissed her forehead, and then sent her back to school for the day.
"Setting course for Orion V, one quarter impulse," Chekov informed the captain, having anticipated his order.
"Thank you, Mr. Chekov. Uhura, contact the Orion government - let them know that they're about to have company." Kirk grinned at her, seemingly back to his old self now that they were going to take action.
"Yes sir. Opening a channel now."
Of course they weren't about to reveal that they were there to rescue Spock. Kirk had devised a plan that centered around a made-up Federation theft that they were investigating, one that, under the Orion treaty of '44, would grant them access to the slave auctions. The plan was that Spock would tell them via Saavik when and where he was being sold, and Kirk would pose as a trader and buy him back. A large security team would be in place during the auction, in case something went wrong and Kirk needed back up.
The Orions answered their hail on audio frequency only. "Federation vessel, we have you on our scanners." A monotonous male Orion answered their hail. "We received your communiqué and will comply with your wishes. Welcome to Orion."
"Well, that was easy," Uhura said, after the transmission had ended.
"Yeah, too easy," Kirk muttered. "I would've expected them to grumble a little at least about being inspected by Federation dogs."
"You don't think they knew we were coming, do you?" Sulu asked, sounding nervous.
"I don't know. I don't see how they could know - Spock certainly didn't tell them." But Kirk bit his lip nonetheless. "We'll just have to be extra careful. Proceed to space dock, Chekov."
"Aye, sir."
The Enterprise slowly glided into its rented berth, above the planet that housed some of the worst scum of the universe.
End Ch. 15