Fic: Kings and Pawns - Chapter 7/22
Title: Kings and Pawns
Author: jlneveloff
Movie Adapted: The Count of Monte Cristo
Fandom: Star Trek (TOS Reboot)
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure, Romance, Angst
Characters/Pairings: Spock/Uhura, Kirk, Pike, McCoy, Gaila primarily & Scotty, Chekov & Sulu to a lesser degree...Oh, also Nero, Spock Prime, Sarek and even Admiral Barnett has a part to play...So pretty much everyone.
Beta: slwmtiondaylite
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~3476
Warnings: Language, mild adult situations, violence and the occasional plot hole
Disclaimer: Star Trek and associated characters created by Gene Roddenberry. I own nothing at all. …which makes me all kinds of sad, ‘cause I really wanna borrow Spock for a while. Based upon the film The Count of Monte Cristo, written by Jay Wolpert (based upon the novel by Alexandre Dumas père) and directed by Kevin Reynolds.
Summary: In a Universe that has always known power and corruption, it is only a matter of time before the power takes over once again and innocent people are sacrificed. Spock/Uhura. Alternate MirrorVerse.
written for the LJ community reel_startrek, Round Two.
Author's Notes: This is my first...well, novel length story, so there is the chance that I may have plot holes...You have been warned ;)
This is also based on the film more so than the novel. I've never read the novel, but I am aware that the film diverted from it greatly.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A COMPLICATED BETRAYAL
The first thing Spock noticed when he slowly awoke was the bright lights and white walls of a shuttlecraft. The second thing he noticed was that it was moving quickly, though not at warp, which meant he was still within the earth’s atmosphere or at the very least, in orbit. He checked his internal clock and realized that it had only been an hour since he was stunned unconscious in Admiral’s Pike office. The memories of the events that had just occurred replayed in his mind and he tried to figure out what happened. Who betrayed Uhura and him? And for what purpose? He knew he was innocent. He didn’t betray Starfleet; he couldn't, not after everything they had given him. Perhaps he had more than his share of enemies, those who wanted to see him burn solely because he was Vulcan or those they felt that he had been given opportunities within the Fleet that they should have been afforded. But who wanted to see Uhura punished?
Yes, they had broken the law with their relationship, but Spock had never once forced himself on her. They had a mutual respect and love for one another. They understood each other. They accepted each other for who they were and accepted their faults. They had planned to bond. Now it was all gone in one fell swoop. Who wanted to hurt her? They would pay for it.
Spock couldn't lie on the cot on which he had been placed, passively waiting for whatever was coming his way; and hers as well. He had to protect her; it was an overwhelming urge, something primal. An intense compulsion to protect what was his, even if they had not yet bonded, she was his. She had promised him this. Just as he had promised her. His logic, which was perhaps colored with his human inclination to run, told him to fight his way out; there was no logic in accepting your fate when you knew it was constructed from false accusations and even faultier evidence.
Spock quietly looked around the small shuttle, trying to ascertain the exact situation. In the pilot seats, just feet away, he saw two human men armed with phasers. Behind them, on the passenger bench, was evidence of another man yet Spock could not see him, only his phaser and other belongings. Perhaps he was in the lavatory. Spock glanced down at his condition and noticed that he had not been strapped in; clearly the security detail had been overconfident in the effect of the stun setting on their phasers. It would keep a human unconscious for several hours, but Spock’s Vulcan biology lessened that time considerably. Wanting to stealthily attack, Spock decided that now would be the best time to do so, even with one of the men absent. He could render the pilots unconscious quickly and quietly, and then use the phaser on the other man when he reentered the cabin.
Quietly, Spock rose from the cot and snuck towards the pilot and co-pilot. As he passed the bench, he silently picked up the phaser and pocketed it, wanting to prevent the other officer from using it on him if he returned before Spock dispatched the other two men. He paced forward mutely and once he was within range, reached out with both hands, wanting to simultaneously and quickly find the bundle of nerves on the curve of their necks. He pressed down hard and watched the men slumped forward, effectively rendered unconscious.
He leaned over the console to try and determine their course but a sound came from behind. He turned quickly and received a punch in the face. The missing man had returned. But his punch had not done much harm to the Vulcan, as it was weak. Spock glared at him and walked toward him. He had to give it to the human; he was not willing to go down without a fight. Block after block, Spock effectively shut down the man’s blows, marching him backward, toward the back wall of the shuttle. The man was startled when his back hit the wall and he lost his concentration, his gaze shifting to the side. Spock seized the opportunity and reached out, shutting him down just as he had done the pilots, with the nerve pinch. He watched the man slump to the floor before rushing to the pilot controls.
Spock pushed the main pilot to the side, rolling him to the ground and took his seat. He would need help if he was going to prove his innocence and clear his and Uhura’s name. He needed to go to Kirk. He would help him.
*******
The prisoner transport shuttle softly touched down in a clearing in the middle of the small forest, just outside the edge of town. Spock would have to go the rest of the way by foot, not wanting to risk the chance of being followed by the officers if they woke. Leaving everything behind, he quickly ran out of the shuttle and through the trees. Kirk had a home in the small town that he procured a little over a year ago. He used it more often than his officer’s quarters on base because he preferred the privacy. Spock had his suspicions as to why that was and they centered on Kirk’s womanizing behavior. But at the moment, he felt it might be a good thing.
Spock speedily dodged in and out of the trees before finding himself at the edge of the forest, looking back to make sure he had not been followed. Satisfied that he was still alone, he ran to the town in the direction of Kirk’s home. A few moments later, he reached his destination and pounded on the door, desperate to be let in. When he wasn’t let inside as fast as he would have liked, Spock reached for the door controls and tore the cover off, looking to override the commands. As it was a simple code and simple wiring, for him anyway, Spock quickly cracked it and opened the door. He ran inside, calling out to his friend.
“Jim!” He scanned the interior of the home, trying to ascertain Kirk’s whereabouts. No lights were on, an indication that he was probably in bed, hopefully not with company. Spock ran into the living area. “Jim!”
Spock was soon greeted with the sight of Kirk storming down the stairs, pulling a shirt over his head, a confused expression on his face. “Spock? What’s wrong?”
Despite the fear, anxiety, and adrenaline coursing through his body, Spock’s voice was calm; a tribute to the years of training his father had given him in Surak’s teachings. “I was arrested for treason, but then quickly found myself being charged of kae’at k’lasa as well.”
Kirk furrowed his brow, clearly confused by Spock’s words. “What’s…kae’at…whatever you just said?”
Spock locked eyes with him, his voice void of all trace of emotion, more so than usual. “Mind-rape. They are accusing me of forcing my mind and thoughts onto Cadet Uhura to compel her to perform sexual activities.” He broke off, shaking his head slightly, brow creased. “I am unsure of how they discovered the relationship between Cadet Uhura and me, but I did not commit the crime they are accusing me of, Jim. I could not.”
Kirk nodded before he spoke. “I know, Spock,” his voice meant to be reassuring but his eyes were unfocused as though he was deep in thought.
Spock stepped closer to his friend. “I was hoping I could ask for your assistance in clearing this matter. As it was Admiral Pike who made the arrest, I was thinking, perhaps ill-conceivably, that you could talk to the Admiral and explain the situation to him.”
“Right,” Kirk answered. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Spock eagerly followed Kirk, who led the way to office area of the house. Perhaps his logic was impaired at the moment, but Spock truly believed that Kirk knew exactly what to do in his current situation. Spock would normally never concede such control over a situation such as this over to someone else but he felt that he was becoming emotionally compromised.
“How far behind is security?” Kirk asked, rounding the corner and into office. He quickly moved to the back of the room, towards the back wall.
“I left them unconscious in the transport shuttle in the middle of the forest. If they are conscious now I believe they will be disoriented as to where they are. But I believe it will be only a matter of minutes before Starfleet becomes aware that something has happened.”
“Good, that’s good,” Kirk’s voice was distracted. He opened his weapons’ cabinet, tucked between the bookshelves. “What do you need?” he asked, scanning over his vast collection. “Do you need a phaser?”
“I had hoped to solve this dispute as peacefully as possible. Weapons will not be necessary,” Spock replied.
“Right, right,” Kirk responded, once again sounding as though he was not fully invested in the matter at hand. “That’s probably a better idea.”
Spock was stunned into momentary silence when Kirk quickly grabbed a phaser from his weapons cabinet and turned on him, pointing the weapon at him. Spock stared him, his brow furrowed, trying to understand what he was doing and why. Did he think he was lying? That this was a joke? “Jim,” Spock finally found his voice. “What are you doing? We do not have time for this.” Spock stepped forward, holding his hand out in an effort to pull the phaser from Kirk’s hand.
But Kirk quickly stepped out of his reach and fired the phaser to the side, the red laser beam rushing past Spock’s head and landing on the wall behind him, leaving a scorching burn mark. Spock froze, stunned by the turn of events. It never occurred to him to calculate the odds of being betrayed by his own best friend. But here it was, happening at this very moment. James T. Kirk, the man he had known since they were children, was aiming a phaser at him, set to kill. The realization startled him. While he was at a loss for words, Kirk wasn’t.
“I saw you and Nero. I heard you tell him that you were considering doing something for him,” Kirk said, his voice shaky.
Spock was still horrified, still trying to compute the situation, yet he calmly replied to Kirk with only his words tinged with pleas. “It…was you?”
Kirk gave a wry chuckle, the sound almost colored with regret - almost. “Well, it wasn’t just me. It was Sulu’s idea.” A beat. “And McCoy’s.”
“Why did you not come to me with your concerns, Jim?” Spock was desperate to understand.
“Why do you keep secrets from me?!” Kirk’s voice rose, his hand shaking the phaser. “I thought we were friends.”
“I, too, believed that we were.” Spock shook his head. “The conversation with the Emperor was not pertinent. He had merely asked me to look for someone. I chose to ignore his request. The conversation meant nothing.” Spock’s voice had grown more shattered and weary as the situation continued.
“I know,” Kirk confessed. Spock caught his eye when he noticed that Kirk’s voice was touched with a hint of remorse. “I saw the security feed.”
Confusion presented itself on Spock’s face. His brow crinkled as he tried to gain an understanding of the motives behind Kirk’s actions. “If you know the truth, then why are you doing this?”
Kirk inhaled deeply, shrugging. “Oh,” he released the breath. “It’s….complicated.”
Spock stared at Kirk. “Complicated?” he reiterated, something he was not usually prone to do but at the moment, it was all he could think to say. He watched Kirk reach for the communication device on his desk but his brain was working desperately to piece together the situation, what facts he knew, trying to draw conclusions. What had he missed? He was aware of Sulu’s anger of having been passed over for the promotion. But what of McCoy? What did he want? Spock had one piece of the puzzle; he now knew who told Pike of the conversation in the brig. But what about the other accusation, involving Uhura - the mind-rape? He recalled that Uhura had a headache earlier in the day, something she attributed to the brain scan she had received earlier in the day. The results of those scans must be the ‘evidence’ Pike had, but only two people knew of the relationship as far as Spock knew: Barnett and Kirk. Barnett had nothing to gain by turning him in and neither did-
Wait.
Spock jerked his eyes to connect to Kirk’s, comprehension suddenly dawning on him. “You were also the one who told of my relationship with Cadet Uhura. You had Doctor McCoy manipulate her brain scans.” To his horror, his voice sounded distant and shocked even to his own ears. He was losing control of his emotions.
There was perhaps a hint of sorrow, maybe even guilt, in Kirk’s eyes when he responded. “Yeah.”
“I am still puzzled. What did Dr. McCoy stand to gain in this?”
Kirk shrugged, shaking his head. “Nothing. He just hates you.”
Spock nodded, having anticipated that answer. He knew he was not a personal favorite of the doctor’s. McCoy’s prejudices were quite well-known. He just could not believe that human dislike would spawn actions such as this, especially when he had nothing to gain. But it appeared that he is not as familiar with human thinking as he had previously believed. He could not understand Kirk’s reasoning behind framing him; he hadn’t seen a single indication that something was…
He paused in his thoughts. Spock recalled earlier, after his promotion, when we went to The Rock to meet with Kirk and Uhura. Something had changed there. But why was he punishing Uhura?
“This will jeopardize Cadet Uhura’s career, her reputation. Everything she has worked so hard to gain will be lost. Why would you do that to her?” Spock spoke softly, the fight draining out of him. He wanted to understand. He needed to.
Kirk quickly refuted that point. “Don’t worry,” he said, “She’ll be taken good care of.” He gave Spock a salacious smile. “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”
Realization dawned on Spock. Kirk was in love with her - or at least his equivalent of love. “And how long until you grow tired of her? How long until you discard her as you do to all the other women who cross your path, Jim?” Spock stepped forward, hoping to distract him long enough to disarm him. “You will never be able to give her what she deserves. It is not in your nature.”
Kirk raged. He swept the contents on his desk to the floor before holding the phaser more securely and more directly at Spock. “What she deserves?! At least with me she wouldn't have to hide, wouldn't have to keep everything secret. She could actually know how I feel and maybe even hear the words, ‘I love you’ every once in a while.”
Spock had to admit, Kirk’s words stung. No, she didn’t deserve to hide in the shadows and he wanted desperately to fix that for her. He had hoped that with the capture of Nero, the Empire would finally move in the right direction, only now, everything was falling apart. But Kirk was wrong about one thing, she knew how he felt about her, she had felt it many times. It was true, he could never say the words ‘I love you’ out loud, but being able to feel it…that had to count for more than just words. Words could lie, but feelings could not.
As Kirk lifted the communicator that he still held in his hand and began to speak, giving Starfleet his coordinates, he dropped the phaser from his target. Spock saw this as his opportunity and launched, attempting to pull the phaser away from him. But Kirk had been expecting him to because he jerked the phaser back up, straight at Spock’s chest, before he could even get to him. Spock halted.
He looked at his friend - or formal friend as the case may be - with confusion and perhaps a little desperation, his control finally slipping away. “Why, Jim, why? After everything we have experienced together, why?”
“Because you’re a Vulcan!” Kirk exclaimed. “And I’m not supposed to want to be you.”
Spock stared, his gaze intense. Out of all that people that he knew, Spock had never believed that Kirk would become prejudiced against him or his species. They had grown up together. They had done everything together. Not once did Spock see a hint of prejudice, or at least none that he recognized. He slowly began to realize that Kirk was still speaking.
“You’re supposed to be at the bottom of the chain of command, not swiftly climbing your way to the top. Everything I do come in second to you and you don’t even have to try!” Kirk paced the room, making sure his phaser remained on Spock. “Have you ever wondered what Pike said to me to make me join the Fleet? When you or Barnett couldn't?”
“I must admit that I had been curious.”
Kirk walked towards him, stopping in front, his gaze dead even with the Vulcan’s. He leaned in slightly when he spoke, for emphasis. “Power. He told me I could have my own ship in four years. But here we are, five years later and I’m still living under your shadow.”
“You could have transferred,” Spock replied, trying to be the voice of reason.
Kirk scoffed. “Off the flagship? No way.” He sighed heavily. “No, it’s better this way. Maybe I can escape your shadow with Uhura as well.”
The sounds of an incoming transportation filtered into the room. Starfleet security had arrived. Kirk called out, indicating where they were and the sounds of footsteps grew closer. Spock looked around the room, trying to ascertain if an escape was possible. Kirk noticed and spoke. “It would be better for Uhura if you just go with them. Unless you want her tossed in prison with you.”
Kirk’s thinly veiled threat halted Spock. After the events of the past several hours, he could not bring himself to doubt the truth in his words. And he couldn't put Uhura at risk. He would bear any punishment, whatever it may be, no matter how unjustified, to protect her. His eyes on Kirk, he remained still as security entered the room and moved to him. They cuffed him, trained their more powerful phaser rifles on him and he remained focused on Kirk, feeling his world crumble around him. He allowed the officers to pull him back to the middle of the room.
“Wait.” Kirk suddenly stepped forward. He bent down and picked up the familiar King chess piece they had shared over the years. It had been tossed from the desk when Kirk raged earlier. He placed it inside Spock’s uniform jacket. “To remember better times.”
Spock stoically looked ahead, not wanting to give Kirk the satisfaction of seeing his control rattled. One of the security officers spoke into his communications device, requesting immediate transport. A few seconds after the affirmation, Spock felt the familiar tingle of the transportation process and flicked his eyes over to Kirk. The last thing he saw before his molecules separated was Kirk watching him, with something akin to regret on his face.
**********
Admiral Christopher Pike entered his quarters, pleased with the night’s turn of events. Perhaps the young Vulcan Spock was not a traitor but he was involved with a cadet, a human cadet. That was illegal no matter how you looked at it, whether he forced himself on her or not.
Noticing the blinking light on his console, Pike went to it, sitting down. He turned on the console to read the encoded messages that had been sent his way. He clicked on the most recent. He had assigned several officers to keep track of Nero’s whereabouts since his…’escape’ from prison and they had recently reported in. Details of his escape given to the higher ups in the fleet were sketchy at best, but Pike knew the reality and the how.
Soon, he would make his move. Soon, Nero would be his and the prestige that would come with capturing the most dangerous man in the galaxy would be his.
The power was so close, Pike could almost taste it.
And the thing that pleased Pike the most? It was almost a gift practically thrown into his lap when he needed it most; something that could pull the attention off of him. Granted the man was innocent but it was so perfect.
He had found his scapegoat.
Author: jlneveloff
Movie Adapted: The Count of Monte Cristo
Fandom: Star Trek (TOS Reboot)
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure, Romance, Angst
Characters/Pairings: Spock/Uhura, Kirk, Pike, McCoy, Gaila primarily & Scotty, Chekov & Sulu to a lesser degree...Oh, also Nero, Spock Prime, Sarek and even Admiral Barnett has a part to play...So pretty much everyone.
Beta: slwmtiondaylite
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~3476
Warnings: Language, mild adult situations, violence and the occasional plot hole
Disclaimer: Star Trek and associated characters created by Gene Roddenberry. I own nothing at all. …which makes me all kinds of sad, ‘cause I really wanna borrow Spock for a while. Based upon the film The Count of Monte Cristo, written by Jay Wolpert (based upon the novel by Alexandre Dumas père) and directed by Kevin Reynolds.
Summary: In a Universe that has always known power and corruption, it is only a matter of time before the power takes over once again and innocent people are sacrificed. Spock/Uhura. Alternate MirrorVerse.
written for the LJ community reel_startrek, Round Two.
Author's Notes: This is my first...well, novel length story, so there is the chance that I may have plot holes...You have been warned ;)
This is also based on the film more so than the novel. I've never read the novel, but I am aware that the film diverted from it greatly.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A COMPLICATED BETRAYAL
The first thing Spock noticed when he slowly awoke was the bright lights and white walls of a shuttlecraft. The second thing he noticed was that it was moving quickly, though not at warp, which meant he was still within the earth’s atmosphere or at the very least, in orbit. He checked his internal clock and realized that it had only been an hour since he was stunned unconscious in Admiral’s Pike office. The memories of the events that had just occurred replayed in his mind and he tried to figure out what happened. Who betrayed Uhura and him? And for what purpose? He knew he was innocent. He didn’t betray Starfleet; he couldn't, not after everything they had given him. Perhaps he had more than his share of enemies, those who wanted to see him burn solely because he was Vulcan or those they felt that he had been given opportunities within the Fleet that they should have been afforded. But who wanted to see Uhura punished?
Yes, they had broken the law with their relationship, but Spock had never once forced himself on her. They had a mutual respect and love for one another. They understood each other. They accepted each other for who they were and accepted their faults. They had planned to bond. Now it was all gone in one fell swoop. Who wanted to hurt her? They would pay for it.
Spock couldn't lie on the cot on which he had been placed, passively waiting for whatever was coming his way; and hers as well. He had to protect her; it was an overwhelming urge, something primal. An intense compulsion to protect what was his, even if they had not yet bonded, she was his. She had promised him this. Just as he had promised her. His logic, which was perhaps colored with his human inclination to run, told him to fight his way out; there was no logic in accepting your fate when you knew it was constructed from false accusations and even faultier evidence.
Spock quietly looked around the small shuttle, trying to ascertain the exact situation. In the pilot seats, just feet away, he saw two human men armed with phasers. Behind them, on the passenger bench, was evidence of another man yet Spock could not see him, only his phaser and other belongings. Perhaps he was in the lavatory. Spock glanced down at his condition and noticed that he had not been strapped in; clearly the security detail had been overconfident in the effect of the stun setting on their phasers. It would keep a human unconscious for several hours, but Spock’s Vulcan biology lessened that time considerably. Wanting to stealthily attack, Spock decided that now would be the best time to do so, even with one of the men absent. He could render the pilots unconscious quickly and quietly, and then use the phaser on the other man when he reentered the cabin.
Quietly, Spock rose from the cot and snuck towards the pilot and co-pilot. As he passed the bench, he silently picked up the phaser and pocketed it, wanting to prevent the other officer from using it on him if he returned before Spock dispatched the other two men. He paced forward mutely and once he was within range, reached out with both hands, wanting to simultaneously and quickly find the bundle of nerves on the curve of their necks. He pressed down hard and watched the men slumped forward, effectively rendered unconscious.
He leaned over the console to try and determine their course but a sound came from behind. He turned quickly and received a punch in the face. The missing man had returned. But his punch had not done much harm to the Vulcan, as it was weak. Spock glared at him and walked toward him. He had to give it to the human; he was not willing to go down without a fight. Block after block, Spock effectively shut down the man’s blows, marching him backward, toward the back wall of the shuttle. The man was startled when his back hit the wall and he lost his concentration, his gaze shifting to the side. Spock seized the opportunity and reached out, shutting him down just as he had done the pilots, with the nerve pinch. He watched the man slump to the floor before rushing to the pilot controls.
Spock pushed the main pilot to the side, rolling him to the ground and took his seat. He would need help if he was going to prove his innocence and clear his and Uhura’s name. He needed to go to Kirk. He would help him.
*******
The prisoner transport shuttle softly touched down in a clearing in the middle of the small forest, just outside the edge of town. Spock would have to go the rest of the way by foot, not wanting to risk the chance of being followed by the officers if they woke. Leaving everything behind, he quickly ran out of the shuttle and through the trees. Kirk had a home in the small town that he procured a little over a year ago. He used it more often than his officer’s quarters on base because he preferred the privacy. Spock had his suspicions as to why that was and they centered on Kirk’s womanizing behavior. But at the moment, he felt it might be a good thing.
Spock speedily dodged in and out of the trees before finding himself at the edge of the forest, looking back to make sure he had not been followed. Satisfied that he was still alone, he ran to the town in the direction of Kirk’s home. A few moments later, he reached his destination and pounded on the door, desperate to be let in. When he wasn’t let inside as fast as he would have liked, Spock reached for the door controls and tore the cover off, looking to override the commands. As it was a simple code and simple wiring, for him anyway, Spock quickly cracked it and opened the door. He ran inside, calling out to his friend.
“Jim!” He scanned the interior of the home, trying to ascertain Kirk’s whereabouts. No lights were on, an indication that he was probably in bed, hopefully not with company. Spock ran into the living area. “Jim!”
Spock was soon greeted with the sight of Kirk storming down the stairs, pulling a shirt over his head, a confused expression on his face. “Spock? What’s wrong?”
Despite the fear, anxiety, and adrenaline coursing through his body, Spock’s voice was calm; a tribute to the years of training his father had given him in Surak’s teachings. “I was arrested for treason, but then quickly found myself being charged of kae’at k’lasa as well.”
Kirk furrowed his brow, clearly confused by Spock’s words. “What’s…kae’at…whatever you just said?”
Spock locked eyes with him, his voice void of all trace of emotion, more so than usual. “Mind-rape. They are accusing me of forcing my mind and thoughts onto Cadet Uhura to compel her to perform sexual activities.” He broke off, shaking his head slightly, brow creased. “I am unsure of how they discovered the relationship between Cadet Uhura and me, but I did not commit the crime they are accusing me of, Jim. I could not.”
Kirk nodded before he spoke. “I know, Spock,” his voice meant to be reassuring but his eyes were unfocused as though he was deep in thought.
Spock stepped closer to his friend. “I was hoping I could ask for your assistance in clearing this matter. As it was Admiral Pike who made the arrest, I was thinking, perhaps ill-conceivably, that you could talk to the Admiral and explain the situation to him.”
“Right,” Kirk answered. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Spock eagerly followed Kirk, who led the way to office area of the house. Perhaps his logic was impaired at the moment, but Spock truly believed that Kirk knew exactly what to do in his current situation. Spock would normally never concede such control over a situation such as this over to someone else but he felt that he was becoming emotionally compromised.
“How far behind is security?” Kirk asked, rounding the corner and into office. He quickly moved to the back of the room, towards the back wall.
“I left them unconscious in the transport shuttle in the middle of the forest. If they are conscious now I believe they will be disoriented as to where they are. But I believe it will be only a matter of minutes before Starfleet becomes aware that something has happened.”
“Good, that’s good,” Kirk’s voice was distracted. He opened his weapons’ cabinet, tucked between the bookshelves. “What do you need?” he asked, scanning over his vast collection. “Do you need a phaser?”
“I had hoped to solve this dispute as peacefully as possible. Weapons will not be necessary,” Spock replied.
“Right, right,” Kirk responded, once again sounding as though he was not fully invested in the matter at hand. “That’s probably a better idea.”
Spock was stunned into momentary silence when Kirk quickly grabbed a phaser from his weapons cabinet and turned on him, pointing the weapon at him. Spock stared him, his brow furrowed, trying to understand what he was doing and why. Did he think he was lying? That this was a joke? “Jim,” Spock finally found his voice. “What are you doing? We do not have time for this.” Spock stepped forward, holding his hand out in an effort to pull the phaser from Kirk’s hand.
But Kirk quickly stepped out of his reach and fired the phaser to the side, the red laser beam rushing past Spock’s head and landing on the wall behind him, leaving a scorching burn mark. Spock froze, stunned by the turn of events. It never occurred to him to calculate the odds of being betrayed by his own best friend. But here it was, happening at this very moment. James T. Kirk, the man he had known since they were children, was aiming a phaser at him, set to kill. The realization startled him. While he was at a loss for words, Kirk wasn’t.
“I saw you and Nero. I heard you tell him that you were considering doing something for him,” Kirk said, his voice shaky.
Spock was still horrified, still trying to compute the situation, yet he calmly replied to Kirk with only his words tinged with pleas. “It…was you?”
Kirk gave a wry chuckle, the sound almost colored with regret - almost. “Well, it wasn’t just me. It was Sulu’s idea.” A beat. “And McCoy’s.”
“Why did you not come to me with your concerns, Jim?” Spock was desperate to understand.
“Why do you keep secrets from me?!” Kirk’s voice rose, his hand shaking the phaser. “I thought we were friends.”
“I, too, believed that we were.” Spock shook his head. “The conversation with the Emperor was not pertinent. He had merely asked me to look for someone. I chose to ignore his request. The conversation meant nothing.” Spock’s voice had grown more shattered and weary as the situation continued.
“I know,” Kirk confessed. Spock caught his eye when he noticed that Kirk’s voice was touched with a hint of remorse. “I saw the security feed.”
Confusion presented itself on Spock’s face. His brow crinkled as he tried to gain an understanding of the motives behind Kirk’s actions. “If you know the truth, then why are you doing this?”
Kirk inhaled deeply, shrugging. “Oh,” he released the breath. “It’s….complicated.”
Spock stared at Kirk. “Complicated?” he reiterated, something he was not usually prone to do but at the moment, it was all he could think to say. He watched Kirk reach for the communication device on his desk but his brain was working desperately to piece together the situation, what facts he knew, trying to draw conclusions. What had he missed? He was aware of Sulu’s anger of having been passed over for the promotion. But what of McCoy? What did he want? Spock had one piece of the puzzle; he now knew who told Pike of the conversation in the brig. But what about the other accusation, involving Uhura - the mind-rape? He recalled that Uhura had a headache earlier in the day, something she attributed to the brain scan she had received earlier in the day. The results of those scans must be the ‘evidence’ Pike had, but only two people knew of the relationship as far as Spock knew: Barnett and Kirk. Barnett had nothing to gain by turning him in and neither did-
Wait.
Spock jerked his eyes to connect to Kirk’s, comprehension suddenly dawning on him. “You were also the one who told of my relationship with Cadet Uhura. You had Doctor McCoy manipulate her brain scans.” To his horror, his voice sounded distant and shocked even to his own ears. He was losing control of his emotions.
There was perhaps a hint of sorrow, maybe even guilt, in Kirk’s eyes when he responded. “Yeah.”
“I am still puzzled. What did Dr. McCoy stand to gain in this?”
Kirk shrugged, shaking his head. “Nothing. He just hates you.”
Spock nodded, having anticipated that answer. He knew he was not a personal favorite of the doctor’s. McCoy’s prejudices were quite well-known. He just could not believe that human dislike would spawn actions such as this, especially when he had nothing to gain. But it appeared that he is not as familiar with human thinking as he had previously believed. He could not understand Kirk’s reasoning behind framing him; he hadn’t seen a single indication that something was…
He paused in his thoughts. Spock recalled earlier, after his promotion, when we went to The Rock to meet with Kirk and Uhura. Something had changed there. But why was he punishing Uhura?
“This will jeopardize Cadet Uhura’s career, her reputation. Everything she has worked so hard to gain will be lost. Why would you do that to her?” Spock spoke softly, the fight draining out of him. He wanted to understand. He needed to.
Kirk quickly refuted that point. “Don’t worry,” he said, “She’ll be taken good care of.” He gave Spock a salacious smile. “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”
Realization dawned on Spock. Kirk was in love with her - or at least his equivalent of love. “And how long until you grow tired of her? How long until you discard her as you do to all the other women who cross your path, Jim?” Spock stepped forward, hoping to distract him long enough to disarm him. “You will never be able to give her what she deserves. It is not in your nature.”
Kirk raged. He swept the contents on his desk to the floor before holding the phaser more securely and more directly at Spock. “What she deserves?! At least with me she wouldn't have to hide, wouldn't have to keep everything secret. She could actually know how I feel and maybe even hear the words, ‘I love you’ every once in a while.”
Spock had to admit, Kirk’s words stung. No, she didn’t deserve to hide in the shadows and he wanted desperately to fix that for her. He had hoped that with the capture of Nero, the Empire would finally move in the right direction, only now, everything was falling apart. But Kirk was wrong about one thing, she knew how he felt about her, she had felt it many times. It was true, he could never say the words ‘I love you’ out loud, but being able to feel it…that had to count for more than just words. Words could lie, but feelings could not.
As Kirk lifted the communicator that he still held in his hand and began to speak, giving Starfleet his coordinates, he dropped the phaser from his target. Spock saw this as his opportunity and launched, attempting to pull the phaser away from him. But Kirk had been expecting him to because he jerked the phaser back up, straight at Spock’s chest, before he could even get to him. Spock halted.
He looked at his friend - or formal friend as the case may be - with confusion and perhaps a little desperation, his control finally slipping away. “Why, Jim, why? After everything we have experienced together, why?”
“Because you’re a Vulcan!” Kirk exclaimed. “And I’m not supposed to want to be you.”
Spock stared, his gaze intense. Out of all that people that he knew, Spock had never believed that Kirk would become prejudiced against him or his species. They had grown up together. They had done everything together. Not once did Spock see a hint of prejudice, or at least none that he recognized. He slowly began to realize that Kirk was still speaking.
“You’re supposed to be at the bottom of the chain of command, not swiftly climbing your way to the top. Everything I do come in second to you and you don’t even have to try!” Kirk paced the room, making sure his phaser remained on Spock. “Have you ever wondered what Pike said to me to make me join the Fleet? When you or Barnett couldn't?”
“I must admit that I had been curious.”
Kirk walked towards him, stopping in front, his gaze dead even with the Vulcan’s. He leaned in slightly when he spoke, for emphasis. “Power. He told me I could have my own ship in four years. But here we are, five years later and I’m still living under your shadow.”
“You could have transferred,” Spock replied, trying to be the voice of reason.
Kirk scoffed. “Off the flagship? No way.” He sighed heavily. “No, it’s better this way. Maybe I can escape your shadow with Uhura as well.”
The sounds of an incoming transportation filtered into the room. Starfleet security had arrived. Kirk called out, indicating where they were and the sounds of footsteps grew closer. Spock looked around the room, trying to ascertain if an escape was possible. Kirk noticed and spoke. “It would be better for Uhura if you just go with them. Unless you want her tossed in prison with you.”
Kirk’s thinly veiled threat halted Spock. After the events of the past several hours, he could not bring himself to doubt the truth in his words. And he couldn't put Uhura at risk. He would bear any punishment, whatever it may be, no matter how unjustified, to protect her. His eyes on Kirk, he remained still as security entered the room and moved to him. They cuffed him, trained their more powerful phaser rifles on him and he remained focused on Kirk, feeling his world crumble around him. He allowed the officers to pull him back to the middle of the room.
“Wait.” Kirk suddenly stepped forward. He bent down and picked up the familiar King chess piece they had shared over the years. It had been tossed from the desk when Kirk raged earlier. He placed it inside Spock’s uniform jacket. “To remember better times.”
Spock stoically looked ahead, not wanting to give Kirk the satisfaction of seeing his control rattled. One of the security officers spoke into his communications device, requesting immediate transport. A few seconds after the affirmation, Spock felt the familiar tingle of the transportation process and flicked his eyes over to Kirk. The last thing he saw before his molecules separated was Kirk watching him, with something akin to regret on his face.
**********
Admiral Christopher Pike entered his quarters, pleased with the night’s turn of events. Perhaps the young Vulcan Spock was not a traitor but he was involved with a cadet, a human cadet. That was illegal no matter how you looked at it, whether he forced himself on her or not.
Noticing the blinking light on his console, Pike went to it, sitting down. He turned on the console to read the encoded messages that had been sent his way. He clicked on the most recent. He had assigned several officers to keep track of Nero’s whereabouts since his…’escape’ from prison and they had recently reported in. Details of his escape given to the higher ups in the fleet were sketchy at best, but Pike knew the reality and the how.
Soon, he would make his move. Soon, Nero would be his and the prestige that would come with capturing the most dangerous man in the galaxy would be his.
The power was so close, Pike could almost taste it.
And the thing that pleased Pike the most? It was almost a gift practically thrown into his lap when he needed it most; something that could pull the attention off of him. Granted the man was innocent but it was so perfect.
He had found his scapegoat.