Fic: "The Needs of the Few" (17/23)
Title: "The Needs of the Few"
Canon characters/Pairing(s): Kirk & McCoy, Pike, Finney
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 7,701
Warnings: Foul language, political situations, military stuff.
Summary: As cadets on a summer internship, Kirk and McCoy are supposed to keep their eyes open and their mouths shut. As far as Bones is concerned, that’s just plain wrong on Jim Kirk, but Jim seems determined to follow orders and fall in line for a change. After all, they’ve both seen enough trouble in two years at the Academy, and this is the Peace Mission of Axanar. However, when a mystery starts to weave itself around the mission, and the senior officers don’t seem interested in investigating, how far can Kirk and McCoy let it go?
Notes: Things are heating up. I've been crazy-busy writing fic for my ficathon fundraiser. If you've enjoyed my stories over the years, consider pitching in a couple of dollars. I'm trying to raise money to afford Lasik surgery so that my eyesight qualifies me to get into the fire department - my dream job. Details HERE.
As far as the story goes... it only gets thicker from here. Oh, my poor boys...
Previous chapters: One, Two, Three, Four(A), Four(B), Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen
Chapter 17
Johan was still out cold, and considering how much pain the guy had to be in, it was probably better that way. Afraid to move him at all, Jim sat next to him, randomly squeezing his hand in hopes of getting a reaction. All he got were faint moans, but no signs of real consciousness. He’d asked if the Araxians had a blanket or anything he could use to keep Johan warm, but they didn’t. Of course they didn’t. They weren’t planning to take care of injured hostages, and they didn’t have any medical supplies whatsoever. Who knew how long it would be until the ship sent someone?
It bothered him that they hadn’t allowed him any two-way communication, but what would he have said?
Actually, he knew exactly what he’d have said. He would have told whoever was listening what had really happened to the Araxian government. He would have advised the Captain to agree to open talks with the rebels.
Of course, that would have gone nowhere. He was a cadet and a hostage, so naturally, his observations would be deemed unreliable. Starfleet protocols forbade negotiations with terrorists, and that was a rule that had never been bent. In fact, if his knowledge of Starfleet protocols gave him any clue, he’d guess that Captain Porter was cooperating wholeheartedly with the official Araxian authorities, and Starfleet security and tactical officers were already supporting the local government to bring down the terrorists. The military might of a Federation starship and her crew, all on the wrong side of the fight.
At this point, all he could hope was that nobody else would have to die today, and that hope started with Johan.
And himself.
Now that raw adrenaline had worn off again, Jim was starting to realize that his own injury might have been worse than he’d thought. The ache was sharp, and the pain was spreading. He hadn’t removed the bandaging he’d wrapped around it, and he knew that he shouldn’t touch the dressing until he could actually get the injury treated, but he suspected it might still be bleeding under there.
Still, it was nothing compared to Johan’s injury. Besides, he couldn’t let his captors know he was injured in the slightest. It was a vital rule of tactics - never show weakness when vulnerable. It was too risky. He needed to maintain the appearance of being capable.
He squeezed Johan’s hand again. Still no response.
The sound of heavy footsteps on the metal catwalk startled him, and he turned his head towards the door. Ghzeth’s rifle twitched slightly. The door opened and another Araxian walked in, and then -
“Bones?” Jim stared up at his best friend. Shock, dismay, and disbelief vied for dominance. No. No, no, no... not Bones. They should have sent someone more experienced. A real officer. One of the other doctors. Not Bones...
Bones stopped just inside the door and looked down at him. He must have been able to see every emotion running through Jim’s head, because Bones’ expression morphed into something familiar and perversely reassuring as he shook his head and grumbled, “Dammit, Jim.”
For the barest fraction of a second, Jim almost let himself laugh at the absurdity of it all. Instinctively, he wanted to be able to let himself feel relieved that his best friend was there. It would have been so easy, but this was the last place in the quadrant Jim wanted to see Bones.
The moment was quickly broken, and Bones’ eyes flicked past Jim to Johan’s prone form, and he was in motion again.
“Let me see the patient,” he said, not even flinching as Ghzeth’s rifle swung towards him as he pushed past the Araxian into the room. He dropped his bag on the floor next to Johan and unfastened it. “Move over, Jim,” he said as he grabbed his tricorder from the bag and quickly began scanning. “I heard your report. Energy weapon blast to the lower back. Has he been able to move his lower body?”
Jim was having a hard time getting his brain to keep up after the shock of seeing Bones walk into the room, but he made himself focus. Bones was here to save Johan, and that was the first priority. “He wasn’t conscious for long, and when he was, I didn’t ask him to move anything. I just told him to keep breathing, and that help was coming.” He blinked. Hard. “Wait a minute. You heard my report? You knew I was down here?”
Bones turned away from his tricorder and gave Jim an almost-level gaze that had a few too many cracks in it. “Yeah, kid. I thought you were on the ship until the moment I heard your voice on the transmission, but yeah.” Then he looked down at Jim’s abdomen, and his eyes widened. “Jim... you’ve got blood all over your shirt! You said you weren’t injured. What the hell happened?”
Jim quickly shook his head. “Liu got shot and I helped him.” It wasn’t the full story, but it wasn’t a lie either, and it was all he had time to say without getting into an argument. Besides, the blood was mostly Liu’s.
Bones furrowed his eyebrows skeptically, then nodded. “Yeah, I heard about your little stunt.” Then he looked back at his tricorder readout as he passed his scanner probe over Johan’s abdomen once more. “No time for that now. You were right. He’s dying.” He grabbed the basic medkit out of the bag and quickly extracted a hypospray and two small vials, and administered the medications with the deft hands and desperation of a surgeon in a crisis.
Jim was torn between looking closer and inching away. “Can you help him?”
Bones didn’t reply. He was already digging deeper into his bag, pulling out equipment. He neatly sliced off Johan’s shirt with the laser cutter, revealing the weapon burn in its grotesque detail. It looked even worse now than it had before. “Help me with equipment, Jim. There are four stasis devices. Hand me one.”
“Stasis... stasis - these.” Bones had taught him about this stuff. He quickly handed over the devices.
Bones carefully positioned one on Johan’s abdomen, straight through from where the weapon blast had struck. He checked something with his tricorder, and activated the device. “Another one,” he said, not even looking in Jim’s direction.
Jim placed the unit in Bones’ outstretched hand, which Bones rapidly began positioning on Johan’s side. Another quick check with the tricorder, and Bones asked for a third. Then two regen units.
Then, Bones stopped, sat back on his heels, and looked up at Ghzeth.
“I’ve stabilized the injuries enough to transport him, but he’ll die unless I can get him to a real operating room. These aren’t injuries that I can even begin to treat here. Even with all possible resources, he still might not make it.”
Ghzeth frowned. “Then that is... unfortunate.”
“Wait, what? Unfortunate?” Bones jumped up and was suddenly face to face with an armed terrorist.
“Bones!” Jim was on his feet less than a second later, only to stumble back against the wall as the pain in his gut redoubled. It was okay, because nobody was paying attention to him as Bones began ranting.
“What’s that supposed to mean - unfortunate? I came down here to save a man, not to declare him dead and walk away!”
“I apologize, Terran, but your crewman has been declared a hostage. We have need of him, and cannot release him.”
“Bones, back down!” Jim hissed. There was a reason the guy had almost failed Basic Diplomacy.
But Bones ignored him, bordering on apoplectic, and continued raving. “Need? Need? Good God, man, he’s going to die! And then, what good will he be to you?”
“We had agreed that you would be allowed to treat the patient here,” Ghzeth replied with surprising calmness, but off to the side, the other two colleagues were beginning to raise their rifles.
“I can’t treat him here! This man needs massive reconstructive surgery. The blast destroyed one of his kidneys and perforated his bowels. There’s burn tissue throughout his entire abdomen. That’s not something that can be fixed without a full surgical suite. I’ve got him under a partial stasis field, but that won’t hold him forever. Don’t you people have a goddamned stun setting on your rifles? With the damage your barbaric weapons did, it’s amazing he lived this long!”
Ghzeth looked to the side, at the other two Araxians, and motioned for them to lower their weapons. Then he looked back at Bones. “Terran, this entire event has been most regrettable, but it is what it is. I had hoped that our leaders would have listened to us sooner, and that we would have been allowed into the negotiations. I had hoped that the Federation would not become entangled in the hostilities, but events have unfolded in this manner, and we must continue from here. We have given our word - you will be allowed to return to your ship unharmed, but you may not remove one who has been declared a hostage. He has information which can not be revealed to your leaders.”
“Unbelievable.” Bones was shaking his head in disbelief. “I trusted you people. I believed Jethan. Hell, for what it’s worth, I believe your side of this whole political mess. After what Jethan and Rhexen both told me, I would have supported you, but not if you let this man die here!”
“You believe the truth behind our rebellion?” Ghzeth asked slowly.
Bones tilted his head forward, not taking his eyes off Ghzeth. “Yes, I do. I might not know all the details, but from what I’ve seen and heard... your side of the story makes too much sense. So yeah, I believe you. But your revolution can be damned as far as I’m concerned if you don’t let me do my job and try to save a dying man - who, by the way, has nothing to do with the Axanar and had no idea about what they were doing here. Even if he knows some of your plans, I doubt he’s going to be conscious for at least a day, with this much damage. He’ll be in surgery for hours, and then they’ll probably keep him sedated for at least twenty-four hours after that. He won’t be able to tell anyone anything. He’s innocent in this. Don’t let him die.”
Ghzeth leaned back against one of the computer consoles and gave Bones an appraising look. “Then what do you propose?”
The room went dead silent for a moment as the two of them faced off. Jim looked back and forth between Bones and Ghzeth, then down at Johan, and suddenly, with perfect clarity, Jim knew exactly what Bones was about to say.
“A trade.”
“No!” It was out of Jim’s mouth before he could stop himself, and when Bones turned around, startled at the outburst, Jim had no choice but to push his point. “Bones, you can’t stay here! They’re going to let you leave, but if you stay...” He gritted his teeth. They were sitting on top of one of the largest bombs in the quadrant, and Bones didn’t even know it. If Jim gave him that piece of intelligence, there was no way they’d let him leave. Johan knew, but it didn’t look like he’d be able to spill the beans anytime soon, and the Araxians probably knew that. Jim didn’t care how noble his friend wanted to be - he couldn’t let Bones stay. “If you stay, anything could happen.”
An ironic smile quirked the corner of Bones’ mouth. “Funny, coming from a man in your position.”
“I don’t have a choice, Bones. You do.”
At that, Bones nodded. “Exactly.”
He turned back to Ghzeth. “Send our injured crewman back to our ship. Let the doctors there save him. In trade, you’ve got a hostage who is uninjured, unarmed, and... willing.”
Jim’s mind was all but screaming in hope that Ghzeth wouldn’t accept - that Johan had intelligence about the bomb, that it wasn’t the agreement, or any reason in the quadrant - but he knew the answer before it even came.
“Accepted.”
Jim felt himself sag against the wall slightly in defeat. He wanted to argue, but that wouldn’t do any good. Bones was already pulling extendable stretcher poles out of his bag, and he handed Jim one of the poles without a word. Numbly, Jim accepted it and pulled the end, extending it and locking it in place. He held it steady as Bones attached the netting between the poles. They placed it on the floor next to Johan, and at Bones’ nod, they carefully slid the man onto the stretcher.
Bones gave him a nod. “Thanks, Jim,” he said softly, then turned towards Ghzeth. “He’s ready to move. I’ll need someone to help me carry him.”
Ghzeth shook his head. “You must stay here now. My people will take him to your transport site. He will not be harmed.”
Bones scowled for a moment, then gave a begrudging nod. “Yeah, well... don’t jostle him, okay? Those stabilizers are barely holding him together as it is.”
Ghzeth shot a look at the two other Araxians in the room. “Treat this Terran as you would treat a family member, and bring him safely to the transport site.” Then he pulled out his communication device. “Detonation Team Primary to Control Team.”
“Control Team Secondary.”
“The Starfleet medic can not save the patient here, and has traded himself as a hostage so that the injured Terran can be sent back to the ship for treatment. There is no risk that this Terran could reveal our plans. He is too gravely injured. Rhoth and Jenhz will be carrying him to the transport site. Have your people hold fire and protect them as needed.”
For a moment, there was silence, and then Jethan spoke again. “We will protect the patient. But... allow me to speak to Doctor McCoy.”
Jim felt his eyes widen at the fact that the Araxian had just called Bones by name. “Bones? You know this guy?”
Bones only spared a quick glance at Jim before holding out his hand, accepting the communicator unit, and saying, with too much familiarity, “McCoy here. Hello Jethan.”
“Do you understand that your choice places you in serious danger? I do not wish for you to be harmed.”
Bones grimaced. “Yeah, I know. I don’t particularly like being in the middle of this mess either. But... I’m a doctor. You should understand.”
“A doctor... willing to sacrifice himself to protect a patient.” There was a soft, ironic laugh. “That is something I understand fully, and respect deeply. An Axanar would never understand that. I told you... you would make a fine Araxian.”
“Well, thanks for that... but if you respect me so much... for God’s sake, Jethan, end this battle! You’re second in command of the Control Team - I heard that much on the transmissions. Do something about this. Nobody else needs to die today!”
There was a significant pause. “McCoy... if we do nothing, our civilization dies. We would lose all there is in being Araxian. Our nature is to resist subservience, and to stand on our own. But then, even in our culture, which is built on the innate independence and sovereign will of the individual, we recognize that we are nothing if our society is destroyed. The continuation of our people is more important than the lives of individuals.”
“So which individuals are forced to risk their lives for this?” Bones asked, not even trying to hide the bitterness in his voice.
“None are forced. Those who have put themselves in harm’s way have volunteered. We have decided, individually, that our culture’s continued existence is worth the possible cost of our lives, and we are willing to pay it. Araxis is worth this to us. This is why we are willing to fight.”
Bones pressed his lips together stubbornly, and for a moment, Jim was sure he was going to have another outburst, but then he nodded. “I understand that. I hope you can get people to listen.”
“So do I, McCoy. So do I. Control Team out.”
The communication line went silent, and Bones handed the communicator back to Ghzeth. Then, slowly, looking like a man who was feeling far older than his years, he walked the few steps over to the corner where Jim was standing, turned, pressed his back against the wall, and slid to the floor. He looked up at Jim expectantly, and almost comically, patted the floor next to him.
Completely taken aback with all the unexpected twists that had just bombarded him, Jim didn’t have the mental energy to resist, and quickly mirrored Bones’ actions, doing his best to hide the fact that he was in pain. He slid down next to Bones, shoulder to shoulder, arms pressed together.
The warmth of Bones’ arm seeped through his sleeve, and Jim didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or cry just then. He’d always known that Bones was a strong man, but what he’d just witnessed? The self-described quiet country doctor going head-to-head with armed terrorists, lecturing one of their leaders, and finally offering himself as a willing captive? Jim didn’t know if he’d ever be able to look at Bones the same way again.
The floor was hard and cold beneath him, and the room smelled dusty and stale. It felt alien and perversely familiar at once. Sunlight was slanting into the room through the high windows, illuminating dust motes in the air. The faint smell of smoke wafted through the room. Ghzeth had taken a few steps away, and was leaning against a control panel at the far end of the room, near the door. Beyond the distant wail of sirens, it was quiet. The illusion of calmness in the room was a perverse contrast to the chaotic whirl of thoughts spinning in Jim’s mind. He tried desperately to focus his thoughts and get a grip on himself.
Finally, Jim found his voice. “Why you, Bones? Why did they send you?”
“Because, Jim,” came the soft reply, “the Araxian I just spoke to on the comm unit is the medic who showed me around the other day. He’s the one who told me about the Araxian genetic engineering. He could identify me as a doctor, not a security agent... and for some reason, he seems to trust me... so they decided that they’d only allow me down here to treat Crewman Johan.”
Jim wasn’t looking at Bones. He was just staring blankly at the floor in front of him. “But... you’re a cadet. They wouldn’t have ordered you to come down here.”
“They didn’t. They asked me to volunteer.”
Jim clenched his hands into fists in front of him. “Then why did you agree to it? Why?” He had wanted to save Johan’s life, but he hadn’t let himself consider the possibility that they’d send Bones. The thought had crossed his mind, and he’d dismissed it. Now, Bones was here, and his life was in danger, and there was nothing Jim could do to help him.
“Jim.”
There was a pause, and Jim finally looked back to see Bones’ strained eyes staring back at his.
“I heard your voice on the transmission.”
Jim swallowed back a surge of nausea as he realized what that meant. “No, you shouldn’t have... not because...”
“Jim.” Something in Bones’ gaze cracked slightly, and his mouth quivered. “A man died today because of me. I was not about to let that happen to anyone else. Not when I had a chance to save him. I came down here to see if I could save Johan. And maybe... to see if you needed some saving yourself.”
“I don’t need to be saved,” Jim bit out harshly. “I didn’t want anyone else getting hurt on my account. That includes you.”
“I came to save Johan, and I would have done it even if you weren’t here. So stop thinking like that right now. It was my choice to make.” His mouth twisted into a bemused smile. “Just like you made the choice to run back to get Liu after he’d been shot.”
Jim felt his eyes go wide. “Wait, you mentioned... is Liu okay? Did you hear --”
Bones gave him a smile - an honest one this time, with more than just a hint of pride behind it. “He’s fine, Jim. I patched up his leg myself. He told me that he’s alive because you ran back for him through a goddamned hail of gunfire. You’re a reckless space-cowboy with a hero complex.”
Jim forced himself to swallow back the relief and satisfaction at knowing Liu had made it, and focused on Bones. “It wasn’t hero shit, Bones. I just saw him there, and I couldn’t leave him behind. Besides, you can call me reckless, but you volunteered to beam you down into the middle of a war zone,” he said critically.
“Yeah, I did. And Jim? I’d do it again.”
Jim wanted to say something. He really did. He wanted to argue that Bones should have kept himself safe, but... he was right. Bones was the kind of man who would put everything on the line for someone else, whether it was for a patient or a friend. As much as he wanted to, Jim couldn’t argue at all because he knew he’d do the same thing for Bones... or anyone. He let his shoulders slump and looked down at the floor again.
“See, Terran?” Ghzeth asked from across the room. “Even you are willing to risk your life for others, when given the free choice.”
Jim glanced up to see Ghzeth looking at Bones.
Next to him, Bones shifted slightly. “While I’m stuck here, the name’s McCoy. Seeing as we’re being civil and all.” Then, he tilted his head and gave their Araxian captor a long look. “So... you chose to do this? To fight?”
Ghzeth nodded. “Indeed I did. I am not a violent person, McCoy. I abhor the nature of violence. I am a historian, and would prefer to be spending this afternoon amongst the archives, teaching lessons to young scholars. However, as a historian, I know far too well that at certain critical junctures throughout history, violence has been the only means left of achieving a noble goal. My children deserve a future as Araxians, not mired in the servile life of the Axanar. I am willing to sacrifice myself for them, if needed, although I would much prefer to grow old and watch my children enjoy their lives.” He frowned. “Do you not have offspring?”
Jim could see Bones’ back go ramrod straight. “I do, actually.”
“Are your children not the center of your universe? Are they not worth the cost of your own life?”
Bones actually squirmed in place. “I’ve only got one. And...” He swallowed tightly, and Jim could see his Adam’s apple bob in place. “She should be the center of my universe. I keep saying she is. I know I’d give my life and everything I have to make her happy. But I messed it up. ” He turned and faced Jim, and his face was wrenched with guilt and desperation. “Goddammit, Jim, the last thing I did was mess up our week together. I was supposed to see her. I’m a father, and I have a daughter who needs me, and... what if I never see Joanna again?”
“You will, Bones,” Jim said, trying to project confidence he didn’t feel.
“There’s no way to know that.”
Watching Bones’ strength crumble was almost painful. Only minutes ago, this was a man arguing down an armed terrorist. Now, in a matter of seconds, he was almost ready to fall apart at the idea that he’d messed up his last chance to see his daughter. Given the tenuous situation they were in, it made sense. Jim realized he might need to be the strong one again. “We’re getting out of here,” he said firmly. “This will work out. You said that you agreed with these people, and that you trusted them.”
“I know, but...” Bones shook his head. “Jim... the right side doesn’t always win.”
It was such a simple yet obvious truth that it took Jim completely by surprise. “Captain Porter will figure this out. He has to. I mean...” Jim looked up and around the room at the transmitter equipment, at Ghzeth, and at the narrow windows that were too high to see through. He swallowed tightly. “Porter is a Starfleet captain. He’s seen it all, right? He’s got to be able to put together the pieces. Hell, if we could see this, then he’s got to be able to see it.”
Bones sighed, and sagged a bit deeper against the wall. “Maybe. I don’t know. I tried to tell him before I beamed down, but he didn’t seem to want to listen. They’re pretty convinced that these folks -” he waved his hand to indicate Ghzeth and the other Araxians who had left with Johan, “- are a fringe group of insurgents trying to destroy the legitimate government. Hell, when I got to the conference room for them to ask me to take this mission down here, and I spoke to Jethan, Porter was surprised that I knew the ‘insurgent.’ His word, not mine. And... they’ve got an Axanar up there, claiming to be an Araxian, representing the Araxian leadership.”
Across the room, Ghzeth shifted his stance. “McCoy, how do you know it was an Axanar?”
Bones pursed his lips. “Easy. His skin color matches a native Axanar, and he’s too young to be an Araxian founder.”
“So you know of our genetic modifications.”
Bones nodded. “Jethan told me.”
“Then you know why we did this,” Ghzeth said neutrally.
“To adapt to a whole new planet. To get rid of the methane metabolic pathway, and stabilize your oxygen metabolism. To get rid of the triglobulin compound.” Bones took a heavy breath. “To isolate yourselves from the Axanar.”
At that, Ghzeth actually smiled, and it was the patronizing, gentle smile of a teacher or professor. “Such a simple view. Accurate, to a point, but you miss the core of why we did this... of who we are.”
Jim spoke up. “Then... who are you?”
Ghzeth’s smile broadened. “Free, my friend. We are free.”
Before Jim could ask more about his cryptic and yet plain statement, the two Araxians who had carried Johan to the beam-up site returned with a third. The new one began speaking rapidly in Araxian. Ghzeth didn’t tell this one to speak in Standard, so Jim tuned out the conversation. It was beyond his control. Everything was beyond his control.
Jim took the lull and let himself sag against the wall. He was exhausted, and his gut still ached. He had no idea what would happen, but he almost hoped they’d just get on with it. For the moment, he was trapped and useless. Under surveillance of armed guards, with no chance of communication with the ship or escape.
Whatever they were planning, he just hoped he could keep Bones out of it. Bones knew they were in a building full of dilithium, but he was pretty sure Bones didn’t know they were sitting inside an enormous bomb. As far as Jim was concerned, he wasn’t going to tell him. Hopefully, the situation wouldn’t escalate, and it wouldn’t matter anyway.
Fuck, he was so tired. He closed his eyes, and only a second later, he startled as he felt Bones pressing a hand against his forehead.
“Bones? What the hell?”
“Are you sure you’re okay, kid? You’re looking a bit pale.”
Jim stared at him incredulously. “We’re hostages in an urban warfare battle, and you’re worried that I look a bit pale?”
“I can’t stop being what I am, Jim. You okay?”
Jim couldn’t lie outright - not to Bones. So he grabbed the discussion and turned it in another direction. “No, Bones, I’m not. You’re in danger, which is bad enough, but... this is just impossible to wrap my head around. I don’t understand how Captain Porter isn’t seeing through this mess. I mean, the clues are right there!”
“I don’t know either,” Bones said.
Jim growled. “These people seem so... rational. Intelligent. Peaceful. And now I see exactly what you meant when you described the real Araxians. They’re nothing like the Axanar. I’m starting to think these are the first real ones I’ve met since we got here. But then... look at what they did. I watched people die today.”
Bones grimaced. “So did I... but a lot of people lived. Johan has a fighting chance now because of you.”
Jim nodded grimly. “It’s something, I guess. I promised Johan I’d get him out alive. I had to get him out. I didn’t tell you - his father was the one who died with mine on the Kelvin.”
Bones’ eyebrow went up slightly. “That’s a heavy load to carry, kid.”
“Yeah, well... I swore history wouldn’t repeat itself.”
Bones reached over and patted him on the knee. “Well, it didn’t. You kept your promise, kid. You got him out. You got the whole team out.”
“Not the whole team.” Before Bones could say anything, Jim covered his eyes with the heels of his hands and pushed forward. “Finney got shot. While we were running between the other building and here. We got him under cover here, but Finney didn’t make it, Bones. He died in front of me.”
There was a moment of silence, and Bones said quietly, “I know, Jim. You said so in your transmission.”
Jim nodded without removing his hands from over his eyes. “I was left in charge, Bones. Dumb luck, nothing more. It was three cadets and two crewmen. The regular cadets have a leadership rotation. It was my week this week, so I was in charge. That made it my call. Finney’s last order to me was to stay here and wait for backup... so I followed it.”
“Oh no.” There was no sarcasm in Bones’ voice.
“Yeah. He ordered us not to leave until a rescue party came. It almost made sense. There were snipers, and we’d taken direct fire every time we went out in the open. I told myself to listen to Finney’s order, but I shouldn’t have. We shouldn’t have waited. I wanted to make a break for it. Take the whole team, leave immediately. We needed to get out of here, and get to a location where we could beam up. I should have made the call.”
“Why didn’t you?” Bones asked softly. “You’ve never had a problem bucking orders before if they didn’t make sense.”
Jim let his hands drop, and he stared blankly across the room. “I’ve never been in a situation like this before, Bones. Lives were at stake, I was in charge, and I had orders. Finney’s last orders! I can’t believe I’m thinking about the fucking Survival Training now, but that’s the one piece of feedback I’ve been getting, over and over. Follow orders. Don’t stick your neck out. Trust your superiors. Don’t act alone. Just be a cadet. Pike told me the same thing just a couple of days ago.”
“Pike?” Bones didn’t even bother to keep the surprise out of his voice.
“Yeah, I contacted Pike again. With everything getting messy, and with what happened with Brex and T’Val, and all the stuff we observed, I wanted his advice. He told me to...” Jim’s voice trailed off.
“What, Jim?”
“He told me to use my instincts... but not to act on my own.” Jim shook his head with a dry laugh. “How funny is that?”
“I don’t think it’s funny at all.” Bones nudged his shoulder against Jim’s lightly. “I know you can’t save everyone -”
“Don’t I know it,” Jim mumbled under his breath.
“- but you got everyone else out. They all made it back to the ship. So... what would Finney want you to do now?”
Jim squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to think about it, but he had to. “Doesn’t matter what Finney would want, Bones. He’s dead.” He opened his eyes and looked sideways at Bones. “We’re on our own.”
Bones considered him carefully for a moment, then said, “So... what does your instinct tell you to do?”
Jim caught his lower lip between his teeth, then let out a slow breath. “That I’ve got to do anything and everything I possibly can to make sure nobody else dies today.” He dropped his gaze to the floor for a moment, then looked back up. “I’ve got to get you out of here alive.”
“You mean you’ve got to get us out of here alive,” Bones said with a sharp edge in his voice.
Jim forced a smile that he was sure looked completely wrecked. “Yeah. You know what I meant.”
Bones nodded, not looking altogether convinced. “You’ve done it once. I’m sure you can do it again.”
Jim snorted. “Right. At least you’re not injured this time.” He shook his head in dark amusement. “I almost want to laugh at this mess. Seriously, who the hell gets themselves into a situation like this twice before graduating the Academy?”
“The reckless daredevil and the foolhardy doctor who goes along with him?”
Bones’ tone was actually light, and considering their situation, Jim almost felt okay for a moment. He elbowed Bones lightly in the ribs. “You’ve got no right to call me reckless today. You’re the one who had a nose-to-nose argument with an armed terrorist. Seriously, I’ve been taken hostage twice since I met you. Must be your fault somehow. How is it that I let you get me into these situations?”
“I get you into these situations?” Bones rolled his eyes dramatically. “Idiot.” With a casual sideways jab, Bones neatly landed an elbow to Jim’s gut.
The flash of pain was immediate, and Jim gasped, wrapping his arms protectively over his stomach. In the same instant, he realized the farce was up.
“Jim?” Bones was already up on his knees, trying to pull Jim’s arms away from his torso. “What the hell did you do to yourself?”
Jim gritted his teeth and tried to shake Bones off. “Nothing. I... pulled a muscle carrying Liu. He’s fucking heavy. Then you elbowed me in the gut.”
“I don’t think so, kid.” He started to reach for his medical supply bag, but in a desperate grab, Jim caught his arm.
“Bones,” he hissed, “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Jim, if you -” His eyes flicked down at Jim’s torso, then back up to Jim’s face with a look of scathing accusation mixed with equal parts worry. “That’s not just Liu’s blood, is it?” Bones said under his breath.
Jim looked to the side and noticed Ghzeth and his team had stopped talking and were looking over at them with intent. He looked back at Bones and said in a low tone, “No, it’s not. But most of it was his, Bones. It’s just a cut.”
Bones’ eyes narrowed. “Let me see it.”
“No.”
Bones sat back on his heels and glared at him. “Why the hell not?”
Jim’s mind scrambled for anything he could say that would actually get Bones to back off without tipping his hand completely to the Araxians. The truth was that he’d been trained to know that showing weakness in a hostage situation was an easy way to get yourself into even more trouble. Although he didn’t always agree with everything his instructors had told him, he agreed with this one. Situations like these could change suddenly, in disastrous ways, and as long as he was capable of toughing it out, he had to. What would happen if Bones was in the middle of patching him up when the building got raided and he needed to run? The bandage was holding well enough.. Hell, nothing else, hadn’t his Survival Training taught him to tough it out? But somehow, even if he could say all of that within earshot of the Araxians, he didn’t think Bones would buy it.
He gave Bones a desperate look, hoping that the guy would just accept it. “Because it’s bandaged, it’s not deep, and there’s no need to mess with it until we’re somewhere safe.”
“I’ll be the judge of that. Now stop being such a damned infant and let me scan it.” He made another reach for his tricorder, but Jim held his wrist fast.
“Bones, no. Just leave it!”
“Now listen here a minute. I’m the doctor -”
“And I’m in charge!”
Bones’ eyes went wide, then narrowed almost instantly. “Oh, so is that the game you’re playing?”
Jim took a deep breath and kept a level gaze. “It’s not a game.” Then he looked past Bones’ shoulder at Ghzeth, who was now standing almost directly behind Bones.
“Is there a problem, Terrans?”
Bones startled and spun around, still in a crouch, and looked up at Ghzeth. “No. No problem at all,” he said dryly. “Other than being in the middle of a war I didn’t start with the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.” He cast a harsh glance at Jim before turning and settling down against the wall again... a few feet away from Jim, with his arms folded across his chest in annoyance.
The body language was blatant, but Jim couldn’t let himself get wrapped up in that. Not right now. “Ghzeth, what’s going on?”
Ghzeth’s expression was dead center of neutral. “Nothing you need to know, Jim. Do either of you require anything? Water? Sustenance?”
Jim started to shake his head, but Bones spoke up. “Could we both have some water?” He shot Jim a glare that dared him to argue.
“Yeah, water would be good,” Jim admitted.
Ghzeth looked over his shoulder at the Araxian who had just arrived and gave him a nod.
The new guy pulled the large sack off his back and dug into it, retrieving two bottles. He walked over and handed them to Bones first, then Jim. “It’s fresh water. If you’d like, I also have food that should be compatible with your physiology.”
Jim took the bottle and twisted the cap off. “No, this will be fine, thank you.” Then he stopped and furrowed his eyes. “Do I know you?”
He stopped cold, then nodded. “We have met. At the Ambassadors’ Reception. I am Zhareth.”
“Zhareth...” Jim said slowly before realization dawned. “I remember you! You were waiting tables. You were talking to Skavrin, the Tellarite Ambassador.”
The young Araxian bobbed his head, almost as if he was bowing, then stopped himself and stood a bit taller. “Yes, I was.”
Jim cocked his head in confusion. “But... you were... I mean... acting differently at the reception. I mean, like an Axanar.”
“It was expected of me,” Zhareth replied, “in order for my loyalties to remain unknown. I did not expect to see you again.”
“Wait,” Bones said suddenly. “You’ve got the skin tone of an Axanar, and you’re too young to be a founder.” He looked rapidly between Zhareth and Ghzeth. “He’s an Axanar, isn’t he?”
But Ghzeth only shook his head proudly. “He was born on Araxis. He is of Axanar parentage, but he has adopted the Araxian way.”
Zhareth ducked his head again. “My parents came here almost forty years ago. They were amongst the people who wanted to bring the Araxians back under the Axanar tradition. They tried to teach me Axanar manners, and I have not rid myself of all the Axanar mannerisms, but I grew up with Araxian friends. I knew what was happening. I knew why my parents had come to this world, but I disagreed with them. I kept my loyalties secret, and when an internship opened in Parliament, I knew I could be valuable there with my parentage and training. I made my choice.”
Ghzeth clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Zhareth has been brave and noble. A true Araxian. He knew he might die in the destruction of Parliament, but he remained there to provide us with information until the battle began.”
Jim leaned forward, ignoring the increased ache in his gut. “What sort of information?”
“Whispers between the Axanar and our so-called Araxian leadership, Jim. Information about one of the Ambassadors they are using to aid their deceptions.”
Jim exchanged a quick glance with Bones, whose mouth was twisted into a deep frown.
“Which Ambassador?” Bones asked, and there was a curious tone to his voice.
Ghzeth just shook his head. “This is irrelevant to you. Please do not trouble yourselves over that which is out of your control. Our Negotiations Team is speaking with your Federation officials, and we hope that they will listen to us, rather than cause this situation to escalate.”
“If it escalates, I’d say it’s pretty relevant to us,” Jim said flatly. When Ghzeth didn’t respond, he pushed again. “What else, Ghzeth? Are they moving on our location? Is Captain Porter negotiating?”
Ghzeth gave him a look, then turned and spoke to his other two accomplices for a couple of minutes in Araxian. They nodded, and quickly left, leaving Ghzeth and Zhareth. Shifting his rifle, Ghzeth leaned heavily against the control console. “Your captain is a stubborn man,” he said, not bothering to hide his frustration. “While I can normally respect such steadfastness, it is... unfortunate.”
“What’s he doing?” Jim pushed. “Come on, it’s not going to change anything if you tell me. I can’t report back to my ship, and even if I could, telling them what they’re already doing changes nothing.” He glanced to the side at Bones, who had his arms folded across his chest in irritation, staring at the far wall. Great. Jim sighed, licked his lips, and spoke in a low tone. “Besides... I’m a lot more cooperative when I’m not being kept in the dark.”
To Jim’s surprise, Zhareth spoke up. “I see no risk in telling him, Ghzeth. And also... I like this Terran. He was polite to me, even amongst the Ambassadors. He said that his people treat each other with respect, regardless of rank.”
“We do,” Jim reinforced. “Or, at least, we try to.”
Ghzeth glanced up at the high windows in the room before settling himself with a sigh. “Your ship’s security personnel have begun moving in units with the Peacekeepers, performing military operations in the center of the city. The Axanar have taken one of our teams into custody. While this may be fruitful, and that team may actually have a better chance of communicating our concerns to the Federation, we will not know until our Control team reports the next round of negotiations. Things are moving rapidly.”
Jim took a slow breath in an attempt to keep control of his nerves. “Do you think they’re on their way here?”
“No. They are unlikely to approach this location soon.” Ghzeth glanced up at the window above his head again, then back down at Jim.
Jim frowned, trying to picture what parts of the city would be critical from Captain Porter’s perspective. He’d studied the map of the city, but he didn’t have every location memorized. “So they’re ignoring us?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Ghzeth said flatly. “We had hoped for this location to go unnoticed as long as possible. Had your group not taken shelter here, they would have ignored this strategic site entirely. As it is, they are aware that we’re here, which is unfavorable. We can only hope that they do not yet realize our purpose in this building. We wish to reveal this information only if other methods have failed.”
“Your trump card,” Jim said in a low tone.
“Trump card?” Ghzeth asked.
“Old Terran games,” Bones grumbled. “We still play ’em, though. It’s the idea that you have something in reserve, hidden, that’s a sure winner.”
Ghzeth looked at Bones gravely. “McCoy... nobody shall be a winner if we use our... trump card, as you call it.”
Bones furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait a minute... this is just a storage building. How the hell is it a trump card?”
Jim’s breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t wanted Bones to know. Not unless he had to. But Ghzeth was giving Bones a curious look.
“While you were on your ship... did your captain speak of this building before you came down here?”
Bones gave Jim a quick, nervous glance before looking back at Ghzeth. “They said you folks were just wanting to keep the leaders away from the dilithium... because they were using the dilithium for negotiations with the Federation. Our people happened to run in here to take cover, so you took them hostage. I mean... you’re right, they weren’t worried about this, except for the fact that we’re here.”
“Bones...” Jim started, but before he could say anything else, the heavy rumble of an explosion shook the floor. Jim startled, instinctively moving to jump up to see what was happening, which sent a lance of pain through his gut. He sank back to the floor, breathing tightly, but everyone’s attention was on the window.
“That,” Ghzeth said sadly, “was the main power station.” He held his rifle in front of him and checked over a couple of the controls, then rested it at the ready. “And now, we should all be worried.”
*********
To Chapter 18
Canon characters/Pairing(s): Kirk & McCoy, Pike, Finney
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 7,701
Warnings: Foul language, political situations, military stuff.
Summary: As cadets on a summer internship, Kirk and McCoy are supposed to keep their eyes open and their mouths shut. As far as Bones is concerned, that’s just plain wrong on Jim Kirk, but Jim seems determined to follow orders and fall in line for a change. After all, they’ve both seen enough trouble in two years at the Academy, and this is the Peace Mission of Axanar. However, when a mystery starts to weave itself around the mission, and the senior officers don’t seem interested in investigating, how far can Kirk and McCoy let it go?
Notes: Things are heating up. I've been crazy-busy writing fic for my ficathon fundraiser. If you've enjoyed my stories over the years, consider pitching in a couple of dollars. I'm trying to raise money to afford Lasik surgery so that my eyesight qualifies me to get into the fire department - my dream job. Details HERE.
As far as the story goes... it only gets thicker from here. Oh, my poor boys...
Previous chapters: One, Two, Three, Four(A), Four(B), Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen
Chapter 17
Johan was still out cold, and considering how much pain the guy had to be in, it was probably better that way. Afraid to move him at all, Jim sat next to him, randomly squeezing his hand in hopes of getting a reaction. All he got were faint moans, but no signs of real consciousness. He’d asked if the Araxians had a blanket or anything he could use to keep Johan warm, but they didn’t. Of course they didn’t. They weren’t planning to take care of injured hostages, and they didn’t have any medical supplies whatsoever. Who knew how long it would be until the ship sent someone?
It bothered him that they hadn’t allowed him any two-way communication, but what would he have said?
Actually, he knew exactly what he’d have said. He would have told whoever was listening what had really happened to the Araxian government. He would have advised the Captain to agree to open talks with the rebels.
Of course, that would have gone nowhere. He was a cadet and a hostage, so naturally, his observations would be deemed unreliable. Starfleet protocols forbade negotiations with terrorists, and that was a rule that had never been bent. In fact, if his knowledge of Starfleet protocols gave him any clue, he’d guess that Captain Porter was cooperating wholeheartedly with the official Araxian authorities, and Starfleet security and tactical officers were already supporting the local government to bring down the terrorists. The military might of a Federation starship and her crew, all on the wrong side of the fight.
At this point, all he could hope was that nobody else would have to die today, and that hope started with Johan.
And himself.
Now that raw adrenaline had worn off again, Jim was starting to realize that his own injury might have been worse than he’d thought. The ache was sharp, and the pain was spreading. He hadn’t removed the bandaging he’d wrapped around it, and he knew that he shouldn’t touch the dressing until he could actually get the injury treated, but he suspected it might still be bleeding under there.
Still, it was nothing compared to Johan’s injury. Besides, he couldn’t let his captors know he was injured in the slightest. It was a vital rule of tactics - never show weakness when vulnerable. It was too risky. He needed to maintain the appearance of being capable.
He squeezed Johan’s hand again. Still no response.
The sound of heavy footsteps on the metal catwalk startled him, and he turned his head towards the door. Ghzeth’s rifle twitched slightly. The door opened and another Araxian walked in, and then -
“Bones?” Jim stared up at his best friend. Shock, dismay, and disbelief vied for dominance. No. No, no, no... not Bones. They should have sent someone more experienced. A real officer. One of the other doctors. Not Bones...
Bones stopped just inside the door and looked down at him. He must have been able to see every emotion running through Jim’s head, because Bones’ expression morphed into something familiar and perversely reassuring as he shook his head and grumbled, “Dammit, Jim.”
For the barest fraction of a second, Jim almost let himself laugh at the absurdity of it all. Instinctively, he wanted to be able to let himself feel relieved that his best friend was there. It would have been so easy, but this was the last place in the quadrant Jim wanted to see Bones.
The moment was quickly broken, and Bones’ eyes flicked past Jim to Johan’s prone form, and he was in motion again.
“Let me see the patient,” he said, not even flinching as Ghzeth’s rifle swung towards him as he pushed past the Araxian into the room. He dropped his bag on the floor next to Johan and unfastened it. “Move over, Jim,” he said as he grabbed his tricorder from the bag and quickly began scanning. “I heard your report. Energy weapon blast to the lower back. Has he been able to move his lower body?”
Jim was having a hard time getting his brain to keep up after the shock of seeing Bones walk into the room, but he made himself focus. Bones was here to save Johan, and that was the first priority. “He wasn’t conscious for long, and when he was, I didn’t ask him to move anything. I just told him to keep breathing, and that help was coming.” He blinked. Hard. “Wait a minute. You heard my report? You knew I was down here?”
Bones turned away from his tricorder and gave Jim an almost-level gaze that had a few too many cracks in it. “Yeah, kid. I thought you were on the ship until the moment I heard your voice on the transmission, but yeah.” Then he looked down at Jim’s abdomen, and his eyes widened. “Jim... you’ve got blood all over your shirt! You said you weren’t injured. What the hell happened?”
Jim quickly shook his head. “Liu got shot and I helped him.” It wasn’t the full story, but it wasn’t a lie either, and it was all he had time to say without getting into an argument. Besides, the blood was mostly Liu’s.
Bones furrowed his eyebrows skeptically, then nodded. “Yeah, I heard about your little stunt.” Then he looked back at his tricorder readout as he passed his scanner probe over Johan’s abdomen once more. “No time for that now. You were right. He’s dying.” He grabbed the basic medkit out of the bag and quickly extracted a hypospray and two small vials, and administered the medications with the deft hands and desperation of a surgeon in a crisis.
Jim was torn between looking closer and inching away. “Can you help him?”
Bones didn’t reply. He was already digging deeper into his bag, pulling out equipment. He neatly sliced off Johan’s shirt with the laser cutter, revealing the weapon burn in its grotesque detail. It looked even worse now than it had before. “Help me with equipment, Jim. There are four stasis devices. Hand me one.”
“Stasis... stasis - these.” Bones had taught him about this stuff. He quickly handed over the devices.
Bones carefully positioned one on Johan’s abdomen, straight through from where the weapon blast had struck. He checked something with his tricorder, and activated the device. “Another one,” he said, not even looking in Jim’s direction.
Jim placed the unit in Bones’ outstretched hand, which Bones rapidly began positioning on Johan’s side. Another quick check with the tricorder, and Bones asked for a third. Then two regen units.
Then, Bones stopped, sat back on his heels, and looked up at Ghzeth.
“I’ve stabilized the injuries enough to transport him, but he’ll die unless I can get him to a real operating room. These aren’t injuries that I can even begin to treat here. Even with all possible resources, he still might not make it.”
Ghzeth frowned. “Then that is... unfortunate.”
“Wait, what? Unfortunate?” Bones jumped up and was suddenly face to face with an armed terrorist.
“Bones!” Jim was on his feet less than a second later, only to stumble back against the wall as the pain in his gut redoubled. It was okay, because nobody was paying attention to him as Bones began ranting.
“What’s that supposed to mean - unfortunate? I came down here to save a man, not to declare him dead and walk away!”
“I apologize, Terran, but your crewman has been declared a hostage. We have need of him, and cannot release him.”
“Bones, back down!” Jim hissed. There was a reason the guy had almost failed Basic Diplomacy.
But Bones ignored him, bordering on apoplectic, and continued raving. “Need? Need? Good God, man, he’s going to die! And then, what good will he be to you?”
“We had agreed that you would be allowed to treat the patient here,” Ghzeth replied with surprising calmness, but off to the side, the other two colleagues were beginning to raise their rifles.
“I can’t treat him here! This man needs massive reconstructive surgery. The blast destroyed one of his kidneys and perforated his bowels. There’s burn tissue throughout his entire abdomen. That’s not something that can be fixed without a full surgical suite. I’ve got him under a partial stasis field, but that won’t hold him forever. Don’t you people have a goddamned stun setting on your rifles? With the damage your barbaric weapons did, it’s amazing he lived this long!”
Ghzeth looked to the side, at the other two Araxians, and motioned for them to lower their weapons. Then he looked back at Bones. “Terran, this entire event has been most regrettable, but it is what it is. I had hoped that our leaders would have listened to us sooner, and that we would have been allowed into the negotiations. I had hoped that the Federation would not become entangled in the hostilities, but events have unfolded in this manner, and we must continue from here. We have given our word - you will be allowed to return to your ship unharmed, but you may not remove one who has been declared a hostage. He has information which can not be revealed to your leaders.”
“Unbelievable.” Bones was shaking his head in disbelief. “I trusted you people. I believed Jethan. Hell, for what it’s worth, I believe your side of this whole political mess. After what Jethan and Rhexen both told me, I would have supported you, but not if you let this man die here!”
“You believe the truth behind our rebellion?” Ghzeth asked slowly.
Bones tilted his head forward, not taking his eyes off Ghzeth. “Yes, I do. I might not know all the details, but from what I’ve seen and heard... your side of the story makes too much sense. So yeah, I believe you. But your revolution can be damned as far as I’m concerned if you don’t let me do my job and try to save a dying man - who, by the way, has nothing to do with the Axanar and had no idea about what they were doing here. Even if he knows some of your plans, I doubt he’s going to be conscious for at least a day, with this much damage. He’ll be in surgery for hours, and then they’ll probably keep him sedated for at least twenty-four hours after that. He won’t be able to tell anyone anything. He’s innocent in this. Don’t let him die.”
Ghzeth leaned back against one of the computer consoles and gave Bones an appraising look. “Then what do you propose?”
The room went dead silent for a moment as the two of them faced off. Jim looked back and forth between Bones and Ghzeth, then down at Johan, and suddenly, with perfect clarity, Jim knew exactly what Bones was about to say.
“A trade.”
“No!” It was out of Jim’s mouth before he could stop himself, and when Bones turned around, startled at the outburst, Jim had no choice but to push his point. “Bones, you can’t stay here! They’re going to let you leave, but if you stay...” He gritted his teeth. They were sitting on top of one of the largest bombs in the quadrant, and Bones didn’t even know it. If Jim gave him that piece of intelligence, there was no way they’d let him leave. Johan knew, but it didn’t look like he’d be able to spill the beans anytime soon, and the Araxians probably knew that. Jim didn’t care how noble his friend wanted to be - he couldn’t let Bones stay. “If you stay, anything could happen.”
An ironic smile quirked the corner of Bones’ mouth. “Funny, coming from a man in your position.”
“I don’t have a choice, Bones. You do.”
At that, Bones nodded. “Exactly.”
He turned back to Ghzeth. “Send our injured crewman back to our ship. Let the doctors there save him. In trade, you’ve got a hostage who is uninjured, unarmed, and... willing.”
Jim’s mind was all but screaming in hope that Ghzeth wouldn’t accept - that Johan had intelligence about the bomb, that it wasn’t the agreement, or any reason in the quadrant - but he knew the answer before it even came.
“Accepted.”
Jim felt himself sag against the wall slightly in defeat. He wanted to argue, but that wouldn’t do any good. Bones was already pulling extendable stretcher poles out of his bag, and he handed Jim one of the poles without a word. Numbly, Jim accepted it and pulled the end, extending it and locking it in place. He held it steady as Bones attached the netting between the poles. They placed it on the floor next to Johan, and at Bones’ nod, they carefully slid the man onto the stretcher.
Bones gave him a nod. “Thanks, Jim,” he said softly, then turned towards Ghzeth. “He’s ready to move. I’ll need someone to help me carry him.”
Ghzeth shook his head. “You must stay here now. My people will take him to your transport site. He will not be harmed.”
Bones scowled for a moment, then gave a begrudging nod. “Yeah, well... don’t jostle him, okay? Those stabilizers are barely holding him together as it is.”
Ghzeth shot a look at the two other Araxians in the room. “Treat this Terran as you would treat a family member, and bring him safely to the transport site.” Then he pulled out his communication device. “Detonation Team Primary to Control Team.”
“Control Team Secondary.”
“The Starfleet medic can not save the patient here, and has traded himself as a hostage so that the injured Terran can be sent back to the ship for treatment. There is no risk that this Terran could reveal our plans. He is too gravely injured. Rhoth and Jenhz will be carrying him to the transport site. Have your people hold fire and protect them as needed.”
For a moment, there was silence, and then Jethan spoke again. “We will protect the patient. But... allow me to speak to Doctor McCoy.”
Jim felt his eyes widen at the fact that the Araxian had just called Bones by name. “Bones? You know this guy?”
Bones only spared a quick glance at Jim before holding out his hand, accepting the communicator unit, and saying, with too much familiarity, “McCoy here. Hello Jethan.”
“Do you understand that your choice places you in serious danger? I do not wish for you to be harmed.”
Bones grimaced. “Yeah, I know. I don’t particularly like being in the middle of this mess either. But... I’m a doctor. You should understand.”
“A doctor... willing to sacrifice himself to protect a patient.” There was a soft, ironic laugh. “That is something I understand fully, and respect deeply. An Axanar would never understand that. I told you... you would make a fine Araxian.”
“Well, thanks for that... but if you respect me so much... for God’s sake, Jethan, end this battle! You’re second in command of the Control Team - I heard that much on the transmissions. Do something about this. Nobody else needs to die today!”
There was a significant pause. “McCoy... if we do nothing, our civilization dies. We would lose all there is in being Araxian. Our nature is to resist subservience, and to stand on our own. But then, even in our culture, which is built on the innate independence and sovereign will of the individual, we recognize that we are nothing if our society is destroyed. The continuation of our people is more important than the lives of individuals.”
“So which individuals are forced to risk their lives for this?” Bones asked, not even trying to hide the bitterness in his voice.
“None are forced. Those who have put themselves in harm’s way have volunteered. We have decided, individually, that our culture’s continued existence is worth the possible cost of our lives, and we are willing to pay it. Araxis is worth this to us. This is why we are willing to fight.”
Bones pressed his lips together stubbornly, and for a moment, Jim was sure he was going to have another outburst, but then he nodded. “I understand that. I hope you can get people to listen.”
“So do I, McCoy. So do I. Control Team out.”
The communication line went silent, and Bones handed the communicator back to Ghzeth. Then, slowly, looking like a man who was feeling far older than his years, he walked the few steps over to the corner where Jim was standing, turned, pressed his back against the wall, and slid to the floor. He looked up at Jim expectantly, and almost comically, patted the floor next to him.
Completely taken aback with all the unexpected twists that had just bombarded him, Jim didn’t have the mental energy to resist, and quickly mirrored Bones’ actions, doing his best to hide the fact that he was in pain. He slid down next to Bones, shoulder to shoulder, arms pressed together.
The warmth of Bones’ arm seeped through his sleeve, and Jim didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or cry just then. He’d always known that Bones was a strong man, but what he’d just witnessed? The self-described quiet country doctor going head-to-head with armed terrorists, lecturing one of their leaders, and finally offering himself as a willing captive? Jim didn’t know if he’d ever be able to look at Bones the same way again.
The floor was hard and cold beneath him, and the room smelled dusty and stale. It felt alien and perversely familiar at once. Sunlight was slanting into the room through the high windows, illuminating dust motes in the air. The faint smell of smoke wafted through the room. Ghzeth had taken a few steps away, and was leaning against a control panel at the far end of the room, near the door. Beyond the distant wail of sirens, it was quiet. The illusion of calmness in the room was a perverse contrast to the chaotic whirl of thoughts spinning in Jim’s mind. He tried desperately to focus his thoughts and get a grip on himself.
Finally, Jim found his voice. “Why you, Bones? Why did they send you?”
“Because, Jim,” came the soft reply, “the Araxian I just spoke to on the comm unit is the medic who showed me around the other day. He’s the one who told me about the Araxian genetic engineering. He could identify me as a doctor, not a security agent... and for some reason, he seems to trust me... so they decided that they’d only allow me down here to treat Crewman Johan.”
Jim wasn’t looking at Bones. He was just staring blankly at the floor in front of him. “But... you’re a cadet. They wouldn’t have ordered you to come down here.”
“They didn’t. They asked me to volunteer.”
Jim clenched his hands into fists in front of him. “Then why did you agree to it? Why?” He had wanted to save Johan’s life, but he hadn’t let himself consider the possibility that they’d send Bones. The thought had crossed his mind, and he’d dismissed it. Now, Bones was here, and his life was in danger, and there was nothing Jim could do to help him.
“Jim.”
There was a pause, and Jim finally looked back to see Bones’ strained eyes staring back at his.
“I heard your voice on the transmission.”
Jim swallowed back a surge of nausea as he realized what that meant. “No, you shouldn’t have... not because...”
“Jim.” Something in Bones’ gaze cracked slightly, and his mouth quivered. “A man died today because of me. I was not about to let that happen to anyone else. Not when I had a chance to save him. I came down here to see if I could save Johan. And maybe... to see if you needed some saving yourself.”
“I don’t need to be saved,” Jim bit out harshly. “I didn’t want anyone else getting hurt on my account. That includes you.”
“I came to save Johan, and I would have done it even if you weren’t here. So stop thinking like that right now. It was my choice to make.” His mouth twisted into a bemused smile. “Just like you made the choice to run back to get Liu after he’d been shot.”
Jim felt his eyes go wide. “Wait, you mentioned... is Liu okay? Did you hear --”
Bones gave him a smile - an honest one this time, with more than just a hint of pride behind it. “He’s fine, Jim. I patched up his leg myself. He told me that he’s alive because you ran back for him through a goddamned hail of gunfire. You’re a reckless space-cowboy with a hero complex.”
Jim forced himself to swallow back the relief and satisfaction at knowing Liu had made it, and focused on Bones. “It wasn’t hero shit, Bones. I just saw him there, and I couldn’t leave him behind. Besides, you can call me reckless, but you volunteered to beam you down into the middle of a war zone,” he said critically.
“Yeah, I did. And Jim? I’d do it again.”
Jim wanted to say something. He really did. He wanted to argue that Bones should have kept himself safe, but... he was right. Bones was the kind of man who would put everything on the line for someone else, whether it was for a patient or a friend. As much as he wanted to, Jim couldn’t argue at all because he knew he’d do the same thing for Bones... or anyone. He let his shoulders slump and looked down at the floor again.
“See, Terran?” Ghzeth asked from across the room. “Even you are willing to risk your life for others, when given the free choice.”
Jim glanced up to see Ghzeth looking at Bones.
Next to him, Bones shifted slightly. “While I’m stuck here, the name’s McCoy. Seeing as we’re being civil and all.” Then, he tilted his head and gave their Araxian captor a long look. “So... you chose to do this? To fight?”
Ghzeth nodded. “Indeed I did. I am not a violent person, McCoy. I abhor the nature of violence. I am a historian, and would prefer to be spending this afternoon amongst the archives, teaching lessons to young scholars. However, as a historian, I know far too well that at certain critical junctures throughout history, violence has been the only means left of achieving a noble goal. My children deserve a future as Araxians, not mired in the servile life of the Axanar. I am willing to sacrifice myself for them, if needed, although I would much prefer to grow old and watch my children enjoy their lives.” He frowned. “Do you not have offspring?”
Jim could see Bones’ back go ramrod straight. “I do, actually.”
“Are your children not the center of your universe? Are they not worth the cost of your own life?”
Bones actually squirmed in place. “I’ve only got one. And...” He swallowed tightly, and Jim could see his Adam’s apple bob in place. “She should be the center of my universe. I keep saying she is. I know I’d give my life and everything I have to make her happy. But I messed it up. ” He turned and faced Jim, and his face was wrenched with guilt and desperation. “Goddammit, Jim, the last thing I did was mess up our week together. I was supposed to see her. I’m a father, and I have a daughter who needs me, and... what if I never see Joanna again?”
“You will, Bones,” Jim said, trying to project confidence he didn’t feel.
“There’s no way to know that.”
Watching Bones’ strength crumble was almost painful. Only minutes ago, this was a man arguing down an armed terrorist. Now, in a matter of seconds, he was almost ready to fall apart at the idea that he’d messed up his last chance to see his daughter. Given the tenuous situation they were in, it made sense. Jim realized he might need to be the strong one again. “We’re getting out of here,” he said firmly. “This will work out. You said that you agreed with these people, and that you trusted them.”
“I know, but...” Bones shook his head. “Jim... the right side doesn’t always win.”
It was such a simple yet obvious truth that it took Jim completely by surprise. “Captain Porter will figure this out. He has to. I mean...” Jim looked up and around the room at the transmitter equipment, at Ghzeth, and at the narrow windows that were too high to see through. He swallowed tightly. “Porter is a Starfleet captain. He’s seen it all, right? He’s got to be able to put together the pieces. Hell, if we could see this, then he’s got to be able to see it.”
Bones sighed, and sagged a bit deeper against the wall. “Maybe. I don’t know. I tried to tell him before I beamed down, but he didn’t seem to want to listen. They’re pretty convinced that these folks -” he waved his hand to indicate Ghzeth and the other Araxians who had left with Johan, “- are a fringe group of insurgents trying to destroy the legitimate government. Hell, when I got to the conference room for them to ask me to take this mission down here, and I spoke to Jethan, Porter was surprised that I knew the ‘insurgent.’ His word, not mine. And... they’ve got an Axanar up there, claiming to be an Araxian, representing the Araxian leadership.”
Across the room, Ghzeth shifted his stance. “McCoy, how do you know it was an Axanar?”
Bones pursed his lips. “Easy. His skin color matches a native Axanar, and he’s too young to be an Araxian founder.”
“So you know of our genetic modifications.”
Bones nodded. “Jethan told me.”
“Then you know why we did this,” Ghzeth said neutrally.
“To adapt to a whole new planet. To get rid of the methane metabolic pathway, and stabilize your oxygen metabolism. To get rid of the triglobulin compound.” Bones took a heavy breath. “To isolate yourselves from the Axanar.”
At that, Ghzeth actually smiled, and it was the patronizing, gentle smile of a teacher or professor. “Such a simple view. Accurate, to a point, but you miss the core of why we did this... of who we are.”
Jim spoke up. “Then... who are you?”
Ghzeth’s smile broadened. “Free, my friend. We are free.”
Before Jim could ask more about his cryptic and yet plain statement, the two Araxians who had carried Johan to the beam-up site returned with a third. The new one began speaking rapidly in Araxian. Ghzeth didn’t tell this one to speak in Standard, so Jim tuned out the conversation. It was beyond his control. Everything was beyond his control.
Jim took the lull and let himself sag against the wall. He was exhausted, and his gut still ached. He had no idea what would happen, but he almost hoped they’d just get on with it. For the moment, he was trapped and useless. Under surveillance of armed guards, with no chance of communication with the ship or escape.
Whatever they were planning, he just hoped he could keep Bones out of it. Bones knew they were in a building full of dilithium, but he was pretty sure Bones didn’t know they were sitting inside an enormous bomb. As far as Jim was concerned, he wasn’t going to tell him. Hopefully, the situation wouldn’t escalate, and it wouldn’t matter anyway.
Fuck, he was so tired. He closed his eyes, and only a second later, he startled as he felt Bones pressing a hand against his forehead.
“Bones? What the hell?”
“Are you sure you’re okay, kid? You’re looking a bit pale.”
Jim stared at him incredulously. “We’re hostages in an urban warfare battle, and you’re worried that I look a bit pale?”
“I can’t stop being what I am, Jim. You okay?”
Jim couldn’t lie outright - not to Bones. So he grabbed the discussion and turned it in another direction. “No, Bones, I’m not. You’re in danger, which is bad enough, but... this is just impossible to wrap my head around. I don’t understand how Captain Porter isn’t seeing through this mess. I mean, the clues are right there!”
“I don’t know either,” Bones said.
Jim growled. “These people seem so... rational. Intelligent. Peaceful. And now I see exactly what you meant when you described the real Araxians. They’re nothing like the Axanar. I’m starting to think these are the first real ones I’ve met since we got here. But then... look at what they did. I watched people die today.”
Bones grimaced. “So did I... but a lot of people lived. Johan has a fighting chance now because of you.”
Jim nodded grimly. “It’s something, I guess. I promised Johan I’d get him out alive. I had to get him out. I didn’t tell you - his father was the one who died with mine on the Kelvin.”
Bones’ eyebrow went up slightly. “That’s a heavy load to carry, kid.”
“Yeah, well... I swore history wouldn’t repeat itself.”
Bones reached over and patted him on the knee. “Well, it didn’t. You kept your promise, kid. You got him out. You got the whole team out.”
“Not the whole team.” Before Bones could say anything, Jim covered his eyes with the heels of his hands and pushed forward. “Finney got shot. While we were running between the other building and here. We got him under cover here, but Finney didn’t make it, Bones. He died in front of me.”
There was a moment of silence, and Bones said quietly, “I know, Jim. You said so in your transmission.”
Jim nodded without removing his hands from over his eyes. “I was left in charge, Bones. Dumb luck, nothing more. It was three cadets and two crewmen. The regular cadets have a leadership rotation. It was my week this week, so I was in charge. That made it my call. Finney’s last order to me was to stay here and wait for backup... so I followed it.”
“Oh no.” There was no sarcasm in Bones’ voice.
“Yeah. He ordered us not to leave until a rescue party came. It almost made sense. There were snipers, and we’d taken direct fire every time we went out in the open. I told myself to listen to Finney’s order, but I shouldn’t have. We shouldn’t have waited. I wanted to make a break for it. Take the whole team, leave immediately. We needed to get out of here, and get to a location where we could beam up. I should have made the call.”
“Why didn’t you?” Bones asked softly. “You’ve never had a problem bucking orders before if they didn’t make sense.”
Jim let his hands drop, and he stared blankly across the room. “I’ve never been in a situation like this before, Bones. Lives were at stake, I was in charge, and I had orders. Finney’s last orders! I can’t believe I’m thinking about the fucking Survival Training now, but that’s the one piece of feedback I’ve been getting, over and over. Follow orders. Don’t stick your neck out. Trust your superiors. Don’t act alone. Just be a cadet. Pike told me the same thing just a couple of days ago.”
“Pike?” Bones didn’t even bother to keep the surprise out of his voice.
“Yeah, I contacted Pike again. With everything getting messy, and with what happened with Brex and T’Val, and all the stuff we observed, I wanted his advice. He told me to...” Jim’s voice trailed off.
“What, Jim?”
“He told me to use my instincts... but not to act on my own.” Jim shook his head with a dry laugh. “How funny is that?”
“I don’t think it’s funny at all.” Bones nudged his shoulder against Jim’s lightly. “I know you can’t save everyone -”
“Don’t I know it,” Jim mumbled under his breath.
“- but you got everyone else out. They all made it back to the ship. So... what would Finney want you to do now?”
Jim squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to think about it, but he had to. “Doesn’t matter what Finney would want, Bones. He’s dead.” He opened his eyes and looked sideways at Bones. “We’re on our own.”
Bones considered him carefully for a moment, then said, “So... what does your instinct tell you to do?”
Jim caught his lower lip between his teeth, then let out a slow breath. “That I’ve got to do anything and everything I possibly can to make sure nobody else dies today.” He dropped his gaze to the floor for a moment, then looked back up. “I’ve got to get you out of here alive.”
“You mean you’ve got to get us out of here alive,” Bones said with a sharp edge in his voice.
Jim forced a smile that he was sure looked completely wrecked. “Yeah. You know what I meant.”
Bones nodded, not looking altogether convinced. “You’ve done it once. I’m sure you can do it again.”
Jim snorted. “Right. At least you’re not injured this time.” He shook his head in dark amusement. “I almost want to laugh at this mess. Seriously, who the hell gets themselves into a situation like this twice before graduating the Academy?”
“The reckless daredevil and the foolhardy doctor who goes along with him?”
Bones’ tone was actually light, and considering their situation, Jim almost felt okay for a moment. He elbowed Bones lightly in the ribs. “You’ve got no right to call me reckless today. You’re the one who had a nose-to-nose argument with an armed terrorist. Seriously, I’ve been taken hostage twice since I met you. Must be your fault somehow. How is it that I let you get me into these situations?”
“I get you into these situations?” Bones rolled his eyes dramatically. “Idiot.” With a casual sideways jab, Bones neatly landed an elbow to Jim’s gut.
The flash of pain was immediate, and Jim gasped, wrapping his arms protectively over his stomach. In the same instant, he realized the farce was up.
“Jim?” Bones was already up on his knees, trying to pull Jim’s arms away from his torso. “What the hell did you do to yourself?”
Jim gritted his teeth and tried to shake Bones off. “Nothing. I... pulled a muscle carrying Liu. He’s fucking heavy. Then you elbowed me in the gut.”
“I don’t think so, kid.” He started to reach for his medical supply bag, but in a desperate grab, Jim caught his arm.
“Bones,” he hissed, “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Jim, if you -” His eyes flicked down at Jim’s torso, then back up to Jim’s face with a look of scathing accusation mixed with equal parts worry. “That’s not just Liu’s blood, is it?” Bones said under his breath.
Jim looked to the side and noticed Ghzeth and his team had stopped talking and were looking over at them with intent. He looked back at Bones and said in a low tone, “No, it’s not. But most of it was his, Bones. It’s just a cut.”
Bones’ eyes narrowed. “Let me see it.”
“No.”
Bones sat back on his heels and glared at him. “Why the hell not?”
Jim’s mind scrambled for anything he could say that would actually get Bones to back off without tipping his hand completely to the Araxians. The truth was that he’d been trained to know that showing weakness in a hostage situation was an easy way to get yourself into even more trouble. Although he didn’t always agree with everything his instructors had told him, he agreed with this one. Situations like these could change suddenly, in disastrous ways, and as long as he was capable of toughing it out, he had to. What would happen if Bones was in the middle of patching him up when the building got raided and he needed to run? The bandage was holding well enough.. Hell, nothing else, hadn’t his Survival Training taught him to tough it out? But somehow, even if he could say all of that within earshot of the Araxians, he didn’t think Bones would buy it.
He gave Bones a desperate look, hoping that the guy would just accept it. “Because it’s bandaged, it’s not deep, and there’s no need to mess with it until we’re somewhere safe.”
“I’ll be the judge of that. Now stop being such a damned infant and let me scan it.” He made another reach for his tricorder, but Jim held his wrist fast.
“Bones, no. Just leave it!”
“Now listen here a minute. I’m the doctor -”
“And I’m in charge!”
Bones’ eyes went wide, then narrowed almost instantly. “Oh, so is that the game you’re playing?”
Jim took a deep breath and kept a level gaze. “It’s not a game.” Then he looked past Bones’ shoulder at Ghzeth, who was now standing almost directly behind Bones.
“Is there a problem, Terrans?”
Bones startled and spun around, still in a crouch, and looked up at Ghzeth. “No. No problem at all,” he said dryly. “Other than being in the middle of a war I didn’t start with the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.” He cast a harsh glance at Jim before turning and settling down against the wall again... a few feet away from Jim, with his arms folded across his chest in annoyance.
The body language was blatant, but Jim couldn’t let himself get wrapped up in that. Not right now. “Ghzeth, what’s going on?”
Ghzeth’s expression was dead center of neutral. “Nothing you need to know, Jim. Do either of you require anything? Water? Sustenance?”
Jim started to shake his head, but Bones spoke up. “Could we both have some water?” He shot Jim a glare that dared him to argue.
“Yeah, water would be good,” Jim admitted.
Ghzeth looked over his shoulder at the Araxian who had just arrived and gave him a nod.
The new guy pulled the large sack off his back and dug into it, retrieving two bottles. He walked over and handed them to Bones first, then Jim. “It’s fresh water. If you’d like, I also have food that should be compatible with your physiology.”
Jim took the bottle and twisted the cap off. “No, this will be fine, thank you.” Then he stopped and furrowed his eyes. “Do I know you?”
He stopped cold, then nodded. “We have met. At the Ambassadors’ Reception. I am Zhareth.”
“Zhareth...” Jim said slowly before realization dawned. “I remember you! You were waiting tables. You were talking to Skavrin, the Tellarite Ambassador.”
The young Araxian bobbed his head, almost as if he was bowing, then stopped himself and stood a bit taller. “Yes, I was.”
Jim cocked his head in confusion. “But... you were... I mean... acting differently at the reception. I mean, like an Axanar.”
“It was expected of me,” Zhareth replied, “in order for my loyalties to remain unknown. I did not expect to see you again.”
“Wait,” Bones said suddenly. “You’ve got the skin tone of an Axanar, and you’re too young to be a founder.” He looked rapidly between Zhareth and Ghzeth. “He’s an Axanar, isn’t he?”
But Ghzeth only shook his head proudly. “He was born on Araxis. He is of Axanar parentage, but he has adopted the Araxian way.”
Zhareth ducked his head again. “My parents came here almost forty years ago. They were amongst the people who wanted to bring the Araxians back under the Axanar tradition. They tried to teach me Axanar manners, and I have not rid myself of all the Axanar mannerisms, but I grew up with Araxian friends. I knew what was happening. I knew why my parents had come to this world, but I disagreed with them. I kept my loyalties secret, and when an internship opened in Parliament, I knew I could be valuable there with my parentage and training. I made my choice.”
Ghzeth clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Zhareth has been brave and noble. A true Araxian. He knew he might die in the destruction of Parliament, but he remained there to provide us with information until the battle began.”
Jim leaned forward, ignoring the increased ache in his gut. “What sort of information?”
“Whispers between the Axanar and our so-called Araxian leadership, Jim. Information about one of the Ambassadors they are using to aid their deceptions.”
Jim exchanged a quick glance with Bones, whose mouth was twisted into a deep frown.
“Which Ambassador?” Bones asked, and there was a curious tone to his voice.
Ghzeth just shook his head. “This is irrelevant to you. Please do not trouble yourselves over that which is out of your control. Our Negotiations Team is speaking with your Federation officials, and we hope that they will listen to us, rather than cause this situation to escalate.”
“If it escalates, I’d say it’s pretty relevant to us,” Jim said flatly. When Ghzeth didn’t respond, he pushed again. “What else, Ghzeth? Are they moving on our location? Is Captain Porter negotiating?”
Ghzeth gave him a look, then turned and spoke to his other two accomplices for a couple of minutes in Araxian. They nodded, and quickly left, leaving Ghzeth and Zhareth. Shifting his rifle, Ghzeth leaned heavily against the control console. “Your captain is a stubborn man,” he said, not bothering to hide his frustration. “While I can normally respect such steadfastness, it is... unfortunate.”
“What’s he doing?” Jim pushed. “Come on, it’s not going to change anything if you tell me. I can’t report back to my ship, and even if I could, telling them what they’re already doing changes nothing.” He glanced to the side at Bones, who had his arms folded across his chest in irritation, staring at the far wall. Great. Jim sighed, licked his lips, and spoke in a low tone. “Besides... I’m a lot more cooperative when I’m not being kept in the dark.”
To Jim’s surprise, Zhareth spoke up. “I see no risk in telling him, Ghzeth. And also... I like this Terran. He was polite to me, even amongst the Ambassadors. He said that his people treat each other with respect, regardless of rank.”
“We do,” Jim reinforced. “Or, at least, we try to.”
Ghzeth glanced up at the high windows in the room before settling himself with a sigh. “Your ship’s security personnel have begun moving in units with the Peacekeepers, performing military operations in the center of the city. The Axanar have taken one of our teams into custody. While this may be fruitful, and that team may actually have a better chance of communicating our concerns to the Federation, we will not know until our Control team reports the next round of negotiations. Things are moving rapidly.”
Jim took a slow breath in an attempt to keep control of his nerves. “Do you think they’re on their way here?”
“No. They are unlikely to approach this location soon.” Ghzeth glanced up at the window above his head again, then back down at Jim.
Jim frowned, trying to picture what parts of the city would be critical from Captain Porter’s perspective. He’d studied the map of the city, but he didn’t have every location memorized. “So they’re ignoring us?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Ghzeth said flatly. “We had hoped for this location to go unnoticed as long as possible. Had your group not taken shelter here, they would have ignored this strategic site entirely. As it is, they are aware that we’re here, which is unfavorable. We can only hope that they do not yet realize our purpose in this building. We wish to reveal this information only if other methods have failed.”
“Your trump card,” Jim said in a low tone.
“Trump card?” Ghzeth asked.
“Old Terran games,” Bones grumbled. “We still play ’em, though. It’s the idea that you have something in reserve, hidden, that’s a sure winner.”
Ghzeth looked at Bones gravely. “McCoy... nobody shall be a winner if we use our... trump card, as you call it.”
Bones furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait a minute... this is just a storage building. How the hell is it a trump card?”
Jim’s breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t wanted Bones to know. Not unless he had to. But Ghzeth was giving Bones a curious look.
“While you were on your ship... did your captain speak of this building before you came down here?”
Bones gave Jim a quick, nervous glance before looking back at Ghzeth. “They said you folks were just wanting to keep the leaders away from the dilithium... because they were using the dilithium for negotiations with the Federation. Our people happened to run in here to take cover, so you took them hostage. I mean... you’re right, they weren’t worried about this, except for the fact that we’re here.”
“Bones...” Jim started, but before he could say anything else, the heavy rumble of an explosion shook the floor. Jim startled, instinctively moving to jump up to see what was happening, which sent a lance of pain through his gut. He sank back to the floor, breathing tightly, but everyone’s attention was on the window.
“That,” Ghzeth said sadly, “was the main power station.” He held his rifle in front of him and checked over a couple of the controls, then rested it at the ready. “And now, we should all be worried.”
*********
To Chapter 18