Fic: "The Needs of the Few" (19/23)
Title: "The Needs of the Few"
Canon characters/Pairing(s): Kirk & McCoy, Pike, Finney
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 7,860
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: Still have your hat?
Previous chapters: One, Two, Three, Four(A), Four(B), Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen
Chapter 19
"I have an idea."
Ghzeth looked at Jim skeptically. “An idea, Terran? There is nothing left for us to do. I shall wait here and hope that somehow, the Axanar are stopped before they come to us. But if this cannot be done, and the Axanar attempt to take this building, I must assume that my people have failed. Then I will detonate the dilithium.”
“Well, let’s try not to do that until we’ve exhausted all of our options. Call it a last-ditch effort,”Jim said firmly. “I can’t accept you detonating the dilithium and killing all of those people until we’ve tried everything else.”
“We?” Ghzeth said with a curious expression.
Jim nodded. “Yeah. We.”
Something resembling hope lit Ghzeth’s face. “So what do you propose?”
Leonard knew that whatever Jim was about to say, he probably wouldn’t like it. He clenched his hands into fists, hard enough that even his tightly trimmed fingernails dug painfully into his palms.
Jim spared Leonard just the briefest of glances before leveling Ghzeth with an even stare. “Send me out there.”
It was like a physical blow to Leonard’s chest. “What?”
Ghzeth just looked confused. “Send you out where?”
“Out of the building,” Jim said. “Into the street. Let me go out there and try to speak to them, face-to-face. We’ve got no way to communicate from here, and communication is our only chance. If any of you go out there, they’ll probably shoot first, but they don’t want Federation people dead, so let me try it. I’ll speak for you. I’ll tell them that if I go beyond the transporter interference from the building, or that if they don’t listen to what I say, that you’ll shoot me. That way they won’t try to take me away without listening to me first.”
“And what about going back to the ship?” Leonard countered. “We can try to convince them from up there! You know... where we won’t get blown up!”
“No, Bones. Think about this carefully. If we leave, there’s nothing holding the Axanar back from raiding the building. You said it yourself - the Peacekeepers held off on raiding the building because they didn’t want us dead. The instant they hear that we’re aboard the ship, they’ll storm the building. We won’t have time to convince anybody of anything. By the time we’ve had a chance to talk to Captain Porter and convince him to talk to the Kazarite, it will be too late. As long as we’re still down here, the Peacekeepers will hesitate to raid the building. It might give us the time we need to get the message through. If we really want to stop them from blowing the dilithium, this is our best chance, Bones.”
Leonard was shaking his head. “And what if he still doesn’t listen to us, Jim? Besides, the Araxians have tried everything, and it’s all failed. Anything could happen the second you leave the building!” Leonard protested.
“I know, and I’ve already considered it. The Axanar could shoot me and blame the Araxians. The Axanar could try to ‘rescue’ me, causing the Araxians to have to shoot. The groups could start a shoot-out and I could get caught in the middle. The whole thing could fail and the city goes sky-high.” He swallowed thickly and took a steadying breath. “Or... they could stop and listen.” He looked back up at Ghzeth. “What do you say?”
Ghzeth said nothing for a moment, looking Jim over solemnly. “You offer this of your own free will?”
Jim nodded. “Yeah. I do. Because if there’s any chance that I can stop this before they storm the building and you detonate the dilithium, even if it’s a long shot, then I have to take it.”
Ghzeth appeared to consider the proposal, then turned back to the door and called out. One of the other guards appeared a moment later, and they began speaking in rapid Araxian. It gave Leonard the chance to tell Jim exactly what he thought about his cockeyed plan.
“Are you out of your goddamned mind?” he hissed. “Jim, do you have any idea what you’re saying?”
“I know exactly what I’m saying.”
“You’re injured!”
“I’ll be careful.”
“I’m not about to let you go marching out there on some god damned kamikaze suicide run when we still have a chance to --”
“Bones.”
Leonard felt his diatribe come to a grinding halt before he’d even fully built up his head of steam, and he finally took a good look at Jim.
Jim’s expression was something that Leonard had seen on him once before... in a bunker north of San Francisco, in a small gray room with no windows. Jim had looked at the tricorder and hypospray in his hands, had created a plan out of thin air, and had made the whole crazy thing work. They’d gotten out alive. It was a clarity of purpose in his eyes - the absolute knowledge that his plan would work, not because it was guaranteed, but because there was no other option.
Jim seemed to see that Leonard understood, and nodded again. “Bones... this is their only chance. I’ve got to try it. Some things are just right and some things are wrong. And what the Araxians are doing... what I’m about to do... it’s right. It has to be.”
“Jim...” Leonard was shaking his head blankly, trying to think of some way to argue, but he knew it was useless.
“Even if the Araxians are wrong, and we’re being misled, and we’re on the wrong side of this whole fight... this is the only way we have a chance to stop them from detonating the dilithium, so it’s a chance I have to take. Sixty-thousand people, Bones. No matter what they’re fighting about, no matter who’s right or wrong, I can’t give up on that many lives without trying.”
“And I’m not gonna let you -”
The intensity of Jim’s gaze stopped him again. “I’ve got nothing to work with this time, Bones. No tricorder, no phaser, no tools, and no options... except myself. I’ve got myself, Bones. And for this... I’m willing to give that up.”
Leonard wanted to say that he wasn’t willing to give Jim up, but that wasn’t his choice to make. He was staring at Jim, wracking his brain for something to say, when Ghzeth came back into the room.
”I believe we are ready to do this. Jim, if you are certain of your choice, then we must hurry. There is little time.”
Jim cast uneasy look at Leonard, then looked back at Ghzeth. “I’m ready.” And then, with the shaky movements of a man still in more pain than he’d admit, he got to his feet.
Ghzeth held out a small device that looked a bit like a small black button. “You will be carrying a short-range voice transmitter, which we will be monitoring.”
Jim nodded, but Leonard found himself scowling. “I thought you said you didn’t have any commo.”
Ghzeth was fastening the small device to the collar of Jim’s shirt. “With the dilithium field, these have a range of only two-hundred meters. Our other teams are kilometers away, and our communication relays were the only commo we had that could transmit through the field.”
“Oh,” Leonard said, feeling stupid. “But Jim... what if -”
“You need to go back to the ship, Bones.”
Leonard blinked, then shook his head as if he’d gotten something unpleasant in his ear. “Wait... what?”
“While Jim goes out the front of the building,” Ghzeth said calmly, “you will have an opportunity to escape out the back. There is good cover and concealment to the edge of this zone, and you can return to your ship.”
Jim was nodding in agreement as he fiddled with the transmitter on his collar.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Leonard turned back to Ghzeth. “Now just hold on a second! You’re about to send my best friend out into the middle of a warzone with less than a damned lucky penny, and you’re telling me that you expect me to slip out the back like a yellow-bellied turn-tail? I’ll be damned if I -”
Jim grabbed his shoulder. “Stop that! Now listen, I’m going to do this, and you’re going to take the chance to get back to the ship. This is the way it’s got to be.”
Leonard felt his mouth fall open and he gaped at Jim. An image flashed through his mind - of himself, walking out the back door, beaming back up to the ship, leaving Jim behind to be shot, blown up... anything. Hiding while Jim risked his life. Abandoning Jim. He’d walked out of his daughter’s life, and he hadn’t been there for her, but he wasn’t about to make that mistake again. He’d promised himself that he’d stop hiding, and he couldn’t back down on that promise now. Knowing that Jim would protest, but that he could never live with himself if he walked away from Jim now, he shook his head and used the tone of voice he always used to let Jim know it would be impossible to change his mind.
Leonard fixed Jim with a look of absolute determination. He was not about to back down from this. “If you stay, I stay.”
In a heartbeat, Jim’s eyes went wide, and his cool composure disappeared like a puff of smoke. “No way. This is your best chance. You can still get out of here! You already risked your neck staying here in the first place. If it works, I’ll see you on the ship, but there’s no reason for you to stay, and I am not going to let you throw your life away!”
“Because you’re in charge?” Leonard asked, draping the question in smug sarcasm.
But Jim didn’t crack. If anything, his face fell. “Because I don’t want you to die.”
Leonard’s attempt at raw humor fizzled and evaporated, and he clenched his jaw and balled his fists to hold himself together. “Yeah... well... the feeling’s mutual.” He sighed and turned back to Ghzeth. “Besides, I have an idea... to make sure those bastards don’t shoot first, blame later. I’ll still be your captive. If Jim messes up, or they don’t listen and just try to take him, tell them you’ll shoot me. There’s your leverage so they can’t just grab Jim and run.”
“Bones...” Jim was shaking his head, and his eyes were still wide and frantic.
“Jim... if you’re down here, I can’t leave. I told you that I was terrified that someday, I’d walk away from you when you needed me. So I’m staying. Besides, there’s no guarantee that we could get safely to a point where we can transport anyway. And... if you really believe you have a chance... then so do I. And I’ll bet my life that it’s the best chance we both have.”
A flash of... of something lit up Jim’s face. Maybe disbelief. Maybe wonder. “Bones?”
Leonard’s heart was pounding and he could feel the fear trickling down the back of his neck in cold, sweaty droplets, but at the core of it, Leonard believed Jim could do it. It was a long shot, but it was all they had. If Jim had thought of it, then there was a real chance it could work. Even if it didn’t... Leonard wasn’t going to leave him. Then, something Jim had said to him a couple of weeks ago drifted back. Words that meant one thing at the time, and meant so much more now. “Of all the people I’ve ever met, kid, you’re the one who would turn death itself into a fighting chance to live.”
Jim offered smile was weak but grateful. “It’ll work.”
“It will,” Leonard echoed roughly, because right then, he had to believe it. If he didn’t believe it, he had nothing.
Jim looked back at him with steady eyes and said, “Okay.” And then, to Ghzeth, he said, “Let’s do this.”
Ghzeth nodded, then called out. “Zhareth!”
The door to the room opened, and Zhareth stepped in, rifle still held at the ready. “Yes?”
“Please escort Jim to the front of the building, and then... allow him to exit, unaccompanied,” Ghzeth said. Then, he turned to look at Jim again. “There are inadequate words of gratitude for this occasion in your language, but you do have my sincere thanks.”
Jim coughed and shrugged awkwardly. “Yeah, well... don’t thank me yet. We still don’t know if it will work.”
“I would prefer to think that it will work. Perhaps, someday, I will teach about you in our Hall of Records.”
Jim stared back at Ghzeth for several long seconds before he finally blinked, shook his head awkwardly, and looked down at the floor. “Right,” he said roughly. “I... yeah. Thank you. I...” He shook his head again, took a deep breath, and looked Ghzeth in the eye again. “Okay, I’m ready.”
With a tilt of his head, Ghzeth dismissed him. Jim took three steps towards the door, then froze.
Then, slowly, he turned and looked back at Leonard.
“It’ll be okay, Bones.”
Leonard wanted to scream. He wanted to pull Jim back from the door and shout obscenities that would make a Klingon blush at the insane risk Jim was taking, but his body seemed useless at the surrealism of it all. It was like watching a holovid - surrounded by images but unable do anything about what would happen next. The air felt too thick, stiflingly hot and prickling cold at once, and Leonard didn’t know how he managed to make his voice work, but he forced the words out.
“I know, Jim.”
“You’ll get to see Joanna again.”
“I will.”
For another moment, neither of them moved. Leonard knew he should say something, but what the hell was he supposed to say? His best friend, and one of the few people left in the world who felt like family, was about to walk out the door, possibly to his death... and Leonard was going to let him. He should say something. Do something.
With a sudden lurch, Leonard was on his feet and standing in front of him. Some instinct told him that he should grab Jim into a hug, just in case it was his last chance to let the kid know that he was like a brother to him, but that instinct had been buried too deeply, too long ago. Not in front of people. Not in a situation like this. Besides, Jim was injured. And so he did the only thing his damnable, emotionally-stunted mind could come up with, and he held out his hand.
And damn him, but Jim gave him a look of amused incredulity as he took his hand in a sweaty, shaking grasp, belying the image of calm control the kid was trying to project. “Be safe, Bones.”
Leonard wanted to say a hundred things, but he could barely breathe. Instead, he just said, “You too.”
And then, Jim released his hand, turned, and walked out the door.
*********
His footsteps echoed sharp and hollow against the metal of the catwalk as Jim made his way out of the room. Right behind him, Zhareth’s footsteps were softer.
His gut twinged sharply as he walked. Either the damage was getting worse, or the drugs Bones had given him were wearing off. Still, with his heart racing and adrenaline surging, he wasn’t worried about it.
The look Bones had given him had almost been enough to get him to give up this crazy plan, but he couldn’t. It was a long shot, but it was the only shot at stopping the bomb. In truth, he had no idea if it could work. He didn’t know if he was just grasping at hope that wasn’t there, or if he’d somehow managed to divine the tiny thread in this massive puzzle that could unravel the whole thing. Hell, he wasn’t even sure what he was going to do or say. All he knew was that he had to try.
In the back of his mind, snippets of his training were spinning circles around his decision. He had learned, the hard way, not to stick his neck out on his own. Don’t play the lone wolf. Follow orders. Because only some people have the training and experience to bend the rules and strike out on their own and buck the system... and they call those people captains. Finney had said so.
Here he was, sticking his neck out and putting it all on the line, but he wasn’t a captain. He wouldn’t be for a long time, and he’d never been so acutely aware of that simple fact. If he was a captain, he’d be on the starship, calling the shots. Or, if he’d been captured anyway, he’d be able to take what he’d learned from his captors and change the course of the entire debacle. Maybe he could have prevented things from going so horribly wrong in the first place.
He wasn’t doing this to be a hero or to stand alone. He wasn’t trying to play the lone wolf. He didn’t think he was doing anything particularly special. He was just making the best goddamned decision he could make, with the resources he had, and praying to God it would work.
Maybe that’s what his father had done, too. And maybe George Kirk would be proud of him.
And if they all survived this mess, maybe he’d be proud of himself, too.
But damn it all, why had Bones stayed?
The heavy clank of boots on the stairs echoed noisily in the cavernous storage facility. Shadowy towers of crates loomed up as they descended from the catwalk, and Jim shuddered at the thought of the sheer quantity of dilithium surrounding him.
He couldn’t let them detonate it. He had to succeed. But if he failed, he wouldn’t be around to witness the results of his failure anyway.
“What are you thinking, Terran?” Zhareth suddenly asked from behind him.
Jim almost startled at the sudden question. “I... guess I’m just hoping that I made the right decision.”
“You have made a noble decision,” Zhareth said firmly. “You hope for the Axanar to cease hostilities and allow talks?”
Yes, he wanted to say, but that wasn’t the real answer. At least, not the most important part. Sure, he agreed with the Araxians. At least, that’s what his gut instinct was saying, even though he knew he might not have all the facts. But that wasn’t how he’d made his decision. In fact, it would have been entirely irrelevant. His decision was based on one simple truth that had nothing to do with taking sides.
Jim glanced back over his shoulder at Zhareth and gave him a sincere look. “I just want to make sure nobody else dies today.”
“Including yourself?”
Jim forced a dry chuckle. “If I can possibly help it.”
“I hope you are successful.”
“Yeah, me too.”
They lapsed into silence again as they crossed the storage room floor. As they passed a small enclave, Jim stopped cold at the shadow on the floor. “Wait.”
There was the slight click of Zhareth’s rifle being shifted. “What is it?”
Jim nodded towards the form of Finney’s body. “My commanding officer. Promise me one thing. If I don’t make it through this... but they manage not to blow up the dilithium... please make sure his body is returned to the ship unharmed. Okay?”
Zhareth looked down at Finney, then nodded. “If it is at all possible, I will see that it is done.”
“Thank you.”
They continued their walk through the building, finally coming to the front room where Jim had initially arrived with his squad. One of the Araxians who had been in the control room earlier was standing there, carefully keeping watch through the hole that had been blasted in the door. He turned when Jim and Zhareth stepped into the room.
“I heard the plan on our communication units,” he said, admiration evident in his tone. “You are truly making the choice to do this yourself?”
Jim nodded stiffly. “Yeah. It needed to be done.”
The guy suddenly bowed. “My respect, freely given. And good fortune to you.” He stood upright again and stepped aside.
Jim managed a wan smile. “Thanks.” I’m gonna need it.
Taking an unsteady breath, Jim stepped through the gaping hole in the doorway and out into the street. He squinted and blinked against the brightness of the afternoon sun, which cut a sharp angle across the street. Shadows of buildings stretched out along the dusty ground. The place looked completely abandoned.
He knew better. There were Araxian operatives stationed in key buildings and vantage points around the area. He was being watched from several directions. If Ghzeth’s information had been accurate, the Axanar security forces were closing in.
He stepped further out into the street, looking around nervously as he moved, watching for any sign of life. Movement. Approaching Axanar. Approaching Starfleet security. Anyone.
He was starting to wonder just how far he’d have to go when the transmitter on his collar made a popping sound. A disembodied voice said, “Go no further, Jim.” It had to be Ghzeth.
Jim stopped in his tracks. “Okay... now what?”
“Wait there. If there is a Peacekeeper squad approaching, they will see you.”
Jim nodded, reminding himself to breathe evenly. “What do you want me to say?”
“Whatever you believe is right and necessary.”
Choking back his own nerves, Jim took a glance back at the building, where Bones waited inside. He had only one way out of this. “I’ll do my best.”
“I would expect nothing less. I sincerely wish for you to succeed.”
Jim took a quick look around again, scanning the buildings and rooftops for any sign of a camera or spy. “Yeah. That makes two of us.”
“I can see you through the window. I shall be watching.”
“No pressure or anything,” Jim mumbled, not really caring if they could hear him or not. Then, at the far end of the street... movement. “And... I think the party just arrived.”
“We will remain silent and monitor your transmission.”
“Right,” Jim mumbled to himself.
There were about ten individuals approaching. If he could tell by the uniforms, even from that distance, there were eight or nine Axanar and two Starfleet security personnel.
From the distance of at least four hundred meters, he saw the group suddenly taking cover. There was a glint in the sunlight, and Jim knew they were aiming weapons. Quickly, he held up his hands and yelled into his transmitter. “Ghzeth! They’re aiming at me!”
“Our people in this building can attempt to shoot them.”
“No, don’t! I can’t talk to them if they’re dead.” A warning shot ricocheted off a nearby building and Jim flinched. “For fuck sake!”
He waved his hands frantically, hoping at least the Starfleet security would recognize what was happening. His uniform shirt was long gone, leaving only the charcoal-black undershirt and pants. From that distance, with the afternoon sun cutting sharp angles, it was possible they didn’t even recognize that he was human.
Another warning shot, this one closer. “Fuck,” he hissed. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the lance of pain it caused, he yelled at the top of his lungs, “CEASEFIRE!”
For a moment, nothing happened. And then... he saw the red of a Starfleet security uniform emerge from behind a low wall and gesture at the rest of the team. The rest of the team regrouped, and began moving towards him.
His instinct was to stride forward and meet the approaching group, but if he did, this would be over before it began. He needed to stay where he was, so instead, he waited. Slow breaths, in and out. He tried to will his heart to slow its frantic rhythm, but that wasn’t going to happen. Distantly, he was aware that his gut was throbbing, but the adrenaline was drowning it out. His hands were sweating, and dust and smoke in the air were sticking to his skin.
Finally, the patrol team came within easy shouting distance, and the Axanar at the front of the group called out. “Starfleet cadet! I am Peacekeeper Kreshax. We had been told you were taken hostage! Are you unharmed?”
“I’m fine,” Jim called back, and waited until they were close enough for him to speak without shouting.
“I’m Lieutenant Thompson,” the lieutenant said as he approached, but then his face twisted in surprise. “Cadet, you’re covered in blood! Are you sure you’re okay?”
“It’s not mine, sir. It’s from one of the people on our team who got shot. I’m okay,” he lied. “Sir, I need to --”
Kreshax interrupted him. “They did not inform us that they were releasing their hostages.”
“Maybe they would have, but someone cut their communications,” Jim said, eyeing Kreshax suspiciously. When Kreshax only stared at him blankly, Jim shook his head and looked back over to the Lieutenant. “Sir, they were going to let me contact the ship when they discovered that their commo was dead. I have information --”
“Slow down, Kirk,” Thompson said, cutting him off. “And first of all, if they released you, where is Cadet McCoy?”
“He’s still in there,” Jim said irritably. “And I’m still a hostage... by free choice.”
Thompson’s mouth twisted into a frown. “By... what the devil are you talking about, Cadet?”
Jim cast a nervous glance at Kreshax, then back over his shoulder. Ghzeth could hear every word. Bones could hear every word. He needed to get this right. “The Araxians offered to release us. If things keep going the way they are, then it’s about to go critical, and the destruction will be... devastating. I couldn’t let that happen, so I chose to stay... to try to stop it.”
Thompson looked livid. “Cadet Kirk, you have no authority to make those decisions!”
Jim steeled himself. This was no time to back down. “Sir, I had to do it!”
At the same time, Kreshax was babbling. “You chose to... this is madness! We must bring you to safety! It isn’t safe here! You need protection --”
Jim shot a look at Kreshax, putting every shred of non-existent authority he had into it. “I don’t want your protection. And I can’t leave. If you take me out of range, they’ll shoot McCoy. We... we needed to do it this way to make sure you’d listen.”
“Listen to what, Kirk?” Lieutenant Thompson said edgily.
“Information, sir.”
“Information? What sort of information?”
Jim swallowed tightly. “We think we figured out what’s actually going on. The Araxian government is illegal, sir. And the Kazarite Ambassador... he’s the key to all of this. He has information that the captain needs, but he’s out cold in sickbay. They need to wake him up and have Captain Porter talk to him. He’ll explain what really happened here, and then the captain can open talks with these people for negotiations.”
But Thompson shook his head. “Kirk, I don’t know anything about a Kazarite, but if you’ve made it to Cadet First Class, then you know full well that the Federation does not negotiate with terrorists.”
“I know that, sir,” Jim said as evenly as possible. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple, but given what he’d already been through that day, an irritated lieutenant didn’t intimidate him. “And right now, this isn’t up to the Federation to negotiate anyway. By Federation law - Code seven, section three, sub-paragraph sixteen of the Federation Charter, if I’m not mistaken - this has been classified as a domestic dispute. That’s why Captain Porter isn’t stepping in. That’s why you’re on Kreshax’s team, assisting him, and not leading your own squad right now.”
The lieutenant looked shocked at Jim’s knowledge of the Federation Charter. Feeling encouraged, Jim took a step closer to and plowed on.
“But sir, this is only a domestic dispute until the ranking Federation representative recognizes that the government here is illegal. These people aren’t terrorists - they’re freedom fighters. Send a message to Captain Porter. The people he thinks are the Araxian leadership are really Axanar. The Axanar took over this planet, and the Araxians are being used. That’s why they’re fighting! Tell the captain that there’s a Kazarite Ambassador in sickbay who has information about this mess. We’ve got it all wrong, and the Kazarite can set it straight. Then, the captain can make the determination that the people you’re calling terrorists are actually the real Araxians, and he can step in.”
“Cadet, the captain has far more information than you have, and I’m pretty sure he knows what he’s doing,” the lieutenant said, but he was frowning now, and it looked like uncertainty.
“How do you know until you give him the message?” Jim pressed. “You can stop an entire war, sir! If I’m wrong, we lose nothing, but if I’m right, we could save tens of thousands of lives! Just get the captain to listen to the Kazarite!”
The lieutenant’s mouth fell open slightly, and he seemed as though he was about to ask a question, but Kreshax spoke again, “If the terrorists have convinced you that they are the true voice of Araxis, then they have certainly misled you, Terran. They have destroyed half of the city, killing their own people!”
“They evacuated the target areas!” He clenched his hand, desperately wanting to punch something or someone, when something occurred to him. “And as far as their people are concerned... why didn’t you say our people, Peacekeeper?”
Jim swore Kreshax actually puffed up in indignation. “Their people are our people, but it does not change the fact that they killed their own.”
Jim narrowed his eyes. “You know what I mean,” he said, putting every shred of accusation he could into his voice. “You’re an Axanar.”
“I am Araxian! A Peacekeeper, appointed by the Araxian government.”
But Jim wasn’t backing down. “No, you’re not. Your skin tone is Axanar, and you’re too young to be an Araxian founder. You talk like an Axanar. Even your name is Axanar.”
The way Kreshax’s eyes widened told Jim he was right. A quick glance at Thompson told Jim that the lieutenant was finally listening. Subtly, Thompson pulled out his communicator.
Sensing a tiny victory, Jim turned back to the Peacekeeper. If Thompson was going to pass his message on to Captain Porter, that meant he needed to stall. “If I can’t get the captain to listen, then you need to listen. This is between the Araxians and the Axanar, isn’t it, Peacekeeper? The native Araxians, and the Axanar who took over.”
“Terran cadet,” Kreshax cut in sharply, “these isolationists have been spreading false propaganda for years. Yes, your captain knows their claims that our leaders are Axanar, but they are the desperate claims of political rebels. This is a legitimately elected government. The Araxians desire reunification with the Axanar! You are being misled by a group of violent terrorists.”
It was hard to keep calm, but Jim held it together as he maintained level eye contact with Kreshax and said, “I don’t think so. I think there’s been a lot of misleading around here, but nobody is ever going to know the truth unless all sides are allowed to speak openly, and that means open negotiations with the Federation as a third party.”
Kreshax shook his head dismissively. “There is nothing to negotiate, Terran. The insurgents have been contained. This building is their only stronghold left in the city, and we will stop them now.”
Time for the trump card, Jim thought to himself. “And if you do, the whole city goes up in a fireball,” Jim snarled. “The whole building, with all the dilithium, is set to explode. But I think you already know that.”
Lieutenant Thompson was putting away his communicator, but there was suddenly fear on his face. “What are you talking about, Kirk?”
Jim shook his head in frustration. “Sir... the dilithium is a bomb. It’s a massive stockpile. If they trigger it, it will take out the city and miles around it.”
“Holy shit!” blurted out the other Security crew member, but Thompson held out a hand to quiet him.
“I received that report, cadet. The last group of insurgents captured made that claim. It was determined to be a bluff.” His words were firm, but he didn’t seem too sure of himself.
Jim shook his head vehemently. “It’s no bluff, sir. It’s real, and they’ll do it. With no communications, this group will trigger the bomb if any hostile action is taken against them. It’s their failsafe... their last-ditch effort to get someone to listen. Even if Captain Porter doesn’t change his mind, we need the Axanar to accept a ceasefire, or the city goes sky high.”
To Jim’s dismay, Kreshax actually scoffed. “You expect us to listen to threats such as this from a small group of political rebels?”
Unbelievable. “Political rebels with a massive bomb, Peacekeeper!” Jim countered.
But Kreshax shook his head. “You cannot honestly believe they would detonate a weapon such as that.”
Jim clenched his fists in annoyance. “After the way they’ve been treated -”
“They have been treated as well as all other Araxians, and yet this small fringe group resorts to violence! They defy the natural order! We cannot negotiate with those who are completely irrational, Terran.”
“They seem rational to me,” Jim countered.
“They captured and brutalized you!”
Jim narrowed his eyes. “Actually, they’ve been really cordial, considering the circumstances. In fact, they’re the most civilized people I’ve met on this planet. I believe them. And I’m prepared to protect them with my life.”
Kreshax suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, and Jim knew he’d hit a nerve. He glanced at Thompson, but the lieutenant was still standing aside. The communicator was inactive in the pouch on his belt. Jim grit his teeth and turned back to the Peacekeeper. “I’m telling you,” he continued, “and the other Axanar who are controling Araxis, that you have one last chance to enact a ceasefire. Stop this charade with the Federation and tell them what really happened. Allow the Araxians to speak for themselves to the Federation before this conflict escalates any further.”
Kreshax’s stunned expression morphed into a scowl. “This will go no further. Our Araxian kin will rejoin with us, and they will discover that they are grateful for the peace and order brought by our traditions.”
Jim’s breath caught. Kreshax had finally given up all pretense at their political charade. That meant he was becoming more unpredictable. Come on, Captain Porter... comm us back. To Kreshax, he said flatly, “They don’t want your traditions.”
“It does not matter. They are Axanar. They have always been Axanar, and in their souls, most of them know this. They embrace our ways. The isolationists are few, and while their initial assault was brutal, their attack could never have succeeded. They have used all of their options. It is over.” Kreshax’s words were confident, but his tone was nervous.
“Over? They’re sitting on the largest bomb in the quadrant, Peacekeeper!” Jim countered. “And whatever you think of them, they’re desperate enough to use it.”
But Kreshax shook his head. “Even people such as these could not tolerate destruction on such a level. They would destroy their own homes, their own people. It would be useless, and they know it.”
Jim raised his eyebrows. “You really don’t understand, do you?” he said, almost exasperated. “To the Araxians... freedom is more valuable than their lives. But that’s something you can’t understand.” He looked back over his shoulder at the dilithium storage building, then took a long, hard look around the street, as if he knew it was the last thing he’d ever see. “They’ll do it, Kreshax, unless your leaders admit to the Axanar takeover of the Araxian government.” He fixed the Peacekeeper with a cold stare. “So... what will it be?”
Kreshax stared at him, horror and fury and fear rolling off him in waves, before he suddenly turned to one of his squadmates and started snapping orders in his own language.
Jim couldn’t understand a word of it, but he didn’t like the way it sounded. He looked back at the dilithium storage building. Something was at a tipping point, and he wasn’t sure what, but he didn’t like it.
Kreshax turned away from the other Peacekeeper and spoke again in Standard. “Lieutenant Thompson, secure your cadet. We must enter the building and deal with the isolationists.”
“No!” Jim shouted. He took a step towards Kreshax, only to be stopped by Lieutenant Thompson’s firm grip on his arm.
“Stand fast, cadet.”
“Are you kidding me?” he protested. “Kreshax, if you go in there, they’ll blow the building before you can stop them! Are you listening to me? All of this will be destroyed!” At the same time, something else made Jim’s heart clench. Bones.
Kreshax was hoisting his weapon, and the rest of the Axanar on his team were readying their own rifles. “We will deal with it properly.”
“You can’t deal with it!” Jim made a lunge against Thompson’s grip, only to be shoved back. “If you want to stop this, you need to listen to them!”
“Stand down, Cadet Kirk!” Thompson growled at him. “Or this will be your last starship assignment in your career.”
“It’s going to be the last assignment for all of us if you don’t help me stop them!” He was startled as the security crewman grabbed his other arm. “I thought you contacted the ship! Can’t you see what’s going on here?”
“It doesn’t matter what I see. I made my report,” Thompson said. His tone was completely unreadable. “I was given instructions directly from the captain to keep you from interfering further in a domestic dispute, and to stand by.”
“Stand by? We don’t have time!”
“You’ve been manipulated by your captors, Terran,” Kreshax said firmly as he raised his rifle to signal his team to form up.
“Even if I’ve been misled about everything else, they’ll still blow the building!” Jim shouted. “The whole city! Sixty thousand people, Kreshax!” In frantic desperation, he tried to make a lunge towards the Axanar, and managed to get one arm free, but the crewman grabbed him roughly around the waist.
It felt like a knife to the gut. With a gasp, Jim felt his knees go out from underneath him. It was only the crewman’s grasp around him that kept him from falling.
“Cadet?” Thompson’s entire tone had changed in an instant. “I thought you said you weren’t injured.”
“It’s just a cut,” Jim said with a grunt, struggling to stand upright again. “You need to stop them. We can’t wait for the Captain’s orders.”
“Cadet Kirk,” Thompson said in an undertone as he glanced around uncertainly, “are you sure about what you’re saying?”
“I’d say I’d bet my life on it, but I already have,” Jim growled.
“Listen... I notified Captain Porter, and they’re looking into it,” he said hesitantly. “But I can’t act until I get some sort of confirmation.”
Jim could only shake his head, trying to focus despite the pain. “Not enough time. Sir, you need to make a decision. We can’t wait for the captain.” The Peacekeeper squad had reformed, and they were just about to move out. Jim looked at the storage building desperately. Ghzeth was listening to this whole conversation, and watching what the Axanar were doing. They could see he was failing. They were going to detonate the dilithium. Bones was still in there. He’d failed. Any second... he was sure...
The familiar sound of a communicator’s chirp caught his attention.
“Captain Porter to Lieutenant Thompson.”
Without letting go of his grip on Jim, Thompson grabbed his comm and replied. “Thompson here, sir.”
“Stop the Peacekeeper squad. Don’t let them anywhere near that building.”
Jim swore his heart lodged in his throat as Thompson let go of his arm. He stumbled a bit, but the crewman caught him. “Thanks,” he mumbled off-handedly. His eyes were glued to the lieutenant.
Thompson stepped forward and called out, “Kreshax! Stop your team.”
The Peacekeeper squad had barely begun to move forward. Kreshax, who seemed extremely flustered, broke formation and strode towards them. “We don’t have time for this! What is it?”
“Captain’s orders,” Thompson said firmly.
“Your captain doesn’t control my team, lieutenant.”
“No,” Porter’s voice came sharply over the comm, “but I do control the reports back to Starfleet Command, and I speak for Starfleet here. If you want to continue any negotiations with the Federation, you won’t take another step towards the building.”
Kreshax suddenly looked far more terrified than he had been of the possibility of being attacked. “Wha... why... why not?”
“Because... the cadet was right. About all of it.”
Jim felt his knees start to buckle again, this time in relief. Something between a cough, a laugh, and a sob escaped his throat. They believed him.
Porter kept talking. “We received some new information from the Kazarite Ambassador, who has just woken up in sickbay. Lieutenant Thompson, you’re no longer taking orders from the Peacekeepers. We’re sending down a team of our own people to meet with the isola... the Araxians. We’ve communicated a message with their negotiator, and they’ve agreed to halt hostilities until we can begin formal talks.”
“Aye, sir,” Thompson responded, sounding surprisingly relieved. “What about security operations around the rest of the city?”
“Our personnel are ceasing security operations and beginning aid and rescue. The... Axanar leadership has agreed to cooperate.”
Slowly, Kreshax lowered his rifle until it dangled loosely by his side. “I... will contact my superiors... and will cease hostilities.” He looked defeated, like someone who’d been playing a game and realized it was suddenly over.
Suddenly, the small transmitter on Jim’s collar made a crackling noise, followed by Ghzeth’s voice, loud enough for the whole team to hear. “And if the Peacekeepers will all place their weapons on the ground, we will meet you in the open, and release the other hostage.”
The sound of Ghzeth’s voice calling a truce was a relief, but Jim could only think of one thing. “Bones?”
More faintly, over the transmitter, came a garbled, “Dammit, Jim.”
Jim started to smile, but the pain in his gut redoubled, and the security crewman barely managed to keep him on his feet this time. “Cadet? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I... no. I... I think I should sit down.” The adrenaline was definitely wearing off, and he was starting to shake.
Around him, people were talking, and Captain Porter was still barking orders over the comm, but Jim found himself sitting on the dusty road and not being able to focus on any of it. It felt like his brain was shutting down. He wondered when the weather had gotten so cold. Maybe it usually got cold like this when the sun started going down around here.
The crewman, whose name Jim still didn’t know, was keeping a hand on his shoulder, and he couldn’t really understand why until he realized how light-headed he was. He stared blankly at the rooftop of the dilithium storage building, and vaguely thought about how close it had come to being the center of a massive crater.
But they hadn’t blown the building. They’d succeeded. It was going to be okay. He latched onto that, and despite the pain in his gut, he smiled.
He thought the crewman was saying something to him, asking if he needed a medic, but before he could put together an answer, he saw people emerge from the storage building. Four calm, stoic figures in dark tunics, and... there was Bones, dodging around them and running into the street, his oversized medkit flopping awkwardly.
Before he knew it, Bones was kneeling on the ground in front of him, ripping into his medkit and cussing up a storm as he wielded his tricorder.
“... damn fool crazy idiot! I don’t know how you get yourself into horse shit like this, but - Jesus Christ, Jim!”
Jim wasn’t sure if he was laughing or crying, but he was pretty sure he was going to start hyperventilating. He didn’t much care at that point. “Nice to see you, too, asshole.”
“Lie down, kid,” Bones said, simultaneously supporting him and pushing him to the ground. “Your blood pressure is shit and you’re in shock.” He turned away before Jim could retort, and raised his voice. “I need a communicator over here so I can get him up to sickbay.”
“I’m fine, Bones,” Jim said, and when Bones glared at him, Jim could only offer a weak smile. “And yeah, I’m lying through my teeth.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Bones grumbled under his breath.
“How about... I did it.”
To Jim’s surprise, Bones actually cracked a lopsided grin. “I knew that, too.”
A shadow blocked out the sun for a moment, and Jim squinted up to see Ghzeth looking down at him with something like fondness. “Jim.”
Jim blinked and managed another smile. “It’s going to be okay,” he said. His words seemed inadequate and pathetic after the scope of what had just happened, but he couldn’t get his brain to come up with anything better.
Ghzeth didn’t seem to mind. “Yes, it is. We have a chance now. Thank you.”
Before Jim could say anything else in reply, Lieutenant Thompson stepped in and slapped a communicator into Bones’ hand. Then, he looked down at Jim with an oddly respectful look. “You delayed them... just enough. And you were right. Nice job, Cadet Kirk.”
Jim tried for a salute, but his hand flopped awkwardly. “Just doing what I thought was right, sir.”
Bones growled low in his throat. “Right now, right would be getting your ass to Sickbay.”
Despite the pain, Jim found himself grinning as Bones called to the ship for transport. Then, maybe because of the slight delirium, he looked at Bones and said, “So... still afraid of transporters?”
Bones’ mouth fell open, but whatever he was going to say was swallowed by the hum of the transporter beam.
*********
To Chapter 20
Canon characters/Pairing(s): Kirk & McCoy, Pike, Finney
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 7,860
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: Still have your hat?
Previous chapters: One, Two, Three, Four(A), Four(B), Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen
Chapter 19
"I have an idea."
Ghzeth looked at Jim skeptically. “An idea, Terran? There is nothing left for us to do. I shall wait here and hope that somehow, the Axanar are stopped before they come to us. But if this cannot be done, and the Axanar attempt to take this building, I must assume that my people have failed. Then I will detonate the dilithium.”
“Well, let’s try not to do that until we’ve exhausted all of our options. Call it a last-ditch effort,”Jim said firmly. “I can’t accept you detonating the dilithium and killing all of those people until we’ve tried everything else.”
“We?” Ghzeth said with a curious expression.
Jim nodded. “Yeah. We.”
Something resembling hope lit Ghzeth’s face. “So what do you propose?”
Leonard knew that whatever Jim was about to say, he probably wouldn’t like it. He clenched his hands into fists, hard enough that even his tightly trimmed fingernails dug painfully into his palms.
Jim spared Leonard just the briefest of glances before leveling Ghzeth with an even stare. “Send me out there.”
It was like a physical blow to Leonard’s chest. “What?”
Ghzeth just looked confused. “Send you out where?”
“Out of the building,” Jim said. “Into the street. Let me go out there and try to speak to them, face-to-face. We’ve got no way to communicate from here, and communication is our only chance. If any of you go out there, they’ll probably shoot first, but they don’t want Federation people dead, so let me try it. I’ll speak for you. I’ll tell them that if I go beyond the transporter interference from the building, or that if they don’t listen to what I say, that you’ll shoot me. That way they won’t try to take me away without listening to me first.”
“And what about going back to the ship?” Leonard countered. “We can try to convince them from up there! You know... where we won’t get blown up!”
“No, Bones. Think about this carefully. If we leave, there’s nothing holding the Axanar back from raiding the building. You said it yourself - the Peacekeepers held off on raiding the building because they didn’t want us dead. The instant they hear that we’re aboard the ship, they’ll storm the building. We won’t have time to convince anybody of anything. By the time we’ve had a chance to talk to Captain Porter and convince him to talk to the Kazarite, it will be too late. As long as we’re still down here, the Peacekeepers will hesitate to raid the building. It might give us the time we need to get the message through. If we really want to stop them from blowing the dilithium, this is our best chance, Bones.”
Leonard was shaking his head. “And what if he still doesn’t listen to us, Jim? Besides, the Araxians have tried everything, and it’s all failed. Anything could happen the second you leave the building!” Leonard protested.
“I know, and I’ve already considered it. The Axanar could shoot me and blame the Araxians. The Axanar could try to ‘rescue’ me, causing the Araxians to have to shoot. The groups could start a shoot-out and I could get caught in the middle. The whole thing could fail and the city goes sky-high.” He swallowed thickly and took a steadying breath. “Or... they could stop and listen.” He looked back up at Ghzeth. “What do you say?”
Ghzeth said nothing for a moment, looking Jim over solemnly. “You offer this of your own free will?”
Jim nodded. “Yeah. I do. Because if there’s any chance that I can stop this before they storm the building and you detonate the dilithium, even if it’s a long shot, then I have to take it.”
Ghzeth appeared to consider the proposal, then turned back to the door and called out. One of the other guards appeared a moment later, and they began speaking in rapid Araxian. It gave Leonard the chance to tell Jim exactly what he thought about his cockeyed plan.
“Are you out of your goddamned mind?” he hissed. “Jim, do you have any idea what you’re saying?”
“I know exactly what I’m saying.”
“You’re injured!”
“I’ll be careful.”
“I’m not about to let you go marching out there on some god damned kamikaze suicide run when we still have a chance to --”
“Bones.”
Leonard felt his diatribe come to a grinding halt before he’d even fully built up his head of steam, and he finally took a good look at Jim.
Jim’s expression was something that Leonard had seen on him once before... in a bunker north of San Francisco, in a small gray room with no windows. Jim had looked at the tricorder and hypospray in his hands, had created a plan out of thin air, and had made the whole crazy thing work. They’d gotten out alive. It was a clarity of purpose in his eyes - the absolute knowledge that his plan would work, not because it was guaranteed, but because there was no other option.
Jim seemed to see that Leonard understood, and nodded again. “Bones... this is their only chance. I’ve got to try it. Some things are just right and some things are wrong. And what the Araxians are doing... what I’m about to do... it’s right. It has to be.”
“Jim...” Leonard was shaking his head blankly, trying to think of some way to argue, but he knew it was useless.
“Even if the Araxians are wrong, and we’re being misled, and we’re on the wrong side of this whole fight... this is the only way we have a chance to stop them from detonating the dilithium, so it’s a chance I have to take. Sixty-thousand people, Bones. No matter what they’re fighting about, no matter who’s right or wrong, I can’t give up on that many lives without trying.”
“And I’m not gonna let you -”
The intensity of Jim’s gaze stopped him again. “I’ve got nothing to work with this time, Bones. No tricorder, no phaser, no tools, and no options... except myself. I’ve got myself, Bones. And for this... I’m willing to give that up.”
Leonard wanted to say that he wasn’t willing to give Jim up, but that wasn’t his choice to make. He was staring at Jim, wracking his brain for something to say, when Ghzeth came back into the room.
”I believe we are ready to do this. Jim, if you are certain of your choice, then we must hurry. There is little time.”
Jim cast uneasy look at Leonard, then looked back at Ghzeth. “I’m ready.” And then, with the shaky movements of a man still in more pain than he’d admit, he got to his feet.
Ghzeth held out a small device that looked a bit like a small black button. “You will be carrying a short-range voice transmitter, which we will be monitoring.”
Jim nodded, but Leonard found himself scowling. “I thought you said you didn’t have any commo.”
Ghzeth was fastening the small device to the collar of Jim’s shirt. “With the dilithium field, these have a range of only two-hundred meters. Our other teams are kilometers away, and our communication relays were the only commo we had that could transmit through the field.”
“Oh,” Leonard said, feeling stupid. “But Jim... what if -”
“You need to go back to the ship, Bones.”
Leonard blinked, then shook his head as if he’d gotten something unpleasant in his ear. “Wait... what?”
“While Jim goes out the front of the building,” Ghzeth said calmly, “you will have an opportunity to escape out the back. There is good cover and concealment to the edge of this zone, and you can return to your ship.”
Jim was nodding in agreement as he fiddled with the transmitter on his collar.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Leonard turned back to Ghzeth. “Now just hold on a second! You’re about to send my best friend out into the middle of a warzone with less than a damned lucky penny, and you’re telling me that you expect me to slip out the back like a yellow-bellied turn-tail? I’ll be damned if I -”
Jim grabbed his shoulder. “Stop that! Now listen, I’m going to do this, and you’re going to take the chance to get back to the ship. This is the way it’s got to be.”
Leonard felt his mouth fall open and he gaped at Jim. An image flashed through his mind - of himself, walking out the back door, beaming back up to the ship, leaving Jim behind to be shot, blown up... anything. Hiding while Jim risked his life. Abandoning Jim. He’d walked out of his daughter’s life, and he hadn’t been there for her, but he wasn’t about to make that mistake again. He’d promised himself that he’d stop hiding, and he couldn’t back down on that promise now. Knowing that Jim would protest, but that he could never live with himself if he walked away from Jim now, he shook his head and used the tone of voice he always used to let Jim know it would be impossible to change his mind.
Leonard fixed Jim with a look of absolute determination. He was not about to back down from this. “If you stay, I stay.”
In a heartbeat, Jim’s eyes went wide, and his cool composure disappeared like a puff of smoke. “No way. This is your best chance. You can still get out of here! You already risked your neck staying here in the first place. If it works, I’ll see you on the ship, but there’s no reason for you to stay, and I am not going to let you throw your life away!”
“Because you’re in charge?” Leonard asked, draping the question in smug sarcasm.
But Jim didn’t crack. If anything, his face fell. “Because I don’t want you to die.”
Leonard’s attempt at raw humor fizzled and evaporated, and he clenched his jaw and balled his fists to hold himself together. “Yeah... well... the feeling’s mutual.” He sighed and turned back to Ghzeth. “Besides, I have an idea... to make sure those bastards don’t shoot first, blame later. I’ll still be your captive. If Jim messes up, or they don’t listen and just try to take him, tell them you’ll shoot me. There’s your leverage so they can’t just grab Jim and run.”
“Bones...” Jim was shaking his head, and his eyes were still wide and frantic.
“Jim... if you’re down here, I can’t leave. I told you that I was terrified that someday, I’d walk away from you when you needed me. So I’m staying. Besides, there’s no guarantee that we could get safely to a point where we can transport anyway. And... if you really believe you have a chance... then so do I. And I’ll bet my life that it’s the best chance we both have.”
A flash of... of something lit up Jim’s face. Maybe disbelief. Maybe wonder. “Bones?”
Leonard’s heart was pounding and he could feel the fear trickling down the back of his neck in cold, sweaty droplets, but at the core of it, Leonard believed Jim could do it. It was a long shot, but it was all they had. If Jim had thought of it, then there was a real chance it could work. Even if it didn’t... Leonard wasn’t going to leave him. Then, something Jim had said to him a couple of weeks ago drifted back. Words that meant one thing at the time, and meant so much more now. “Of all the people I’ve ever met, kid, you’re the one who would turn death itself into a fighting chance to live.”
Jim offered smile was weak but grateful. “It’ll work.”
“It will,” Leonard echoed roughly, because right then, he had to believe it. If he didn’t believe it, he had nothing.
Jim looked back at him with steady eyes and said, “Okay.” And then, to Ghzeth, he said, “Let’s do this.”
Ghzeth nodded, then called out. “Zhareth!”
The door to the room opened, and Zhareth stepped in, rifle still held at the ready. “Yes?”
“Please escort Jim to the front of the building, and then... allow him to exit, unaccompanied,” Ghzeth said. Then, he turned to look at Jim again. “There are inadequate words of gratitude for this occasion in your language, but you do have my sincere thanks.”
Jim coughed and shrugged awkwardly. “Yeah, well... don’t thank me yet. We still don’t know if it will work.”
“I would prefer to think that it will work. Perhaps, someday, I will teach about you in our Hall of Records.”
Jim stared back at Ghzeth for several long seconds before he finally blinked, shook his head awkwardly, and looked down at the floor. “Right,” he said roughly. “I... yeah. Thank you. I...” He shook his head again, took a deep breath, and looked Ghzeth in the eye again. “Okay, I’m ready.”
With a tilt of his head, Ghzeth dismissed him. Jim took three steps towards the door, then froze.
Then, slowly, he turned and looked back at Leonard.
“It’ll be okay, Bones.”
Leonard wanted to scream. He wanted to pull Jim back from the door and shout obscenities that would make a Klingon blush at the insane risk Jim was taking, but his body seemed useless at the surrealism of it all. It was like watching a holovid - surrounded by images but unable do anything about what would happen next. The air felt too thick, stiflingly hot and prickling cold at once, and Leonard didn’t know how he managed to make his voice work, but he forced the words out.
“I know, Jim.”
“You’ll get to see Joanna again.”
“I will.”
For another moment, neither of them moved. Leonard knew he should say something, but what the hell was he supposed to say? His best friend, and one of the few people left in the world who felt like family, was about to walk out the door, possibly to his death... and Leonard was going to let him. He should say something. Do something.
With a sudden lurch, Leonard was on his feet and standing in front of him. Some instinct told him that he should grab Jim into a hug, just in case it was his last chance to let the kid know that he was like a brother to him, but that instinct had been buried too deeply, too long ago. Not in front of people. Not in a situation like this. Besides, Jim was injured. And so he did the only thing his damnable, emotionally-stunted mind could come up with, and he held out his hand.
And damn him, but Jim gave him a look of amused incredulity as he took his hand in a sweaty, shaking grasp, belying the image of calm control the kid was trying to project. “Be safe, Bones.”
Leonard wanted to say a hundred things, but he could barely breathe. Instead, he just said, “You too.”
And then, Jim released his hand, turned, and walked out the door.
*********
His footsteps echoed sharp and hollow against the metal of the catwalk as Jim made his way out of the room. Right behind him, Zhareth’s footsteps were softer.
His gut twinged sharply as he walked. Either the damage was getting worse, or the drugs Bones had given him were wearing off. Still, with his heart racing and adrenaline surging, he wasn’t worried about it.
The look Bones had given him had almost been enough to get him to give up this crazy plan, but he couldn’t. It was a long shot, but it was the only shot at stopping the bomb. In truth, he had no idea if it could work. He didn’t know if he was just grasping at hope that wasn’t there, or if he’d somehow managed to divine the tiny thread in this massive puzzle that could unravel the whole thing. Hell, he wasn’t even sure what he was going to do or say. All he knew was that he had to try.
In the back of his mind, snippets of his training were spinning circles around his decision. He had learned, the hard way, not to stick his neck out on his own. Don’t play the lone wolf. Follow orders. Because only some people have the training and experience to bend the rules and strike out on their own and buck the system... and they call those people captains. Finney had said so.
Here he was, sticking his neck out and putting it all on the line, but he wasn’t a captain. He wouldn’t be for a long time, and he’d never been so acutely aware of that simple fact. If he was a captain, he’d be on the starship, calling the shots. Or, if he’d been captured anyway, he’d be able to take what he’d learned from his captors and change the course of the entire debacle. Maybe he could have prevented things from going so horribly wrong in the first place.
He wasn’t doing this to be a hero or to stand alone. He wasn’t trying to play the lone wolf. He didn’t think he was doing anything particularly special. He was just making the best goddamned decision he could make, with the resources he had, and praying to God it would work.
Maybe that’s what his father had done, too. And maybe George Kirk would be proud of him.
And if they all survived this mess, maybe he’d be proud of himself, too.
But damn it all, why had Bones stayed?
The heavy clank of boots on the stairs echoed noisily in the cavernous storage facility. Shadowy towers of crates loomed up as they descended from the catwalk, and Jim shuddered at the thought of the sheer quantity of dilithium surrounding him.
He couldn’t let them detonate it. He had to succeed. But if he failed, he wouldn’t be around to witness the results of his failure anyway.
“What are you thinking, Terran?” Zhareth suddenly asked from behind him.
Jim almost startled at the sudden question. “I... guess I’m just hoping that I made the right decision.”
“You have made a noble decision,” Zhareth said firmly. “You hope for the Axanar to cease hostilities and allow talks?”
Yes, he wanted to say, but that wasn’t the real answer. At least, not the most important part. Sure, he agreed with the Araxians. At least, that’s what his gut instinct was saying, even though he knew he might not have all the facts. But that wasn’t how he’d made his decision. In fact, it would have been entirely irrelevant. His decision was based on one simple truth that had nothing to do with taking sides.
Jim glanced back over his shoulder at Zhareth and gave him a sincere look. “I just want to make sure nobody else dies today.”
“Including yourself?”
Jim forced a dry chuckle. “If I can possibly help it.”
“I hope you are successful.”
“Yeah, me too.”
They lapsed into silence again as they crossed the storage room floor. As they passed a small enclave, Jim stopped cold at the shadow on the floor. “Wait.”
There was the slight click of Zhareth’s rifle being shifted. “What is it?”
Jim nodded towards the form of Finney’s body. “My commanding officer. Promise me one thing. If I don’t make it through this... but they manage not to blow up the dilithium... please make sure his body is returned to the ship unharmed. Okay?”
Zhareth looked down at Finney, then nodded. “If it is at all possible, I will see that it is done.”
“Thank you.”
They continued their walk through the building, finally coming to the front room where Jim had initially arrived with his squad. One of the Araxians who had been in the control room earlier was standing there, carefully keeping watch through the hole that had been blasted in the door. He turned when Jim and Zhareth stepped into the room.
“I heard the plan on our communication units,” he said, admiration evident in his tone. “You are truly making the choice to do this yourself?”
Jim nodded stiffly. “Yeah. It needed to be done.”
The guy suddenly bowed. “My respect, freely given. And good fortune to you.” He stood upright again and stepped aside.
Jim managed a wan smile. “Thanks.” I’m gonna need it.
Taking an unsteady breath, Jim stepped through the gaping hole in the doorway and out into the street. He squinted and blinked against the brightness of the afternoon sun, which cut a sharp angle across the street. Shadows of buildings stretched out along the dusty ground. The place looked completely abandoned.
He knew better. There were Araxian operatives stationed in key buildings and vantage points around the area. He was being watched from several directions. If Ghzeth’s information had been accurate, the Axanar security forces were closing in.
He stepped further out into the street, looking around nervously as he moved, watching for any sign of life. Movement. Approaching Axanar. Approaching Starfleet security. Anyone.
He was starting to wonder just how far he’d have to go when the transmitter on his collar made a popping sound. A disembodied voice said, “Go no further, Jim.” It had to be Ghzeth.
Jim stopped in his tracks. “Okay... now what?”
“Wait there. If there is a Peacekeeper squad approaching, they will see you.”
Jim nodded, reminding himself to breathe evenly. “What do you want me to say?”
“Whatever you believe is right and necessary.”
Choking back his own nerves, Jim took a glance back at the building, where Bones waited inside. He had only one way out of this. “I’ll do my best.”
“I would expect nothing less. I sincerely wish for you to succeed.”
Jim took a quick look around again, scanning the buildings and rooftops for any sign of a camera or spy. “Yeah. That makes two of us.”
“I can see you through the window. I shall be watching.”
“No pressure or anything,” Jim mumbled, not really caring if they could hear him or not. Then, at the far end of the street... movement. “And... I think the party just arrived.”
“We will remain silent and monitor your transmission.”
“Right,” Jim mumbled to himself.
There were about ten individuals approaching. If he could tell by the uniforms, even from that distance, there were eight or nine Axanar and two Starfleet security personnel.
From the distance of at least four hundred meters, he saw the group suddenly taking cover. There was a glint in the sunlight, and Jim knew they were aiming weapons. Quickly, he held up his hands and yelled into his transmitter. “Ghzeth! They’re aiming at me!”
“Our people in this building can attempt to shoot them.”
“No, don’t! I can’t talk to them if they’re dead.” A warning shot ricocheted off a nearby building and Jim flinched. “For fuck sake!”
He waved his hands frantically, hoping at least the Starfleet security would recognize what was happening. His uniform shirt was long gone, leaving only the charcoal-black undershirt and pants. From that distance, with the afternoon sun cutting sharp angles, it was possible they didn’t even recognize that he was human.
Another warning shot, this one closer. “Fuck,” he hissed. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the lance of pain it caused, he yelled at the top of his lungs, “CEASEFIRE!”
For a moment, nothing happened. And then... he saw the red of a Starfleet security uniform emerge from behind a low wall and gesture at the rest of the team. The rest of the team regrouped, and began moving towards him.
His instinct was to stride forward and meet the approaching group, but if he did, this would be over before it began. He needed to stay where he was, so instead, he waited. Slow breaths, in and out. He tried to will his heart to slow its frantic rhythm, but that wasn’t going to happen. Distantly, he was aware that his gut was throbbing, but the adrenaline was drowning it out. His hands were sweating, and dust and smoke in the air were sticking to his skin.
Finally, the patrol team came within easy shouting distance, and the Axanar at the front of the group called out. “Starfleet cadet! I am Peacekeeper Kreshax. We had been told you were taken hostage! Are you unharmed?”
“I’m fine,” Jim called back, and waited until they were close enough for him to speak without shouting.
“I’m Lieutenant Thompson,” the lieutenant said as he approached, but then his face twisted in surprise. “Cadet, you’re covered in blood! Are you sure you’re okay?”
“It’s not mine, sir. It’s from one of the people on our team who got shot. I’m okay,” he lied. “Sir, I need to --”
Kreshax interrupted him. “They did not inform us that they were releasing their hostages.”
“Maybe they would have, but someone cut their communications,” Jim said, eyeing Kreshax suspiciously. When Kreshax only stared at him blankly, Jim shook his head and looked back over to the Lieutenant. “Sir, they were going to let me contact the ship when they discovered that their commo was dead. I have information --”
“Slow down, Kirk,” Thompson said, cutting him off. “And first of all, if they released you, where is Cadet McCoy?”
“He’s still in there,” Jim said irritably. “And I’m still a hostage... by free choice.”
Thompson’s mouth twisted into a frown. “By... what the devil are you talking about, Cadet?”
Jim cast a nervous glance at Kreshax, then back over his shoulder. Ghzeth could hear every word. Bones could hear every word. He needed to get this right. “The Araxians offered to release us. If things keep going the way they are, then it’s about to go critical, and the destruction will be... devastating. I couldn’t let that happen, so I chose to stay... to try to stop it.”
Thompson looked livid. “Cadet Kirk, you have no authority to make those decisions!”
Jim steeled himself. This was no time to back down. “Sir, I had to do it!”
At the same time, Kreshax was babbling. “You chose to... this is madness! We must bring you to safety! It isn’t safe here! You need protection --”
Jim shot a look at Kreshax, putting every shred of non-existent authority he had into it. “I don’t want your protection. And I can’t leave. If you take me out of range, they’ll shoot McCoy. We... we needed to do it this way to make sure you’d listen.”
“Listen to what, Kirk?” Lieutenant Thompson said edgily.
“Information, sir.”
“Information? What sort of information?”
Jim swallowed tightly. “We think we figured out what’s actually going on. The Araxian government is illegal, sir. And the Kazarite Ambassador... he’s the key to all of this. He has information that the captain needs, but he’s out cold in sickbay. They need to wake him up and have Captain Porter talk to him. He’ll explain what really happened here, and then the captain can open talks with these people for negotiations.”
But Thompson shook his head. “Kirk, I don’t know anything about a Kazarite, but if you’ve made it to Cadet First Class, then you know full well that the Federation does not negotiate with terrorists.”
“I know that, sir,” Jim said as evenly as possible. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple, but given what he’d already been through that day, an irritated lieutenant didn’t intimidate him. “And right now, this isn’t up to the Federation to negotiate anyway. By Federation law - Code seven, section three, sub-paragraph sixteen of the Federation Charter, if I’m not mistaken - this has been classified as a domestic dispute. That’s why Captain Porter isn’t stepping in. That’s why you’re on Kreshax’s team, assisting him, and not leading your own squad right now.”
The lieutenant looked shocked at Jim’s knowledge of the Federation Charter. Feeling encouraged, Jim took a step closer to and plowed on.
“But sir, this is only a domestic dispute until the ranking Federation representative recognizes that the government here is illegal. These people aren’t terrorists - they’re freedom fighters. Send a message to Captain Porter. The people he thinks are the Araxian leadership are really Axanar. The Axanar took over this planet, and the Araxians are being used. That’s why they’re fighting! Tell the captain that there’s a Kazarite Ambassador in sickbay who has information about this mess. We’ve got it all wrong, and the Kazarite can set it straight. Then, the captain can make the determination that the people you’re calling terrorists are actually the real Araxians, and he can step in.”
“Cadet, the captain has far more information than you have, and I’m pretty sure he knows what he’s doing,” the lieutenant said, but he was frowning now, and it looked like uncertainty.
“How do you know until you give him the message?” Jim pressed. “You can stop an entire war, sir! If I’m wrong, we lose nothing, but if I’m right, we could save tens of thousands of lives! Just get the captain to listen to the Kazarite!”
The lieutenant’s mouth fell open slightly, and he seemed as though he was about to ask a question, but Kreshax spoke again, “If the terrorists have convinced you that they are the true voice of Araxis, then they have certainly misled you, Terran. They have destroyed half of the city, killing their own people!”
“They evacuated the target areas!” He clenched his hand, desperately wanting to punch something or someone, when something occurred to him. “And as far as their people are concerned... why didn’t you say our people, Peacekeeper?”
Jim swore Kreshax actually puffed up in indignation. “Their people are our people, but it does not change the fact that they killed their own.”
Jim narrowed his eyes. “You know what I mean,” he said, putting every shred of accusation he could into his voice. “You’re an Axanar.”
“I am Araxian! A Peacekeeper, appointed by the Araxian government.”
But Jim wasn’t backing down. “No, you’re not. Your skin tone is Axanar, and you’re too young to be an Araxian founder. You talk like an Axanar. Even your name is Axanar.”
The way Kreshax’s eyes widened told Jim he was right. A quick glance at Thompson told Jim that the lieutenant was finally listening. Subtly, Thompson pulled out his communicator.
Sensing a tiny victory, Jim turned back to the Peacekeeper. If Thompson was going to pass his message on to Captain Porter, that meant he needed to stall. “If I can’t get the captain to listen, then you need to listen. This is between the Araxians and the Axanar, isn’t it, Peacekeeper? The native Araxians, and the Axanar who took over.”
“Terran cadet,” Kreshax cut in sharply, “these isolationists have been spreading false propaganda for years. Yes, your captain knows their claims that our leaders are Axanar, but they are the desperate claims of political rebels. This is a legitimately elected government. The Araxians desire reunification with the Axanar! You are being misled by a group of violent terrorists.”
It was hard to keep calm, but Jim held it together as he maintained level eye contact with Kreshax and said, “I don’t think so. I think there’s been a lot of misleading around here, but nobody is ever going to know the truth unless all sides are allowed to speak openly, and that means open negotiations with the Federation as a third party.”
Kreshax shook his head dismissively. “There is nothing to negotiate, Terran. The insurgents have been contained. This building is their only stronghold left in the city, and we will stop them now.”
Time for the trump card, Jim thought to himself. “And if you do, the whole city goes up in a fireball,” Jim snarled. “The whole building, with all the dilithium, is set to explode. But I think you already know that.”
Lieutenant Thompson was putting away his communicator, but there was suddenly fear on his face. “What are you talking about, Kirk?”
Jim shook his head in frustration. “Sir... the dilithium is a bomb. It’s a massive stockpile. If they trigger it, it will take out the city and miles around it.”
“Holy shit!” blurted out the other Security crew member, but Thompson held out a hand to quiet him.
“I received that report, cadet. The last group of insurgents captured made that claim. It was determined to be a bluff.” His words were firm, but he didn’t seem too sure of himself.
Jim shook his head vehemently. “It’s no bluff, sir. It’s real, and they’ll do it. With no communications, this group will trigger the bomb if any hostile action is taken against them. It’s their failsafe... their last-ditch effort to get someone to listen. Even if Captain Porter doesn’t change his mind, we need the Axanar to accept a ceasefire, or the city goes sky high.”
To Jim’s dismay, Kreshax actually scoffed. “You expect us to listen to threats such as this from a small group of political rebels?”
Unbelievable. “Political rebels with a massive bomb, Peacekeeper!” Jim countered.
But Kreshax shook his head. “You cannot honestly believe they would detonate a weapon such as that.”
Jim clenched his fists in annoyance. “After the way they’ve been treated -”
“They have been treated as well as all other Araxians, and yet this small fringe group resorts to violence! They defy the natural order! We cannot negotiate with those who are completely irrational, Terran.”
“They seem rational to me,” Jim countered.
“They captured and brutalized you!”
Jim narrowed his eyes. “Actually, they’ve been really cordial, considering the circumstances. In fact, they’re the most civilized people I’ve met on this planet. I believe them. And I’m prepared to protect them with my life.”
Kreshax suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, and Jim knew he’d hit a nerve. He glanced at Thompson, but the lieutenant was still standing aside. The communicator was inactive in the pouch on his belt. Jim grit his teeth and turned back to the Peacekeeper. “I’m telling you,” he continued, “and the other Axanar who are controling Araxis, that you have one last chance to enact a ceasefire. Stop this charade with the Federation and tell them what really happened. Allow the Araxians to speak for themselves to the Federation before this conflict escalates any further.”
Kreshax’s stunned expression morphed into a scowl. “This will go no further. Our Araxian kin will rejoin with us, and they will discover that they are grateful for the peace and order brought by our traditions.”
Jim’s breath caught. Kreshax had finally given up all pretense at their political charade. That meant he was becoming more unpredictable. Come on, Captain Porter... comm us back. To Kreshax, he said flatly, “They don’t want your traditions.”
“It does not matter. They are Axanar. They have always been Axanar, and in their souls, most of them know this. They embrace our ways. The isolationists are few, and while their initial assault was brutal, their attack could never have succeeded. They have used all of their options. It is over.” Kreshax’s words were confident, but his tone was nervous.
“Over? They’re sitting on the largest bomb in the quadrant, Peacekeeper!” Jim countered. “And whatever you think of them, they’re desperate enough to use it.”
But Kreshax shook his head. “Even people such as these could not tolerate destruction on such a level. They would destroy their own homes, their own people. It would be useless, and they know it.”
Jim raised his eyebrows. “You really don’t understand, do you?” he said, almost exasperated. “To the Araxians... freedom is more valuable than their lives. But that’s something you can’t understand.” He looked back over his shoulder at the dilithium storage building, then took a long, hard look around the street, as if he knew it was the last thing he’d ever see. “They’ll do it, Kreshax, unless your leaders admit to the Axanar takeover of the Araxian government.” He fixed the Peacekeeper with a cold stare. “So... what will it be?”
Kreshax stared at him, horror and fury and fear rolling off him in waves, before he suddenly turned to one of his squadmates and started snapping orders in his own language.
Jim couldn’t understand a word of it, but he didn’t like the way it sounded. He looked back at the dilithium storage building. Something was at a tipping point, and he wasn’t sure what, but he didn’t like it.
Kreshax turned away from the other Peacekeeper and spoke again in Standard. “Lieutenant Thompson, secure your cadet. We must enter the building and deal with the isolationists.”
“No!” Jim shouted. He took a step towards Kreshax, only to be stopped by Lieutenant Thompson’s firm grip on his arm.
“Stand fast, cadet.”
“Are you kidding me?” he protested. “Kreshax, if you go in there, they’ll blow the building before you can stop them! Are you listening to me? All of this will be destroyed!” At the same time, something else made Jim’s heart clench. Bones.
Kreshax was hoisting his weapon, and the rest of the Axanar on his team were readying their own rifles. “We will deal with it properly.”
“You can’t deal with it!” Jim made a lunge against Thompson’s grip, only to be shoved back. “If you want to stop this, you need to listen to them!”
“Stand down, Cadet Kirk!” Thompson growled at him. “Or this will be your last starship assignment in your career.”
“It’s going to be the last assignment for all of us if you don’t help me stop them!” He was startled as the security crewman grabbed his other arm. “I thought you contacted the ship! Can’t you see what’s going on here?”
“It doesn’t matter what I see. I made my report,” Thompson said. His tone was completely unreadable. “I was given instructions directly from the captain to keep you from interfering further in a domestic dispute, and to stand by.”
“Stand by? We don’t have time!”
“You’ve been manipulated by your captors, Terran,” Kreshax said firmly as he raised his rifle to signal his team to form up.
“Even if I’ve been misled about everything else, they’ll still blow the building!” Jim shouted. “The whole city! Sixty thousand people, Kreshax!” In frantic desperation, he tried to make a lunge towards the Axanar, and managed to get one arm free, but the crewman grabbed him roughly around the waist.
It felt like a knife to the gut. With a gasp, Jim felt his knees go out from underneath him. It was only the crewman’s grasp around him that kept him from falling.
“Cadet?” Thompson’s entire tone had changed in an instant. “I thought you said you weren’t injured.”
“It’s just a cut,” Jim said with a grunt, struggling to stand upright again. “You need to stop them. We can’t wait for the Captain’s orders.”
“Cadet Kirk,” Thompson said in an undertone as he glanced around uncertainly, “are you sure about what you’re saying?”
“I’d say I’d bet my life on it, but I already have,” Jim growled.
“Listen... I notified Captain Porter, and they’re looking into it,” he said hesitantly. “But I can’t act until I get some sort of confirmation.”
Jim could only shake his head, trying to focus despite the pain. “Not enough time. Sir, you need to make a decision. We can’t wait for the captain.” The Peacekeeper squad had reformed, and they were just about to move out. Jim looked at the storage building desperately. Ghzeth was listening to this whole conversation, and watching what the Axanar were doing. They could see he was failing. They were going to detonate the dilithium. Bones was still in there. He’d failed. Any second... he was sure...
The familiar sound of a communicator’s chirp caught his attention.
“Captain Porter to Lieutenant Thompson.”
Without letting go of his grip on Jim, Thompson grabbed his comm and replied. “Thompson here, sir.”
“Stop the Peacekeeper squad. Don’t let them anywhere near that building.”
Jim swore his heart lodged in his throat as Thompson let go of his arm. He stumbled a bit, but the crewman caught him. “Thanks,” he mumbled off-handedly. His eyes were glued to the lieutenant.
Thompson stepped forward and called out, “Kreshax! Stop your team.”
The Peacekeeper squad had barely begun to move forward. Kreshax, who seemed extremely flustered, broke formation and strode towards them. “We don’t have time for this! What is it?”
“Captain’s orders,” Thompson said firmly.
“Your captain doesn’t control my team, lieutenant.”
“No,” Porter’s voice came sharply over the comm, “but I do control the reports back to Starfleet Command, and I speak for Starfleet here. If you want to continue any negotiations with the Federation, you won’t take another step towards the building.”
Kreshax suddenly looked far more terrified than he had been of the possibility of being attacked. “Wha... why... why not?”
“Because... the cadet was right. About all of it.”
Jim felt his knees start to buckle again, this time in relief. Something between a cough, a laugh, and a sob escaped his throat. They believed him.
Porter kept talking. “We received some new information from the Kazarite Ambassador, who has just woken up in sickbay. Lieutenant Thompson, you’re no longer taking orders from the Peacekeepers. We’re sending down a team of our own people to meet with the isola... the Araxians. We’ve communicated a message with their negotiator, and they’ve agreed to halt hostilities until we can begin formal talks.”
“Aye, sir,” Thompson responded, sounding surprisingly relieved. “What about security operations around the rest of the city?”
“Our personnel are ceasing security operations and beginning aid and rescue. The... Axanar leadership has agreed to cooperate.”
Slowly, Kreshax lowered his rifle until it dangled loosely by his side. “I... will contact my superiors... and will cease hostilities.” He looked defeated, like someone who’d been playing a game and realized it was suddenly over.
Suddenly, the small transmitter on Jim’s collar made a crackling noise, followed by Ghzeth’s voice, loud enough for the whole team to hear. “And if the Peacekeepers will all place their weapons on the ground, we will meet you in the open, and release the other hostage.”
The sound of Ghzeth’s voice calling a truce was a relief, but Jim could only think of one thing. “Bones?”
More faintly, over the transmitter, came a garbled, “Dammit, Jim.”
Jim started to smile, but the pain in his gut redoubled, and the security crewman barely managed to keep him on his feet this time. “Cadet? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I... no. I... I think I should sit down.” The adrenaline was definitely wearing off, and he was starting to shake.
Around him, people were talking, and Captain Porter was still barking orders over the comm, but Jim found himself sitting on the dusty road and not being able to focus on any of it. It felt like his brain was shutting down. He wondered when the weather had gotten so cold. Maybe it usually got cold like this when the sun started going down around here.
The crewman, whose name Jim still didn’t know, was keeping a hand on his shoulder, and he couldn’t really understand why until he realized how light-headed he was. He stared blankly at the rooftop of the dilithium storage building, and vaguely thought about how close it had come to being the center of a massive crater.
But they hadn’t blown the building. They’d succeeded. It was going to be okay. He latched onto that, and despite the pain in his gut, he smiled.
He thought the crewman was saying something to him, asking if he needed a medic, but before he could put together an answer, he saw people emerge from the storage building. Four calm, stoic figures in dark tunics, and... there was Bones, dodging around them and running into the street, his oversized medkit flopping awkwardly.
Before he knew it, Bones was kneeling on the ground in front of him, ripping into his medkit and cussing up a storm as he wielded his tricorder.
“... damn fool crazy idiot! I don’t know how you get yourself into horse shit like this, but - Jesus Christ, Jim!”
Jim wasn’t sure if he was laughing or crying, but he was pretty sure he was going to start hyperventilating. He didn’t much care at that point. “Nice to see you, too, asshole.”
“Lie down, kid,” Bones said, simultaneously supporting him and pushing him to the ground. “Your blood pressure is shit and you’re in shock.” He turned away before Jim could retort, and raised his voice. “I need a communicator over here so I can get him up to sickbay.”
“I’m fine, Bones,” Jim said, and when Bones glared at him, Jim could only offer a weak smile. “And yeah, I’m lying through my teeth.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Bones grumbled under his breath.
“How about... I did it.”
To Jim’s surprise, Bones actually cracked a lopsided grin. “I knew that, too.”
A shadow blocked out the sun for a moment, and Jim squinted up to see Ghzeth looking down at him with something like fondness. “Jim.”
Jim blinked and managed another smile. “It’s going to be okay,” he said. His words seemed inadequate and pathetic after the scope of what had just happened, but he couldn’t get his brain to come up with anything better.
Ghzeth didn’t seem to mind. “Yes, it is. We have a chance now. Thank you.”
Before Jim could say anything else in reply, Lieutenant Thompson stepped in and slapped a communicator into Bones’ hand. Then, he looked down at Jim with an oddly respectful look. “You delayed them... just enough. And you were right. Nice job, Cadet Kirk.”
Jim tried for a salute, but his hand flopped awkwardly. “Just doing what I thought was right, sir.”
Bones growled low in his throat. “Right now, right would be getting your ass to Sickbay.”
Despite the pain, Jim found himself grinning as Bones called to the ship for transport. Then, maybe because of the slight delirium, he looked at Bones and said, “So... still afraid of transporters?”
Bones’ mouth fell open, but whatever he was going to say was swallowed by the hum of the transporter beam.
*********
To Chapter 20