Ars Moriendi (The Art of Dying)

Jim breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he shook the Tetrarch's hand. He was grateful that a diplomatic mission had, for once, gone smoothly. Even Spock looked pleased, his lips turned in a slight smirk and his shoulders relaxed.

The Enterprise had landed in the Paqu territory of Bajor earlier that day, sent by the Federation to extend their promises of protection in person. After years of civil war with the Navot people following the removal of Cardassian occupation, the Federation decided to step in and end the bloodbath. They wanted the planet to stabilize so that the current provisional government could get a foothold and allow Bajor to grow as a Class M planet and, perhaps eventually, join the Federation.

Jim had certainly not looked forward to this mission. He knew that the Navot people had no intentions of making peace with the Paqu; their goal was to wipe them off the planet. He also knew that they were notoriously anti-Federation, which would not bode well for the crew of the Enterprise if their presence was made known. Which may or may not have been why Jim couldn't stop bouncing on his feet or wringing his hands. Noticing that he was currently doing the latter, he stole a quick glance to make sure Bones hadn't seen.

Oh yeah, Jim thought, he definitely saw.

The doctor was looking at Jim with a mix of worry and annoyance (typical). Worry regarding the source of his friend's anxiety. Annoyance at the fact that the man could not ever seem to sit still.

Jim slid his hands down to his sides and bowed to the Paqu Tetrarch, a 15 year old girl named Varis Sul. The death of her father led to her early ascension to leadership, and she seemed to be handling the title very well. He felt a certain comradery between them, as he knew what it was like to be young and have so many lives depending on them. It was a very rare occurrence, which is why Jim felt so inclined to help her on behalf of the Federation.

The small landing party, consisting of Jim, Bones, Spock, Sulu, and Uhura, followed the cheering Paqu into a long, elegant building for celebration. It didn't take Jim and Bones long to find the alcohol. Spock found his way over to some science officials and was discussing warp technology amongst other things. Sulu and Uhura were quietly chatting off to the side, often taking glances around the room at the peculiar humanoid species hosting them.

"What was that all about?" Bones asked Jim gruffly before taking a swig from the giant gauntlet he had been handed.

"What are you talking about?"

"You looked like a nervous wreck talking to the Tetrarch. It's not like the unflappable James T. Kirk look like a sweaty mess because of a teenage girl."

Jim snorted. "Wow Bones, for a guy older than Starfleet, you're sure quick as a whip."

Bones raised an eyebrow, unamused and waiting for an answer.

Jim looked down at his own gauntlet and shrugged. "You know I hate these diplomatic missions. Especially when half the population would love to have our heads on sticks if they knew we were here."

"Don't worry so much, kid. We'll be fine. If it makes you feel any better, we can leave now. Tell them we have another assignment and need to hit the road pronto."

The young captain felt an ounce of weight lift from shoulders. While he usually didn't like to run away from things, this particular mission was giving him bad vibes and his intuition was yelling at him to get off Bajor as soon as humanly possible. He looked up at Bones and nodded in agreement. The doctor looked shocked that Jim had conceded so easily.

A few minutes later, the away crew was awaiting the arrival of the shuttles that would bring them to a place where the Enterprise could safely beam them up. Transport signals on Bajor were spotty at best. The shuttles seated 5, including the pilot, so Jim had gone separately with Varis Sul on the way to the peace talks. They had agreed to do the same on the trip back. As the shuttles arrived, the two groups parted ways.

Spock slid smoothly into one of the seats, and Bones dropped himself roughly into the one beside him with a huff and a furrowed brow.

"Pardon me saying, Doctor McCoy, but you seem immensely troubled. Your body language suggests that something is on your mind. Would you care to discuss your concerns?"

Bones looked over at the Vulcan, and then shook his head. "Damn, is there anything you don't notice?" He dragged a hand across his face, leaving his fingers covering his eyes. "Jim's uneasy, so, in turn, I'm uneasy." The shuttle started up, sending vibrations through their feet. "This whole mission's got him strung like a violin, so I'm anxious to be back on board the Enterprise for his sake."

Spock watched Jim's shuttle through the window, which was maintaining speed with theirs. With the windows tinted, it was impossible to actually see the captain, but it was comforting to know he was near. Nothing had gone wrong; thus, Kirk's nervousness had no reason to come to fruition. He turned to look back at Bones.

"Doctor, I can assure you-"

A huge blast cut Spock off short. He turned in time to watch Jim's shuttle explode in an enormous fireball, sending it flipping forwards about 10 meters before it stopped upside-down in the sand.

At the same time, the explosion propelled the shuttle Spock and the rest of the crew were in onto its side.

"Jesus!" cried McCoy, as the shuttle groaned and spun, sending the people inside flying throughout the interior.

Bones attempted to shield his head with his arms, but nothing stopped the collision of his body with the wall. He was immediately submerged in darkness.

The explosion sent Jim careening through the windshield of the shuttle. He felt as though he was being torn apart; the pain encompassing his body was unlike any he'd experienced before. He landed meters away from the shuttle on his back, cracking his head against the cracked sandy ground.

Breaths came short and quick. Jim felt warmth spreading across his torso, and lifted his head to realize that he was covered in blood. Pieces of glass and shrapnel jutted out of his body at disturbing angles. One of the largest pieces of shrapnel was lodged precariously close to his heart. Or maybe it was in his heart. He couldn't tell; things were beginning to go blurry. Jim noticed that his vision was starting to swim, and his hands were going numb. His head dropped back down in the sand with a thud, and he stared at blue sky above him. He could feel blood pooling under him, and he thought about how desperately he hoped that Bones had seen and was on his way to help him.

And then he thought no more.