The dinner was lavish but bland. Those living on Naos Prime prepared their food intentionally tasteless and colorless. Most of the plates had the same large slab of sandy brown something (Spock claimed it was the Naosian version of chicken but Jim wasn't so convinced. Leonard didn't touch the stuff having eaten before coming down to the hottest planet this side of the fucking sun). Beside each plate sat an overly decorated golden goblet that matched the gold plates and solid gold table which just so happened to go right along with the golden chairs. Everywhere Leonard looked there was glinting gold. Hell, even the serving utensils were made from the stuff. It made Leonard wonder how many credits this palace was worth in total. He bet he could buy a lot of bourbon if he just pocketed one fork. He didn't, however and not because it was against regs, mostly it would just put more work on Jim if he got caught. Plus the fact that knowing the strange looking people living on this plant it would probably cause a national incident. So Leonard kept his wondering hands in his empty pockets.
The hot planet just outside the pavilion walls was more desert than anything else. Vaguely Leonard thought it would've looked a lot like Vulcan though he had never actually seen the doomed planet. Sand stretched on for miles that was the color of gold. The thought had struck Leonard that maybe it wasn't sand but gold dust, then he'd checked with his tricorder because he could and it read out the components for regular sand and he held back his disappointment. Naos Prime had no water, those who inhabited it did not need liquid to survive rather living off of the plants buried deep underground. Apparently they were a mix of light and dark blue.
When they'd been escorted into the main pavilion for negotiations there had been no roof over their heads. The hot sun had beat down on them for two hours before Leonard finally called it strong-arming Jim to get him and the rest of the team back to the ship. When they'd materialized on the pad Jim's visible skin had been painfully burned, lips chapped to the point of splitting and mouth so dry 'cotton mouth' didn't even begin to cover it. Spock looked comfortable in the heat but Leonard still hypo'd him with a cocktail of meds out of spite.
As soon as Jim had been able to comprehend anything with his sunburned slicked with salve and minor heat stroke sorted with he'd informed Leonard he needed to go back down to the planet to finished negotiations. Leonard had then informed his captain he would only go back down if there was a roof and air conditioning to which Jim had told his CMO that he couldn't control where the talks were held. Leonard had then told his husband that if he continued being an ass he might just find himself on the other end of a knock out hypo – in not so many words, of course. Jim had then relented and the talks had been changed accordingly.
Leonard wouldn't actually try anything to undermine the mission, he knew how hard Jim had worked to get this meeting in the first place. The Naosians' were a relatively unknown species. Naos Prime itself was conveniently located near Romulan space, the perfect position needed to set up an outpost. The Admiralty had charged Enterprise with the task to figure out a way to get that outpost up and running on Naos Prime as soon as possible while also offering the Naosians an invitation to join the Federation. It was all a bunch of horse shit if you asked Leonard. Unfortunately, no one but Jim ever asked him.
The banquet hall was way too decorated with gold for Leonard's tastes but Jim seemed to be enjoying it as he chattered away with a particularly large Naosian. The native species were easy to decipher from their dull colored environment. They were all over seven feet, bipedal humanoids whose skin was black like a raven but shined like metal. All parts of them were dark from their eyes to their mouths. They wore no clothes but had no distinguishing features from men to woman. At first Leonard couldn't even tell if they had eyes, they blended so well but then one would blink and he'd see the triple lids close from right, left and top. He'd been on enough planets already, it wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen.
"How much longer?" Leonard asked Spock when the Vulcan had come close. Spock had a strange look on his face eyes scanning the room and shoulders entirely too ridged for the party atmosphere. "Spock? What is it?"
"I overheard two of the Ministers speaking. They spoke of a ritual that will be carried out sometime tonight. I do not recall reading about any rituals." Spock did not look at Leonard choosing instead to keep his eyes surveying around the room.
"Should be we worried? Enterprise can have us out in a second." Leonard locked eyes on the back of Jim's head as he spoke with the tall Naosian.
"At the moment we are fine however keep a look out. I do not think the Ministers have been entirely truthful with us." With that the first officer left walking strait-backed towards Uhura who was refilling her drink. Leonard huffed out a breath. Just one mission, that's all he wanted. Just one mission that they could go in, shoot the shit with the natives, get the treaties sighed and get out. Just one mission when he wasn't needed. That's all he asked for.
Leonard decided he'd feel better standing next to Jim so he moved off placing his golden cup on a nearby server's tray. It took a few long strides before he shouldered up next to his captain silently. Jim turned to him and smiled before looking back at the Naosian. Leonard frowned at the younger man. He had sweat beading on his forehead and upper lip. There was a slight shake to his hand as he held his half empty cup. At first Leonard just figured Jim was just getting too hot – they'd been allowed to wear regular uniforms down instead of dress attire because of the heat – but then Jim started to sway on his feet. Leonard felt something near his shoulder and he subtly looked around realizing that somehow in the time between him walking over here and locking eyes with Jim more than half a dozen tall Naosians surrounded them loosely. A chill crept up Leonard's spine, this wasn't right. Something was wrong.
Jim swayed so hard he bumped into Leonard's shoulder. Leonard looked over just in time to see Jim's eyes roll to the back of his head and the man begin to fall. He turned quickly to catch him but between one breath and the next he'd somehow been pushed out of the way while Jim was rushed from all sides.
"Spock!" Leonard screamed grabbing for his phaser and communicator only to have a Naosian's fist snapping his head to the side in the next second. Leonard tried to call out again but the seven foot tall native slammed him to the ground. Leonard wheezed feeling the breath knocked out of him in a whoosh. He lay on the ground fighting to get air into his lungs when someone reached down, grabbed him around the middle and hauled him up landing none too gently on someone's shoulder. He was then carried, freaking carried, across the room before being thrown down on his knees.
Leonard came back to himself slowly finally able to get his breath. He found himself next to Spock with Uhura on one side and Ensign Whickham on his opposite side. They faced the long table that had been set up for their dinner but was now in the process of being cleared away by the Naosians that weren't surrounding them. Leonard looked around wildly searching for Jim. He looked to the right to see Spock staring at him with a strange look in his eye. If Jim were here he would be able to translate the Vulcan's eye-speak. Instead Leonard settled on turning back to scowl at the large golden table and the Minister of Noas that stood in front of it. He subtly checked his belt, no phaser. No communicator. Great.
The only upside was the natives didn't believe in weapons so those who surrounded them had nothing in their hands. However, the downside was the reason they didn't have any weapons was because they didn't need them. Seven feet of ink black skin that shined like glass and pure muscle.
Just great. Wonderful.
From the corner of Leonard's eye he could see a commotion before Jim was brought in front of the table being carried like a baby. His head lulled, eyes half closed but all the way murky. He groaned when the Naosian laid him down on the golden table.
"It is against Federation law to harm officers of a starship–" Spock began before a hand came down hard on his shoulder pushing him forward. He hit the golden ground hard hissing as his head connected with the floor.
Before them the Minister who'd been in charge of the Naosians during most of the negotiations came forward with a smile on his only face, black stained teeth glinting.
"Today we are Blessed!" He yelled in their native language that the translator in Leonard's ear interpreted. Around them the thirty or so Naosians cheered loudly. Jim started to shake on the table. "He is like the sun. His hair is the gold that powers our home and his eyes blue like the plants we need to survive. He shall make our God most happy. When our God is happy, we are blessed."
Jim choked, eyes closed and head turning to the side as saliva poured from his mouth. His body jerked violently snapping his head forward like a wave from his chest to head. Briefly Jim opened his eyes and Leonard could see they were red where they should've been white.
The Minister reached behind him and pulled out a knife – it was golden just like everything else on this godforsaken hellhole. He held it up as if to show their God and chanted. All around them the natives cheered and yelled. Beside Leonard on the other side of Spock, Leonard could see Uhura start to move slowly. Whickham also moved mirroring Uhura tentitivly, ever so slowly. Leonard didn't know what was happening until Uhura placed her hand on her hip and he saw the outline of a phaser. Uhura, small phaser hidden up her skirt looked to Spock who nodded.
God bless that woman. God bless her.
Whickham put his hands down the back where his shirt was tucked into his pants.
"Our God has sent us this pretty human so that we may offer his blood for the betterment of our God!"
Up front the Minister finished his chanting and smiled a gruesome toothy grin. Jim whimpered something, his body twitched as he tried to move but was too out of it to do anything. The four looked at each other in silent conversation.
"Now!" Uhura screamed over the yelling natives. She pulled out her phaser the same time as Whickham and fired taking the natives by surprise. Leonard charged the golden table, Spock right next to him. Surprise was the only thing on their side as Spock jumped over the table and Leonard reached Jim. Phaser fire deafened the room as both Uhura and Whickham fired. Leonard got close to Jim's pale face trying to asses with only his eyes. There was running and shouting both from theEnterprise team and the Naosains as everyone scrambled to either find shelter or fight back.
"McCoy!"
Leonard heard his name being yelled, he turned quickly seeing Uhura toss something at him that he caught on instinct. It was a communicator.
He'd said it once and he'd say it again, God bless that woman.
First they needed to get Jim someplace safe. Leonard looked around quickly feeling sweat drip down his back but saw nothing. It was a one room pavilion. Damnit. Something hard and heavy landed next to him – it was a rock. Solid and gold and heavy. They were throwing rocks now.
Wonderful.
"Doctor," Leonard looked up seeing Spock standing and the Minister on the ground. "We will use the table."
Leonard nodded jumping over the table with only a little struggle and being mindful of Jim landed on the other side. He grabbed hold of the captain and tugged him to the ground the same time as Spock grunted turning over the large table.
"If anyone ever tells you you're a stupid hobgoblin, don't believe 'em Spock, you smart son of a bitch." Leonard panted when they'd gotten the golden table secured. Rocks slammed into it roughly causing it to almost zing every hit.
"Uhura! Whickham! Over here!" He called then turned back to Jim before realizing he had the communicator in his hand. Spock was on Jim's other side staring at Leonard in what could only be Vulcan fear. Jim's shaking intensified, his lips turning blue. Leonard brought the comm to his mouth just as Unura jumped over the table. Leonard stood up in a half crouch seeing Whickham running closer
"McCoy to Enterprise! Enterprise, five to beam–" a rock connected with Whickham's temple and the man went down. Less than a second later he was engulfed in no less than five Naosains. The poor man cried out but was then silent after one brought its hand up then back down crushing his skull. "Jesus! Four to beam up now!"
"Aye, hold on. Stay in position, don't move."
"Not planning on it!" Leonard draped himself over Jim's shaking body as Uhura ducked back down to avoid getting her head blown off. Whickham's body jerked as a rouge shot hit his shoulder. They were using the dead man's phaser now.
Everything just kept getting better.
"It hurts… It hurts so bad, Bones," Jim mumbled below him. Leonard was at a loss. He wasn't allowed to bring his medkit down to the planet. They'd claimed something about not believing in modern medicine that Leonard had scoffed at but now he'd wished he'd broken the rules. Fuck. Jim was dying
"I know darlin', I know. Just hold on. We're gonna get outta here, I promise."
Every breath was softer than the last.
"Tired." He whispered starting to close his eyes.
"No! Don't you dare close your eyes James Kirk or I swear–"
"So… tired…"
New tactic. Apparently ordering him to remain awake wouldn't work. "I know Jim. I know you're tired. But hold on. Just hold on."
As he spoke he felt the familiar tingle of the transporter and suddenly the yells and screams from the natives were cut off as they materialized on Enterprise.
"Alert Medical!"
It was a confusing mess of running and stats and hypos and yelling – mostly on Leonard's part – and reassurances and medication and God, Jim we need to pump his stomach now! Get me a pump! No not that medicine you idiot that'll kill him! Jim-Jim, this is gonna hurt, I'm sorry.
Hours later when the panic had went down and excitement tapered off Leonard sat by the captain's biobed dozing lightly. He was just about to rearrange his body in a more comfortable position for sleep when he heard a shift on the bed and opened his eyes. Jim stared back at him with glassy but alive and awake eyes.
"They called me p-pretty…" Jim whispered. "Why can't natives think I'm just handsome f-for once? N-Not helping my masculinity c-callin' me pretty." With that Jim closed his eyes giving up his fight with the sedatives. Leonard smiled reaching into Jim's shirt to bring out the chain with his wedding ring attached and laid it on his husband's chest. He then fingered his own ring around his neck, sighed and sat back to wait for Jim to wake up.