Pride of the Fleet

Prologue: Grave for Two

James T. Kirk had experienced a lot in his time as captain of the Enterprise. He'd seen insanity drive a man to wait over twenty years for vengeance. He'd watched an entire planet destroyed in the blink of an eye. He'd met a man from a future that would not happen. He'd caused a Vulcan to lose control.

None of these extremes could measure up to the scene before him now. It was far beyond anything he'd ever experienced, and he could not wrap his mind around it.

Spock, broken in his own way, lying on his side next a small ruined child. His first officer draped a shaky arm across the body of his son protectively, that blankness usually attributed to Vulcan stoicism (un)expressed on his face. Kirk could see a green trail of blood in the sand where the Vulcan had to have dragged himself to be beside the boy, who looked as though he'd been tossed like a ragdoll. A long, pale hand gently smoothed back the child's soft black hair, curled slightly and needing a good trim. The Vulcan's eyes ran over the small body as though collecting data; a contusion here, a broken bone there, swelling, bruising, blood everywhere.

"Spock," Kirk began but then stopped, unable to think of anything to say.

"They have done this to us, Jim." The Vulcan finally spoke, gazing up from the body finally but not really seeing. "They have taken him from me."

The black eyes that stared at him looking for answers sent a chill down the captain's spine. Spock was usually alert and ready, seeing him look so absent from his own mind was chilling. Kirk finally remembered he was a functioning human being and found his voice.

"Bones is just behind me, Spock, he's got a team--"

"What is the logical action for me to take, Captain?" Spock asked, his gaze unfaltering. "I am failing in my ability to assess what I am supposed to do."

Kirk lowered himself to Spock and his godson's level and tried to see if there was anything he could do, but there was just so much of everything. So much wreckage around them, so much sizzling smoke from fires that were not quite out, so much emerald blood pooling underneath his friend, so much destruction brought on a young body that had his mother's nose and his father's ears, the absolute treasure of everyone onboard the Enterprise. Kirk reached out a hand hoping his digits knew the right place to touch, to put pressure, to aid one or both of the victims of this bloody insanity in some way, but it was all so overwhelming.

The black eyes watched him silently, dull and dazed. Spock was losing a lot of blood, Kirk realized, but he couldn't tell where the Vulcan was bleeding from. Finally his hands found a proper project and traced the wetness on the ground underneath the officer, around his back in search of a wound. When his hand touched something metal and sharp, Kirk realized in horror that something was protruding. There was shrapnel lodged in the lower half of Spock's back, dangerously close to his spine.

"Oh shit. Hell…Just wait Spock, hold on. Just let Bones come in and help. Oh, god Spock don't move too much…"

Spock was growing paler by the moment but did not seem to share in Kirk's panic. His attention was focused on his son, slender fingers lying gently on the places of his face that Kirk knew from experience was for a mind meld. The Vulcan closed his eyes, and but opened them after only a brief moment.

"It is too late. There is nothing left," the voice was empty even for a Vulcan. Spock dropped his head against the sand, defeated, eye level with the still form beside him. His hand fell from the mind melding points and began tracing his son's features lazily as if lulling the boy to sleep.

Kirk started violently. He felt his heart sink into his stomach at the scene that was unfolding like a Shakespearean tragedy. Spock looked ready to die and little Gray was almost as pale as his father. Kirk checked the unconscious child's pulse.

"Sure there's something left, Spock, don't be crazy. He's still breathing."

The Vulcan shook his head sluggishly, a strange resolve in his eyes. There were footsteps approaching, and Kirk almost didn't hear the next words uttered from Spock as the medical team called out to them

"No, Jim. His mind is quiet."


Author's Note: I'm mean. Anyways, this will be a full length fic I suspect. I hope you enjoyed the teaser. Set several years down the line after the movie. Things should make more sense when I go back to explain the events leading up to this particular scene.

I was torn as to what to categorize this story, because it will ship Uhura/Spock but Kirk will be heavily featured I suspect, so it is also very much so a Kirk/Spock friendship fic as well as a bit of Bones. If that works for you, then keep comin' back.

Suggestions, comments, questions, and thoughts are all welcomed. Please review. Thanks for the support on my other fics, The Boldly Go Series and Use Somebody, which I promise to update soon. This was just bugging me and needed to be written.