Summary: The Klingon Empire executes a plan to rid itself of Capt. James T. Kirk for good. (This is a revised version.)
Disclaimer: Star Trek is owned by Paramount, Viacom and others; this is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright.
Copyright: 2007
What If...?
by Syl Francis
The Klingon Council Chamber shook from the angry shouts and pounding fists of the assembled leaders. The words of the scientist Kel, who stood at the head of the packed house, were lost in the din. At last, Kel indicated the giant viewing screen, which showed the hated image of the human James T. Kirk.
"My Lords, what if Kirk had never joined Starfleet?" he asked.
The members of the Council glared at the usually reticent scientist. Kel rarely spoke during these meetings because the other Klingons held him in contempt. He was not a warrior.
Commander Kor glowered at Kel as if he were something that should be squashed. "What good is such talk?" he asked. "Kirk is the Earthers' greatest warrior. He is the captain of their greatest vessel. These are facts. There is little point in speculating about what might have been."
The others grunted agreement.
"Which is why I should be in space right now," Kor added, "bringing glory to the empire by blowing that accursed Kirk into space dust!" He punctuated his remark by disintegrating the offending likeness of his hated enemy with a handheld disruptor.
"No, wait!" Kel protested. "We know that the Federation has succeeded in its time-warp experiments. A Federation scientist who was recently taken prisoner confessed that certain factions of their military intended to travel back in time and destroy our glorious empire before we had a chance to fully develop into a star power."
"What?"
"Impossible!"
"How can it be? Destroy us in the past?"
"If this is so, Kel," Kor said over the din, "then why have they not done so? The Federation may be our enemies, but even they know better than to tamper with what has been. The consequences of disrupting the time flow could have devastating effects on succeeding generations! No, I believe that your Federation scientist probably felt the power of the mindsifter too many times and eventually confessed what you wanted to hear."
Kel nodded vigorously, while holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "Yes, yes, Lord Kor, we took such probabilities into consideration; however, we believe that the basic foundation of what he told us is true. We ran his calculations through our own probability matrix and found that it is indeed possible to produce a successful time warp. Unfortunately, the calculations must be so precise, that it is nearly impossible for more than one ship to make the trip and arrive precisely at the exact time and place. But it is possible!"
Kel paused, caught up in the excitement. "Think of it, my Lord! To travel back in time and assassinate our most hated enemies before they have had a chance to accomplish any nefarious deeds against the Klingon Empire! The galaxy would be ours for the taking!"
Kor looked on with distaste, as if the scientist Kel were something slimy that had just crawled out of the Klingon underworld. "I am a warrior, Kel. I do not kill in secret. That is for the lower caste of unclean dregs such as you! I do not fight secret wars."
Kor made as if to leave, but was stayed by the subtlest of signs from the emperor.
"Lord Kor, Dr. Kel has raised some interesting options with this time warp theory of his. As a warrior, I am also sickened by the thought of a dishonorable undertaking, but as emperor I have greater worries. This Kirk has humiliated our people during several encounters. We have lost ships, countless warriors and technicians, and more importantly, our honor. He is a hero to the Federation and a scourge to our side. Because of Kirk, our plans of empire expansion have been brought to a halt on several fronts."
The emperor paused and faced Kor squarely.
"You, Lord Kor, have faced Kirk on more than one occasion and have come out the loser. Your own honor is at stake. Do I make myself clear?"
Kor nodded.
"Good. Lord Kor, you will work with Dr. Kel and provide him with whatever assistance he requires to bring this time warp plan of his to fruition. Do you have any questions?"
"Yes. One."
The emperor raised his eyebrow; to ask a question invited dishonor and death. "Go on."
"What exactly is the objective of this time warp scheme? Kill Kirk when he was a child? I am a warrior; I do not make war on children!"
Kel broke in. "No, Lord Kor...I beg your pardon, Sire," Kel quickly apologized to the emperor for interrupting. "But that's the beauty of the plan. We do not kill Kirk when he was a child. Instead, we--"
"Instead," the emperor said, "we do the next best thing. We kill his family and anyone else who had the remotest chance of influencing him as a child. Earthers do not have traditional warrior family ties as we. Orphaned children are placed in foster homes under the supervision of persons who are paid a stipend--" He grimaced at the word. "--to see to the child's upbringing. There is no sense of duty in Human adults to ensure the child's warrior training nor to pass on the traditions of their culture. Usually, the children languish in these environments."
"And by killing off his family, we accomplish--?" Kor left it unfinished.
"We accomplish what you have failed to accomplish in face-to-face battles, Lord Kor," Kel said imperiously. "We stop James T. Kirk from becoming the Federation's greatest warrior, by denying him the necessary influence for reaching his full potential!"
Kel paused, then continued smugly. "We'll destroy Kirk the man by destroying Kirk the child."
Kor nodded. He could see the possibilities, but it still smacked of clandestine warfare. Besides, warriors did not attack their opponents' children, nor did they kill their families, except under the direst circumstances. But the emperor himself had ordered him to do so; therefore, he was honor bound to obey.
Kor fell to one knee, brought his fist up to his heart, and bowed his head once, proudly. "I obey and serve, Sire! Thy will be done!"
The others in the room followed suit. "Thy will be done!"
As soon as the landing party materialized, Commander Kirk sensed the ambush. He'd been on enough away missions to have developed a sort of sixth sense about danger. Kirk's reputation as the best security officer in Starfleet was well-earned.
"Disperse...now!" Kirk took off at crouching run and dove behind the nearest rock outcropping. He looked around for the others. They were just kids, recent Academy graduates. It was his job to train them, to take care of them.
"Sound off!" Kirk said.
No answer.
"Rodriguez! Stemple!" Still no reply. Kirk took out his communicator. "Kirk to Enterprise. We are under attack by unknown forces. Repeat. We are under attack!"
"Enterprise to Commander Kirk!" Captain April's voice. "George, what's going on?"
"Not sure, Boss. We were attacked as soon as we materialized. Small arms mostly. Looked like disruptor fire, but nothing I've seen before." Kirk added quietly, "I can't raise any of the others, Bob. I'm sorry."
There was a short, pained silence from the other end.
"Hang in there, Commander. Help is on the way. Enterprise out!" April's voice did not betray his worry.
Kirk spied movement to his left. He fired without bothering to sight first and heard a scream. Okay, they can get hurt. Here goes nothing. Kirk took a deep breath, and then leaped into action, rounding another of the numerous outcroppings that dotted the landscape. What he saw pulled him short.
Klingons! In Federation space! Kirk fired in rapid succession. Two down for the count. He had to get back and warn the ship. Three Klingons came at him from different directions. Kirk desperately rolled right, ducking under their concentrated disruptor fire. While shooting and evading, Kirk's cool mind expertly analyzed the small arms the Klingons were using.
They appeared to be advanced versions of the current disruptor-type weapons in the Klingon arsenal, probably prototypes. Kirk had to get his hands on one, and with single-minded purpose, took off again at a low run.
Kirk never saw the Klingon warrior that silently beamed behind him, sighted his weapon, and fired.
Commander Kirk was dead, but he had single-handedly killed five of Kor's best warriors. Truly a father to be proud of, Kor thought. It is no wonder that the son followed in his footsteps.
George was dead.
How long had Winona lived in fear of hearing the dreaded words, "We regret to inform you--"? The Starfleet officers who'd appeared at her front door had been kind and sympathetic. However, Winona needed to be alone to think and come to terms with the news. She had to be strong for her two boys.
As she walked along the well-known, well-worn path leading to Echo Canyon, Winona reflected on the past fifteen years. The greater part of her marriage had been spent waiting for her husband to come home, but she had few regrets.
George had been her best friend and her lover. He had also been an adoring father to their two boys. In Georgie, called Sam by his younger brother, Winona saw the same patience and kindness that she'd found so appealing in her husband. In Jimmy she recognized the same restlessness, coupled with an unchecked eagerness to run headlong into the unknown.
She smiled to herself as she remembered how both boys had been unplanned. Neither she nor George had thought it fair to bring children into the world if they were to have an absentee father, but nature had a way of imposing its own rules. Of course, it was only fitting that her pregnancies had been accidental, since the Kirks' own marriage had come as a complete surprise to all concerned.
Winona recalled the day they met. It was a bright, crisp November morning, the first day of George's weekend pass before he departed on his first deep space assignment. They were in love before lunch and married soon after dinner. Sam was conceived that weekend during the Kirks' whirlwind honeymoon and arrived nine months to the day of their wedding.
Eight years later, George surprised Winona by coming home unexpectedly for their anniversary. She remembered his boyish grin as he swept her into his arms.
"You didn't think I'd let you celebrate alone, did you?"
"How did you know I was going to be alone?" she asked suspiciously. Sam had gone to Montana to visit George's brother Jack.
George's grin widened, becoming suggestive. "I have my ways."
"Jack," Winona said knowingly. "He got word to you somehow. Probably through some of his old cronies at Special Ops." Winona's voice took on the tone of disapproval it always did when referring to Jack's background in Starfleet Intelligence.
"I neither deny nor confirm anything," George replied, his eyes crinkling.
"Oh, you two!" Winona said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head in mock annoyance. "But I do wish you'd talk to your brother about teaching Georgie those awful survival tactics. Between your teaching him hand-to-hand, and Jack's idea of wilderness training...well, I just don't want my baby to grow up to be some kind of crazy, snake-eating killer!"
George laughed. "Jack's just showing the boy how to survive in the wild. A man's gotta know how to take care of himself without the trappings of technology. It builds character."
"And it got Georgie out of the house for a week. Did you and Jack plan this...?"
George stayed the week. Three days after her husband returned to his ship, she discovered that she was pregnant again. Jimmy made his noisy arrival into the world two weeks early, and he'd been rushing into trouble ever since. During their years together, Winona had missed George terribly, but she never regretted staying home and raising her boys.
As she approached the edge of Echo Canyon, she was oblivious to the presence of Kor's warriors, lying in wait for her. When she passed them, they grabbed her. Winona neither screamed, nor panicked. She reacted instinctively, her expert counterattack catching the two would-be assassins off guard.
Winona slipped easily from the first Klingon's grasp. Then, just as George had patiently taught her, she jabbed with her left elbow, striking him on the right temple. She quickly followed through with a high kick to his chin. Her cowboy boots added a mean and quite satisfactory crunching sound when she connected.
She whirled instantaneously, landing a booted foot in the second Klingon's mid-section. They went down together. Winona recovered first, grabbed a large rock and struck out viciously, aiming for the face and head. She looked like she was about to win.
In disgust Kor, who'd been monitoring from their cloaked orbit, beamed down behind her and snapped her neck, mercifully killing her instantly. He picked her up in his arms and gazed upon her beautiful, still face. She had fought with the heart of a warrior.
Kor threw his head back and shouted out a Klingon warrior dirge, the highest tribute one warrior could bestow on another. The others looked on with awe. When Kor completed the ritual, he looked on Winona Kirk once again. Then in a fit of self-loathing, he flung her body over the edge.
Before, during, and after the funeral, friends and acquaintances walked around like zombies stunned by the news of the double loss. George killed in action; Winona apparently by her own hand. Both caskets had been closed, of course.
As Sam made his way quietly through the house filled with guests, he caught whispers here and there, quickly muffled as he passed...
"I can't believe George was killed by disruptor fire."
"Why, Emma's cousin Harold--who works down at Mike's Hardware Store--heard it from Jeannie, the receptionist down at Riverside Funeral Parlor, that the family had to have a closed casket because George's body was burned beyond recognition."
"No-o!"
"I'm serious as a heart attack! I tell you George could only be identified through a DNA match!"
"How awful!"
"Yes, but that's not all! Now, you didn't hear it from me, but...well, Emma told me in the strictest confidence that Winona's body was recovered from the bottom of Echo Canyon."
"Echo Canyon! Land sakes, Rachel! That's easily a one hundred-foot drop!"
"I know, poor soul. Her neck was broken." Rachel's voice dropped further. "Emma says that officially her death was an accident, but--"
"But what?" Her companion eagerly asked.
"--but it's highly unlikely. You and I both know that Winona Kirk knew the grounds around the Kirk farm like the back of her hand. I mean the woman lived here for the better part of fifteen years!"
"Humph! Why George Kirk had to run off and marry an outsider anyway is beyond me! I suppose none of the local Riverside girls were good enough for him. And now look...the minute he dies, she kills herself and leaves her two boys orphans."
"I always thought there was something not quite--Riverside--about her..."
"Yes, and now those poor boys...and that Jimmy still little more than a baby...such a tragedy."
Sam closed his ears to the gossip. He still couldn't believe that both his parents were gone. He'd received the news shortly after he'd arrived on Vulcan for Science Camp and had taken the first transport home. Uncle Jack, his father's brother, had made all of the necessary arrangements. It looked like he and Jimmy were going to go live with him on his ranch.
Sam looked around the living room. Where was Jimmy? Sam hadn't seen him for a while. Better go look for him, he decided. Jimmy had taken the double loss even harder than he, and Sam was trying to be stoic for his brother's sake. But it was hard...really hard. He felt his eyes filling.
Mom, why? Sam asked again. How could you leave us like that? How could you leave Jimmy? He's such a little kid. We needed you, Mom...we still need you. Sam felt the room closing in. He had to get some air! He quickly made his way to the kitchen and out the back door.
Sam spied Jimmy sitting alone on the backyard swing. Like Sam he was dressed in his best suit, a dark navy blue that their mother had bought last year for their annual Christmas portrait. He smiled at the memory...
"Here's a sub-space message from your dad," Mom said, her voice echoing through time. "Dear Win, who are the two handsome men in the picture you sent me? I was expecting a holo-portrait of my two boys..."
Why, Mom? Sam asked again then shook his head. No, he wouldn't accept it--he'd never believe that his mother would take her own life and abandon them. Not his mother! She was too strong-willed! Nevertheless, it was a question that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
However, Jimmy was the important one now, and it was his job as the eldest to take care of him. When Sam reached Jimmy he didn't know what to say. He stood looking down at his little brother, his worried eyes watching the top of Jimmy's head, which was determinedly turned away from him. As Sam studied his little brother, he couldn't help a slight grin. Jimmy's summer gold curls were in their usual state of careless disarray, a few pieces of grass and what looked like dandelion fluff, entangled here and there.
Jimmy looked up at him, then quickly looked away.
"Hey, Jim. I've been looking everywhere for you," Sam started.
"I've been here. What's it to you?" Jimmy tried to sound nonchalant, but the words held a squeaky quality to them.
"I just wanted to make sure that you were okay, that's all."
"Why? Are you planning on leaving me, too? Like Mom and Dad?"
Sam looked as if Jimmy had struck him. "Jimmy, look at me, please."
Jimmy looked up him, his tear-streaked face smudged with dirt, his defiant chin showing signs of a slight tremor. "Jimmy, I promise that I'm never going to leave you." Jimmy looked away in angry disbelief. Sam tried again. "Jimmy, you have to trust me...Please, Jimmy say you believe me...say it, please."
Slowly, reluctantly, Jimmy turned to his brother. His churning emotions finally submitted to the pent-up feelings of hurt, loss, and betrayal that he'd been valiantly struggling against these past few days. Sam quickly took his all too willing baby brother into his arms.
"It's just us two from here on, Jimmy. You and me...but as long as we have each other, we're going to be okay. I promise, Jimmy...we're going to be okay."
Mission accomplished, Kor had thought at the time.
Unfortunately, that idiot Kel wanted to run two more time warps.
The next step was to kill the paternal uncle, Jack Kirk, to whom young Kirk was being fostered. The uncle's profile showed that he possessed a strong sense of individualism and felt a sincere fondness for his brother's sons. He would undoubtedly provide young Kirk a nurturing home environment and a strong, moral upbringing.
Kor's mission would not allow him to leave James Kirk in the hands of a man who would simply take up where his parents had left off. Therefore, Jack Kirk had to die. The Klingons had a brief window of opportunity approximately 4.7 years forward. Historical records showed that Jack Kirk nearly drowned during a wilderness rescue mission. Kor intended to turn the near tragedy into fact...
A furious tempest struck the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area the night the boys lost Uncle Jack. Their uncle's ranch was located just east of Norris, Montana adjacent to the Beaverhead National Forest.
Jimmy took his turn at monitoring his uncle's communications station throughout the afternoon. The expected storm front displayed several cells of severe weather. Uncle Jack, a member of the Montana Volunteer Air Search and Rescue Squad, was on 24-hour emergency call that day and had to remain informed of the situation.
Now, Jimmy was helping Sam in the kitchen. Tonight was Sam's turn to cook; he'd prepared roast chicken--Mom's recipe, or so he claimed. Jimmy set the table while Sam tasted, stirred, and re-tasted from several covered pots on the old-fashioned stovetop.
He looked over to where Uncle Jack sat, laid-back at the monitoring station, his cowboy-booted feet up on the desk, Stetson covering his face. Jimmy smiled.
He'd never let me hear the end of it if he caught me doing that.
Jimmy had already decided that when he grew up, he was going stay here and raise horses with his uncle and join the rescue squad. The days following his parents' deaths had been extremely difficult for Jimmy, but Uncle Jack's quiet strength and towering presence had worked to heal what had seemed insurmountable wounds. Jimmy took to horse training and ranch life like he'd been born to it. He couldn't imagine a more beautiful, more exciting place to spend the rest of his life than here.
Uncle Jack suddenly straightened in his chair and spoke over the emergency channel.
"Rescue, you came in garbled. Say again all." Jack listened for a few moments. "I copy, Rescue. Male solo camper...overdue by three hours. Last known location--white water rafting in Bear Trap Canyon. I'm on it, Rescue. Kirk out."
Uncle Jack caught Jimmy's eyes and smiled. He began gathering his equipment and spoke reassuringly to his nephews. "Apparently some durn fool off-worlder decided to go camping alone today despite the severe weather storm watch. He's caught out in it. Looks like I'm in for a wet and cold night. Keep a plate warm for me now, y'hear?"
That was the last time the boys saw him alive...
After almost two hours of searching, Jack finally spotted the camper. He was desperately holding onto a tree in the middle of the raging waters of the Madison River, which were rising rapidly. In the few minutes that Jack hovered over the site to survey the situation, he noted the space shrinking between the frightened camper's foot and the rising river. Besides, the camper was in danger of being struck by the innumerable logs and other debris that the river was sweeping hazardously close to him.
Jack shook his head. "Cripes! How am I gonna get you outta there, buddy?" First things first, he thought. I've gotta bring this baby in close; then we'll see.
Jack brought his air car to within the safety margin of three feet. Acting quickly, he set the autopilot, moved back to the vehicle's cargo hold, slipped on his rescue safety harness, and secured his safety line. He opened the starboard bulkhead door and found himself face to face with the obviously exhausted camper.
"Hi! I'm Jack...don't worry. I'll have you out of here in no time!" The camper nodded his understanding. He appeared worn out.
"I'm Matt...Matt Porter," he said. His voice was weak and scratchy; he was going into shock.
"Glad to meet you, Matt," Jack said, his breezy voice belying the urgency of his actions. Jack fed him one end of a safety line, and patiently instructed him on how to wrap it around his waist. He then showed him how to lock it properly.
At last, Jack successfully pulled Matt into the cargo hold. He quickly placed him on one of the medi-cots that were lined along the port bulkhead. The diagnostic display instantly came online. Jack took out a hypo from the med-kit. As he worked, Jack kept up a cheerful commentary.
"So, where you from, Matt?"
"Mars Colony." Matt's eyes were closed; his voice barely a whisper. "Never...seen a river...open sky..."
Jack nodded sympathetically. Mars colonists lived under transparent aluminum domes.
"Well, you couldn't have picked a better place to visit, Matt. Of course, your timing could've been a little better."
Matt smiled weakly. "Never...saw rain either..."
The cargo hold in front of Jack suddenly filled with a shimmering form materializing out of thin air. Someone was transporting into the cockpit. Simultaneously, Jack felt his body go completely numb as if stunned by phaser fire. As he went down, Jack realized that he'd been attacked by someone behind him in the cargo hold. That meant that there were two intruders.
Jack didn't know how long he'd been out, but as awareness returned, he heard a gruff, guttural voice speak in somewhat awkward Terran Standard, "Today is a good day to die, Human!"
Jack looked up through the hazy fog in his brain. Klingons--on Earth? The visceral reaction that accompanied his first sight of one the Federation's deadliest enemies left him feeling ashamed.
George would've killed the Klingon with his bare hands, and, grinning devilishly, say it was all in a day's work.
The Klingon's words suddenly sank in. The Hell it's a good day to die! I have to protect my patient. Jack remembered the hypo. Feigning unconsciousness, he surreptitiously adjusted the hypo in his hand to its maximum anesthesia setting.
Counting to ten, Jack scanned the cargo hold through slitted eyes, spotting a single pair of legs. Only one of the Klingons was in the small bay. Jack waited patiently. As soon as he saw the Klingon's toes point away from him, he sprang to his feet and unloaded the contents of the hypo into the enemy's neck. This time it was the Klingon who went down.
I'm getting too old for this! Calming down, Jack remembered there was a second Klingon onboard. No telling how many more of these uglies could be ranging round here in Big Sky country, he thought. Hell, we could be in ground zero of a Klingon invasion! And the boys, I left them all alone! I've gotta get word to Starfleet! Jack took the Klingon's weapon and headed forward.
He was struck down from behind before he could reach the cockpit. Apparently the anesthesia, a dosage powerful enough to kill one of Jack's thoroughbreds, had only temporarily knocked out the Klingon guard. Jack quickly recovered from the stunning blow and desperately fought back.
Every deadly hand-to-hand skill he'd learned during his stint in Special Ops came back, with a few dirty tricks from his barhopping youth thrown in for good measure. Using the steel-pointed toes of his snakeskin boots to maximum effect, he kicked out with as much force as his 200-pound frame could muster. He followed through with a roundhouse to the chin and then a two-fisted blow to the back of the Klingon's neck.
Before Jack could finish the job, he once again felt that all-too familiar, agonizing stiffening of his nerve ends that signaled he'd been stunned once again. The second Klingon had made his presence known.
Jack felt ashamed at his failure. George would never have been caught twice by the same trick. He'd let his brother down. More importantly, he'd let the boys down. What would happen to them now?
Kor's warriors placed the air car on autopilot. Before they transported out, they re-strapped Jack to the pilot seat, set a remote-control device designed to disable the car's main control panel. The car would lose yaw and pitch, crash into the raging waters of the white water rapids below, and result in the "accidental" drowning deaths of Jack Kirk and the other hapless Human.
Historical records showed that a similar accident did indeed occur following Kirk's rescue of the Human male. However, Kirk somehow managed to pull them both to safety, and the local authorities later rescued them. This time, though, both men were unconscious, and Kor's warriors ensured that Kirk would not recover by firing a second, stronger stun setting onto his already supine form. Also, they left the bulkhead doors open to ensure that the air car quickly filled with water.
Kor drew a most un-Klingon sigh. These Kirks were proving annoyingly difficult to kill. He shook his head in self-disgust. He would never have thought to regret an assignment that came directly from his Emperor, but regret this one he did.
Kor no longer felt like a warrior. He was little better than one of the skulking, poison spitting night crawlers that inhabited his home region. The creatures only attacked from ambush, and if confronted, spat out corrosive venom at their enemies before turning and fleeing. They were too cowardly to stay and fight.
Kor had always known that James Kirk was no coward, that he was the Federation's best starship commander, but he'd never thought of him on any other terms. Having come into contact with each member of his family, Kor was finally beginning to understand the forces that had shaped the man into the formidable enemy that he was to become.
Moreover, if Kirk's family was this difficult to kill, then Kor could only sense disaster for the Klingon Empire, for where there was one such family, there were many. Kor's empire would never be able to sustain a total victory over such a determined foe. No, Kor thought darkly, in order to survive, the Klingon Empire would eventually have to make peace with its most despised enemy.
Kor began to sense the pointlessness of his mission.
He muttered the Klingon warrior's version of "Ours is not to reason why..."
They next jumped an additional 5.6 years into the future. Records indicated that at the age of fourteen, James Kirk had been caught in a planet-wide disaster on the Federation colony planet, Tarsus IV. His actions there had earned him acceptance to Starfleet Academy as the youngest cadet ever.
Kor had to ensure that the young Kirk did not distinguish himself while there. He would give the boy something else to grieve about, the death of his last living relative, George Samuel Kirk, Jr.
Four weeks after arriving on Tarsus IV, Jimmy received the news. Sam was dead.
I must be cursed, Jimmy thought. Everyone I love ends up dead...
Kor felt a headache coming on. The brother had been no easier to kill than the others. Kirk's accursed family was now responsible for the deaths of several of his warriors and injuries to several more.
They had found Sam Kirk and his female companion on a small island with a protected cove in the archipelago known as the Florida Keys. Kirk was gathering wood for a fire, while the female was unrolling their blankets...
Aurelan screamed when she saw the horrible monsters suddenly materialize around her. Klingons! She'd seen newsvids of them! They grabbed her, holding her easily against her useless struggles. Her screams brought Sam on the run. The Klingons sighted their weapons and fired as soon as he broke through the foliage. They missed. Their leader roared something in their language, pointing in Sam's direction.
Sam hefted the largest stick in his bundle, and faded into the brush. If he could somehow avoid capture, he'd be able to save Aurelan. Let's see if anything Dad and Uncle Jack taught me sank in...
Kor was frustrated. The Earther had managed to evade capture for almost thirty hours. Worse, he apparently knew enough wood lore to be dangerous. Within the first ten hours, the Klingons' nightmare had begun.
First, a warrior set off a tripwire and ended up with three wooden stakes through his midsection. Another hacking his way through the thick underbrush inadvertently cut a vine less than a few micro-units in diameter, and released a nest of deadly serpents that had been suspended above their heads in a net made of palm fronds.
The cat and mouse game continued thus through the ensuing hours. Kor's warriors began to dread being sent out into the frightening jungle. Also, to Kor's increasing aggravation, their instruments had not been able to locate Kirk's brother in the thick undergrowth. Sometimes they'd detect human readings in one location, and then it would disappear. This Sam Kirk was a ghost...
Sam examined the sharpened end of the wooden stake again. Looks good, he thought. Laying it aside, he picked up the remains of his dinner. Grimacing, he took a careful bite from the water moccasin he'd caught and cooked yesterday. It was the brother to the little surprise he'd left the Klingons on the first day of his harassment campaign.
Moccasins were the most aggressive indigenous snakes that Sam knew of, and the ones he'd used for his trap were spitting mad when finally released. The Klingons never stood a chance. When the snakes landed on their unwitting victims, they struck lightning fast, brutally digging their poisonous fangs several times before the warriors' companions could fry them with their disrupters.
Sam forced himself to chew slowly and swallow. He had to eat in order to maintain his strength; however, he'd never liked this part of Uncle Jack's wilderness training. Snakes...Sam shuddered inwardly. If he thought about it, he'd lose his lunch.
"So, don't think about it. Come on, what did Uncle Jack always used to say? It tastes just like chicken...it tastes just like chicken."
Yeah, right. Next time, he was going to trap a rabbit.
Sam looked around the underground grotto he and Aurelan had discovered last year on their first trip to the island. They had kept it a secret even from Jimmy. This was their island, his and Aurelan's. The grotto had a small underground spring that emptied into a deep freshwater pool.
He remembered the day he and Aurelan had found it, their torches reflecting pixie rainbows of varying hues along the smooth walls. Sam tried to believe that he and Aurelan were the first humans to have ever laid eyes on this hidden treasure.
Sam's eyes moved to a certain spot next to the pool. He and Aurelan had made love there for the first time. He hadn't felt so happy, so complete since before his parents' deaths. Now, he was fashioning weapons in order to kill other sentient beings. He refused to dwell on it. They had Aurelan and he was going to get her back. But he had to act fast. The longer he delayed, the likelier her chances of being killed.
Sam had heard stories about how Klingons treated their prisoners...
"Enough!" Kor roared. "This has gone long enough! Hand me the amplifier!" A frightened technician handed Kor a palm-sized voice amplifier.
"Kirk! George Samuel Kirk, Jr.!" Kor's voice echoed through the still night. The wind sighed softly through the leafy underbrush. "Kirk, we have your female companion. I have been patient, but no longer! If you do not surrender yourself within the next fifteen of your minutes, the female will meet with a slow, and I assure you, excruciatingly painful death! This is your only warning!"
Kor threw the amplifier back at the technician. "Start timing!"
"Yes, Lord Kor!"
At fourteen minutes fifty-nine seconds, Sam Kirk emerged from the sub-tropical rain forest. He held his hands up in surrender. Several Klingons immediately surrounded him from a safe distance, pointing their disruptor rifles directly at him.
Aurelan jumped up from where she was being held under guard. "Sam! Don't! They'll kill us anyway!" Her guards held her back.
Kor stepped forward. Sam could barely make him out in the moonless night.
"The female is correct, Sam Kirk. Unfortunately, you must die anyway, but you have my pledge as a Klingon that your deaths will be painless. You have been an estimable opponent." Kor indicated with his head that the prisoners be released.
Aurelan ran into Sam's arms. They desperately kissed for the last time, their tears of farewell intermingling.
"I'm sorry," Sam whispered, his voice choking. He'd failed. What would happen to Jimmy? He'd promised him that he'd never leave him.
Forgive me, Jimmy, Sam said in silent prayer. I tried.
The Klingons fired, using a strong stun setting. "I do not want them to regain consciousness," Kor ordered. Let their deaths be merciful, he added to himself. His warriors made quick work of it. Before the morning broke, they had taken the sailboat several miles out to sea.
The two unconscious Humans were stripped then thrown overboard. Kel had insisted that Humans did not swim fully clothed.
"...Don't worry, Jimmy, I'll make all the arrangements. You go pack." Dr. Baxter, the Science Camp Director on Tarsus IV, spoke sympathetically.
I must be cursed, Jimmy thought. He felt as if he'd suddenly solved a puzzle that had been eluding him for some time. That was it. Anyone who loved him was doomed to die.
Jimmy slowly made his way back to the dorms. I better go where I can be alone and not get close to anyone. No friends, no one. Sam was gone as were his dreams of working side by side with his brother in a research lab. What was he going to do now?
Jimmy looked up at the Tarsus IV night sky. Even the stars looked different. He felt so small and insignificant lost in a vast, uncaring universe.
He was alone.
The following day, before Jimmy could board the next Earth transport, Governor Kodos, known henceforth throughout the Federation as Kodos the Executioner, released his infamous edicts and began the systematic murder of half the population of Tarsus IV...
Three months later, the Enterprise finally arrived and rescued those who still needed rescuing, and captured any followers of Kodos who still needed capturing.
Captain April sat in his cabin looking across at the last surviving member of George Kirk's family. George and Winona Kirk had been his best and dearest friends. He and Sarah had loved the boys like their own.
Now, it was April's turn to repay George Kirk for the many times he'd saved his life throughout their careers. Jimmy, despite the tragic loss of each member of his family, had turned into a fine young man. He'd personally led the counter-movement against Kodos, rallying kids and anyone who valued freedom above all else to pick up a weapon and fight back.
When April had arrived with the Enterprise, the whole thing was over except for the mopping up.
"Son, I'm sorry about Sam."
"Yessir...thank you, sir," Jimmy replied politely.
"Jimmy, I just wanted to tell you how proud Sarah and I are of you, for what you did here. Your Mom and Dad would be proud, too."
Jimmy nodded, tired. He didn't want to be reminded about his parents now. He didn't want to be reminded about anybody. So much pain; so much loss. He was going home now, but to where? He had no home. He was still a minor; they'd never let him live alone. He'd be placed in a foster home or something worse. And who'd want him, anyway? It was so obvious that he was cursed, no one would want him within a mile of their home!
In all fairness, Jimmy didn't think that he'd be able to allow anyone to be placed in danger by taking him in.
"Sarah and I want you to come live with us," April said from far away.
The words sank in. What did you say? Jimmy's eyes asked mutely.
"You heard right. Sarah and I want you to come live with us," April repeated.
Jimmy shook his head uncomprehendingly.
"But, Uncle Bob, you and Aunt Sarah live here on the Enterprise. I don't understand."
"Jimmy, I'm a man who believes in paying his debts, and believe me this one's way overdue! Your father was my best friend. Winona and Sarah knew each other since kindergarten. We were Best Man and Maid of Honor at each other's weddings. Sarah and I are your godparents. When George and Win died, we wanted to adopt you then, but your Uncle Jack, a blood relative, had a legitimate claim. And anyway, I had command of the Enterprise...it wouldn't have worked at the time."
April paused, then continued quietly.
"When Jack died, we called Sam and asked him if you could come live with us. After all, he was in college, and you were only ten. But he insisted on taking care of you himself. You know your brother. You Kirk men are all cut from the same cloth. But now, Jimmy, you're only fourteen and you have no other living relatives. So Sarah and I thought--"
"No!" Jimmy said panic-stricken. "No! I can't! Don't you see? If I come live with you, you and Aunt Sarah will die, too! It's all my fault...people who love me keep dying...there's something wrong with me, Uncle Bob. It's like I'm cursed. It's too dangerous for you and Aunt Sarah. No, it's better if I just disappear--!"
"Jimmy, that's nonsense and you know it! There's no such thing as a curse. You've experienced a lot of tragedy in your life, and it may seem as if the universe is against you, but believe me, it's pure coincidence."
April held his godson's eyes.
"Trust me, Jimmy. I promise you--everything is going to be all right."
That's just what Sam said, Jimmy thought despondently.
April continued talking out their future plans. "I've been on the Enterprise now going on ten years. This second five-year mission is almost over. We'll be done in another two months. Just in time for the next Academy class to convene. And I have another surprise for you...I've been on the horn with Admiral Nogura. Starfleet Academy is willing to suspend its age requirements and accept you in next year's class. Think of it, Jimmy! At fourteen, you'll be the youngest cadet ever accepted into the Academy!"
April stood up, signaling the matter was closed.
"Meanwhile, you'll stay with the Noguras until the Enterprise returns to Spacedock. Nogura's been hounding Sarah and me to take a teaching post at the Academy, and we've decided to accept."
At Jimmy's look of protest, April placed an arm around him. "And don't think this is some big sacrifice that we're doing on your account. Sarah and I are long overdue a planet-side assignment, believe me. We've landed on more new planets and made First Contact with more new races than any other Starfleet officer. We'd been talking about a ground assignment long before we received news about Sam. I admit it wasn't an easy decision to come to, but now...well, now I think we're both ready for a little rest."
"This is unacceptable! We have killed his entire family, and young Kirk has still managed to enter Starfleet Academy! At an even younger age than previously...because his mother wasn't around to insist that he wait two years! This means that he'll graduate two years earlier and begin his accursed career that much sooner!"
Kor was screaming in murderous rampage, throwing objects, breaking anything within reach. To make matters worse, Kirk had become the ward of two of the Federation's greatest living legends, the Aprils of Starfleet. And there was nothing Kor could do about it. The Aprils were destined to become Federation diplomats, and on at least two occasions, would side with the Klingon cause during colony world disputes. They could not be killed!
"This mission has been a complete failure, Kel! You have brought dishonor to my household, you miserable dog." Kor took out his disruptor and fired it pointblank at Kel. Kel's scream echoed long after he vaporized.
"No scientist--" Kor spat the word out as something loathsome. "--is going to bring dishonor to the House of Kor! Man your stations--we are going to undo this mess that he's gotten us all into!"
Kor looked across the light years that separated his ship from Kirk's. All of their clandestine work had been reversed. It had taken some work to return to the exact time and place of the original attacks, but in the end, he'd been able to prevent any of them from happening.
The greatest satisfaction came when he beamed down to the Klingon Science Academy, thirty years in the past and personally executed Science student Kel...
"Let that be a lesson to any of you who wish to betray the Empire," Kor said to the shocked students. They'd been too frightened to say or do anything except stare at the ashes that had once been Kel.
Since there had never been an accursed scientist named Kel, Kor thought smugly, there would never be a time-warp mission to kill Kirk's family.
"Ah, Kirk, one day we will meet in glorious battle, but not today. Today, I must regrettably pass up the opportunity to sprinkle your sub-atomic ashes upon the galactic ocean."
Kor smiled inwardly as he saw Kirk's eyes narrow.
"Before I part, however, I wish to indulge in an Earth custom you Humans take such personal interest in." Kirk raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
"And what might that be, Commander Kor?"
"Why, I wish you to pass on my best regards to your mother."
-The End-