Hamartia
'the fault or error that entails the destruction of the tragic hero'
This is a collabrative fic between Pathopoeia and princesspandapui, please check out both our profiles for more Star Trek fics. We hope you enjoy, and please review!
Chapter One
It was a miracle that Jim Kirk and Franklin Jones were enlisted, let alone enlisted together on the ship. It wasn't that they were bad sailors; they were both excellent at cleaning the decking and working the riggings, however Jim wasn't so good with a sword and Franklin got seasickness if the waves were too rough. They were beyond excited though and spent the night in each other's arms, celebrating the fact that their relationship wasn't now going to be taxed by distance.
Their assigned ship was The Duchess. It was the jewel of the Royal Navy; one of the swiftest ships on the sea with forty-two guns and a crew of twenty-five and they were leaving on it first things tomorrow morning. Jim and Franklin would be part of a team whose mission it was explore the seven seas and seek out new islands and countries. It was an incredible opportunity. Four years aboard a Navy ship and Jim and Franklin could ascend the ranks to become officers or captains.
The sun wasn't fully up when they reached the docks the next morning. Its golden pink light danced on the water, which stretched for miles and miles, full of promised lands and adventure. Franklin's parents came to see them off – Jim hadn't spoken to his mum or step-dad in years and he wanted to keep it that way – and they stood huddled in the crowd that had gathered to watch the impressive Navy cast off.
Jim and Franklin stood with their crew, dressed in their uniforms of crisp white and dark blue with matching sailor hats, as Captain Samuel Harvard marched up to the helm. And then they were off. As the ship made its way out of the docks the crowd cheered and waved, and Jim looked at Franklin with a grin before winking. Their adventure had started, the world lay ahead of them, and they had each other to hold at night. Everything was finally perfect in Jim's life and there was nothing that could dampen his spirits now.
They would be patrolling a particularly dangerous part of the North Pacific, where seven ships had disappeared without a trace in the last four months. Stories were emerging amongst the common folk of a mysterious pirate captain who wasn't human...
Jim found these tales more amusing than anything else, but he wasn't foolish enough to believe these rumours had sprung up out of thin air. While it was impossible that it was some supernatural pirate captain, something had destroyed those ships and the good men serving on her. Jim stood on the deck of the Duchess and breathed in the salty air. It was time to sail.
For the first few days Captain Harvard worked the new crewmen hard, keeping them so busy they practically passed out with exhaustion at the end of the day. Jim and Franklin hardly got any time together, but they found they didn't mind so much. It was beyond glorious having the sea breeze in your hair, and the first mate seemed to have taken a liking to them. Her name was Penelope DuLance and she was a stunningly beautiful woman at whom the crew couldn't help staring at. Perhaps it was because Jim and Franklin were together that she liked them.
It seemed forever before Jim and Franklin could finally be alone together, and they celebrated all the hard work they had done for the Royal Navy by cuddling up together on one hammock. Jim closed his eyes happily and listened to the sound of water lapping against the side of the ship. He felt Franklin heave a little and looked up at him with a small smile.
"Poor baby." Jim kissed his cheek. "You'll get used to it.
Franklin closed his eyes. "I bloody hope so. It's not so bad when I'm working, but lying still like this..."
"Maybe I can help?" Jim trailed his hand down to the man's stomach, but Franklin stopped him.
"There are other people about Jim. Not right now."
Jim sighed and pouted, but kept his hands to himself. He actually found the rocking ship comforting, especially with them being in a hammock. He was grateful for them being so hard at work, because it meant it didn't take Franklin too long to sleep, and Jim always liked to wait for him to drop off before sleeping himself. It was something he had always done ever since their first night together three years ago. Jim smiled gently to himself and planted a gentle kiss on Franklin's cheek.
The ship creaked gently on the waves, and the air smelt salty and fresh. With his thoughts on the man in his arms, Jim let the sounds of the ship pull him into sleep.
X
The next day the air was thick and still, and after only an hour up in the riggings, Jim was dripping in sweat. The salty spray barely cooled him down, and Jim did not envy Franklin who was down in the hold. With no wind in sight, they had to rely on their oars and rowing was hard, grueling work. Jim knew that Franklin was going to be in a foul mood later. He loosened part of the rigging, closing his eyes in relief as a burst of sea water cooled his back. The entire crew was on edge, tension clear in the lines of their weather-worn faces. There should be wind, there should be waves. Stories of the vanishing ships were making their way from the cabin boys to the senior officers, and even though they all laughed in the face of superstition, Jim had caught more than one officer pressing a good luck charm to their lips as they headed further and further into the pacific.
It wasn't until that night did Jim properly hear the stories. The day had been taxing and everyone was exhausted, and to keep up morale the captain had agreed to passing round a few bottles of cheap rum. It tasted foul but it did the job, and as someone played a fiddle, the crew all sat on the deck chatting and singing and fighting. Finally there was a breeze enough to carry the along, and even though the night was cold, nobody seemed to care.
Jim sat in Franklin's arms, leaning backwards against his chest, enjoying the sound of the fiddle and the orange he was slowly eating.
"Which port do you think we'll make first?" He asked, taking a big swig of the rum as it passed by them again.
Beside them, the cook Gregory gave a barking laugh. "If we even make it to port!"
"Oh to hell with those stories!" Hansel called from across the music, and the fiddle played ceased his song.
"They're true, I tell you!" Gregory snapped back. "I've heard it all over the shipyards."
Jim leant forwards, pulling a face as he took a slurp of rum and passed the bottle on. He grinned.
"Go on then. Tell us your ghost stories, I'm not scared."
The others joined in at this challenge, and eventually Gregory gave in, claiming a whole bottle of rum for himself in payment. Jim raised an eyebrow as Gregory started the story in a low throaty voice.
"Legend tells of many a monster in these seas. The sirens who have the faces of those you love, then drown you when you jump overboard to reach them. There are whirlpools with teeth that will crush a ship whole, monsters that pluck sailors from the deck of their ships and rip them into pieces. But nay, that isn't what is taking our ships. Tales tell of a pirate Captain who isn't human, who has unbeatable strength and can read your thoughts." He pressed a shaking finger to his forehead, "he can reach inside your mind and tear it out bit by bit, aye, he can see every fear and every nightmare and make them seem real."
"And what, he's been eating navy ships?" Jim asked with a chuckle. Gregory shot him an angry glare.
"You laugh all you like laddie. No, this Captain has a beast of the sea at his command...the Kraken. No ship has faced it and lived, aye its life is tied to the sea itself so it can never die. An immortal creature under the power of an inhuman pirate."
There was silence at the end of his sentence, followed by groans as they realised the wind had dropped again. The deathly still of the water set Jim's teeth on edge but he blamed it on the rum and the damn stories. He got to his feet and stretched.
"Well, this has been really interesting but your bedtime stories have got me all sleepy. I'll see you later." He gave Franklin's hand a private squeeze as he headed for his hammock. The next lot of sailors made their way to the oars, and as Gregory's story echoed in Jim's head once more, he couldn't shake the feeling that all those myths had to come from somewhere.
X
When Jim woke up, he was still alone. There was no sign of Franklin, and the air was freezing cold, goosebumps erupting on the flesh of his arms. Jim got up just as an unearthly howl echoed from outside. He pulled on his boots hastily, his heart in his throat as he ran towards the stairs to the upper deck.
What met him was a sight from hell. The deck eerily silent and yet strewn with bodies, blood staining the wood, and from below what was left of the crew were now running up with swords. Jim's knees gave way beneath him and he shuffled backwards until he was hiding amid some barrels. All about them the water was beginning to churn and Jim was sure it was growling too and the ship was being rocked this side to that, the riggings and the sails getting caught up in each other until everything was a mess.
It wasn't until Franklin found him could he move again. His boyfriend grabbed hold of his hand and gave him a comforting smile and pulled him to his feet, but Jim couldn't tear his eyes away from the blood that soaking Franklin's clothes.
"Is that yours?" He almost screamed, "What's going on?"
Franklin held his hand to his side, and blood welled between his fingers. His face was pale and contorted with pain.
"Jim, thank god I thought it had got you. It was fine, everything was fine until one of the officers found a body...and then more just kept coming and then-"
There was another shriek that made the wood of the ship tremble. Jim clapped his hands over his ears and pulled Franklin to the floor.
It was then that the screaming started.
A barbed tentacle that was thicker than the bloody mast smashed into the side of the ship, sending splinters of wood raining down and several men overboard. One officer was impaled on one of the spines, choking black blood out of his mouth.
"Holy fucking shit." Jim pulled Franklin back to his feet and ducked under what was the remains of one of the masts. "Where's the Captain?"
Franklin shook his head helplessly, a small trail of blood leaking from the corner of his lips. A sudden fear gripped Jim's chest so hard he almost couldn't breathe.
"Look at me, look at me we are going to be fin-"
Another tentacle cracked down only meters away and Jim was flung backwards. He reached for Franklin's blood slicked hand, and their fingers touched for a moment before they were torn apart. Jim hit the main mast front-first, and let out a howl of pain as a fractured piece of wood embedded itself through his shoulder. He couldn't see Franklin. Men were jabbing at the tentacles with swords and the marksmen had retrieved their rifles, but it was useless. Jim pulled himself upright, gasping as white-hot pain rocketed through him. There was a piece of wood as long as his forearm and round as a doubloon in his shoulder, and thick blood was beginning to seep down his shirt.
"Franklin?" he yelled hoarsely, ducking the tentacle that began wrapping itself around the main mast. "FRANKLIN!"
Jim didn't know how he managed to find him in the sea of bodies littering the deck, but he did. Franklin reached him, his clothes now dark with blood.
"Jim." he said. He grabbed Jim as though he were going to kiss him, but instead he shoved with all his might, sending Jim tripping backwards over the side of the ship and plunging into the dark water churning beneath.