Sunlit Lands

"Many sink down to the underworld

- And few return to the sunlit lands."

C.S Lewis "The Silver Chair"

1. Many Sink down to the Underworld.

"Bridge to Captain Spock"

"Spock here, what news?"

"We've located him Captain, a precise location this time – District Nineteen on Priapus Twelve in the Magdalene Sector. We can be there in twenty five hours –"

"Warp factor nine Mr Sulu, halve that ETA if you can."

"Captain, warp factor nine is pushing our capabilities for that distance –"

"Warp factor nine Mr Sulu, Spock out."

Spock closes the communicator and turns to McCoy, visibly relieved and yet sickened all at once, opening his mouth to speak but unable to find the words.

"It's Jim isn't it?"

"Yes doctor. We have located him."

"Thank god. So why the long face?"

"He is on Priapus twelve."

McCoy's face registers this and falls –

"Which means –"

"Indeed" Spock interjects sharply, not wanting to hear aloud what they both already know – "Hence the need to increase our pace. It has been too long already –"

"Twenty one days –"

"Seven hours and sixteen minutes" nods Spock – "Too much may already have happened."

"But – damn it Spock –" says McCoy, not wanting to bring up something they would never normally acknowledge, but which he needs to know now – "You two are – I mean – surey you know if Jim is alright?"

"He is not" Spock replies flatly – "But I fear that is not the worst –"

"Spock, you're not making any sense! Jim's not alright and that's not the worst thing?"

"Doctor, I will not share information that will only emotionally compromise my chief Medical Officer – the last – communication I received indicated that things were very much not alright – however that communication was now over eleven days ago –"

"What does that mean though Spock? I mean – we know that Jim's not dead –"

"Indeed. It means that something has happened to block his thoughts from me and I am uncertain as to whether or not my own are getting through and that –"

"-That can't be good."

"It cannot. But doctor, we cannot speak of this to the crew at this stage. They know only what they have observed so far."

"Spock, when are you going to get it through your thick head that I'm a doctor and I don't betray a confidence?"

"Forgive me doctor – I am not – I am not functioning at a hundred percent. "

"Well, I guess I'd be worried if you were." He puts a hand on Spock's arm and Spock hears him think –

-I'm not just worried about Jim, I'm worried about you.

He blocks back any reply he could give to this, either out loud or silently, managing only a –

Forgive me – I cannot –

- That, as it is, betrays more despair, even brokenness, than he would have wished.

"Doctor, I must go. If anyone needs me I shall be in my quarters" he says stiffly, leaving med bay quickly, before he can give anything more away.

_x_

Back in his room Spock leans his head back on the door, staring blankly at the ceiling, clenching his fists so tight that the nails did into his palms. He already has red crescents cut n them from doing this so much lately. It is the very least of his concerns.

Jim – he thinks, crying it out for the millionth time – Jim, where are you?

He pushes it out as hard as he can but the thought does not connect. The threads of their bond are not broken but flapping loosely, unable to meet. It is the worst pain he has felt yet; worse even than the physical separation. Only the knowledge that Jim is still alive keeps him even half way functioning as Captain of the Enterprise. Strange and illogical that now, when an end might be in sight, he feels the despair so heavily –

- Failed you. I failed you. Jim, my Jim – forgive me –

_x_

They had been on Narcissus Eight, a class M planet in the Cerberus system. Assured that the natives were not a threat they had been utterly unprepared to find themselves suddenly surrounded by slavers from another star system, trawling these planets for fresh trade.

Kirk had broken off from them and so, originally, it had been Spock and McCoy who were captured, surrounded by at least half a dozen men with guns. Forced to surrender their phasers and communicators they had been left trying to convince the men that they did not want to do this to federation officers, but as the traders were already operating illegally this argument was failing. True to form Kirk had then rushed in with a great deal of bravery and very little forward planning, aiming a phaser right at the man in charge but getting two guns turned onto him immediately.

"Okay –" Kirk said slowly, thinking it through only too late – "I see how this works – I could shoot you and then you guys shoot me – whereupon my friends fight you to avenge me and everyone dies – trust me, that one –" he indicated McCoy, half smirking – "He's dangerous when I die. Or –" he paused for emphasis and to let them think about it – "You can let them go – and take me instead."

The man in charge looked slowly over Spock and McCoy, then turned around to look Kirk up and down steadily. He had smirked in a way Spock did not like at all and then nodded –

"I'll take that" he had said – "And I'll take your weapon." Kirk had taken out his communicator and handed over his phaser at the same time and the man had kept his gun trained on Kirk as he messaged the ship –

"Try anything and we take the everyone dies scenario."

Kirk nodded, very faintly and Spock could feel him actually becoming more relieved, just knowing that he was saving the two of them. At the same time he had felt his own heart plummet and could hear McCoy yelling –

"Jim no – don't do this!" But he could already feel Kirk's unbreakable resolve.

"Kirk to Enterprise. Two to beam up –" and his captor took the comm and ground it straight away beneath his heel.

Spock – Kirk thought, only half on purpose, as the beam started to take them – Spock I love you – both of you – tell McCoy –

They beamed up and once back in the transporter room Spock turned to Scotty quickly –

"Mr Scott, beam us straight back down"

The urgency in his voice must have been plain because Scotty had instantly indicated two nearby ensigns to join them and beamed them all back down to the same spot. When they got there everyone was already gone.

"DAMN IT!" McCoy had roared.

"They – must have beamed back to their ship seconds after we did" Spock had said stiffly. They had returned to The Enterprise and run to the Bridge where they had briefed the crew and given immediate chase on the slaver ship, Spock assuming acting Captaincy and McCoy hanging nervously behind him –

"Do you suppose he has anything else up his sleeve?"

"The Captain has no further plans" Spock replied, more than usually tonelessly, to hide his mounting panic.

"How can you be so sure?"

Spock looked up at him and put a hand on his arm, not about to say this out loud –

He told me. He told me as we were going –

- I didn't hear him –

We do not need contact for this. We have not for some time. Nevertheless. He told me to say that he loves you.

Spock felt McCoy's heart sink as this registered – Kirk would no more have said this to him than he would to an actual brother, and he meant it in very much the same way –

Dear god, he really doesn't expect to get out of this alive.

- Indeed.

And so the chase, the search, began.

_x_

So, I know the whole Kirk- gets- abducted- and-turned-into-a–sex-slave scenario has been done loads before, but this is going to be quite a bit different from the usual version of that story. It IS gonna get very graphic and horrible in later chapter, I'll say that now, though I do always get a happy end in I promise!

Also just a side note – Yes, Kirk told Bones he loves him but this is not McKirk –, It is Spirk. I very much believe that Kirk loves Bones, indeed that all three of them love each other dearly, just not like that, except for Spirk….if that makes sense! :-)

Chapter 2 is when all the bad stuff starts happening. Coming soon!