Klingon Empire's Newest Hero: Fleet Captain James T Kirk
by Starsinger
A funny thing happened on the way to Khitomer… Don't own them. Oh, I'm not even going to try and attempt Klingon.
The war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire did happen, just as Admiral Marcus predicted. Two years after the USS Enterprise finished her five year mission, the Klingon Empire declared war. It was mostly over a shared territory, and the Neutral Zone. It also had to do with Jim Kirk. Evidence had come to light that he had, in fact, attacked Qo'noS, and been partially responsible for the many deaths that occurred there. Starfleet wouldn't give him up, and never told Jim that.
Jim met up with the USS Joshua and the rest of the fleet, and soon realized just how well the Joshua's technology could be utilized to command the fleet in battle, but the Enterprise was still home. Finally, one day, a momentous event occurred. Praxis, the main source of dilithium crystals for the Klingon Empire, and one of Qo'noS' moons, exploded. The shockwave knocked sixteen Starfleet ship's out of warp, including the USS Excelsior and the USS Gagarin who were travelling together. The Gagarin was still one of two ships in Starfleet with permission to cross into Klingon territory. The Excelsior headed for Earth, the Gagarin for Qo'noS.
The Joshua left Kirk with the Enterprise after word came from the Gagarin that they needed environmental specialists from Vulcan. The Joshua picked up those specialists and headed for Qo'nos, joining their sister ship. The war ground to a halt as the Federation breathlessly awaited the verdict. It was swift. The exploding moon had altered both the planet's orbit and axial tilt. The direct result was a nuclear winter that would last for years. The indirect result: Qo'noS would be uninhabitable in eighty years. There was nothing anyone could do except evacuate the population.
A nervous peace ensued. The Joshua and Gagarin made frequent trips until finally, the Klingon Chancellor, Azetbur, agreed to a conference. That she even agreed to it made the Federation sigh in relief, and hope that this conflict would soon be over. Both ships and several Klingon Vessels exited the Neutral Zone, but no one, save those on board, knew which the Chancellor was on as they all headed for Khitomer. Khitomer was a planet along the Neutral Zone mostly inhabited by Klingons. Humans also had come to live there as well as other species from both sides of the Neutral Zone, and they had all come to do so in peace, so it seemed the perfect place for talks.
It was also the perfect place for murder. The Enterprise heard from a source inside the Romulan Empire that a prototype warbird had been developed that could fire without decloaking. Knowing both the Joshua and the Gagarin would not be equipped to deal with this kind of threat, the Excelsior and the Enterprise raced for Khitomer to prevent the massacre that was sure to ensue. They got there in time to head off the unknown warbird. It seemed like hours before Scotty, who knew ships like the back of his hand, had the idea to look for the ship's exhaust. Wounded, both ships kept firing randomly before Scotty finally found the exhaust he was looking for and fed both weapons specialists on both ships the coordinates. The ships fired, hitting their target and destroying the ship.
Jim and his crew beamed down outside the conference area and hurriedly moved in. They feared that someone would try to assassinate the Federation President and the Klingon Chancellor. They moved into the room and Spock and Kirk noticed the glint from a rifle on the balcony simultaneously. Spock ran for the stairs while Kirk sprinted for the podium. He moved so fast that no one could stop him as he flung himself at Azetbur. The Chancellor heard the whine of the rifle and being forced down by a strong human body. She glanced around and realized that she wasn't hurt before she started pushing at the form above her. He didn't move. She looked around as several Klingons hauled Kirk off her and she stared at him, his gold shirt rapidly turning red. She suddenly realized that he took the shot meant for her and that was his blood. "Lay him down, gently," she ordered.
Reflexively, they nearly dropped him as they suddenly realized they held the criminal known as Captain Kirk. Azetbur eased him to the ground as she realized he was gasping for air. She pulled off her cloak and pressed it to his chest, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. She looked up to see another man, McCoy she realized, kneeling down beside them. "Jim," he said to the man, "you've taken a bad hit. It barely missed your heart. I need to get you outside to beam to the ship." They heard a loud thump and realized that the assassin had fallen out of the balcony. "I need a gurney, I don't want to move him, but we can't beam out of this building, and the only place I can help him is on the Enterprise."
Azetbur stared at him suddenly realizing how critically injured Kirk was. She slipped her arms underneath the captain, and with an amazing show of strength, picked him up and ran for the exit. McCoy took off after her along with half the remaining people in the hall. They reached the outside and McCoy pulled out his communicator, "McCoy to Enterprise, three to beam up. I need Chapel to meet us in the transporter room with a gurney and M'Benga to set up an emergency surgery room for the Captain. Energize."
McCoy smiled in relief as he saw Chapel and an orderly waiting for them. He realized that the Chancellor had the Captain cradled in her arms. "Ma'am," he said politely, pointing at the gurney.
Azetbur laid the Captain down very gently, "He really is very pretty, isn't he?" she murmured. The captain was rushed out of her reach and she stared after him.
"Ma'am," a very polite transporter chief addressed her. "Would you like to go back to the planet?
Azetbur was startled out of her reverie, "Could you take me to wherever they treat the injured here? I'd like to stay and see if he'll be alright." The chief nodded at a security officer who guided her out of the room and to Sickbay. She was surprised when a nurse handed her her bloody cloak. She stared at it before requesting communications with her people, "Kiraz, what is the mood down there?"
"Uh, well, half of the Warriors want to set off on a quest to send Kirk's soul to Sto'Vo'Kor, and the other half are negotiating with the Federation for peace," her advisor told her. She winced. "Is he dead?"
"No, he's not. He's in surgery now. Let his crew know what's going on, it's not good," she heard his speaking to someone.
"Some of them are returning to the Enterprise, the others are staying," Azetbur nodded. The nurse showed her to a chair as she sat. Others joined her: Uhura, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, and finally Spock came in and sat down. The surgery lasted hours as more people from more ships came in. Finally, Kris McDaniel showed up and sat down to speak quietly to Azetbur.
"You need to talk to them. I'm not entirely sure that a Sto'Vo'Kor quest is a good idea right now. I mean, Kirk is still, technically, a wanted criminal," Kris murmured.
"Excuse me," Sulu said. "What is Sto'Vo'Kor?"
"Uh, it's the Klingon equivalent of Valhalla," Kris replied.
"They're not going to kill him to get him there?" Uhura blurted out.
Kris shook her head as Azetbur explained, "Sto'Vo'Kor is the place where warriors who died in battle go. If a warrior does not die in battle, a group of those closest to them can go on a glorious quest to ensure their entry into Sto'Vo'Kor."
"So, they don't want to kill him anymore?" Spock asked.
"Well, no, in fact I'm going to have to rescind his death sentence now. Can't have the newest hero of the Klingon Empire chased down and killed by Klingons," she said with a laugh.
They all stood as McCoy and M'Benga exited surgery, Jim was wheeled out and into Intensive Care. He was on a ventilator. "The shot took him in the chest near the heart. His left lung is damaged, and he'll be on the vent for a while. Truth is, I don't know if he'll live. He's tough though, I believe he'll pull through."
Azetbur nodded, "I guess I'd best go address my people." She turned to Spock, "May I do it here?" Spock nodded, understanding her need to show them the honor of the Federation. The camera soon panned on her as she stood at Kirk's bedside as it showed both as Azetbur started to speak in Klingon. "My people, today a man reviled among our people showed us that true honor resides in the hearts of others. He saved my life from an assassin." They watched as she reached out and touched Jim's hair. His chest rose and fell in time with the machine at his side. "He raced through the meeting place and placed himself in front of me taking a shot that would have killed me."
Azetbur took a deep steadying breath, she picked up her blood soaked cloak and showed it to the camera, "This is human blood, his blood. I rescind the order of death on one James Tiberius Kirk, and name him a hero. He, and his crew, are welcome on Qo'noS at any time. I realize many of you have plans to send him to Sto'Vo'Kor, I ask that you hold off at this time, and hope that he recovers so he may be received and honored as his actions and deeds deserve."
There's more to this story, and, frankly, this is a stream of consciousness story to get some writing done. Any reviews would be helpful, if this sounds a bit like the Undiscovered Country, well, it probably should. I liked that movie, it was a good one.
