Bumpy had been an understatement. When Jim came to he felt like he had had a night of binging Saurian brandy with Bones and was now suffering the consequences. His head pounded, his ears rang, his stomach felt like it was twisted in a knot, and his limbs refused to cooperate. When his vision slowly started to come to he was blinded by the brightness of light around him. He decided to just lay there for a while until he regain his composure. If he had gotten this drunk and couldn't remember the how, when, and why Bones was going to hypo him into oblivion. Again. He sighed and was about to attempt to go back to sleep when he noticed shadowy figures moving around him. The ringing in his ears was slowly being replaced by noises that sounded as if they were submerged.
"-o is this?!" He heard a deep voice shout. There was a muffled response Jim couldn't make out followed by a smack and a thud. One of the shadows in his line of sight fell to the ground. There was more shouting, more muffled voices and bangs, and a shuffling of shadows and dancing lights in front of him. This was too much for his addled brain to handle and just as Jim felt on the cusp of unconsciousness again he was jerked awake by a harsh grasp on his forearms and he was forced to stand. His head lolled down as his neck couldn't yet find the strength to support its weight.
"What is your name?!" The deep voice shouted. Jim winced against the noise and leaned away with a grunt. His neck snapped back as a sharp pain struck the side of his face. Having had some sense knocked back into him he blinked rapidly before settling on a glare at the one who hit him. Definitely not human… he thought as his vision cleared, the word Xenarthra echoed in his head in Spock's voice. Humanoid of some type but skin dark and more like an armadillo's scales, no hair, a hooked almost beak-like nose and jagged teeth. He was shouting commands at some surrounding humanoids in a language Jim couldn't understand and the universal translator failed to recognize as it kept pinging at him. Yet this thing knew Standard somehow. The poor recipients of beings verbal assault scurried away in fear. Suddenly the commanding humanoid grabbed Jim's face and drug it close to his own.
"You will answer me." He sneered, "Who are you? How did you transport here?"
"Not a very nice way to say hi." Jim slurred and he realized his mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. This earned him another smack to the face.
"If you do not have a name then you are of no use to me." The being looked at the ones holding Jim, "Take him to the execution chamber."
"Wait! I'm James Tiberius Kirk, Captain of the USS Enterprise!" Jim shouted as the humanoids holding him had begun to drag him away. The commanding one held a hand up to stop the other two. He stood silent for several moments before slowly turning to face Jim, his eyes wide and filled with disbelief. Jim silently wondered if he made the right choice by divulging his identity. But if this was Vesul then he was supposed to be here anyway and he hoped this was just a big misunderstanding.
"Impossible…" It muttered.
"Heh, you can check my credentials if you want but I'm telling the truth. If you execute me then you'll have to answer to my crew." He smirked. The humanoid stormed over to Jim and grabbed him by his hair to turn his head this way and that as he scrutinized every inch of Jim's face.
"How?!" It roared and Jim tried to lean away.
"Uh, transporter? Now don't get so hasty with the questions just yet. I've told you my name but you haven't told me yours. Not sure if that's how things are done here but in my culture that's considered rude."
The humanoid paused before barking out a laugh as he leaned back and observed the human, "General Horvath."
"Nice to meet you." Jim flashed his trademark grin and the General returned it before looking at the beings restraining Jim.
"Remove any possessions he might have on him and take him to the cells."
Jim huddled on his makeshift cot which was more like a plank of wood with a thin blanket. He guessed that he must have been in this prison for a few days at this point based on how many times the lights were turned off or on, which seemed to coincide with some type of night and day cycle. Or he guessed as much at least. He was unconscious more often than not and that made it hard to track time accurately. He shifted to find a more comfortable position but hissed when one of his bruised bones serred in protest to movement.
When he wasn't asleep in his cell, or being force fed questionable alien food that made his stomach churn, he was dragged to a locked room for interrogation with Horvath and any resistance on his part was countered with painful repercussions. The questions he was asked made little to no sense to him and his explanations regarding his transport to the planet for peaceful negotiations fell on deaf ears.
Horvath confirmed he was on Vesul but gave away little information other than that. He wasn't aware of any military system the Vesulian government had as reports stated they were a primarily peaceful species with a small security force who employed non-violent practices. If they did need extra security they hired protection from another alien species but there was even less information no them. He was fairly certain the guards, and General Horvath, were Vesulian and not the other species.
Other prisoners were dispersed in the cells around his own but since each room was closed off with metal and stone he rarely saw them. Only a small window in the door provided any insight into the hall outside. He once caught a glimpse of an Andorian and a Tellarite as he was escorted to the interrogation room along with a few species he didn't recognize but he didn't see any other Humans. This only made him worry more about the fate of the men who beamed down before he did.
What of his ship then? His crew? No doubt Spock would send a search party to look for them but as far as he could tell it's been a few days with no sign of a rescue team. His communicator was gone so they couldn't lock onto him for transport or comm him. He hoped at least the security team was found and extracted. If he wasn't found then it wouldn't bother him so long as his crew and ship were safe and sound.
His stomach suddenly fell out from under him as he recognized the click of the door being unlocked. Looks like Horvath was ready for another round.
He soon found himself dragged to the interrogation room however, when he was shoved into the all too familiar uncomfortable metal chair this time only Horvath stood behind the metal desk in front of him as opposed to the standard two guards who would always flank his sides. A strange alien, the likes of which he wasn't familiar with, stood in a dark corner just staring at him. This sudden change unsettled him and something at the back of his mind was raising a little red flag.
"Who are you?" The General asked as was per the usual start of their interrogations.
"James T. Kirk, Captain of the USS Enterprise of the United Federation of Planets." Jim repeated for what he considered the umpteenth time over the past few days.
"United Federation of Planets…" General Horvath mocked, "Is that what the rebellion is calling themselves now? A bunch of murders and criminals pretending to be a united organization? That is indeed humourous."
"I don't know what rebellion you're talking about and the Federation is a peaceful organization. We seek out new worlds to establish alliances to share knowledge and resources." Jim's voice completely monotone. This was just another script performance of their repeated conversations.
"Right." Sarcasm practically oozed off of the General "Now, how did you achieve the transport into the penitentiary?"
"Wasn't exactly intentional...When my ship arrived at Vesul I was supposed to beam down for a scheduled appointment with the High Councilman, which mind you was a mutual agreement by Vesul and the Federation. This isn't exactly what I was told to expect when I beamed down. Moreover where are the three crewman who beamed down before I did?"
His question was ignored. "Our people have no peaceful negotiations with you. This Federation you speak of is obviously the rebel movement against the Empire. Where are your forces hiding?"
"For the last time I have no idea what rebel movement you're talking about! We are not rebels! And what Empire? Are you with the Klingons?" Jim demanded and at this Horvath laughed. God how he wished he could punch that stupid, ugly, scaly face into oblivion.
"Klingons...It is good you have still have humor in you, Kirk. I will ask nicely again as a courtesy….Where are your forces hiding on Vesul?"
Jim hesitated, not sure if he should reveal the Enterprise which might still be in orbit, "What forces? Where are the three men, three Humans, who beamed down before me?!"
"There were no other transports before you, our engineers were repairing our transporter when you beamed in. You are our only Terran rebel in custody. We have other rebels but they are not Terran." Horvath answered. Jim was bit surprised by his answer. Horvath usually refused to answer any of his questions over the past few interrogations, opting instead to scream at him, throw him around, or demand more answers for questions he had no answers to. "They must be hiding on world somewhere. Did you come to attempt to rescue them?"
"I already told you I was sent by the Federation for negotiations! I don't know about any rebels!"
Horvath sighed and looked at the alien in the corner who nodded, "I read his mind as requested, Sir, he is telling the truth. His mind revealed he was transported from the Enterprise in orbit around Vesul. However, our scanners have no recent recordings of unauthorized ships in orbit and the Enterprise we know of is docked at Thyophora. He has no knowledge of the rebellion or the Empire."
Jim's heart leapt into his throat and he stared at the being. General Horvath looked genuinely shocked before letting out a deep, guttural growl and storming out of the room. The other being follow him and two guards entered immediately after to escort Jim back to his cell. He barely registered the usual noises from the his neighbor's cells as he was dragged through the hall, his mind echoing the words of the alien on repeat: The Enterprise we know of is docked at Thyophora.
Two days past after that and Jim couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't being taken for his daily interrogations. Not that he missed them but the change in scheduled was concerning. He constantly worried for his ship and crew and feared the telepathic intrusion in his mind put them in jeopardy. The telepaths comments on the ship being docked only made the sinking pit in his stomach grow further. Why would the ship be docked? If so where was the crew and where the hell is Thyophora?
Spock….Surely Spock would get the crew to safety, right? Or die trying. That thought turned his blood to ice and he curled in on himself as he lay on his cot. McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Checkov, Sulu, everyone...His crew, his ship, was likely in danger and he was stuck in a god forsaken cell and there was nothing he could do about it. It ate at him for two days. He swore if he got out alive, if even one crewman was hurt, and if this was some kind of misunderstanding he'd let the Councilman know how he feels about how things are done here and damn the consequences.
He was broken out of his train of thought as familiar tread of footsteps echo throughout the hall outside his cell. With a sigh he folded his arms over his chest and rolled over so his back was to the door. He heard the click of the metal door being unlocked again before it swung open with the piercing screech of rusted hinges. Jim didn't move as he fully anticipated being dragged out again for another round of yelling and beating. Or maybe just another plunge into his brain again seeing as everyone and their mother loved to get in his head.
"Mr. Kirk?" A voice asked. He frowned, this voice was different than his usual guards, softer. He turned to look over his shoulder.
Instead of the heavily armored armadillos that he was accustomed to in the doorway stood two aliens just like the telepathic one from the interrogation room. They were tall creatures with long, thin arms, and their hands had only four fingers. They had elongated heads and two fleshy swirls on either side of their heads that reminded him of a ram. Their eyes were exceptionally large and multi colored with small pupils. Their noses were no more than a slight bump with a horizontal slit underneath that opened and closed as they breathed, not unlike common Earth rabbits, and they had plump purple lips.
"Can I help you…?" He asked cautiously.
"You may come with us to bathe and a obtain a new set of clothing." One of them answered.
Jim blinked and glanced down at his tattered clothes which held blood and dirt stains. He definitely needed it but he didn't trust these aliens, or more so Horvath and anyone associated with him. "If I refuse?"
"Should you refuse to come willingly then you will be tranquilized to be cleaned and clothed by our staff." One answered. Jim grimaced. As much as he did not want to cooperate with these beings the idea of being tranquilized and manhandled by them was less appealing. He stood slowly as he forced his aching legs to support his weight before following the beings out of the room. Once in the hall he noted that two Vesul guards had been standing outside to help with the escort. He grumbled incoherent curses to himself as he was lead down the corridors and to a rather unsanitary looking bathing room.
Once he finished his uncomfortably supervised shower he was given a pair of clothing that looked, and smelled, used. They were a little dirty but not as bad as his previous clothes so he slipped into the simple black pants, boots, dark green shirt, and bulky dark brown bomber-like jacket. He was surprised to find they fit almost perfectly and he was suddenly concerned where, or who, the clothes came from.
Not two minutes after he was cleaned and dressed two guards grabbed him and nearly dragged him back through the dingy halls. He was lead up to a series of staircases, each flight having to pass through sets of heavily locked doors, and about three floors up shoved through another set of double doors which yielded to a brightly lit hall. This area was a stark contrast from the prison halls as it was lit via large windows and ornately decorated with alien murals and tapestries.
Several more halls and secure doorways later he was shoved into an office-like room which was lavishly decorated with high windows on the opposing wall. At the end in front of the windows sat a massive desk made from a wood Jim couldn't recognize as it seemed dark brown but glittered slightly with multiple colors. Papers written in a language he didn't know covered the desk in a disorganized fashion along with odd looking writing implements, or that's what he assumed they were. Behind the desk sat a rotund Vesulian dressed in ornate robes, his hands tented in front of him as his elbows rested on the cushy arms of his chair. The General was standing beside him with a sly grin on his features.
"Captain Kirk." The chubby one greeted. "I am Councillor Draal." Jim's eyes widened in surprise.
"Finally. Nice to meet you, Councillor. Pardon my language but this has been a hell of a greeting. I assumed we were on peaceful terms when we were scheduled to meet." Jim said a bit impatiently and finding little care for diplomacy right now. At this the Councillor raised an eyebrow, or more like an armored scale where eyebrows should have been.
"Captain...I'm afraid I am not certain what you are talking about and I fear there is a bit of confusion."
"No shit…"
"You see, our telepath, the Mirrarian, was able to confirm you are in fact telling the truth though we're not sure how. She theorized you are not the Kirk we knew and right now possess no useful information which pertains to our benefit. Though regardless of who you really are your presence presents us with a unique opportunity we did not previously have."
"This hasn't cleared anything up for me." Jim grumbled.
"That is not important. You have been brought here to be read your sentencing for your crimes."
"Crimes?! What crimes? I haven't done anything!" Jim protested, That I know of...
"Well, maybe not you but your counterpart certainly did and your appearance and public execution should work wonders to settle the little, uh, uprisings in our fair cities. Ahaha."
"Execution?!"
"The announcement was already made to yesterday and it has been quite a turnout. Your name carries a lot of weight, doesn't it?" The Councillor gave an ugly pointy grin.
"We were unable to hold such an event for your counterpart to help us in this war but you'll suffice." The General added.
"This- What?! What counterpart I don't understand! What crime did I-he-whoever commit that warrants execution?" Jim demanded as he began to struggled against the guards restraining him.
"James T. Kirk, for your crimes against the Empire you are scheduled to be publicly executed in one hour. Take him away." The Councillor announced and as commanded the guards began to drag the thrashing and shouting man out of the room. The doors slammed shut and the sound of the man's struggles and protests gradually faded. Once gone the General turned to the Councillor
"Sir." The General started.
"What is it now, Horvath?"
"Do you think it wise to execute Kirk now? He might have information the Mirrarian did not see. If not that than he is infinitely more valuable to use against the rebels."
"I don't care!" The Councillor hissed and slammed his hands on the table, "He will pay for disgracing me in the eyes of the Empire and getting me demoted to this wretched cesspool! This time the Empire cannot 'claim' him and make him disappear as if he were never here. I don't want to hear protests, Horvath! You are only here to obey my orders. Once Kirk is executed in public we can play up the propaganda to improve our image! The rebels on this rotting rock will be forced out of hiding to be executed and support for the Empire will grow. Once the Empire sees the work I've done to improve this planet and the alliances I will gained as a result them they will restore my honor!"
The General sneered, his hands clasped tightly behind his back as he grumbled, "Yes, Sir."
