A/N—Petra and Komodo13—thank you both so much for the reviews! I was very glad to see that there was some interest in this story, and I do appreciate you both so much. Shout-out to capt-saru on Tumblr for a reblog and mention of this story, as well! I will try for a weekly update, and hope Sunday afternoons works for everyone.

~R

Episode 4 The Butcher's Knife Cares Not For The Lamb's Cry

Original Series Episode written by Jesse Alexander and Aron Eli Coleite

Chapter 2—Twenty-Four Hours

Original characters, scenes, and background by Riene

He'd spent a fairly restless night, despite the comfort of his quarters. The tingling at the base of his brain prevented him from dropping off, and finally Saru had risen, scanning the ship, the surrounding space, and even running a quick physical exam upon himself to find the source of his unease.

Nothing showed up.

Nothing until the next morning.

Battle drills were scheduled first thing during Alpha shift, and the Captain had told him to come in an hour later than normal after he'd run the first simulations. Saru had dressed and eaten, but the tingling in his threat ganglia stubbornly refused to cease. The Kelpien First Officer was on the verge of reporting to sickbay when the cause of his anxiety was revealed.

"Michael Burnham to the bridge," came Lt. Richter's calm voice over the all-call, and a moment later, the turbolift doors snapped open.

Her dark eyes widened only slightly before she lifted her chin and stepped into the lift beside him. Stunned, Saru turned facing her, his ganglia now fully extended and quivering. No longer dressed in the ochre-colored prison jumpsuit, she now wore the blue-and-silver of Star Fleet sciences, but without insignia. Burnham glanced up at him then faced the doors.

"Bridge…direct."

Saru took a deep breath. "As First Officer, I take pride in knowing every name and assignment on the crew manifest. You were to be on the prison transport shuttle that left yesterday."

Burnham turned to him. "Captain Lorca offered me an opportunity. I can tell by your threat ganglia that you were not consulted."

He rubbed the now painfully quivering tendrils and looked away, crossing one arm across defensively his body. "The captain keeps his own counsel," he said stiffly. "Had he inquired, I'd have suggested the duty roster lacked any opening for a mutineer."

She flinched. "A valuable asset. That's what you called me."

Saru flicked his fingers dismissively. "I was speaking hypothetically, politely…and as someone who was certain I would never see you again."

"You can tell your threat ganglia to relax," she said bitterly. "I'm only here to help."

"My ganglia remain unconvinced."

Saru tugged his uniform jacket straight as the turbolift doors snapped open and they stepped onto the bridge, lit red with the battle simulation, alerts shrieking in the background under the gabble of orders and responses. Two Klingon Bird-of-Prey ships swooped about the screen. Landry took one out as Detmer pivoted the starship on its axis, but the second fired a volley of photon torpedoes. The main view screen lit up with a green flash and roar of sound. The captain turned, his sharp gaze sweeping the bridge as the simulation ended.

"We're all dead." Lorca began clapping sarcastically. The bridge crew averted their eyes, clearly embarrassed and unhappy with the captain's displeasure and their own performances. "Very nice. Very polite." The viewscreen cleared, showing normal space beyond.

He faced them, speaking slowly and calmly, as if lecturing a class of first year cadets. "The Discovery is now the only Star Fleet ship with a displacement activated spore hub drive. Which means, when it's up and running, we will be able to materialize anywhere in the known universe…behind enemy lines…above the Klingon homeworld. Anywhere. But we will be alone; we will not have back up. There's just us. We get just one chance to get it right."

"We'll do better next time, sir," Landry said firmly.

"It will be hard to do worse." Lorca said, his voice laden with dry sarcasm, and she flushed.

He turned to the newcomers, striding across the bridge. "Mr. Saru, run the simulation again. And again. Burnham—with me."

Saru stepped forward, looking over the bridge crew. "You heard the captain. Computer—reload the simulation." He sat down in the captain's chair.

He paused with his tray, momentarily scanning the room for an empty table. Despite being the First Officer of the Discovery, Saru felt himself to be apart from the crew the vast majority of the time.

And as the only Kelpien in the Fleet, he was probably correct.

The morning of simulated attacks, ambushes, and battle drills had left the bridge crew irritable, exhausted, but improving in speed, creativity, and response. As the officer in charge, he'd felt their animosity and tried not to take it personally. He'd experienced the same as a junior lieutenant. When he felt the tension becoming unproductive, he'd given them a break and begun dismissing the officers in teams for a meal, leaving himself for last, once Captain Lorca returned to the bridge.

This was not his usual time for a meal, and the officers' mess was unusually crowded. Saru took two more steps forward, moving away from the replicators and the line. With his rank and status, he could, of course, sit anywhere in the room, but a deeply-ingrained sense of biological inferiority and bitter personal experience forced him to shy away from any such forward behavior.

He looked so hesitant, standing there, so she caught his eye and smiled warmly, tilting her head toward the empty seat beside her. The reserved XO of the ship inclined his head in acknowledgement and slowly made his way across the room and toward her. Rian scooted over, giving him space, unsure if he would be comfortable sitting next to her, and clearing room on the table. She gave him another welcoming glance as he lowered the tray and folded his awkwardly long body into the seat.

"Thank you," Saru said after a minute, feeling something was required. The young woman, a lieutenant in the sciences department, met his eyes. She had a reassuring smile, and for a moment he bristled, wondering if she were condescending to him, but she simply nodded.

"Commander. It's hard to find a seat in here today; it's really crowded." He tilted his head back at her in agreement and applied himself to his meal.

When next he glanced up, the woman had picked up a Padd with one hand and was reading, her eyes flashing across the scene, and eating with the other hand. He laid his own Padd on the tabletop, angling it to be unseen, and began scanning personnel records. Yes, he thought he'd recognized her. Lieutenant Rian Thomas joined the crew at their last station, a xenobotanist with interests in biochemistry and cultures. She had published several pieces of well-received research on herbal medicines with her research partner, a Vulcan named T'Prin. A few minutes later the younger officer finished her soup and sandwich, and stood, clearing her table.

"Good afternoon, sir," she said, and flashing him one more smile, deposited her tray back in slot.

"Good afternoon," he echoed, watching her go.

Over the next few weeks he encountered her quite often; apparently their shifts overlapped. She was frequently alone, usually reading, and they fell into the habit of eating together. Saru found himself looking for her during the day went he was about the ship, but never saw her. Though her quarters were not far from his, the botany labs and arboretum were, and it was there he presumed she would be.

One evening he stopped by the mess hall for dinner and found the Lieutenant curled up in one of the sofa nooks with a mug of tea, reading. She did not see him approach until he was standing over her, and Rian looked up, startled, as his shadow fell across her screen.

"May I join you?" he asked formally, and she flushed, sitting up straight.

"Of course! I'm sorry, I didn't see you, my book…" she indicated the Padd apologetically.

Saru seated himself, pulling his tray near. "I am not offended," he informed her. "Merely curious. I see you reading quite often. What is it that you find so interesting?"

She shrugged with a smile. "Everything. I'm usually reading one of the journals, but I like to read the classics and poetry as well. It's relaxing."

He took a bite. "I myself do not read much," Saru said thoughtfully. "My people did not create much literature. Perhaps that is why." He took another bite.

He really did have fascinating eyes, she thought. Bright turquoise with golden flecks, they were intense and direct. "If I may ask, Commander, what do you do in your spare time fore relaxation?"

Saru considered the question. "I listen to music. And play strategy games against the computer." He speared another bit of salad.

Rian looked interested. "What kind of strategy games? I play Thello and chess. If you do those and ever want to play a live partner, let me know."

He tilted his head, considering. "I believe I will do so. Thank you."

"Mr. Saru, report to Engineering."

The all-call pulled him from his lunch break. Lorca met him in the corridor outside Engineering. Command wants us to make a big jump, to Corvan II. They're under attack."

"The mining colony?"

"Yes. Let's see of Lt. Stamets is capable of delivering." He tossed Saru a small Padd with the distress signal recording as they swung into Engineering.

"There's no way in Hell we'll be ready to jump that far," Stamets said two minutes later, outraged.

"You told me you knew why the Glenn failed," snapped the captain.

Stamets grimaced. "The Glenn crashed into an undetectable Hawking radiation firewall when it exited from the mycelial plane. As a result, all the biologicals on board 'spun out.'"

"You can prevent that from happening again, right?" Saru looked from one officer to the other, reading the reports from the colony.

"Yes."

"So what's the problem?"

"Captain." Stamets reached for patience. "As I've explained to you; every time we try a long jump we lose navigational stability." Lorca folded his arms. "Remember? Jumping is probabilistic? The longer the jump, the more possible outcomes?" His temper was slipping.

"I get it. It's trial and error. Let's try something."

"We lack the processing power to make the requisite number of calculations to hold a course."

"So what were they doing that we're not?"

Stamets gritted his teeth, walking past them to point at a screen attached to a clumpy black device with coils of translucent white cabling emerging from one side. "We took this tech from Straal's lab on the Glenn. It was an augmentation to their navigation system. I've incorporated it into our drive unit, but it won't load completely." He tapped various keys and a 3D interstellar map appeared. "To function optimally, it would appear to require some sort of supercomputer.

Lorca glared. "You must have missed that on the Glenn."

"Sir. Being chased by a lethal monster in a deathtrap surrounded by Klingon bodies is distracting, but…no, I would have noticed an extra supercomputer," he said sarcastically. "That's just me."

Saru smiled faintly made a clicking noise of agreement as Lorca gestured at the spore chamber. "What's that thing?"

"That thing is what we took off the Glenn. It interacts with the spore drive somehow, but I think it's missing a part or something. I can't get it to activate." He glared at the small unit with its dual attachments.

Sensing the captain's growing aggravation, Saru stepped forward, clearing his throat and interjecting. "In exactly five hours, forty-nine minutes and forty-six seconds, the Klingons will take Corvan II."

"Captain. This can't be rushed."

Lorca stood inches from the engineer, his voice icy. "Now you listen to me, Mr. Stamets, they need us—now."

"There are some things I could try to extend the jump range," Stamets said.

"Get it done." Lorca turned and headed for the doors.

"You're welcome," the lieutenant said to his retreating back.

Three hours later the alpha shift assembled in preparation for the Corvan II jump. "Captain, be advised that the spore drive is online and primed," came Stamets' voice over the 'comm.

"Primed?" Lorca glared at the screen. "Can you control where we're going or not?"

"It's possible. Maybe even likely, but done."

Lorca gave him a sharp nod. He looked at Lt. Richter. "Open ship-wide communications."

"Yes, captain!"

He stalked across the bridge. "Attention all personnel! Stealth protocol! Run silent, Black Alert!"

"Black Alert," the computer announced.

"All crew to battle stations. We need to be ready for whatever's on the other side of that jump!" Lorca's voice echoed throughout the vessel. Around the ship heavy security doors began shuttering over viewports and sensitive equipment.

Saru nodded as his readouts indicated ship-wide readiness. "Disengage shields," he ordered Lt. Owosekun.

"Shields are offline; standing by," she replied, hands flying over the console.

"Loading spores into the drive," came Stamet's voice.

Commander Airiam swiveled in her seat. "Drive?" asked Lorca, looking her way.

"Excess energy cavitation initiated," she said calmly. A heavy vibration rumbled through the ship as the inner and outer disc rings began to rotate opposite each other.

Saru looked at Landry. "Tactical. Reroute all available power from impulse over to phasers."

Landry nodded. "Weapons are double hot."

"Engineering?" Saru asked the 'comm.

"Spore drive is online," Stamets replied. "Plot destination for Corvan II."

On the bridge all sensors indicated readiness. Saru nodded, spreading his hands. "At your pleasure, Captain."

The bridge crew exchanged glances, and Lorca nodded, taking a deep breath. "Go."

Keyla Detmer looked down and pressed the spore drive control. There was the usual disorienting sensation of falling, then the ship popped back into standard space, shaking. A blinding light and heat flooded the bridge. All around people reeled back from the sudden glare.

"Sensors indicate an external temperature of…they're offline; it's too hot!" Saru reported, struggling to keep the sensitive devices from overloading.

"That is not Corvan II!" Lorca raised his voice over the sounding alarms, averting his face from the glare.

"No sir it is not!" Saru replied.

"We're stuck in the gravity well of an O-type star; collision is imminent." Detmer's voice was calm as she frantically engaged various thrusters.

"Collision is not an option," Lorca snapped. The seething, roiling mass of golden-orange star filled the screen, tendrils of solar flares surrounding them. "Shields up! Full reverse!"

As the crew complied he glared at the intercom. "Wrong off ramp, Lieutenant Stamets!"

"My nav buffer overloaded; I couldn't hold the plotting!" he shouted back as the ship bucked and strained, sending people stumbling and smashing him face-forward into the console. There was an agonizing crack of pain across the bridge of his nose, leaving the engineer temporarily blinded. "Ahhh!"

"Rear thrusters engaging!" Keyla Detmer struggled with the controls as the ship shuddered and balked, engines protesting.

"We are…clear of the gravitational well," Saru announced a few seconds later.

"Re-engage the warp drive; get us the Hell out of Dodge, Mr. Saru."

"Aye aye Captain!"

The great ship pulled away from the star, light and sounds returning to normal. "Mr. Saru, you have the conn. I'll be having a chat with our Chief Engineer." The captain strode angrily into the lift.

"Yes sir." Saru responded, remaining at his station, compiling damage reports and prioritizing resource allocation. He caught the helmsman's eyes. "Well done, lieutenants," he said with a nod.

At their stations, Detmer and Owosekun exchanged a brief smile.

An hour later Captain Lorca returned to the bridge in a hard mood, his cold gaze sweeping the bridge. He'd informed the crew of Commander Landry's death, and a pall had fallen across the darkened room. The crew had worked in silence until the 'comm unit on Saru's console chirped.

"Saru here."

"Commander Saru, this is…Michael Burnham. Could you come assist me with a project? It shouldn't take long."

Saru looked questioningly at the captain, who nodded. "Go on. Shift's over in a few minutes anyway." He logged out and headed for the turbolift.

The door to the captain's project lab chimed and Burnham turned to face the entrance. "Door."

Saru entered but remained standing by the doors. "I received your…message." He looked around warily. "What is it you so urgently need my help with?"

Burnham backed up slowly toward the darkened containment cage, and he followed. "I've been thinking about the way I treated you on the Shenzhou," she said. "At times, I was very unfair." She stopped in front of the cage and glanced up at him.

Saru walked around her, pacing and suspicious. "You often undermined me, dismissed my opinions out of hand."

She glanced at the Padd and back at him. "You wouldn't be wrong to call me out for being selfish."

Saru's eyes flickered around the lab. Something was wrong. This behavior was out of character for her and she was watching him too intently.

"…but I can't help notice that your threat ganglia are quiet now." Her eyes were focused on his head. From within the containment cage the tardigrade growled, restless, and Saru's hand went to the base of his skull automatically. "Fascinating," Burnham said, staring into the cage.

The knowledge of her ruse washed over him, and his hand dropped. "You're trying to gauge my response to that thing in the pen, aren't you," he said bitterly.

Burnham turned to him. "Commander Landry was about to attack the creature. And I believe her death was an act of self-defense on its part. And now, based on your lack of threat-response, I'm ready to submit that the creature's primary drive is not aggressive. It's not a predator."

The Kelpien shook his head, tired and angry, shutting his eyes. "You have not changed an iota, Burnham. Your contrite words were insincere."

"They were necessary!"

He stared at her, aggrieved. "I was wrong to question your place on the crew. You will fit in perfectly with Captain Lorca." And without a backwards glance, he departed.

"Hi." He looked up, stony and steeling himself for more humiliation, but it was Lt. Thomas, looking down at him with a faint line between her eyes, and an expression he interpreted as worried. "You've been sitting here for a long time, just staring out the port."

Saru blinked, feeling the tension in his shoulders and the dull pounding of an incipient headache. "My apologies. Did you want the seat?"

Her lips twitched slightly. "No," she said, sliding into the chair beside him. "I was worried about you." She hesitated. "Are you alright?"

There was no deceit in her eyes, just concern. He shut his eyes again briefly. "I am fine."

She was silent, then rose, walking away. Ah, good. You've managed to annoy her. But the lieutenant was back a minute later, bearing two cups of tea, the usual dark brown in one, and his favorite in the other. She set the cup before him. "Drink this."

He reached out, wrapping his heavy clawed digits around the fragile glass. The steaming liquid warmed his cold hands. "Thank you."

He looked exhausted, but there was no way she could ask. The last two days had to have been stressful on the First Officer. The story of the failed jump and the Security Chief's death had filtered down amongst the crew, and she wondered if Commander Landry had been a friend.

"I'm sorry," Rian said quietly. "I won't bother you…but I'm here, if you ever need someone to just…sit with."

"That is…kind of you," Saru said after a moment.

She smiled. "Not really. I enjoy your company."

He was too tired to analyze her words for hidden meanings. In silence they sat until the cups were empty, then he rose, gathering the mugs and returning them to the disposal hatch.

Rian had risen as well. He nodded at her. "Goodnight, Lieutenant. And...thank you."

She returned his nod, and to his surprise, reached out and covered his hand with her own in a quick squeeze. "Goodnight, Commander."

But it was not to be. Minutes after he left the forward lounge, heading toward his quarters, Lt. Ritcher was paging him to the bridge. Emerging from the lift he found the Alpha shift assembled and Captain Lorca pacing about and rubbing his hands, an unconscious gesture signifying his energy and desire for action.

"Mr. Saru, Lt. Stamets and Michael Burnham tell us they have solved the problem of the navigational plotting and that we are ready to jump to Corvan II."

"That is indeed welcome news," Saru said briskly, assuming his position, bringing up all of the status indicators and routing command sequences back to his station.

Below in Engineering, Paul Stamets keyed the intercom. "Course is set for Corvan II. We're ready to jump, Captain."

Lorca glanced around the bridge. "Is anybody not ready?" At the helm, Joann Owosekun and Keyla Detmer exchanged raised eyebrows as each blew a small nervous puff of air. Behind him, Rhys and Ritcher shot each other looks and firmly turned back to their respective consoles. Saru nodded. "Go."

Keyla Detmer pressed the switch.

Discovery emerged from the jump over the main colony. Destruction rained on the buildings and units below, from the brace of Klingon ships strafing the defenseless structures. Saru's hands flew across the console, sending telemetry data to the tactical officer, who promptly opened fire.

"Targets one and two destroyed," he announced. Lorca nodded.

"Full stop!"

Saru snapped up. "Captain?"

"Initiating full stop, Captain," Detmer calmly replied, spinning down the hull.

"The map shows the Klingon vessels converging," Owosekun announced, tracking the paths on her screen.

"Diverting all nonessential power to shields," Saru said.

"The birds are at 1000 kilometers and closing," Detmer's mismatched eyes were intent on her console.

"Phasers are locked, Captain," Owosekun added.

"Hold tight everybody," Lorca ordered. The first volley of Klingon disruptors struck the ship and it shuddered. "Steady."

Alarms were flickering all over his console. "Shields are holding at eighty percent," called Saru. "Seventy five…fifty five…"

"Engineering?" Lorca called tightly.

"Spore drive is primed, Captain," responded Stamets.

Lorca leaned forward, his damaged eyes tracking the swooping ships. Another disruptor blast rocked the Discovery. "On my orders…"

Owosekun's eyes never left the screen. "Birds of Prey closing in at five hundred kilometers."

A third salvo struck them. "Shields at thirty percent!" Saru warned.

They were struck from above and below, almost simultaneously. "Twenty percent!" The red lines dropped again. "Captain!"

Lorca grimly watched, counting the seconds, as the Klingon ships swept in for the kill, raising his hands, tracking the ships with his fingers.

"Lieutenant Stamets advises that the ship is ready to jump!" Airiam reported as another series of explosions shook Discovery.

"I need them closer…wait… Let's send our Klingon friends a message they won't forget!" He paused. "And go!"

Detmer engaged the spore drive, and Discovery made the jump to safety.

Below on the planet's atmosphere, the three Birds of Prey fired on what had been a Federation starship, flying into each other's disruptor bolts, and into each other, exploding like a miniature nova, raining debris on the surface.

Discovery appeared in normal space, the outer hull spinning down slowly. Around the bridge, crew members reacted to the sudden silence and victory—Saru patted his body, as if surprised they'd survived, Keyla Detmer broke her usual impassive mien to laugh in relief, her silky red hair swinging over one shoulder. Joann Owosekun smiled at her friends, and Lts Rhys and Richter turned around in their seats, surprised and smiling. Commander Airiam nodded once, unruffled but pleased.

Even Captain Lorca smiled and nodded at his crew, as his shoulders relaxed. "Lt. Detmer, resume our previous course and heading."

She smiled. "Aye, sir."

Released from duty, Commander Saru emerged from the turbolift, heading for the forward lounge. It was later than usual for the evening meal, with the corridors relatively uncrowded. He would be able to eat in peace.

Ahead of him was a familiar figure in a blue and silver uniform; tall, slim, her dark red hair braided back neatly, carrying a Padd. It took little effort to fall into step beside her as both entered the mess hall.

Rian Thomas looked up at him searchingly, then smiled. "You're looking much happier this evening, Commander Saru."

He angled his head and nodded. "I am. And I am just now free to have an evening meal." Her grey-green eyes sparkled up at him, and he took a risk. "Lieutenant, would you care to have dinner with me?"

Thank you for reading, and please leave a review. :) I promise I don't bite!