This takes place during TWOK, beginning at the point when David
attacks Kirk. Subsequent chapters will be chronological and
consecutive, documenting the rest of TWOK, TSFS, and events after TVH.
Confused? Just keep reading. It'll all make sense eventually. I
hope.
They stepped into the next cave. A blonde-haired young man tackled the Admiral, holding a knife to his throat. Saavik held out a hand, stopping McCoy from firing. She knew from experience the speed with which one could kill using a knife, and the boy had the knife at exactly the right spot. A woman, apparently the boy's mother, finally convinced the boy to let the Admiral go. As the boy straightened up, Saavik recognized him. David Marcus, the young scientist who had been on her ship three years ago. She cringed inwardly at the thought of being stranded here with him.
Saavik barely registered the exchange between the boy, his mother, and the Admiral, her thoughts in the past. Then Chekov was there, reaching for her phaser, and she handed it over without thinking. She suddenly realized that Terrell and Chekov were holding them prisoner, as agents of Khan. Terrell raised his phaser, his finger trembling over the trigger. David swore and leapt at the captain. Saavik reacted without thinking, jumping after David and knocking him to the floor. She heard the whine of phaser fire and the faint, unmistakable sound of a living being disintegrating. Disentangling herself from David, she heard Khan order, "Kill James Kirk." She tensed, ready to defend the Admiral, but Terrell did not fire, turning the phaser on himself.
Chekov screamed and collapsed in pain. Saavik paid him no attention, looking instead for other hidden threats. Suddenly David shouted, "He's taking Genesis!" and sprinted toward the other cavern. Saavik followed, managing to keep him from killing himself by jumping into the transporter beam. If he wasn't careful, that boy was going to get himself killed. Saavik returned to the group, determined to find a way off this rock.
Upon her return to the damaged Enterprise, Saavik headed directly for her station on the bridge. Admiral Kirk continued to surprise her. His response to the Kobayashi Maru test was unique and entirely human, and his answers to their current predicament, while completely illogical and totally in character for him, continued to allow them to survive. Then she had no more time to think about Kirk, because they had entered the Mutara Nebula and the battle had begun.
Saavik was aware of Spock's presence on the bridge, of the instant he left for the engine room. Even as she piloted the ship, following the progress of the Genesis wave on her screen, she was acutely aware of Spock, trapped and dying, working one last engineering miracle. As the Enterprise cleared the nebula and came to a stop to admire the new planet, Saavik felt Spock's pain, longing to join Admiral Kirk in his mad dash for Engineering and Spock. But she held her station, pushing her grief to the back of her mind. Two minutes later, she knew her teacher was dead, though no announcement had been made. She knew, and grieved afresh. Could she continue without the one man who had ever cared for her, the only person who meant anything to her? She did not know, nor did she care. She would do what she had to do, and that was all. The first chance she got, she ran and hid in her quarters, struggling for control, wishing she could talk to Spock, as she always had before. She knelt in her quarters and cried silently.
Much later that night, Saavik made her way silently to the stasis room. She would give Spock the only funeral she could, by watching over his body through the night, to protect it from the night predators of Theirrull, as she had seen other children do, many lifetimes ago, though she knew it was unnecessary here aboard the Enterprise. She found a corner and settled in, her eyes staring into the dimness. Her thoughts began to drift as the night grew longer. She thought of all the time they had spent together, all the times he had been kind and gentle with her, a wild, savage creature who did not appreciate what he was doing for her. She remembered every single time they had touched, few as they were. Most of their physical contact had been for mind-melds, for training purposes; the rest had been accidents. She savored every one of them, could almost feel his fingers resting on her face, his mind touching hers. {{Ashau nash-veh du, Spock,}} she whispered to his presence in her mind. {{Ashau nash-veh du.}}
They stepped into the next cave. A blonde-haired young man tackled the Admiral, holding a knife to his throat. Saavik held out a hand, stopping McCoy from firing. She knew from experience the speed with which one could kill using a knife, and the boy had the knife at exactly the right spot. A woman, apparently the boy's mother, finally convinced the boy to let the Admiral go. As the boy straightened up, Saavik recognized him. David Marcus, the young scientist who had been on her ship three years ago. She cringed inwardly at the thought of being stranded here with him.
Saavik barely registered the exchange between the boy, his mother, and the Admiral, her thoughts in the past. Then Chekov was there, reaching for her phaser, and she handed it over without thinking. She suddenly realized that Terrell and Chekov were holding them prisoner, as agents of Khan. Terrell raised his phaser, his finger trembling over the trigger. David swore and leapt at the captain. Saavik reacted without thinking, jumping after David and knocking him to the floor. She heard the whine of phaser fire and the faint, unmistakable sound of a living being disintegrating. Disentangling herself from David, she heard Khan order, "Kill James Kirk." She tensed, ready to defend the Admiral, but Terrell did not fire, turning the phaser on himself.
Chekov screamed and collapsed in pain. Saavik paid him no attention, looking instead for other hidden threats. Suddenly David shouted, "He's taking Genesis!" and sprinted toward the other cavern. Saavik followed, managing to keep him from killing himself by jumping into the transporter beam. If he wasn't careful, that boy was going to get himself killed. Saavik returned to the group, determined to find a way off this rock.
Upon her return to the damaged Enterprise, Saavik headed directly for her station on the bridge. Admiral Kirk continued to surprise her. His response to the Kobayashi Maru test was unique and entirely human, and his answers to their current predicament, while completely illogical and totally in character for him, continued to allow them to survive. Then she had no more time to think about Kirk, because they had entered the Mutara Nebula and the battle had begun.
Saavik was aware of Spock's presence on the bridge, of the instant he left for the engine room. Even as she piloted the ship, following the progress of the Genesis wave on her screen, she was acutely aware of Spock, trapped and dying, working one last engineering miracle. As the Enterprise cleared the nebula and came to a stop to admire the new planet, Saavik felt Spock's pain, longing to join Admiral Kirk in his mad dash for Engineering and Spock. But she held her station, pushing her grief to the back of her mind. Two minutes later, she knew her teacher was dead, though no announcement had been made. She knew, and grieved afresh. Could she continue without the one man who had ever cared for her, the only person who meant anything to her? She did not know, nor did she care. She would do what she had to do, and that was all. The first chance she got, she ran and hid in her quarters, struggling for control, wishing she could talk to Spock, as she always had before. She knelt in her quarters and cried silently.
Much later that night, Saavik made her way silently to the stasis room. She would give Spock the only funeral she could, by watching over his body through the night, to protect it from the night predators of Theirrull, as she had seen other children do, many lifetimes ago, though she knew it was unnecessary here aboard the Enterprise. She found a corner and settled in, her eyes staring into the dimness. Her thoughts began to drift as the night grew longer. She thought of all the time they had spent together, all the times he had been kind and gentle with her, a wild, savage creature who did not appreciate what he was doing for her. She remembered every single time they had touched, few as they were. Most of their physical contact had been for mind-melds, for training purposes; the rest had been accidents. She savored every one of them, could almost feel his fingers resting on her face, his mind touching hers. {{Ashau nash-veh du, Spock,}} she whispered to his presence in her mind. {{Ashau nash-veh du.}}