With Captives

"Doctor, I believe the Captain's condition is worsening," Spock said in what he thought was a calmly, controlled tone.

Obviously his tone was not as level as he thought for Bones responded, "Spock, I see that, do not start panicking." McCoy sighed heavily, his eyes heavy from lack of sleep. "God, I wish I had my tricorder." he mumbled, his southern drawl becoming more apparent as the hours dragged by.

Spock did not react to anything that was said, he only continued to stare down at his dying mate. Jim was dying in his arms and there was not a damn thing he could do about it. Each labored breath that could be the last for Jim, represented the last shreds of his mental control. He had gone past fury, pushed past rage, and was now on the verge of something primal. Something his ancestors had rid themselves of with the purge of emotions.

The actual emotion was foreign to him, and it scared him. If things continued as they were, if his T'hy'la were to die, he had no doubt that he would kill everyone responsible for his death, and then himself.

This fact did not scare Spock.

It terrified him.

Beyond the normal boundaries of terror.

"Stop thinking like that," a voice said.

Spock jumped and gazed below him. Jim's eyes were barely open, just a fraction, but open nonetheless. The Vulcan, at first believed that he had imagined that Jim had spoken, but then he looked to his left and saw Bones, staring at the Captain with rapt attention.

Hope flared inside him. Perhaps, if his lover was talking, he would be alright. He moved slightly and as best he could with his hands still tied behind his back. He adjusted Jim's head so it was more comfortable on his thigh.

"T'hy'la." he whispered, every buried emotion in that one word.

"Spock, I can hear what you're thinking, stop it." Jim said softly.

Spock looked away briefly in guilt before returning his gaze back to his lover. "I am sorry Ashayam, but I fear it is the truth, if you..." he seemed unable to speak the words.

"Die, Spock. If I die, you will be perfectly fine." the dying man said as sternly as he could while it felt like his throat was on fire.

"I-I...," Suddenly Spock's walls broke, he could no longer hold it in and it crushed him with its intensity, "I will not be fine T'hy'la." he sobbed. Tears ran down his Vulcan face and, at the moment, he did not care who saw.

Bones scooted back and away, feeling like he was intruding on something very personal between his Captain and first officer.

Jim rose a trembling hand and lay it gently across his lover's cheek, wiping away the tears that were quickly replaced by new ones.

"Yes you will Spock," His Captain's voice was begging to fail. "You lived through the destruction of Vulcan."

"I will not," Spock insisted, "I would experience the destruction of my planet a thousand times over if only you lived."

Jim shook his head, "You don't...mean that," His breathing was coming in harsh gasps, "You...are...stronger than...me," the Captain coughed heavily.

Spock choked and sobbed again, "You are wrong T'hy'la. Wrong," he gasped, "You are the strong one, you always have and always will. I.. love you... If you die then... so do I," his voice held the strength of finality and surety.

James Kirk desperately wished that he didn't have to put his lover through this. Spock has already lost so much to death, and now it seemed he would loose Jim too, the only man he loved. Despite this, Jim thanked God that their positions were not switched. He knew that Spock would be fine, he would recover, he always did.

The Captain did not know how wrong he was.

Rescue team

"This is Chief Engineer Scott checking in, we have successfully landed outside the field," The Scotsman said into his comm.

"Good Mr. Scott, Jim, Spock and Bones are counting on you. Be safe, Sulu out." The current captain responded.

They viewed the area around them. They had beamed down into a forrest. The three could hear the rebells milling about or talking in their strange language less than a hundred feet away.

"Alrigh' laddies, we are going to do this fast," Scotty said, addressing Ensigns Chekov and Colloroy, " First we are going to find the Captain and the others, then we're gonna get them outside the field and contact the Enterprise. They'll beam us up and Boom, everyone's safe, alright?"

Both Ensigns nodded, though Chekov felt it would hardly be that easy.

The three took out their phasers and set them to stun, "Ok, we're gonna get a perimeter first, Colloroy you take left, Chekov right, and I'll see 'round the middle, meet back here in thirty minutes." They nodded and separated, each going their respective directions around the camp.

Scotty

Montgomery Scott, or more commonly known as Scotty, crept closer to the camp with ease. Hiding in the dense trees and brush. As he got closer though, he could see the trees beginning thin out, and could smell the salt of the ocean.

The Corin rebells had set up large green tents and fires, that spread throughout the clearing. They milled about unorganizedly. Some cleaning weapons, strange guns, oddly similar to twenty-first century machine guns. Others cooking or talking in their strange language. All together, it was a decidedly unorganized group of rebells who had no idea what they were doing.

Still they could be dangerous with those guns. Scotty would have to watch out for them later.

Scotty squinted into the distance and saw through the tents and rebells. There were dots of blue and yellow up against a large rock. If Scotty had to guess that would be the captives.

"Mr. Scott?" a voice said to his right, making him jump. He turned to Chekov a hand over his heart, "Geez lad, donna scare the shit outta me," he said with a heaving breath.

Chekov laughed lightly, "Sorry Mr. Scott."

Scotty shook his head, "What did ya find?"

"Vell, It appears, ze camp circles around a cliff face to ze ocean. On ze opposite, zat I vas, I saw ze Captain Meester Spock and ze Doctor. Ze Captain did not look so vell," he said, his voice taking on a worried tone.

"Nah I'm sure they're alright," he said unconvincingly. He was worried, though he was ashamed to admit it, most about his lover, the Doctor.

The two heard a slight rustling to their left and raised their phasers, but relaxed when Ensign Colloroy walked into view.

"Report?" Scotty asked.

"Well, I made it all the way around and from what I can tell from the scanners, the field stops just after this huge bolder. I wasn't able to get to close, but I could see the captives. The Captain looked ill, and from what I could tell, we don't have that much time."

Scotty looked away pensively, "Alright, Here's what we're gonna do," he said. "I'm gonna make a diversion, draw the attention from Captain and the others. While the rebells are distracted, you'll go in, get them and get out of the field. Conn Mr. Sulu and beam everybody back to the Enterprise. There, simple and easy," He said, happy with himself.

"But, Meester Scott, vat about you," Chekov asked.

"Ah, donna worry about me! I'll just find me own way out of the field. Once I'm in range, I'll conn Sulu and they'll beam me up," Scotty smiled with confidence. "Easy."

Once again, Mr. Chekov doubted his words.