AN: Thanks for those of you who have hung in there. This story keeps developing as if it has a mind of it's own, but we are getting very near the climax (AKA good stuff) I promise. Please be sure to hit that little review button - authors need food for thought so please feed the beast!
~Max
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
Morning had dawned on Naihoon, the sweet evening breeze slowly replaced by the sun-filled fragrance of tropical foliage. Deciding to have her breakfast on the sprawling patio terrace at the rear of the estate, Bishop was rewarded with a beautiful view of the ocean and adjoining forest as the sun gently warmed the bare skin on her arms. She loved mornings here, and had missed the way the sun dappled through the trees and how the cloud shadows from overhead would dance across the breeze swept ocean grasses.
She had been raised here and held a deep love for Naihoon, mostly because it reminded her greatly of Cambron. For a moment her heart skipped a beat with the realization that she and Krianna would soon be returning home, excitement mixing with relative fear at what they would find on their arrival. A deep gnawing doubt remained unshakeable in the dark recesses of her mind, but she was boldly trying to brush it away until they arrived and could make an adequate assessment.
Her introspection and appreciation for the stunning landscape was interrupted by the sound of purposeful footsteps as they approached behind her. She smiled, touching her fingers to her lips as her thoughts were again dominated by the handsome Captain who had bared his soul to her only hours earlier. Their encounter had been punctuated with the most searing kiss she had ever experienced, funneled by exposed emotions of loss and love, and she only hoped he would not pull away again in the light of day.
Thinking only of the electric eyed Captain, her smile faltered for a brief moment as she turned and realized it was not Captain Kirk that was approaching her.
"Good morning, Captain Tellek," she offered brightly, hoping her smile was adequate to hide the disappointment he certainly must have recognized.
"Good morning," he offered, his posture somewhat stiffer than normal. "May I?"
"Please," she offered, indicating the empty chairs around the table.
"Ambassador Benion will be arriving early this afternoon," Tellek noted formally as he sat, reaching for an empty cup and filling it with the warm beverage from the large clay pitcher. "We may then proceed to Cambron as planned."
"Good," she nodded her head, refilling her own mug and absently munching on a piece of toasted bread.
"Will you be joining Krianna aboard the Enterprise while in transit?" he asked tonelessly, his eyes never leaving her face as he spoke.
Bishop jerked her head up, suddenly aware of the tension and detached tone in the Captain's voice. "I had planned on that, yes."
Tellek nodded, sipping from his cup. "I had assumed as much."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that a problem?"
"No. It is not a problem," he shook his head. A long uncomfortable silence followed.
"Captain, it is a beautiful morning, and it may be the last one I get to spend on Naihoon for some time. For that reason, if you have something to say I would appreciate it if you would just come out and say it," she challenged.
"Exactly how close have you become with Captain Kirk?" he asked bluntly, his eyes defying her to dismiss his concern.
Bishop had been expecting the question from him, especially after the apprehensive exchange the previous day regarding her injury. Tellek was far too aware and observant to have missed the underlying tension between her and the Enterprise Captain, but somehow she'd been hoping to avoid it as long as possible.
"We are...amiable companions. He and Commander Spock saved our lives, and I saved his," she tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible.
He regarded her warily, noting her downcast eyes and slightly pink cheeks. "You and I are amiable companions," he offered in a much lower voice. "Yet I have never seen you look at me the way you look at Captain Kirk."
"Tellek, there is nothing..."
"I just hope that you are not losing sight of your priorities and responsibility," he interrupted.
She jumped up from the table, eyes blazing as she met his confrontational gaze. Her nostrils flared with barely repressed fury, and her tone was icy when she had finally calmed herself somewhat to speak. "How dare you. YOU, of all people Tellek, should know that I do not need you to remind me about my priorities and responsibilities. I am very well aware of what needs to be done and what is at stake. My feelings for Captain Kirk..."
"So you DO admit you have feelings for him?" Tellek sat back from the table, somewhat pleased with himself for baiting her into an admission.
"Dammit, Tellek, what exactly do you want to know? Do you not think I am up for the task at hand?" she demanded.
"No, not at all. There is no one more suited to the task at hand than you," he agreed. "I am more concerned about what happens at the end of the story."
She swallowed, stoically composing herself after her passionate outburst and lowering her small frame back into the chair. "If you are referring to the Captain then there is no story to tell, and therefore no concern about the ending is warranted."
Again he regarded her face, noting the sudden sadness that had appeared in place of the brilliant smile he had seen only moments before. He dropped his head slightly. "I am sorry, friend. I was only trying to gauge the depth of your feelings for the man. I do not ever wish for you to be hurt, whether it is emotionally because of a lost love or physically because you were distracted and take a phaser blast."
He thought for a long moment, meeting her eyes before adding, "And, I do rather like your Captain. He appears to be a good and honorable man. I also would not wish for him to be harmed in all this as well."
She ducked her head, his meaning clear. "I agree. The last thing I wish to ever do is cause him more pain, and I fear that is exactly what will happen."
Tellek nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. I believe you are correct."
Bishop drew in a deep breath. "I will talk with him this morning. We have several hours before we need to be ready to travel," her eyes met Tellek's. "We will have much to discuss."
"Indeed you will," he said with a smile. "But I know that all will be well," he reached over the table and gently clasped her hand in his.
"Thank you, friend," her eyes finally flashed a small smile meant for him and placed her hand atop his. "I pray that you are correct. I fear what will happen if you are not."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Aye, Cap'n," Scotty's voice rang clear through the communicator. "All is well, and the ship is all ready for the short voyage to Cambron on your command."
"Thank you, Mr. Scott," Kirk voiced. "It will most likely be several more hours before we are ready to be transported back aboard."
"Captain?" Uhura's voice suddenly broke in before the other man could reply.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"We have a communication from Starfleet regarding our voyage to Cambron," the Communications Officer sounded surprisingly wary to Jim's ears.
"Allright, go ahead," he offered.
"Our orders are to accompany Princess Krianna back to her home world of Cambron as originally approved. However we are not authorized to transport down to the planet with them when we arrive."
Kirk paused, still not sure he heard her correctly. "What?" he breathed.
"We were given specific orders not to have any Starfleet presence on the surface of Cambron until the tensions have been settled," she repeated. "I'm...I'm sorry, Jim, but we're going to have to let them go alone."
Kirk's jaw clenched. "Understood. Kirk out," he cut off his communicator before Uhura could pass along any more bad news.
Spock was at his elbow and noted the frustration on the Captain's visage as he angrily cut off communication. Jim had rested only minimally the evening before, his early morning return to their shared room glaringly apparent to the Vulcan despite his best attempts to be quiet. Spock had been pleased to note that the emotional turmoil sparked by their previous conversation was now absent, however it had now been replaced with something he could not definitively pinpoint. Whatever it was, it had caused what little sleep Jim got the previous night to be fitful, at best.
Now still fairly early in the morning hours, they had already showered, eaten, and had left their room in search of Captain Tellek when Kirk had initiated communication to check in with their orbiting crew. "Is there something amiss aboard the Enterprise, Captain?"
"No," Kirk turned to face his First Officer, pulling him slightly off to the side of the large stone hallway. "But when we arrive at Cambron we've been ordered to transport the Princess and Bishop down to the planet alone, without any Starfleet presence."
Spock blinked. "That appears to be a logical course of action, Jim."
"Really?" his blue eyes were radiating contempt. "What if there is a big ambush waiting for them and both of them are killed? Will it look that logical then?"
"It is imperative that Starfleet remain neutral in this dispute," Spock presented. "Any perception of interference on either side will be seen as an act of aggression by the other and will make it difficult afterwards to be seen as an independent party."
He paused for a long moment, attempting to choose his words more carefully after their conversation the evening prior. "I also believe that you already know this, Jim, and that you may be letting your personal emotions interfere with your judgment."
Kirk's eyes flashed, momentarily fixing his resentment upon Spock. "And I won't deny that for a second. You're absolutely right, it is personal to me. I gave my word as a Starfleet Captain that I would deliver them safely home, and that's exactly what I intend to do."
"Yet I fail to see, Captain," Spock pressed, "how the absence of our presence on Cambron would nullify your verbal commitment to return the women safely to their home world."
"Because, Spock," Kirk asserted, "Starfleet is a 'peacekeeping armada'. You and I both know that unless the Princess and the King can get their people together there's going to be a war. A war that will engulf this whole planetary system and eventually drag the Federation into it one way or another causing significant loss of life. And it's a war that we can help avoid."
His eyes were ablaze with a conviction Spock could not deny. "We can pick a side NOW that will result in peace and avoid war. We can make a decision and stand on the side of 'good' and 'justice' and ensure that the right side prevails. Tell me, Commander, does that sound like bad judgment to you?"
Spock pondered his argument only momentarily. "No, Jim, it does not sound like bad judgment. But unfortunately it is not our decision and we have our orders to do otherwise."
"Well, we'll see about that," the Captain smirked, finally pushing away the intense irritation he was currently feeling towards Starfleet as he resumed his trajectory down the hallway. "We have several hours until we will actually arrive at Cambron and thankfully communication goes both ways."
"What are you thinking, Captain?" Spock queried.
"If we can convince Tellek and a few of his men to come with us aboard the Enterprise, then we can transport them all down to the planet together. That way the Princess and Bishop will at least have some support if we can't get Starfleet to reconsider our involvement," Jim explained as they continued to walk.
Spock nodded his head in agreement. "A logical compromise, Captain. I will be happy to assist in the discussion with Captain Tellek."
They proceeded to the first floor, and after inquiring about Captain Tellek's location were directed towards the rear of the house by one of his on-duty guards. An expansive outdoor patio lay on the other side of two large French doors, already open and allowing the soft morning breeze to waft through the house. Kirk strode out onto the bright, sun-filled patio just in time to see Bishop and Tellek seated at a small table, the other man's hand tenderly encased in hers on the tabletop.
Kirk's heart clenched at the sight, his feet momentarily faltering and his gaze affixed to their joined hands. Bishop's fiercely affectionate face, accented by the smoldering firelight in the moments just before he kissed her, had continually filled his vision all morning. He had wanted to search her out before he had received the communication from Starfleet regarding their orders. Now, remembering how she had pulled away and seeing her reciprocated affection for Tellek, he pitifully wondered if he had misread the entire situation.
Tellek was sharing a muted smile with Bishop, and the two had obviously been engrossed in their conversation to allow Jim and Spock to interrupt them as such. Tellek quickly righted himself and easily stole his hand away from Bishop, but not before observing the almost imperceptible flash of jealousy and hurt that stole its way across Kirk's face as he did so.
"Good morning Captain, Commander," Tellek offered. He stood to greet the men, noting the bright smile had now returned to Bishop's face as she turned in her seat to see them approach.
"Captain Kirk, good morning!" she offered brightly, ignoring the steely cool look in Jim's eyes. "Commander Spock, I trust you rested well last night?" she deflected to the Vulcan, desperately trying to prevent her cheeks from burning at the memory of the handsome Captain standing before her.
"Yes, thank you Lieutenant," Spock replied cordially. He, too, had noticed the conflicting emotions that had stormed across Jim's face, as well as the self-conscious blush that the lieutenant was now experiencing. Obviously the two still had unresolved emotional issues that needed to be discussed.
"The Captain and I were just discussing our plans for personnel transport to Cambron," Spock continued, turning to address Captain Tellek. "Could I please borrow a moment of your time to discuss a new proposal? I believe Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Bishop can work out the remaining details."
"Commander..." Kirk began to protest, not wanting to be alone with Bishop until he had a much more comfortable read on the situation.
"Yes, Commander Spock. I would be happy to oblige." Tellek interrupted, one side of his mouth turning slightly upwards in the most unnoticeable of smirks. He extended his arm towards the house, and the two men quickly and effectively retreated inside.
"And how are you this morning, Captain?" Bishop inquired guardedly, motioning towards the chair at her side. She had been hopeful their encounter the previous evening would not be forgotten in the light of day, but gauging by his tightened jaw and unyielding gaze she surmised that was not to be.
"I am well," he responded curtly before stiffly taking a seat. He noticed her smile faltered somewhat at his tone, and sadness momentarily crept in around her eyes before she self-corrected and resumed her typical posture. "Appears as though Captain Tellek is well also," he noticed flatly.
"He is always well," she grumbled, now aggravated not only at Tellek for his previous presumption but also at Kirk's abrupt change in demeanor yet again. "So now that we have established that all of us are all well and good on this beautiful morning, where does that leave us?" she demanded, fully aware of her double meaning and emboldened by her exasperation.
If Kirk were taken aback by her presumptuous tone he did not show it. Instead he slipped easily into command mode and effectively ignored it. "Starfleet has prohibited us from actively transporting down to the surface of Cambron, so we are hoping to convince Captain Tellek and his men to join us aboard the Enterprise. That way we can transport you all down together to offer a better chance at protection."
Her eyes blazed like a green fire, hurt and confusion at his impersonal and contradictory actions funneling into anger and irritability. "I think instead perhaps we should just travel to Cambron with Tellek and his men. That way you will be free of us much sooner and can resume your normal duties as Captain," she offered crossly, fighting back tears as she roughly pushed herself up from the table and moved to stand at the opposite edge of the patio.
The tenseness in Kirk instantly evaporated, the evidence of her injured heart brutally apparent through her defensive tone and unshed tears. He had hurt her again, just as he had previously done aboard the Enterprise when he had pushed her away with no explanation. Both times were completely unintentional, but he was quick to realize that this time he had indeed fully misread the situation. Whatever he had walked into between her and Tellek could not have been what he had previously imagined; otherwise the rebuff would not have evoked such a strong reaction.
A heavy heart rose from the table to travel the short distance to her side. "I'm sorry," he offered lamely. "I...I didn't mean to hurt you."
Bishop sniffed slightly, then righted herself to hold her head regally high as she continued to fixate her gaze on a point far in the distance. "You did not hurt me. I am just weary from lack of sleep," she explained gruffly, determined not to meet his eyes lest she get pulled into their depths again.
"I did hurt you and I'm sorry. I pushed you away again. Because I assumed that...well..." he blew out a breath. It's now or never, he thought. "I assumed that there was something between you and Tellek."
Her breath stopped. What did he say?
"I know it sounds silly," he continued, "but you two obviously have a history, and this morning you two looked so comfortable and intimate with each other that I was certain there was something there. Just as I was certain there was something there between the two of us last night...or...this morning...or whenever it was..."
Slowly she turned to face him, taking in his contrite expression as he continued to ramble. "And then I thought maybe I had just imagined that as well...that maybe it was just me...that maybe I had just imagined you had feelings for me because you pulled away too...and by that point I...was..." he trailed off, unable to complete his thought and frustrated with being completely incapable of forming a coherent sentence.
Bishop stared at him hard for a moment, her face impassive. "You thought I had feelings for Tellek."
"Yes," he admitted.
"You are correct. I do have feelings for him," she responded. His face fell, the apologetic hopefulness dying on his lips.
"I see," he managed, disappointment stabbing through his heart. "I am truly sorry if I did anything to hurt you or offend you," he offered, looking her squarely in the eye. "That was never my intention and if I did please accept my apology."
She nodded her assent, unsure how best to proceed given his revelation. He cared for her, he had just admitted as much, and he was obviously hurt and jealous when he thought she was involved with Tellek. Given that context, his demeanor today suddenly and inexplicably made much more sense. Had she seen him holding hands with one of his crewmembers this morning, most likely she would have made the same natural conclusion.
"Captain James T. Kirk, you are such a fool," she pronounced suddenly. His head shot up, a puzzled and injured expression filling his face. Before he could react, she reached out for one of his hands and clasped it in both of hers. "I do have feelings for Tellek. But they are not what you think. They are the same feelings anyone would have for a loyal and trusted friend."
Understanding dawned in his eyes, and the hurt was quickly replaced by a small smile. "That's umm...that's good," he nervously blew out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and covered her hands with his own.
Bishop knew this was the opportune moment for another important conversation, but as her mouth opened to speak she paused and could only gaze into his waiting eyes. She was completely unable to speak, content in the comfort of his gentle embrace and unwilling yet to chance ruining any of it. Instead she sighed, opting for a diversionary tactic. "Would you like to go for a walk? There is something I would like you to see."
PLEASE REVIEW!