A/N: …
I hate this chapter, I really do...
(also, grammar might not be up to par, as I'm writing this on Google docs, because my grandmother doesn't have word -")
For a long time since the birth and arrival of Hannelore, the crew of the Enterprise had become visibly happier, save the Psi 2000 incident. With the addition of a baby, the crew had become less of coworkers and more a family, the village that raises a child, if you will. Indeed, it was as if the whole lot of them had become entranced in a perfect moment.
And then that penultimate moment ended…
One month after Shore Leave…
The ship was abuzz with tense whisperings and people on high alert, like a behave recovering from an attack by a bear, if beehives could actually recover from that sort of thing.
Three hours beforehand, an alert had come from Starfleet to all ships that had recently docked: Jarveas Ghirahim was on the loose.
Anyone who'd read a major newsfeed within the past ten years knew who this man was, and why him being free to roam wherever he pleased was a very dangerous thing. Ghirahim was from an alien race that at one point had the ability to shape-shift into anyone, essentially becoming a doppelganger and having ample opportunity to become that person. Over countless millennia, the gene that gave them the aforementioned ability had become more and more scarce, and as far as anyone knew, the criminal mastermind was the only one left in existence.
Ghirahim was, in his most basic essence, one of the worst kinds of people. In a sense, he was a ruthless sociopath, not caring who or what perished in his path to achieve what he desired. Selfish, arrogant, and downright evil were all terms used to describe him in personal articles, news showings, and even in the courtroom where he was sentenced to life on a prison planet after he'd nearly caused the downfall of Starfleet by impersonating a council member and declaring war on all Romulans and Klingons.
Therefore, this man's location being unknown was very bad. Very, very bad. As in, of all the worst possible things that could happen, this was THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING.
Really, it made sense for everyone unified under Starfleet to be on their toes at all times. Ghirahim was proven to be after the fall of Starfleet and all it stood for, and he could be absolutely anyone.
Which is why when Starfleet sent a message to the Enterprise informing them that the council was sending a professional in the field of hunting down criminal geniuses on board to make certain that Ghirahim hadn't snuck onto the ship, the crew wasn't very surprised.
They were a bit surprised that it had been sent via a textual messaging system rather that as a face-to-face viral contact, but then they simply assumed that they weren't taking chances with this case.
The man they sent was certainly someone who seemed like they would have this job. With dark hair gelled back tightly, skin as pale as Earth's one and only moon, his tall and thin build, and his gaunt face with model-like cheekbones, Kirk could have sworn that he was the great Sherlock Holmes.
"Hi there, welcome aboard the Enterprise!" Kirk said with his usual cheerful demeanor, outstretching his arm for the agent to shake his hand.
The newcomer simply glanced at the outstretched extremity and gave the Captain an unamused stare. "I am Agent William Coulson," the detective said in a surprisingly deep voice, "And if you do not mind, I would like to speak with Captain Kirk so we may begin the search."
Jim's smile refused to falter as his arm returned to his side fruitlessly. "That would be me, and I guess I'm ready when you are, Agent."
For a moment, Coulson simply gave him a look that incredulously inquired 'Seriously? You expect me to believe that you are the Captain of this ship? You must be joking', but when no one stepped up and told this man to bugger off, he decided that this idiot must be telling the truth. "Very well, then, Captain, then if we may-"
"Dad-dy!" A tiny voice exclaimed. A minuscule blond toddler girl had begun running clumsy down the hallway, joyfully calling out the cutesy name for her father, right up until she tripped on seemingly nothing and fell flat on her face. "AH!"
"Hanners!" The Captain shouted as he ran towards the small child, who had begun sobbing softly. "Oh, shush, baby, you're okay, Daddy's got you..."
How interesting. "I assume that this toddler is yours, Captain?"
The other man chuckled lightly. "Yeah, she's my little girl."
Very interesting. "I see. Well, then, I shall leave you to your daughter, sir."
"Wait, what? But what about the-"
"I am sure that I can find my own way around the ship, Captain. Farewell."
As the 'detective' left the welcoming party, a grin settled onto his features.
A very malicious sort of grin, that is.
Perhaps I will not have to do as much work of my own after all, the man thought as his hair became free of its restrictive coating, icy blue eyes becoming chocolate coloured and skin turning from pale ivory to a rich shade of mocha.
If I show that the best of the best at Starfleet cannot even protect his own child from being taken, then perhaps the public will simply do the hard part of overthrowing the council for me.
Ghirahim's evil smirk only grew as he formulated the plan of action, disguised as one of Starfleet's own in the deserted halls of it's flagship.
-To Boldly Go-
After putting Hannelore back into her room, where she had proceeded to take her midday nap, Kirk had returned to the bridge expecting to see Coulson, and was immediately stunned when the agent was nowhere to be seen.
"Has anybody seen Coulson?"
That question was answered with a resounding no and a few head scratches in confusion. Just then, the Starfleet insignia appeared onscreen.
"It's from Commander Pike, Captain."
Kirk waved his arm in a 'go ahead' gesture.
"Hello, Captain, how have you been doing?"
"Just fine, Pike. Listen, that Coulson guy you sent over, is he always so... aloof?"
The Commander gave him a confused look. "Coulson? As in, Agent William Coulson?"
"Yeah, who else would I be talking about? I mean, I can't imagine that there's a lot of people with the last name Coul-"
"Jim," Pike began warily, "I never sent Agent Coulson aboard the Enterprise. In fact, Coulson isn't even in your quadrant right now. Coulson is in the Omega quadrant infiltrating an interplanetary crime organization."
"What? But then who..." Jim's eyes widened in realization. "... Oh, shit. Quick, initiate emergency lock down procedures!"
Pike nodded. "I'll alert the council. Don't let him get away, Kirk." The Commander warned as the contact ended.
"Sir, emergency lock down isn't possible."
The Captain spun around, wide-eyed in adrenaline-fueled energy. "WHAT? Why the fuck not?"
Chekov gulped audibly. "I-It says zat an emergency medical override on all lock dovn procedures has been put into place indefinitely, Keptin."
"Emergency medical over- Oh, good God, BONES!"
-Where No Man Has Gone Before-
By the time that Kirk arrived, it appeared that it was too late. Both Bones and Chapel were lying on the floor unconscious, the medical bay looked like it had been viciously assaulted by both a hurricane and a tornado, and the one computer in the bay was locked, the words 'OVERRIDE ACTIVATED' flashing in blood-red lettering.
"Fuck! Bones, wake up!" Kirk screeched, running over to his friend, picking him up by the collar and slapping him across the face with all of his might.
"OW! MOTHER OF GOD, JIM!"
The Captain furiously pointed at the computer. "GHIRAHIM'S ON BOARD! TURN OFF OVERRIDE! NOW!"
Bones sighed. "I can't."
"WHY THE EVER-LOVING FUCK NOT? TELL ME WHY IN THE NAME OF ALL THINGS HOLY CAN YOU NOT TURN OFF OVERRIDE?"
"BECAUSE THAT JACKASS CHANGED THE PASSWORD AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS!"
After a short staring contest, Jim dropped his friend with a thud.
"... Fucking super. Our only chance is to try and catch this bastard, and we don't even know where he is or what he looks like!"
"Well, think, man! Is there anything that might have piqued his interest?"
"Of course n-! Wait. He did seemed rather interested in Ha-" Once again, the Captain's eyes widened in not only realization, but also abrupt and sheer terror.
I assume that this toddler is yours, Captain?
"... No... No... Oh, dear God, Buddha, Zeus, whoever the fuck's up there, please NO!" Jim screamed as he tore out of the medical bay and down the halls of the Enterprise, tearing the door to his only child's room open the millisecond he arrived at it.
The crib was overturned carelessly, scratch marks on the wood indicating a struggle. Toys, blankets, books, everything was strewn across the floor in orderless fashion.
And Hannelore was gone.
Without hesitation, Kirk flipped open the communication device he had on him and called up Scotty.
"Cap'n! Please, ye got to get down 'ere! Ah'm holding him off as best ah ken, but he's too-" the Scotsman let out a scream and a thud was heard on the other end as Kirk dashed into the teleporter room.
"HANNELORE!"
In his true form of a scaly green humanoid with elephant-tusk-like horns, the evil man smirked as he stepped onto the beam, a furiously squirming and screaming child held tightly under his arm.
"DADDY!" The little child screeched, tears streaming down her terrified young face.
"Said goodbye to your beloved baby girl, Captain James Tiberius Kirk." The monster stated maliciously as the beam started up.
"NO!" Kirk desperately rushed forward, but it was in vain.
In a moment, both his baby, his child, his entire world was gone, and so was the monster.
Hannelore had been stolen away from him right before his very eyes.
-SPIIIIIRK!-
He couldn't feel anything.
Spock told him that Hannelore was still alive, he could still sense her through their bond, but he had tried and failed to contact her through it many a time.
He was numb.
Uhura held him tightly, told him it wasn't his fault, that Ghirahim had fooled them all.
He couldn't speak.
Bones had sworn to him that they wouldn't give up, that they'd find her if it was the last thing they all did.
He couldn't sleep.
Nothing mattered anymore. His child, his only daughter, his baby was gone.
He had been broken so many times before this.
But this time, James Tiberius Kirk was shattered.
-STAR TREK-
Meanwhile, on a planet near Earth's solar system...
A small child sobbed relentlessly on the steps of the Grand Systenian Church of Gallamenxia. The head priestess, intrigued and wary, picked up the tiny bundle and cradled it cautiously in her cloth-covered crimson arms.
"A child...?" She asked no one, peeking into the blanket and gasping at the sight. "A monster!"
For a moment, the priestess considered throwing this demon into the well and sending it back to Agraheit where it belonged, but the teachings of the Seer Systenia ran through her mind and stopped her.
"Since it is a sin to murder a defenseless child, no matter how deformed..." she gazed up at the lonely bell tower crowning her home. "Perhaps... I shall make this monstrosity of some use."
With that, Ferdonia retreated inside the cathedral, the child, whom she decided to call Celicimia, a name meaning 'tiny-demon', still weeping in her clutches.
A/N: …
Now you know why I didn't want to write this one...