Episode 14: Secret Messages
Kirk sat in his ready room looking over the data pad he had just been handed. He hated doing this type of thing. He should have seen this coming but was hoping it wouldn't come to this. "Lt. Lola please report my ready room." His voice was firm as soon as he tapped the comm but he sat back sighing running a hand over his face. He looked down at the data pad one more time standing up looking at his wall decorations, waiting.
"You wanted to see me sir." Came a calm voice from the door. "Yes I did, have a seat." He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. "Do you know why I called you here?" He asked calmly walking around his desk standing in front of Lola. "I have an idea sir." She replied with sarcasm lacing her voice. He raised an eyebrow at her attitude, he was the captain for gods sakes. "Then you know what I have to do and why I have to do it." He added staring at her intently. She raised an eyebrow at him, she found him way to full of himself. "And whats that captain?" She asked crossing her arms.
"I'm transferring you back to earth." He stated calmly. She looked shocked for a second before her face scrunched in anger.
Vivian had enjoyed her time reconnecting with the baby and resorting the quarters. Her memory loss self changed a few things to make it feel more comfortable but she liked how she had it before. She had been folding her clothes when she heard her comm beep. She walked over the desk and tapped the screen. She nearly dropped the shirt she had been holding when she saw her uncle's face appear on the screen.
"Wha..." she was speechless she didn't know what to say to him. She had been furious with him for hiding what her parents had done but now face to face she wasn't sure what she was feeling. "Look I just want to apologize for what happened and how you found out, but you have to know I was only trying to protect you." He laid it out a look of sorrow crossing his features. Her face softened she could never stay mad at him even when she was little. He accidentally broke one of the toys he had gotten her and she tried to be mad but she forgave him when he tried to put it back together. She was soon to be mother and she was starting to see just how much he had done for her.
He smiled slightly when he saw her resolve crack and saw the smile stretch across her face. "I could never stay mad at you." She breathed out chuckling slightly. "Thats what I was counting on." He replied with a laugh she joined him. "I also needed to apologize for not contacting you sooner." He added getting serious again. "Thats okay it's been a little busy around her as of late." She added giving a half-smile. They had talked for a minute before she realized she still had the shirt in her hand. "Let me put this away, I'll be back." She added looking at him for conformation. He nodded and continued with what they had been talking about. "So have you seen the new paper out on the upgrades for shuttle diagnostics systems?" He asked his voice a little louder so she could hear. "Actually I haven't had much time to read up on Engineering upgrades or break throughs."She replied her voice louder so he could hear her. "Since when do you not have time for engineering?" he joked chuckling at his own joke. She chuckled as well coming back over to the view screen to sit down. Whatever he was about to say died on his lips when he saw her baby bump. He watched her use the back of the chair to ease into it.
"Wha..." it was his turn to be speechless. "Oh I forgot you didn't know about this." She laughed to herself, pointing at her swollen stomach. "It's the vulcans right?" He asked tentatively. She laughed softly "Yes Spock is the father." she answered. She ran a hand over her abdomen smiling softly as the baby became excited. "You look beautiful." He replied softly feeling that if he said it louder he would ruin the moment. She blushed at the unfamiliar compliment. "He wants to say hello he's excited to hear your voice." She murmured after falling into a slight daze. He looked shocked for a second. "Yeah it takes some getting use to." She smiled happily. They had moved on with him asking a few questions and her telling him about the things that happened since they last spoke leading up to the most recent memory loss.
He looked surprised "It looks like you've lived an eventful life while I was gone." He joked lightly not sure what else to say. She smiled "It happens I suppose." he laughed. She glanced at the bedside table where her clock was. "I have to go Spock will be getting back shortly, well talk again soon?" she stated before looking at him in question in the end. He smiled and nodded. "Talk to you again soon Little one." and with that the screen signaled end of communication. She liked hearing the nickname again, she stood up and headed back to finish the last few shirts.
She had picked up her data pad when the door whooshed open. She tensed slightly before she relaxed when she saw Spock enter their quarters. She walked to his side, setting the data pad down on the table. She grabbed his hand that had been resting by his side. As soon as her skin connected to his she tried what she had practised. 'Welcome home.' his eyebrow rose in surprise before he nodded in greeting. She was use to this greeting it didn't bother her anymore. She knew exactly how he felt about her.
"I've been thinking." She started she saw him pause for a minute before turning to her. She took that as the sign continue. "What happens in six months when the missions over?" She asked as she placed her hand on her stomach. "Enterprise is no place to raise a child." She continued watching him carefully.
Kirk was once again in his ready room sitting across from Lt. Lore. "Did you send the transmission?" Kirk asked calmly. "Yes sir, but don't you think we should let Vivian and Spock in on this." Lore asked apprehensively. "I wish we could but this requires a great level of secrecy and if he knew she'd be more protected and for this plan to work we can't have that." He answered rubbing his fingers over his temple as he sat in thought. "But your putting them both at risk. I hope its worth it captain." Lore shot back standing up to leave. "me too, me too." Kirk replied staring out the small window to the stars. He needed this to work, to put a stop to it here and now but it had to be done carefully.
The transmission was intercepted by the cloaked Klingon ship about a day from Enterprise. "Sir we decoded the message." One voice addressed handing over a data pad. "Is this accurate?!" The Captains voice barked. "It's an official message to starfleet. It was hidden under the main message." Another voice stated calmly. "So the Vulcan child has been born. Those aliens failed us, failing is not an option." The Captains voice ground out.
"Lt. Vivian DeLuna please report to my ready room." Kirks strained voice filled the comm. It had been a day since she had brought up possibilities of the future and for the first talk it went as well as she hoped. "On my way Captain." She replied before leaving her quarters. Spock was on the bridge so she was a little worried something had happened that only the senior officers knew. She was surprised when she got to his office that he was staring out the window. It wasn't like him he was always so optimistic but in this moment he looked perturbed.
"Captain Kirk." her voice startled him out of his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder in acknowledgement before looking back out the window. She was a little put off by his strange behavior. She was about to say something but he interrupted her before she could get it out. "Do you trust your uncle?" He asked calmly turning away from the window. "Captain?" she was floored by the question. "I don't know wha..." She started. "I need to know the truth Lt. DeLuna, don't make me order you." He stated watching her carefully. Again she was really worried with this strange questioning, but if he wanted to know the truth she'd tell him. She was sure he had read the debrief about her uncle meeting with her parents something serious must be going on.
"Regardless of my parents past he was always loyal to starfleet. I think he threw himself into starfleet to try to redeem himself from the burdens of his past, sir." Vivian replied formally. The tension left his shoulders immediately she tilted her head slightly in question. "Sir?" she finally questioned. "I needed to hear from you, from someone who knows his core." Kirk mumbled moving to sit at his desk. "I trusted him with confidential plans that won't work with out him." He added bringing his hand up to his face. She was nervous where this was leading. "I approached your uncle when you were on Riza. I needed his help infiltrating your parents operation." He finally breathed out not looking at her instead concentrating on his desk. She was sure she was gaping like a fish. Her mind swirled with the possible reasons for this, but she pushed that aside for now. She knew he wouldn't tell her anything now, but there was one question nagging her.
"Why are you telling me this now?" her voice firm. "Well, that's the thing I set a part of the plan into motion yesterday. The aliens trying to kidnap you and the baby weren't the Klingons doing. It isn't really there M.O, which leads me to your parents who have standing with the Klingons, somehow. They used the Klingons to hire the aliens to throw suspicion off themselves." He revealed looking out the window in thought. "Why would they need to do that, what do they plan to do?" She questioned watching him. "They plan to sell your baby to the highest bidder once he's born." He replied bluntly watching her reaction. She placed a hand to her chest and the other to the baby bump slumping into the chair in front of his desk.
"The plan was for your uncle to 'intersept' a starfleet message on the Klingon bird of prey your father just so happens to be the captain of." She looked up in shock. He continued "I had Lt. Lore announce your son's birth. Not much is understood about Vulcan human births so being early for human standards isn't so far-fetched. I just received your uncles comm a few minutes ago that your parents and their bird of prey are going to be here in a few hours." He finished watching her process the information.
"That still doesn't explain why your telling me."She finally added once she calmed herself. "I needed you in here so I can keep an eye on you when they get here. They don't have an exact plan layed out yet, and because I didn't tell Spock about this, no doubt he'll be furious when he does find out I used you as bait and I need you to be a buffer." He replied looking slightly sheepish at the end. "Why didn't you tell anyone else besides Lore?" she asked curiously. "It's easier with fewer people knowing." he stated matter of factly. "So what do we do, what's the plan for when they get here?" She asked watching him intently.
"We wait." He stated calmly. "That's it? I was hoping the great Captain Kirk had some widely outrageous plan full daring and danger." She smiled her eyes shining with amusement, he smirked at her. She suddenly remember something. "So my uncle has been undercover for almost seven months?" She asked deliberately. He looked at her curiously before nodding slowly. "That's strange because he sent me a comm yesterday." she stated slightly confused. Kirk looked surprised for a second. "What did you talk about?" He asked sitting forward-looking at her cautiously. She spent the next hour telling him what they talked about and had to stop and explain some of the inside jokes. He was laughing at one of the stories when the red alert blared.
He sobered and stood to enter the bridge. "Do you want me to stay here or come with you?" She asked standing slightly one hand on the chair the other on her bump. He stood at his door looking over his shoulder at her. "Stay here for now." He stated straightening his shirt before walking to the bridge. She slumped back in the chair as the door closed. "Well now what?" She asked to herself. The baby's emotion flared in agreement. She stood slowly and moved over to the small window. She was staring off when the ship rocked and she had to stop herself from hitting her head on the window. She saw the flash of light she recognized as phaser fire. "Shit" She mumbled. The baby kicked and flared discomfort. "I'm sorry for cursing." She whispered to her bump before looking back out the window.
She hadn't heard the beam not that she would with the ship being attacked. So she was shocked when someone spoke.
"It seems our information was false." Her fathers gruff voice stated with a raised eyebrow. She turned sharply seeing her father, uncle, and her mother standing near the captains desk. She gaped not sure what to say. "I thought you said the baby had been born." Her mother jabbed at her uncle. "That's the message they sent to starfleet. It was through the proper channels. It seems that it was a ruse." Her uncles calm voice responded. "We're already here lets grab her and go." Her father's voice stated walking toward her. She shot around the desk as he came toward her. Which put her closer to her mother. The only thing between her and her parents was the desk. "Don't play games we always hated your games just come with us." Her father's voice barked gruffly. She felt the pang in her chest as they brought up her childhood. "Now don't make me use this." Her father stated pulling out a starfleet issued phaser.
"Eric we can't stun her. The baby." Her mother stated sharply. She almost mistook her mothers comment as concern, but she knew better the only thing her mother was thinking about was what the baby would mean for them once they took it to the markets. The thought of them standing in a bazaar with her infant made her blood run cold. "Your not taking my baby." She spat at them. She felt the ship rock violently. It knocked over everyone in the room except herself, she had time to brace herself on the desk. She darted around the desk toward the door. She heard the phaser hit near the door. She turned sharply to see her father standing with a phaser in hand. Her mother reached out and hit him. "The baby." Vivian stepped on the bridge her back facing the bridge crew who watched in curiosity before returning to combating the bird of prey.
Before anyone could say anything the door to the captains ready room opened revealing her father, mother and uncle trailing silently behind. The crew on the bridge went on high alert. They were trying to keep the ship in one piece and were trying to access the new threat. Spock moved to try to protect her but Vivian's father pointed his phaser at him halting his movements. "I wouldn't do that. This is what's going to happen we take Vivian with us and we'll leave your ship and stop the attacks. It's not like you're in any position to negotiate." Her father layed out for the crew.
Before anything else could happen the Klingon ship stopped its assault and the view screen came to life. "We've secured the bird of prey, sir." Lores face was cut and bleeding but he wore a lopsided grin. A collective sigh swept through the bridge. A second later security swarmed the bridge and disarmed her family. She sighed and stepped toward Sulu and Chekov and used their panel as a support. Sulu stood and held onto her arm. "Are you alright, should we get McCoy?" He asked quietly. "No, no I'm sure he's busy I'm just relieved and a little out of breath." She smiled trying to reassure him. He nodded before going back to his duties. Spock came over "You must go back to our quarters and rest." He left no room for negotiation in his voice. "Hold on Commander I need to debrief her." Kirk added coming over. "Sir I really think she should rest." He voiced straightening as he addressed the captain. "I'll be okay Spock. Besides I have many things to discuss with him." She added eyeing Kirk. Spock raised an eyebrow at them but went back to his duties as they entered the captains ready room.
"Daring and Dangerous indeed." She stated crossing her arms. He stood behind his desk and smirked at her. "I didn't want to disappoint." He chuckled she laughed as well. Once the adrenaline wore off they got back to business, she filled him in from when he left, to her appearing on the bridge. She saw the subtle change, he was shouldering all the responsibility. Of course that's what the Captain did but Kirk seemed to take it to heart. If his plan had failed that was it, the enterprise would have been destroyed and she would have been kidnapped and her baby sold. She didn't envy the Captains position or responsibilitys. She was starting to feel the day catching up to her. "I think Spock was right I should return to my quarters to sleep." She replied softly standing to leave. He stood as well "Thank you Captain." She moved around to stand in front of him, she kissed his cheek lightly and left his ready room.
He watched her leave before moving over to the window. Spock came in a few minutes later and saw him looking out the window solemnly. "Scotty estimates repairs will take a few days. Minimal damage." He relayed. "Thank you Spock." He replied calmly. He bowed slightly before turning to leave, he paused and turned back slightly. "Thank you Captain." Before leaving a bewildered and slightly amused Kirk in his ready room.
A few hours later Kirk came to the brig and noticed Will Retta laying on his back staring at the ceiling of his cell. He saw the other two asleep on their cots. "Are you ready?" Kirk asked calmly from the shadows. Will sat up and stared at the young Captain. Kirk was one of the few Captains he respected enough to trust him with his life. "Ready." He stated calmly. The cell force field fell and Will Retta stepped out of his cell calmly. Once he was 'escorted' out of the brig their demeanor changed.
"It's about time." He mumbled smirking at the young Captain. Kirk chuckled "Your lucky I even let you out." Will barked out a laugh. "What is he doing out of his cell?" Spock asked quietly coming upon the two. "Spock it's time I filled you in on what happened." Kirk stated calmly and with that they were lead to his ready room and everything was layed out for Spock. Kirk could tell Spock was irritated by the twitch near his eye. He easily composed himself but remained silent. When his door chimed Spock and Will were slightly surprised by the person on the other side. "May I come in." Her voice was calm. Vivian had woken up a few minutes earlier by the captain to come to his ready room. She wasn't entirely surprised to find her Uncle and Spock talking to the Captain.
Once everything was cleared up she had a few minutes to talk to her uncle before he had to leave.
"So I'm headed back to earth on the next transport. I'm going to be taking up a teaching job at Starfleet." Her Uncle smiled as he broke the news. "Why didn't you tell me yesterday?" she asked surprised. "I was waiting until this was over." He answered calmly. "well good luck and I feel sorry for your students." She jabbed. He laughed before giving her a hug goodbye. "I'll call you once I'm settled." He told her before kissing her head and getting on the transporter. She waved with a smile on her face. He smiled and waved before the lights swirled around him. She felt Spock come up behind her.
"Come with me. The captain shouldn't have woken you up." Spock stated still slightly irritated at the Captain.
"Yes Dear." She replied smiling coyly at him as he looked at her in confusion.