So another short part, sorry. But they, the last few have been longer!
I know you've been wanting to go back to Jim, but he's up next. This part is mainly to set up the whump to follow!
There seemed to be some confusion in the last part as to the Deneva references. Earlier in the story, when both Pike and McCoy presumed Sam dead, I mentioned that Sam's 'body' had been found on Deneva before being cremated. That's all the reference is in regards to and I promise I will answer that point in the next few parts. It's also a nod to TOS in which Sam was a nice, non homicidal researcher on Deneva with a wife and a kid (who were also not crazy).
(And to the reviewer who asked about the Risan stripper incident…. that will actually be explained in this fic and will totally go in McCoy's bag of blackmail material.)
Cliffhanger ahoy!
Enjoy!
Starship doors did not slam open, they slid smoothly and at a preprogrammed speed. As Thomas stormed into Sam's quarters, however, Sam the distinct impression that if the former Starfleet officer could have slammed it, the whole door would have rattled in its frame.
"Please," Sam said dryly, "come on in."It wasn't like they were at a critical, not to mention highly dangerous stage of proceedings and he needed to pay full attention to the job at hand.
"You want to tell me why Jim's under armed guard?" Thomas demanded angrily. He'd changed out of his uniform and was almost unrecognizable in plain civilian clothes.
Sam went back to the console he was sat at, in no mood for anyone's drama. Is head pounded thanks to Jim's theatrics and his temper was frayed. "Because he's my brother and he's a sneaky bastard." Sam clarified. 'Because according to the file you provided on him, he staged a coup in the middle of his Command SERE training and broke out the entire cadet class." That Sam would have killed to see. "And because he's being a stubborn bastard who should know better but apparently doesn't."
Without waiting for an invitation, Thomas sighed and dragged a chair over to the desk before dropping down into it wearily. "I told you he wouldn't want anything to do with us."
"You also told me he'd being going to the seminar by himself." Sam pointed out irritably.
Thomas shrugged without remorse. "I heard Uhura talking to Rand. Jim denied her visitation request. How was I supposed to know he wanted to take her himself?"
"Oh you weren't. just like I wasn't supposed to guess that Jim would be such a pain in the ass." Sam snapped.
"I did warn you." Thomas held up his hands defensively. "He hasn't tried anything though."
Sam rolled his eyes. "Just because he's being meek and docile doesn't mean a damn thing. First chance he sees, he's making a run for it."
Thomas' expression soured. "I don't think he'll want to run very far when he knows where we've landed." He shuddered as if suddenly cold.
"You ever been back?" Sam asked, eying Thomas carefully.
He shook his head quickly. "No. Not since you found us."
"It gonna be a problem?" Sam was going to have enough on his hands once Jim figured out where they were. The last thing he needed to worry about was Thomas as well. One meltdown was going to be distracting enough.
"No." Thomas said flatly. "It won't be a problem." But he hesitated none the less. "Jim…you wont hurt him?"
When all this had started, saving Jim had been as much his priority as making Marcus pay. Eventually the two had combined and now it was impossible to say where one goal ended and the other began. One thing was for sure though, this was going to be the hardest thing Sam had ever done in his life.
And when it worked – because it would – he would never forgive himself for doing what was necessary.
He met Thomas' eyes sadly, his anger ebbing away with the knowledge of what he was about to do. "Sometimes hurting someone is the only way you can save them."
He'd known it was bad from the minute he'd seen Jim boarding the Earth bound shuttle on Deneva, clean and polished and sparkling in his cadet reds. Getting him out of Starfleet's hands was never going to be easy, but even he'd not been able to anticipate the depth of Marcus' control over his brother.
His buzzer chimmed. "Enter." The door slid open, Joxer standing calmly on the other side. "The Klingon ship entered the atmosphere three minutes ago." He reported calmly.
Sam nodded and rose to his feet. "Good. Fetch my brother. We're going down to the surface. We landed in the Jascar Province?"
"Yes. Half a click from where we found planet might be deserted but the Vulcans who were here last completely tore down the spaceport. Mags put us down just outside of town." Joxer looked mildly disapproving but it was nothing compared to the alarm that spread across Thomas' face.
"You can't seriously be thinking about taking him back there." He exclaimed in horror.
"He needs to remember." The teenager that had survived what Kodos had done to him would have jumped in the chance Sam was offering him. That was what he needed, not this golden mask of righteousness Jim was wearing. He needed the wolf beneath the sheep's clothing and he knew exactly how to get it. He looked once more to Joxer. "Tell your team to be prepared. We're knocking on a door and asking a dangerous man to come out and play."
Joxer nodded and left.
"Sam, think about this." Thomas pleaded. "He'll never forgive you."
"I don't need him to forgive me." Sam knew he'd lost out on the chance to ever have Jim's love. He'd resigned himself to that the moment he'd ordered Sato's death. He just needed to focus on the bigger picture and it would be worth it.
He left for the hanger, Thomas hot on his heels. Sam didn't have the time to be dealing with his cold feet so picked up his pace.
"And what if it doesn't work? What if you still can't convince him? The whole deal goes south and we're stuck on a quarantined planet with illegal dilithium crystal and a stolen shuttle. Not to mention the fact that we kidnapped a Federation wide icon – and we'll have a ship full of angry Klingons to deal with." Thomas called after him.
The reached the hanger and the rest of his crew was waiting, backs straight with anticipation. The hanger door opened as Joxer and Cali dragged Jim down from his room. They'd left him bound, and for all that Jim was dragging his heels his brother looked incredibly bored.
Sam swallowed grimly. "I've spent ten years rotting in a Federation prison with nothing to think of but this." He snarled quietly to Thomas. "Have a little faith, or I'll out you down there with Jim. I seem to recall you having problems with small spaces." Thomas had been useful to get to Jim, but he'd all but served his purprose and Sam had little patience left.
Thomas' living eye flashed furiously, his face turning white with rage and fear. His nerve gone, he settled back on his heels and refused to look in Jim's direction.
Jim returned the gesture, not looking at Sam either. His eyes were fixed curiously on the arid land just visible through the open doors of the hanger.
Sam knew Jim hadn't recognized their location yet.
He would.
Signaling everyone to move out, Sam kept half an eye on his brother and half on the sky.
He hesitated only for a second, then stepped out onto the dry, dead ground of Tarsus IV.