Letting you in on a secret here: as much as I love Jim&Bones BFF…I love Jim&Spock more. (Which is why Jim&Spock&Bones is the best thing ever!) You have NO IDEA how glad I am to finally be getting to a point in their relationship where the bromance can form. Talk about a slow build!
Also! Penultimate part! Eek!
Spock had not had either the time or wherewithal to see Kirk for almost forty eight hours after recovering him from Tarsus IV. Admiral Pike had stepped down as the ship's CO leaving Spock in command in order to spend his time with the captain.
In order to facilitate the repairs needed to the warp core, refit its dilithium crystal and allow the ship's crew the time they needed to recover after working without pause or complaint to rescue their captain, Spock had diverted Risa, the closest major Federation planet with a large enough aerospace diagnostics and repair center. They had arrived only an hour ago and already the first rotation of crew had beamed down for a thirty-six hour shore leave.
The prisoners would stay on the ship until their collection three days hence. Spock was taking no chances and had a rotating guard on them at all times. Jim had his own guard stationed outside medical and the remaining crew were on high alert.
Finally free to leave his station, Spock headed straight to medical.
Doctor McCoy had fallen asleep in a position remarkably similar to the one Spock had found him in shortly after the final battle with Nero. His head was pillowed on his arm, which was in turn resting on the side of Jim's bed. The captain himself was awake and thumbing through a PADD. He looked up at the sound of Spock's entrance and smiled. "Hey. How's our girl?"
Spock looked at McCoy in concern and spoke very softly. "Should I be concerned about waking the doctor?"
"Nah." Jim shook his head. "He's out cold. Stupid bastard always does this when I get hurt. So long as nothing starts to beep he'll be out for a while. Don't envy him the back ache, though." Kirk looked at his friend with a sympathy that belied the true meaning of his words. Spock had come to learn that some humans, these two in particular, would go to great lengths to mask their true emotions with deceit. It was quite remarkable to witness.
"Your situation has been greatly troubling for all aboard." Spock said, including himself among them, "none more so that the doctor."
"Bones…worries." Jim said, his expression troubled. "He always has. He cares too much."
"I do not believe that is correct. He cares only as much as is deserved." Jim looked up at him in surprise, clearly uncomfortable with the implication Spock was making.
"Maybe." Jim agreed eventually. "Look, about Uhura. I would never put her in danger willingly. I'd never want to hurt any of you, and I'm sorry she got caught up in it."
"I am aware of what happened at the symposium, Captain." Spock cut in, overriding Kirk's apology. "You protected Nyota at great cost to yourself. You have my thanks."
"Yeah, until she decided to take on a bunch of batshit crazy terrorists all by herself. I didn't imagine that, did I?"
Spock allowed himself a twitch of amusement. "I believe you have a greater influence on the crew than you acknowledge."
"Well that's terrifying."
"I believe 'inspiring' is the word you were looking for, however I am informed you are recovering from a severe head injury and confusing ones words is a common side effect."
Kirk rolled his eyes. "Why the hell did I ever think you had no sense of humor?"
"Your ill-informed conclusions do perplex me," Spock agreed, enjoying the comfort of the conversation. He had not realized how much me missed his discourses with Kirk – at least when they were in agreement on something. "Especially in light of recent revelations." Jim's expression became troubled and Spock quickly clarified. "You go to great lengths to disguise your intelligence. Why?"
Jim frowned. "No I don't."
"I am afraid you do."
"Since when?"
"Since you allow crew members to explain concepts to you that you already grasp, quite possibly more coherently than they do themselves. Since you clearly speak more languages than your personnel file indicates, and since you developed a genetically superior species of plant – a most complex and time consuming project I might add – and fail to take credit for it."
Jim's confused from shifted into mild annoyance. "Jesus, Kevin really can't keep a damn secret, can he?" Spock understood the question to be a rhetorical one and did not respond. "Okay look, people like to show off their skills to the captain. It gives them confidence and makes them feel good. I don't list a lot of the languages I dabble-" Spock's eyebrow rose, "dabble in because a fair few of them are illegal and no one really cares how many dialects of a dead language you know. As for the quadro-triticale… if I told people about that they'd want to know why I was doing it."
"I understand, Jim." Spock said gently, stressing the use of the captain's name.
Jim met his eyes and for the first time Spock saw beyond the mask he used to keep the world at bay to the depths of pain he kept buried beneath it. Indeed he did understand.
It was surprising, and perhaps comforting, to realize that for all their many conflicts and differences, he and Jim were not very unlike each other after all.
Spock kept his pain at bay by ruthless application of logic and emotional control. Jim managed his by pretending it didn't exist. Neither could perhaps be considered healthy or wise, but they were the only methods they had at their disposal.
"I understand." Spock said again, "and I feel it only right that, as someone who is not as emotionally compromised by your experiences as the doctor or Admiral Pike, if you require someone to talk to without fear of judgment, I am at your disposal."
Jim blinked at him in surprise. "Thanks Spock. I…I'm not going to take you up on it. But thank you."
Spock inclined his head. "You are welcome, Jim." He reached down and confiscated the PADD resting on Jim's lap. Jim squawked and made a grab for it but was hampered by the sheets tucked tightly around him. "I believe you are on medical leave for the next fortnight. You are supposed to be resting."
"You're as bad as Bones!" Jim protested, his flailing managing to wake the doctor, who stirred with a grumble. "Seriously, do you want me to get bored because that's when I start fucking with the replicators for fun." He yelped suddenly as McCoy's arm swung out of nowhere and nailed him with a hypo. "You should be sleeping!" Jim accused his friend.
McCoy raised his head tiredly. "Look who's talking. Shut up and go to sleep."
"I hate you so much." Jim said, slumping down against the pillows in a dead sleep.
"Right back at ya, kid." Mccoy yawned, shuffled a little further against the bed, and went back to sleep. Spock left them to their rest in silence and told himself that, in light of recent events, standing guard outside of medical for the rest of the shift was only logical.
For all that Jim was on enforced medical leave, Admiral Marcus demanded he be debriefed. Jim, unwilling to make the call from the vulnerable position of a biobed, had directed it be put through to his ready room.
Spock had been surprised when McCoy had allowed it, but pleased to see Jim step back on the bridge once more in uniform, even if it would only be for a short amount of time.
"Keptain on the bridge!" Chekov chirruped in delight, triggering a wave of greetings from those who had not been permitted to visit Jim in sickbay.
"Yeah, I missed you guys too." Jim grinned at them all. His very presence lifted the strained tension on the deck and the crew's moral skyrocketed in mere seconds. "Thanks for coming to pick me up, by the way. And not, you know, breaking the ship. Good work."
"Statistically, captain, you are the only one to have broken the ship." Spock pointed out.
"Okay, that was Scotty and we agreed we weren't going to bring it up again." Jim protested with a pout purely designed to bring amusement to his crew.
The scatter of laughter was an indication of success. "You agreed, captain." Spock would not allow him the last word. Not this time.
"Captain," Uhura's warm voice stopped Kirk before he could retaliate. "I have Admiral Marcus online. Would you like me to make him wait?" By the sound of her voice, she was more than willing to do so.
Much of Kirk's geniality vanished. "No, that's alright lieutenant. Patch him through to my ready room, then I want you, Sulu and Riley to come in with me. Bones and Pike are already waiting. Spock, you too."
Those named by Jim's request shared looks of surprise and concern. "Captain, it is not necessary-" Spock felt the need to intervene.
"It is. And I'm only going to do this the once, but I could do with the support." Jim looked like a man preparing for battle and Spock wondered if that was what was about to happen.
As one, the command crew followed Jim into the ready room, their relief smoothly taking seats at their stations. As Jim had said, both Admiral Pike and Doctor McCoy were waiting.
Without a word, they all took their seats. Jim offered Pike his chair and gave a small smile when Pike rolled his eyes and sat in Leighton's position instead. "I need you all to do something for me." Jim asked them seriously.
"Anything you need, Jim." McCoy said, unusually gentle.
Jim nodded. "I need your best poker faces here. Whatever I say, whatever he says, you can't interrupt me and you can't look like you want to stab something, yes Bones that is your natural expression I know that. Just…don't. You probably aren't going to like a lot of what I'm going to say, and Admiral," Kirk looked at Pike specifically, "I really need you to back my play on this."
"I trust you Jim." Pike sat back calmly. That was all Kirk needed to hear, apparently.
"Thank you." He said sincerely. "If anyone doesn't want to be here, I understand. This could get messy."
"Messier than almost starting a var vith Klingon Empire, keptain?" Chekov asked with timid humor.
Jim snorted. "Maybe not that messy. But still…"
No one moved and Kirk smiled ever so briefly before nodding to Uhura.
Moments later, Marcus appeared on screen. "Kirk. Good to see you in one piece, son." He spoke congenially, as if he had not ordered Kirk's crew to hunt him down like a criminal.
"Thank you sir." Kirk said calmly, his face utterly blank of anything but polite attention. "I appreciate the assistance you gave in sending Admiral Pike in my absence, it was much appreciated."
Marcus narrowed his eyes at Kirk's uncharacteristic attitude and Spock feared the ploy done. "Drop the bullshit Kirk, I know you better than that. Get to the point."
Kirk's expression didn't so much as twitch. "The threat's been neutralized, the terrorists are in our custody, Klingons don't have our dilithium and no one died."
"Except Sato and Nixon." Marcus said mildly.
"Unfortunate," Kirk said calmly, "but not my responsibility." Spock had no problem hiding his reaction but he could tell the others did not share his ease of control.
"No, you can thank your brother for that." Marcus glowered. "Any idea what he was trying to achieve in the first place?"
"Your head on a platter, I think." Kirk responded with mild amusement. "Or possibly just a limb or two, he never actually clarified."
To the surprise of the assembled officers, Marcus actually laughed. "And he thought you'd be the one to give it to him. Boy doesn't know you well at all, does he?"
"Not as well as you do, sir." Kirk nodded affably. "Which is why putting a hit out on me was a little excessive. Can I assume that the agents currently marking us are going to be withdrawn?"
Spock met Pike's eyes in shock. At no point had they encountered such a threat and it unnerved him as much for passing his attention unnoticed as it did Kirk seemed to know about it. Either he was more aware than he'd let on, or he was more familiar with the standard operating procedures of special operations groups than he should be.
Marcus waved his hand, "When the prisoners are transferred. Think of them as extra insurance given that your brother did manage to cripple our flagship once before. And don't take it personally, Kirk. I can't take anything for granted, not even you."
"I appreciate that," Kirk said mildly, his voice and his face betraying nothing. Spock had never seen him so calm. It was most unnerving. "But we both know I was never going to be a threat to you."
"No, you're too well trained for that, aren't you Kirk." Marcus shook his head. "Too well trained and too fucked in the head."
"I am what you made me, Admiral." Kirk said, suddenly sounding as cold and dangerous as he had on Tarsus.
"No sudden urge to murder me for fucking up your life?" Marcus actually seemed to be finding the whole situation terribly amusing, which suggested either a solid belief in his complete control of both Kirk and the situation, or perhaps that he knew something they did not.
Kirk smiled. "No more than usual."
Marcus laughed again then got back to business. "Tell me about the Klingons."
"There isn't much more I can tell you I'm afraid, Admiral. The prisoners were attempting to use the stolen dillithium crystal to trade for something, but it wasn't mentioned what they wanted and the Klingons didn't seem particularly concerned when the deal fell through."
"Implying that they were getting the greater deal." Marcus nodded.
"Yes sir."
"Okay, well I'll worry about getting some answers when we take possession of the prisoners. You hurry up and get your ship back in working order. You've got a backlog of missions and I want you active."
"Commander Spock will remain in control for the next two weeks, Admiral. I'm on restricted duty on CMOs orders."
Marcus nodded. "Fine. Policy dictates that you see a shrink from SFM. I assume you'll have no problems passing the requisite interview?"
Kirk's smile still had an edge. "Never have done, sir."
"Good man." Marcus nodded.
"I do have one question sir. Maybe you could answer it for me?"
"Oh yes?" Marcus' brows drew together in suspicion.
"I've established that my brother and his team broke out of a Cardassian prison camp eighteen months ago."
"Your point?"
"Why tell me he died?"
Marcus sighed. "Well shit son, I was trying to protect you." Given what they knew of Marcus, Spock found the lie an implausible one.
"Sir?"
"Sam Kirk is unstable. We never should have given him his commission, but we did, and that's my cross to shoulder. He and his team were imprisoned after they made attempts on the lives of several high ranking officers. Given their training and their background, it was considered safest for everyone and given the nature of their jobs, it was sealed under Starfleet Intelligence's Official Secrets Act. Given his obsession with both Tarsus and Starfleet, when we learned of your brother's escape we feared he would attempt to contact you. To manipulate you as he has since attempted to do. You showed promise, Kirk. Even back in the Academy. We figured it would be best for you if all links were cut."
"You would have had him killed." Kirk concluded.
"I would have protected a cadet at the Academy from a deranged madman." Marcus prevaricated.
Kirk nodded. "Thank you for your candor. And thank you for trying to look out for me."
"It's my pleasure, son. We look after our own, you know that." Marcus said. "That'll be all for now. We'll reconvene in forty-eight hours after the prisoners have been transferred. You're dismissed."
Kirk stood to attention, the crew all following in his direction. "Admiral." Kirk acknowledged. He shared a final glance with Marcus and the connection was terminated.
Doctor McCoy was the first to voice his thoughts. "Okay, what the hell was that?"
Admiral Pike was not far behind. "That was risky, Jim. You're playing a dangerous game."
The rest of the crew respected Jim's authority too much to speak up without invitation but it was clear they all looked uncomfortable with what just happened.
"Jim, why the hell does Marcus seem to think you knew about his connection to Tarsus already?" McCoy shook his head, concern and anger vying for lead place in his emotions. Having been the target for the doctor's anger, Spock fervently hoped concern would be victorious. "You didn't know, did you?"
Jim's shoulders slumped as he fell back in his chair. "Of course I didn't know."
"Then why let him think you did?"
"Because the man admitted to covering up a genocide." Jim said flatly. "And if we start rocking the boat he's going to question our ability to keep quiet about it."
"And are we going to do that?" Sulu spoke up soberly. "Keep quiet."
Jim's gaze turned sharply to the helmsman. "Yes we are. Tarsus happened. People died. Nothing will change that. Making an enemy out of the head of Starfleet because it's morally the right thing to do is just going to get a lot more people hurt."
"You think you can convince him you're still a team player?" Pike questioned calmly, ever the voice of reason.
"Hey," Kirk looked offended. "I am a team player. Maybe not Team Marcus but I believe in what Starfleet stands for or else I wouldn't be here."
"That's not what I mean, son." Pike's gaze softened.
Jim sighed, his defensiveness evaporating. "No, I know. Yes, I can convince him. I convinced Kodos."
"Right up until he tried to kill you." Kevin said with the bluntness only someone who had witnessed the events could get away with.
"Then let's just hope Marcus isn't quite as deranged." Kirk huffed. "Until then we keep our heads down and I play the obedient little captain."
"Can you do that? No offence Jim, but you're not exactly subtle when you don't like someone." McCoy didn't even hide his side long glance at Spock.
"I had breakfast with a deranged mass murder every day for three months knowing that as soon as we were done he was going to go out and butcher another family. You have no idea how subtle I can be." Jim said flatly, making McCoy flinch. It was clear that wasn't Jim's intention because his expression instantly softened. "I don't trust Marcus and he sure as hell won't be trusting me, but until we give him the ammunition to do otherwise, it isn't in his advantage to make a move against us."
"Then we go by the book." Uhura said firmly. "Until…"
"Until he steps down, which is unlikely." Pike concluded. "Or he makes a move against Jim."
"In which case, I need to be in a strategically defensible position. He needs to come to me, not the other way around."
"You realize you're essentially talking about waging a war on the head of Starfleet, right?" Sulu asked.
"Essentially." Jim agreed.
"Okay great, just so we're on the same page."
"Hell, why worry about space killing us when our own command will do the job for free?" McCoy grunted. "Seriously Jim, can't we just give him smallpox or something?"
"I thought they found a cure for that?" Uhura said.
McCoy thumbed his hypo maliciously. "Still hurts like hell."
"Okay, no chemical warfare Bones, jeeze!" Jim looked mildly alarmed. "And we're blowing this way out of proportion. I'm talking about keeping us safe if Marcus decides I'm not't useful enough to him to be left alone."
"And what's to stop him just killing you?" Sulu asked Jim.
"Yeah Jim," McCoy agreed. "You die and then it's just his word against ours."
"I have no intention of dying." Jim rolled his eyes. "And Marcus is arrogant enough to like the idea of having that much power over me."
"I don't like it." McCoy huffed.
"It is the soundest course of action." Spock backed Kirk's play to a grateful smile from his captain. "However it would be prudent to have a pair of eyes on the inside should Marcus attempt to move against you, Captain."
"Well that'll be easy enough for me." Pike spoke up. Kirk shifted minutely in his chair.
"I'm not sure that's a-"
"Kirk, I might not have your colorful history when it comes to manipulating the people around me," Jim scowled at the words, despite the gentleness with which they were spoken, "but I do happen to have far more experience with politics. Keep your nose to the ground and I'll take care of things back home."
"What about Kirk?" Uhura suddenly asked. "Not you, I mean Sam." She amended quickly.
Kirk's expression shuttered. "What about him?"
"Surely he is a threat to Marcus? What's to stop him just killing them all once we transfer them?"
"Absolutely nothing." Kirk shook his head.
"And you're okay with that?" McCoy asked. "He is your brother."
Jim raised his head, his eyes cold and merciless once more. "He murdered the one person who actually cared that I existed. He attacked my crew and he tried to trade part of my ship to the Klingons of all people. Any love or loyalty I might have owed him is spent. He's on his own now."
Yet despite the cold certainty of his words, Spock saw in Jim something he had not seen before.
He saw a lie.