Hi my dear readers!
Sorry once again for the delay, but in the moment spared time is a rare thing. I hope it will be better in the future, because there is still a lot to come yet within the story.
Thank you for the comments. I'm always happy to realize how many people are reading my story.
After Bob listened more to his mind and heart than to the rules, Jim and Khan are temporary off the hook, but only concerning the authorities. Jim is going to have a lot to explain to his friends and members of his crew, while our Augment must find his place within the little world of the Enterprise.
And there is still the war. In this chapter you meet Kor again, but also Barnett – and two other admirals, who are following their own plans.
Have fun,
Yours Starflight
Chapter 36 – Anger and confusions
Wesley, Caviw, Galven and McCoy left; Kirk and Khan were finally alone for the first time since the life threatening events aboard the space station – alone and relieved for the Commodore's support. And Jim's. Nien trusted Jim as he did his own family, but he had been uncertain how Wesley would react. Instead of prison, the Augment was shown the path to justice, and for that he was grateful.
Kirk was happy because of the turn of event. A significant burden fell from his shoulders, though he knew that the road was tenuous.
But roads, trials and patents were not all that occupied the mind of the young captain in the moment.
He hurt. He felt nauseous; his head felt ready to split as did his throat. Residual chills lingered in every bone and cell of his body, and he was unable to rest. And if he could, his mind wouldn't let him. There was so much to say to the man in the second bed – to the man who saved him again, who held him, who loved him! Jim didn't speak Hindi; still he had caught the word pyāra. Nien had whispered it to him just before the Klingons opened fire at the orbital station. There was no doubt what the Augment had voiced. It echoed Kirk's own words.
I love you…
These words were surely most important to the one intended, but Jim Kirk was unprepared for how they would affect him. He lacked experience and was unprepared for the depth in which they would reach down into him. Those words had never been directed at him before; not like this. He'd heard it from his mother none too often, and he knew that his friends loved him as well. But it was quite different from what he and Nien shared. Hidden in its meaning was the sentiment that life held as a new purpose. Before, Nien lived so that others might live. Now he lived that he might have life with him – Jim.
This made the young captain almost tremble. Love like this made him want to weep and laugh. He wanted nothing more than to walk to the other bed and take his mate in his arms. The desire for nearness grew until resistance became impossible. He looked to Khan who lay in the opposite bed. He was tense; his eyes were closed. Kirk sat up and pulled the blanket away.
Instantly chills quaked through his body, but he was willing to endure it; warmth in the proximity of his lover called him like a siren's song.
The quiet rustle of the bedclothes and the clacking of the captain's teeth were enough to wake the Augment's attention. Frowning, Khan lifted his head as he watched Jim carefully swing his legs over the bed's edge. "What are you doing?" he asked; his voice strained painfully around the words. He should have healed by now. Apparently the toll exacted on his body had finally exhausted his abilities.
"You are much too far away," Jim replied roughly. The former dictator sat up.
"Your hip was dislocated. You can't take a single step without pain, so do not walk," he said. The lines furrowed his brow as he saw Kirk make no move to stop.
"Then I'll hop on the good leg."
Nien groaned and slipped out of bed. "You're the most stubborn, unreasonable, and reckless human in the whole of the universe!"
"Love you too, Tiger!" Kirk grinned; mirth sparkled in his gaze.
Rolling his eyes, the super-human walked slowly to the other bed. The bio-scanner on his med bed sent an alarm without Khan there to monitor, yet the former dictator ignored it. Carefully, he sat down beside Jim who took one of his hands in his own. The simple gesture was enough to soothe the young officer's heart and mind, but soft tremors continued to rock his body. Kirk felt as though he were locked in a freezer. It didn't slip Nien's attention.
Gritting his teeth against the pain in his arms and shoulders, he drew up the blanket with his free hand and wrapped it around them both. Their bare feet stuck out from under their gowns exposed to the warm, dry air; yet it wasn't enough to sooth the coldness in their bodies.
Jim could tell that his mate tried to mask the discomfort he felt. He asked worriedly, "Still in pain?" Khan murmured something Jim couldn't understand, so he added, "I don't speak Hindi, love; English, right?"
The blue-green eyes looked at him, and a hint of a smile played around the Augment's bowed lips. "Do you have the slightest idea how much your concern means to me?" he whispered.
Jim's own sky-blue pools shined. "I am always concerned about you. I'll stop, maybe, when you're healthy and out of danger," he answered tenderly.
"Then you know how I feel, when you're jump head-first into the dangers of space," Khan replied softly; he gently squeezed the younger man's fingers. Jim caught the reference to their flight toward the Vengeance. Khan's gaze became somber. "I almost lost you – again!" He felt his mouth going dry. "On the space station as the hull began to split apart, I felt your heartbeat slow." Fighting the burn in his shoulder, he pulled his hand from Jim's fingers and wrapped his arm around his beloved. Resting his forehead against Kirk's, he whispered. "You were dying – and there was nothing I could do to save you this time. I held you close, tried to warm you, but…" He closed his eyes for a moment, and as he opened them again, Jim saw the tears that didn't fall, but they did give away the Augment's inner turmoil. "I can't lose you, James Kirk! Ever! And one thing more. If we should face a no-win situation again as we did on Turkana, never – never ask me to end your life. Not after I've held it in my hands and begged for it to stay with me."
Jim's eyes widened as he realized how his desperate plea made not so long ago still troubled his lover. But before he could say something, Nien added, "You're my mate; a part of me now. Not just in blood, but so much deeper than that. Your soul is in mine, and I am yours. Killing you would shred the remains of me. A suicide of sorts." He pulled Kirk closer to him. "Those moments that I felt you dying in my arms were the most horrible of my life. I have lost enough people close to me – brothers and sisters. I will never stop hurting because of it, but time has drawn out most of the venom. Your demise would rip me open – bleed me of my very life. I felt a sword pierce me through as life stole out of you. I never want to feel it again. If death ever comes to take you from me, I will follow you. My body might continue to function, but existence would be just that; life – living would cease."
He took a deep breath as continued to reveal himself to the younger man; he knew the outpouring of his heart was safe with Jim. "I was more broken than thought when I came to your apartment that night in San Francisco. I realize now how shattered I was – now after you mended me. You healed my soul; you made it whole and gave it new life." His gaze intensified. "So promise me – promise! Promise you will temper your recklessness. I have lived for my people, but I want to live for myself now – for the joy of it, loved by you."
Jim gulped, but he couldn't swallow the lump that threatened to spill in a sob from his throat. Never before had anyone poured themselves into him; never had he meant so much to one person – been the center of another one's life. And never has another meant so much. Kirk realized the moments aboard the orbital station had traumatized his beloved in a way that not even Marcus had. He saw the pleading in Nien's eyes – the ocean now a storm of emotion. Jim closed his eyes and breathed the ever-familiar, sweet scent of his mate and felt Nien's thumb draw circles on his waist. He understood now with the greatest of severity Khan's biggest fear. He feared losing love – being left unmoored in this time after he had just found his anchor.
Kirk and Nien had much in common, but one thing in particular stood out – certainly not a pleasant thing. They had both been left behind by those they loved more often than they cared to recall. Whether by death or desertion, they had mourned for those closest – those gone. The fear that the future would strike one or the other down hung over them like the sword of Damocles.
And after all the Augment had done for him, and all that he meant, there was only one possible response. "I promise," he said softly, knowing that Khan needed the reassurance as he did. "I promise. I promise to take care, that I may take care of you." He brushed his mouth over Nien's lips. "I promise that I will never leave you – not of my own free will. Only Death now, can separate us, and we've given him a run for his money. We don't come easy and we don't come cheap."
The former dictator took a deep breath and relief washed over his features; Kirk's heart beat faster with affection.
"The same goes for you, Mr. Super-strong; you keep me – I keep you," Jim murmured and cupped Nien's cheeks in his hand, feeling the first traces of stubble beneath his palm. "If you want to beat the shit out of someone threatening me, you, or anyone – no problem. But please don't try to play 'catch me if you can' with a phaser or disarm a bomb by tearing out the detonator." He saw the beginnings of a grin on Khan's face and snaked both arms around the other man's middle. "You are my other half – my mate! It hurts every time I see you hurt. Losing this thing – you, when I just found it... I can't imagine that pain. I know that you're faster and stronger; still, the chance that just once you're not fast enough is too high, and then I'd be left behind. Left only to exist rather than live." He placed another tender kiss on his mate's lips. "I love you, Nien! I never thought that I could feel like this. So – so endless and whole, but here I am – helplessly and utterly pulled to you forever. I promised you I'd never to turn my back on you, but I need you to do the same – please, don't leave." He voiced his deepest fears that were so similar to that of the other man. "I love you," he whispered again before he captured Khan's lips with his own – properly this time.
Instantly, Nien's mouth opened and their kiss deepened – not in heated passion, but in tender devotion. Everything their admission had set free rose and poured out in the gentle play of their tongues and the soft caresses of their hands along each other's body. With every breath they took, they breathed in each other – their very essence.
Pulling the super-human with him, Jim let himself sink back on the mattress, not caring that he was in sickbay. However, something else reminded him that it wasn't the best idea to get intimate here and now. Lying down sent a sharp pain through his right hip and leg, and he hissed just as Khan stiffened and grimaced. The gash in the Augment's shoulder and his sore muscles made themselves known, too.
Groaning, the former dictator lifted his head and ended the kiss. The lovers looked at each other, almost pouting, before Jim suddenly smirked. "I can't walk and you can't use your arms. Good Lord, what a couple we are!"
Khan chuckled. "Well, if it becomes necessary, you lend me your arms, and I will give you my legs."
"That'd be a sight," Kirk grinned. "You standing behind me and telling me what to do with my arms, or I can climb on your back and you do the running."
The Augment's eyes widened, then he began to laugh, as he imagined the description. He lay down beside Jim. "I think your doctor-friend would order a complete psychological evaluation on us both."
"He'll do it anyways when he figures out we're a bit more than friends." Kirk sighed. "I'm so not looking forward to that talk." He turned onto his left side to face Khan, raised a hand, and carded his fingers through his beloved's hair. "But he's got to know the truth – I just don't know how to tell him that you, of all the people in the universe, are the love of my life."
The last words sent another wave of warmth through the Augment. "Perhaps he already assumes as much," he suggested, relishing in the tender gesture of his lover.
"You think so?"
Nien had pursed his lips before he spoke. "He is a very good doctor, highly intelligent. He figured out my identity by himself, and after he found us asleep in one bed he likely put two and two together." He frowned. "How did it come that you were in my bed?"
Jim blinked in surprise. "As far as I understood this morning, you came to my bed – sleepwalking."
"Sleepwalking?" The Augment's eyes widened in bewilderment as he stared at Kirk. "Impossible!"
"Bones said so. He told me that you walked to my bed while you slept, ergo... He also told me that when they beamed us aboard, they couldn't separate us; they put us in the infrared chamber together to warm us up."
Thoughtfully Nien's gaze roamed over the younger man's soft features. "I… remember," he said slowly. "I remember that all of the sudden we were somewhere else; there were voices… And there was a face, McCoy's. Then I woke in a warm, small room with you in my arms." Carefully he reached out and wrapped one arm around Jim's waist. "I remember that I felt cold – colder than now – and I held you close." He wrinkled his nose. "If McCoy saw this, then he certainly knows about us."
"Spock saw us too," Jim murmured. "But knowing him, he probably didn't come to any sort of sordid conclusions. Vulcans may be brilliant, but when it comes to emotions, they're lost."
"Yet he has a girlfriend from Earth." Khan chuckled. "Your Lieutenant Uhura must be quite tolerant if she puts up with him."
"Oh, they have their issues. The last time there was trouble in paradise, I had the honor of mediating. It was while flying to Qo'noS to catch you. They argued; I sat in the middle trying to stay neutral, but they sucked me in anyways."
Khan had looked cautiously at him before he smirked. "Huh, why do I get the feeling that you couldn't stay out of a conflict, even a verbal one, if your life depended on it."
"Me?" Jim's face was pure innocence.
"You," Nien nodded. "You always must have the final word; Qo'noS was certainly no exception."
"Hey!" Kirk huffed; it amused the Augment enough to bend forwards and to kiss his beloved, ignoring the pain the movement caused. Still, Jim sensed it. He continued to comb his fingers gently through the dark, thick hair. "I'm sorry Korax got you," he whispered as Khan's mouth gave him free. "It should have been me."
"Don't say that," Khan interrupted him; his deep voice was a soft purr. "It will heal by tomorrow at the latest. You would have suffered for a week or more had it been you."
"Still…" Jim shook his head. Nien would never admit it, but Kirk recognized the exhaustion in his mate's eyes. "How are you doing?" he whispered, and the Augment sighed.
"I could be better," he said carefully and returned Kirk's soft smile. "And you?"
"Well, how can I describe it? Punched, knocked-out, minced; I generally feel like I've been put through a grinder – in that order," the young captain moaned; closing his eyes for a moment.
"You feel as though put through a grinder? Mmm! If that be an enticement to your tender flesh, I will gladly partake when we are well again. I shall eat you raw, ferine – warmed only by my own heat surrounding you." Nien answered, wriggling suggestively his brows.
Kirk's jaw dropped and heat pooled in his stomach. "Dear Jesus, I would love that," he said softly. "Among other things. I wanna show you exactly how much you mean to me by cherishing every inch of you until you collapse in pleasure."
"Is this a promise?" Khan purred, and Jim nodded slowly.
"You can bet your life on it!"
They continued to look at each other; unfulfilled longing flushed their skin, warming them. The monitor above Kirk's med-bed showed the racing of their hearts. Both men ignored the alert – at least until a certain CMO came in, carrying a tray with two glasses of water.
"I think the gentlemen should have…" He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the two men lying together on one bed with their bare legs dangling, looking at each other with hungry eyes. "Oh, for God's sake! Can't I leave you two alone for ten minutes?" Bones groused feeling a headache coming on. He placed the tray with the glasses on the small table beside the entrance. "What part of the order to stay in bed and rest did you not understand?"
Jim was clever enough to put on a sheepish face while Khan glared at the outraged CMO. "I don't know why you're so upset, Doctor. We are in bed, and we are resting," he sneered.
"You call this resting?" Bones demanded. "That has to be uncomfortable. And the monitor shows that you two were anything but resting!" He had pointed at the bio-scanner before planting his hands on his hips. He addressed the Augment now. "And what is it with you that you are constantly slipping into Jim's bed? Haven't you…"
"Simple logic, Doctor. Maybe you should take some lessons from Mr. Spock," Khan drawled, hiding his amusement as he watched the other man's cheeks reddening in anger.
"I'm just a country doc, but I'm no idiot; I can make leaps of logic every once in a while. But your behavior defies logic. Care to explain the logic of leaving your bed and…"
"Jim can't walk, so I went to him," Khan replied; giving Leonard a smug smile.
"And you two have to stick so close together why?" Before one of his both patients could answer, he added a mockingly, "Should I replace the med-beds with a king-size bed so that you can snuggle together more comfortably?"
"Not a bad idea," Jim commented and ducked his head, as Bones exploded.
"I knew that you'd say that, but this is still a med bay, and you two are here to heal! Running around ain't gonna help…"
"I didn't run around!" Kirk protested.
"Only because I came to you, otherwise you would have hopped over, as you have stated," Nien clarified.
"Tattletale!" the younger man complained.
"You wanted to hop…?" McCoy stopped himself and pinched his nose. "For crying out loud, Jim, how old are you? Twenty-seven or two?"
"Hey!"
"Why on Earth were you going to hop around? You…"
"Ever heard of shared body heat, Bones?" Kirk cut in, and the CMO went rigid for a moment before he threw his hands up.
"That is the lamest excuse I ever heard!" He took a deep breath, glared at Khan and pointed to the other med bed. "You – in your bed! Jim, you stay in yours! Pronto, gentlemen!"
"But I'm cold!" Kirk pouted.
"If you would have just stayed under your blanked, you'd be fine!" McCoy snapped.
"But it wasn't enou…"
"One word more and I hypo you into the next week!" Bones threatened.
He ended up with a dose of territorial and protective Augment. "Do you really think you could get close enough to carry out that threat?" Khan asked icily; his expression and glare served as warning.
But McCoy didn't buy the Augment's dangerous pretense – not this time. He wasn't just a great doctor – he was intuitive as well; and perhaps that made him a great doctor. He could read people. That ability allowed him to look past Jim's playboy persona – allowed him to see what others overlooked. It gained him his greatest friend and advocate. As such, he was as protective of Jim as Khan. And he could see that Khan was utterly taken with Jim. He wouldn't hurt a friend of Kirk's – certainly not his caretaker. "Oh, don't give me your 'no-one comes near Jim' bluster," he growled. "I might be a lowly human, but I'm smart enough to see that you regard Jim as one of your own now – especially after you gave him another hit of your super-blood. But even that won't be enough to fix him if he doesn't get any rest so...!"
Khan interrupted him by rising, aware of the fact that the Enterprise's CMO wasn't one to shy away out of fear, nor was he fooled easily. Nien wouldn't hurt someone who was close to his mate, so he decided to confront McCoy with the fact that Noonien Singh was not accustomed to taking orders. "Very well, Doctor, I'll take care that Jim rests." He turned around to Kirk and facing him said, "Scoot over, Pyāra."
Thunderstruck, the young captain, looked up at him. "What?"
"You heard the good doctor. We must remain in bed and rest. We will be most fruitful if we 'share body heat' and relax." He glanced over his shoulder at a shocked McCoy, who gaped at them. "Isn't that right, Doctor?" He addressed Bones with feigned kindness before he slipped beneath the blanket.
Leonard found his speech again. "This is an Augment thing, right?"
The pale blue-green eyes challenged him. "You could say that," Khan confirmed with an undertone mock derision in his voice.
Disbelieving, McCoy watched how the former dictator make himself comfortable beside Kirk, but at least they didn't snuggle up together. Still…
With a groan, his head drooped "Ungh, if this is what I have to look forward to in the coming days, I'm putting in for leave!" he grumbled and turned to go.
"Bones?" Jim held him back one last time, and as Leonard glanced back the young captain said, "I'm a little bit hungry. Maybe…"
"Oh, of course, Jim, no problem. I'll bring you a bowl of oatmeal. It's light – very healthy."
Kirk lifted his head. "Awww come on. Synthesized oatmeal is gross. It tastes like baby food!" he gasped.
"Yeah! Well, you're acting like one!" He exited with a "Don't run away, you two!"
"I don't believe it," Jim whispered. "I'm the captain here and he…" He glanced at Khan. "What's gotten into him?"
Amused the Augment smiled at him. "He knows."
Kirk gulped. "You think so?"
"Yes!"
"Oh God!" Jim moaned and closed his eyes, only to open them again and to beam, "If he knows, then there is no reason to hide. It's difficult to keep up the mask – not look at you, smile at you." He shifted closer to Nien and pulled him softly into an embrace. "I think this is exactly what you would do now if you could move your arms without hurting yourself," he whispered, gently petting the dark, silken dark hair of the super-human.
Khan began to chuckle. "So this is how you would lend me your arms?"
"Yes."
"You could not have made a better decision!" the former dictator murmured and indeed relaxed; his head pillowed on Kirk's shoulder. It wasn't long before both were asleep again.
ST***ST***ST
Richard Barnett, Chief of Command, leaned back in the chair at his desk and closed his eyes for a moment; he was worn, and a headache loomed over him like a storm
During the last two days and nights, after Robert Wesley informed him of an approaching Klingon strike group near Aldebaran, he, the other admirals and Harhan Robertson, the president of the UFP, had sat in one of the conference rooms and waited for word. The outcome of the battle was far from their influence. The news yesterday that they gained victory had been a relief, but the good mood was quickly tamped by the information of the assaults of Aldebaran III and the orbital station above the planet. Hearing that five Klingons and a traitor from their own ranks had been responsible for the attacks led to new discussions about the validity of offered peace talks. Still, Robertson insisted on them. A wise move, perhaps, but Barnett understood why others would be against them.
The Klingon attack reeked of desperation as if they were reaching the limits of their abilities – or maybe it was logistics, who knew. If that were the case, Starfleet could invade Empire territory – annex a part of it. But that wasn't the Federation's way. Membership wasn't forced but offered, and a refusal was, of course, accepted. It had never been Starfleet's purpose to expand its territory through the use of force or preemptive defense, as some admirals called it.
Robert Barnett opened his eyes again and glanced at his terminal. He read Wesley's latest report concerning the status of the ships that had been involved in the battle again. Some of them were severely damaged; others were still functional and only needed minor repairs to return to their respective missions – among them, the Enterprise.
The Enterprise…
Of course it had to be Kirk who found out about the Klingon's planned attack. And of course, it had to be Kirk who prevented the worst on Aldebaran. This ship and its crew had a tendency to get involved in the most dreadful messes.
Wesley's statement and Commander Capricio's report read like an adventure novel portraying a dangerous game that Kirk and the civilians won. Capricio also sent information about a particular group of civilians – a Caitian woman, several Terrans, a Tellarit, a Rigelian… Barnett didn't need Wesley to point out the obvious, namely that these 'civilians' were members of The Shadow. They had recovered Kirk, and so he was with them and as such, in the middle of the chaos. Jim Kirk seemed to attract trouble's attention like moths to a flame. It was a miracle he made it out alive – again.
Wesley didn't tell much about Kirk's operation aboard the space harbor in his report. Only that the Enterprise had been able to save him and others at the very last moment, but Barnett didn't need the details. He knew that it had been a close call for Kirk – again! And he didn't want to ask how and why the flagship had arrived in time while the battle still waged on. He had a certain feeling that answers would lead to trouble for the Enterprise's senior officers, but as long as Wesley didn't accuse them of insubordination, Barnett didn't need to take any measures of his own.
Sighing, he closed the reports and rubbed his neck. It had been pure luck that The Shadow had been on Aldebaran as the Klingon spies struck. And it was even luckier that Kirk had stumbled over them, recognized two, and took action. He and The Shadow – and among them that man who called himself Sunrise. Wesley didn't mention this mysterious man in his report, but the Chief of Command would bet not only his last shirt, but also a whole month's salary that all those miracles he had only skimmed over in the report, had to do with this man.
He'd become a folk-hero of sorts, but avoided any official contact and vanished before anyone could see or hear him, only to return in secret when necessary.
"Who are you?" Barnett whispered. "And why are you hiding?" Shaking his head he stood to fetch himself a cup of coffee. It was almost evening and normally he was off duty by this time, but there was so much to do – so much to think over that he decided to stay a little bit longer.
His limbs creaked as he rose. Moving around a bit would clear his mind after all the hours of worry and tension – and maybe he would get some more answers with Wesley's final report still to come.
Crossing his office, he went to the replicator for a strong coffee; his secretary was gone. He sent her home an hour ago. Sipping at the bitter hot drink, he went to one of the large windows and looked out over the glistening surface of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge; they shimmered deep red in the setting sun. Everything seemed so peaceful, but peace was an illusion. As long as the war continued, there wouldn't be any peace for mind or soul.
Taking another sip of the coffee, Barnett sighed. Hopefully the lost battle would make the Klingon Council rethink the Federation's offer of peace talks. Robert knew how proud this race was; practically it would be a white flag of surrender if they accepted the notion of peace talks at all. Still, the admiral hoped that reason would win over the aggressive nature of the Klingons.
ST***ST***ST
Kor sat at his desk in his quarters while his ship continued to orbit Turkana. Silently, he read the last reports of the commanders who had returned from their attempt to annex Aldebaran and then the neighboring star systems. Koloth's was among those reports. He tried to make his statements seem as though the operation was a success with florid language and subterfuge before divulging that his team had not been able to complete the task because of their human contact.
Well, Kor believed his old friend when he asserted that this Terran, McFurthon, had a hand in the partially failed mission, but the real reason wore the name 'James T. Kirk'. Again!
If the Klingon lord believed in bad luck, he would have so named this situation. It was as though Kahless had turned his face away from his people. It was a nasty joke of the fates that Kirk, of all Terrans, had to be on Aldebaran and ran into Koloth. True, the Starfleet officer had done what Kor would have also done in his place. He tried to stop the enemy; he fought with everything he had. And this 'everything' was the warrior at his side who made it impossible to get to Kirk. Koloth and Korax had reported their encounters with the two Earthlings in their reports. All doubt about the Qli-jagh's heritage had vanished now. This man was an Augment and had, again, fought like a demon to keep Kirk out of harm's way. The two made a far too good a team for Kor's taste.
The two men and their little band – this militia he has heard about often enough now. He first remembered hearing about them during a conversation with the Orion 'commodore' who complained about a gang that drove them from the outpost. Later, Kor received information about them during the Tammeron crisis. A small ship invisible to sensors appeared out of nothing to beam Kirk and the Augment aboard at the last minute. Kor had heard the short transmission between the ship and the enhanced man; the commander aboard was obviously a Tellarit. And now, as Korax reported, he had been chased by the Augment through the space station above Aberdeen and was caught by a Tellarit. The Tellarit called the engineered warrior 'buddy' just like the Tellarit who had recovered Kirk and his rescuer from Turkana.
So, Kirk had help from this 'militia' again. Perhaps he had been with them since his flight from Turkana. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong!
Kahless, if he only had killed Kirk when he had the chance – information be damned; the young captain was not worth the trouble. But no, he had to go through with the original sentence of the council – execution by torture in hopes of learning Starfleet plans. If he had simply shot Kirk, the Augment would have never had the chance to free the officer and both wouldn't be giving him trouble now.
And trouble he had in spades!
His order had been to cause a distraction by damaging the space port in the capital city of Aldebaran and destroying Starfleet headquarters. Koloth had changed these plans after he stumbled onto Kirk. It was only logical to change the mission, especially after Korax found out that Kirk and the Augment were tracking them. Still, the order had been clear. Kor didn't want to think about the planetary catastrophe that would have happened if the orbital station had crashed down on Aldebaran – directly on the city.
Kor was a proud Klingon warrior; he didn't shrink from violence, and there was blood on his hands. But that blood was the blood of warriors, not civilians – not innocents. Not, if there were other ways. Kreth fired at the space station, knowing what that would mean for the planet. The action infuriated the Klingon emperor. Yes, Koloth had told the other commander that Kirk and the Augment were in the station, but did this justify bringing doom a town full of people?
Acting on their own authority changed the battle. Even if some of the generals would see it otherwise, Kor wasn't that ignorant as to accept that their fleet had avoided another defeat. The reports spoke volumes, and only Starfleet's ships raced to Aldebaran to save the heavily damaged space station had prevented the destruction of the Klingon strike fleet. Only five had made it back to the former Neutral Zone, chased by the Starfleet vessels that had spared them.
The attempt to extend the Empire had been a disaster; no Klingon had foreseen the failure. Not even Kor, one of the few high-ranking Klingons who weighed pro and con before acting – knowing that more than might and bravery was required for success. It had been bad luck that Kirk and the Augment had been on Aldebaran, but this didn't change the fact that the Klingon fleet was weakened. First the catastrophe at Tammeron, and now at Aldebaran. And around Borderland and along the former Neutral Zone, Starfleet had increased her presence. Those ships that had been damaged during the Tammeron-conflict were repaired, and Kor didn't need to be a genius to figure out that the Starfleet vessels involved in the 'Battle of Aldebaran' would soon be operational.
The Federation's resources were nearly inexhaustible where the Klingon Empire requires weeks to repair its ships and months to build new ones. Starfleet would be back to her full strengths within days!
'Maybe the Federation's offer of peace talks is not an attempt to humiliate us, but to spare us losses that would take years to recover,' Kor thought. He knew though, these thoughts would mark him a traitor if anyone learned of them. Still 'thoughts are free', Bob Wesley said during a break at the conference on Organia.
Wesley…
He had led the striking group that had stopped the Klingon fleet – and reading the reports Kor couldn't help himself but admire the used strategies of the Terran commodore. He really wished he could meet that man again, before he would – maybe – sent to the Black Fleet during the next battles.
If there were any more battles. When logically considering the situation, he knew the Empire would have to accept the offer of peace talks. Still there were so many thick-headed council members and generals that the talks to have the talks could last months before they reached an agreement to meet the Federation at the table. And until then…
"Milord?"
Kor's adjutant's appearance at the door distracted him. He looked up, irritated at the younger warrior. "Yes?"
"Milord, the technicians with the enhanced cloaking device have arrived. Their chief gave me this to give you." He offered Kor the Klingon equivalent of a PADD, and the Klingon lord quickly read over the specifications for the new equipment. Schooling his features, he glanced at his subordinate. "We have the honor of testing the new cloaking device on two of our ships. Chief Kh'il has our complete support, Lieutenant. Please lead him to my personal guest quarters. And then return. I'll honor two of my commanders with engineers' newest development for testing!"
The younger Klingon pressed his fist against his chest in salute and left. Kor glanced thoughtfully at the closed door but his mind was elsewhere. Improvements on the standard cloaking device had come too late. They could have used it during the attempt to cut off the neighboring sector by annexing Tammeron and the nearby star systems. Now it would only prolong the war – a war that was, in Kor's opinion, lost.
Lost because of a genial Starfleet commodore and the interventions of this boy-captain and his Augment friend… Lover perhaps? Whatever the enhanced man was to Kirk!
ST***ST***ST
He couldn't know the Enterprise's CMO was thinking the same thing as he was busied with the whole afternoon, long after Wesley had gone and returned to the Lexington.
Bones returned with two light lunches for the men who were currently acting like little boys in his opinion. He found the 'cherubs' asleep and entangled as if it was the most normal thing in the world to snuggle with your former mortal enemy in the middle of a sickbay. Well, not in the middle, after all the storeroom offered some privacy, yet the fact that both didn't care what others may thought about their childish behavior irritated McCoy.
Jim was an adult – the captain of Starfleet's flagship! But he acted like a love-sick schoolboy! And while McCoy watched the two men sleep, he realized how comfortable they seemed to be with each other. They were used to sleep side-by-side, this much was evident. But that made Leonard even more apprehensive as he left the storeroom. He prayed that it was only sex connecting Jim and Khan and not something more serious, deeper. He knew he was fooling himself.
He had to speak to Jim as soon as possible. Knowing his friend as he did, he was aware that he wouldn't stand a chance against Kirk's stubbornness, yet he hoped he could talk some sense into the 'Iowa-kid'. It was one thing if Jim was attracted to the Augment, but if they planned on divulging the relationship, even Wesley's tolerance would find its end.
Bones was still baffled by the commodore's willingness to support Khan. Wesley hadn't explained much; only given the necessary information to Spock and McCoy. That Khan was not only victim but victimized – dehumanized by Marcus and Section 31. The Augment had all the right in the universe to press charges against Starfleet – and he would. Wesley also added for consideration, Khan's role in the war during these last weeks. Millions of people owed their lives to the former dictator – including Jim Kirk.
Both Spock and McCoy didn't know what to make of the commodore's decision to protect Khan. Often the Vulcan and the Commodore agreed on logical plans of action. This time they didn't. But Wesley's orders were just that, and as Jim was safe aboard now, Spock would honor them despite logic dictating a criminal's place is in the brig. The Vulcan was sure that his T'yh'la would not allow it and instead he would offer Khan guest quarters as soon as the two were able to leave med bay.
While McCoy looked after his two unique patients and oversaw his sickbay, Spock returned to the bridge and signed Engineering requisitions for parts. He looked over Wesley's permission to test non-Starfleet technology aboard and went on with the daily routine.
Over and over again he caught the asking glances of Sulu and Chekov. They were busy with station repairs but obviously distracted as they peeked out from underneath, looking as though they wanted to say something then thinking the better of it.
Finally, Spock had enough. "Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov?" He addressed the helmsman and the navigator as he made his way toward their console; both were still working beneath it.
The men pushed themselves out from under the console. "Sir?" Hikaru answered as his rank allowed him such privilege.
"It did not slip my attention that you two have your minds elsewhere. What is it you will not say?"
Sulu and Pavel exchanged a puzzled look. Vulcans weren't known for their grasp of body language or emotional intelligence. Still, Spock was not an ordinary Vulcan; nevertheless, the men were taken by surprise.
The helmsman pursed his lips for a moment, before he began quietly so as not to be overheard, "Sir, Chekov and I learned yesterday, who this Sunrise guy is – and he was beamed aboard with the captain. As far as we know both are still in med bay, recovering from their injuries. And today Commodore Wesley talked with them. He has to know who Sunrise is and… Well… Pavel and I are asking ourselves what will happen now."
"Ze keptin has covered for Khan," Chekov murmured; concern lay on his boyish face and in his large eyes. "Wesley must be outraged and we… We're worrying what will happen now to ze keptin."
Spock lifted a brow. The two officers' anxiety had nothing to do with typical human curiosity, but was born out of concern for their commander that they regarded as a friend. Still, the Vulcan was aware of the danger in revealing too much information. He did not fear that one of the two would report Khan's presence to Starfleet Command, but he was not ready to tell them about the sudden 'friendship' between Jim and the Augment either. He, himself, could neither understand nor explain the captain's new relationship or his unusual decisions and behavior towards the former dictator."
He knelt between Sulu and Chekov, and answered calmly, "Commodore Wesley spoke with the captain and Khan. He will not turn the captain over to Starfleet authorities for concealing his knowledge of Khan's whereabouts, nor will he turn Khan over."
Pavel gaped at him, and Hikaru frowned. "I'm glad that he is not taking measures to relieve the captain, but have I understood you correctly, sir? He didn't arrest Khan?"
"No, they have agreed that for now, Khan will remain aboard the Enterprise until – certain inquiries are made. I am not allowed to give details, but I can assure you that he will take no action against the ship or the crew."
"Well, if he stays in the brig, then…"
The Vulcan shook his head. "You misunderstood me, Mr. Sulu. Mr. Singh remains free. Commodore Wesley and Captain Kirk are convinced that he will not be a danger to us."
Pavel glanced at the floor lost in thought. "He – he did save ze keptin and ze Lexington. And he saved all zose people on Tammeron and Aldebaran. Maybe he… changed?"
"A leopard can't change its spots, Pavel," Sulu reminded him.
The young Russian shrugged, "Anyzing is possible."
Spock looked from one man to the other. "Do either of you gentlemen have any further questions or are you able to return to duty now?"
Sulu knew that the Vulcan was not irritated by their curiosity, but because of the situation as a whole. So he replied neutrally, "How is the captain doing? Dr. McCoy doesn't do much more than grunt at me when I ask."
"The captain is still recovering but will be able to leave med bay tomorrow or the day after, at the latest," the first officer informed him. Then Spock rose. "Now, back to work, please!"
"Aye, sir!" Sulu nodded and Pavel smile quickly before slipping back beneath his console. He cursed in Russian as, a moment later, sparks flew and three alert lights blinked on.
Spock sighed inwardly and turned away. His eyes met those of Uhura and with hers, she tried to convey understanding, reassurance and affection. He nodded slowly and his face softened for a second before the expressionless Vulcan mask was back in place. Even though he assured Sulu and Chekov only a minute ago that the Augment was not a threat to the ship, he was far from convinced.
ST***ST
Jim and Khan awoke during the evening; both felt better if a bit hungry. Not pressing the CMO's nerves more than he already had, the Augment returned to his own bed and eat two plates full of vegetables, fruits and protein in front of McCoy's wide, disbelieving eyes. Jim ate even more, devouring the food in no time. He asked for a third plate and nearly cleaned it before he was full.
As McCoy finally collected the dishes, he couldn't help but comment. "Don't get me wrong, Jim, but where do you put it? Jesus, you ate more than my Uncle George, and that's saying something."
Kirk shrugged. "I was hungry. The last thing I ate was some spareribs yesterday around midday. A lot's happened since then."
Pursing his lips, Leonard analyzed the readouts on Jim's monitor. "Your healing process is accelerated," he murmured before noting the similar readings over Khan's med bed. "Just like yours." He cocked his head. "You need food – energy – to maintain the healing process, correct?" he addressed the super-human in a business-like manner who nodded slowly.
"It's a very simple process, Doctor. The body needs more strength to regenerate at the accelerated rate and therefore has greater nutrient requirements."
"And because of our increased cellular metabolism, your body needs more food than a human would normally take in for the same job," McCoy thought aloud. "Logical." He turned his attention back to Kirk. "Your cellular regeneration is slower and isn't increasing as quickly after a meal."
"Jim's cells bear some augmented mitochondrion now and his lysosomes are affected as well," Khan told him calmly.
"The nutrients gained from food are consumed quicker thus speeding the healing process, and he is immune to disease then because of the engineered lysosomes now," the CMO mused.
"That's a good thing, don't you think?" Kirk beamed, remembering his biology class at the academy which allowed him to follow the conversation.
"It only tells me that you'll probably be even more reckless because you think you're invincible; I'm not convinced you didn't think that before," Bones growled.
Jim shook his head. "No, I will be more careful from now on. I gave Nien my word."
McCoy rolled his eyes. "We'll see," he sighed, "Does this side effect of your little doping serum last?" he asked Khan.
"I do not know," the Augment admitted. "Your treatment with my blood plasma to revive Jim last year left a lingering effect on his body so I think the injection I gave him would act as a booster and continued to help him to heal faster and more completely."
"Hm, an advantage for you to be sure – even if I don't know what to make of it." Bones looked back at Kirk. "Right. Well, since you've managed to heal miraculously, I think it's safe to discharge you tomorrow afternoon." He lifted a hand quickly as Jim sat up and opened his mouth. "Stop, Jim, you're not allowed back to duty for another day! You still need rest, and that leg needs more time before it bears your weight fulltime. If you're a good boy, you can start getting on your officers' nerves in two days."
Kirk gave him his time-tested puppy dog face; McCoy groaned loudly.
"No, under no circumstances, Jim! You're lucky to be alive. Other people would be out for days. And, by the way, you don't want to frighten your crew with your appearance."
"It's not that bad," the young captain replied.
Leonard snorted. "No, for Halloween it would be the perfect mask." He smirked, forgetting for a moment his irritation with his friend. Kirk stuck his tongue out to him and laid back into the pillows. Then, all of sudden, the lights dimmed before coming back to full power.
"What?" Jim began.
Bones sighed. "Scotty is still busy patching up his baby'. He asked for you this afternoon via intercom. As far as I heard he hasn't slept since yesterday – just ghosting through the Engineering."
Jim smiled. That was his crew – and he was damn proud of them! "Maybe if I could get a report then I could…"
"I said you're not allowed back on duty until the day after tomorrow!" Leonard said sternly, glaring at Kirk.
"I'm not talking about running straight to the bridge or the Engineering. I want a report of my ship's status. I'm certainly not too weak to hold a PADD or to speak with Scotty!" Jim's voice became more serious.
McCoy groaned. "You won't give it a rest, will you?"
"No," Kirk replied firmly; he was all captain now, and McCoy knew when it was time to obey. "No, I won't, Bones. This is my ship, and it was in a battle. Of course I need a report on its status, and you know it!"
"Right," Leonard sighed. "I'll contact Scotty and tell him to make sure you have a status report tomorrow morning." As Jim went to protest, he added, "I only agree to this to prevent you from breaking the CMO's order; even a captain has to obey to." He took the trays and walked to the door. "Good night, gentlemen – and stay in your own beds!"
With those words he left. Darkness filled the room illuminated only by the soft glow of the monitors.
"Your doctor-friend can be quite grumpy," Khan's deep voice murmured, and Jim snorted.
"Yeah, you should see him early in the morning. We shared a room at the academy; I could write songs about it." He suppressed a shiver as the cold in his bones racked his body once more. "He was always up first but didn't talk much until that first cup of coffee." Trembling, he continued, "But on Sunday morning, it was almost suicide to wake him up before ten o'clock." Kirk rolled himself into a ball, then, ignoring his protesting hip.
Suddenly a warm hand was on his cheek, and Khan's familiar scent seized and comforted him. A moment later the blankets were lifted and the Augment slipped beneath them, pulling Jim into a warming embrace the second he lay beside him.
"Your arms…" Kirk whispered a protest, but he snuggled against Nien Nonetheless.
The super-human smiled. "They do not hurt as they did a few hours ago, and the wound is as good as closed. Don't forget, Pyāra, my body was designed to heal quickly." He hissed as Jim instinctively pushed his feet between Khan's legs. "Those are ice-blocks, not feet!"
"Sorry, baby, I think Bones was right; I think I'm going to be shivering for a while," the captain murmured, and Nien rolled his eyes.
"Obviously!" He brushed his lips over Jim's forehead; his mate's hair tickled his jaw, and their hearts, once again, beat in unison. Peace washed over him, and he relaxed under the blanket to Jim's steady, lulling breath. Still, his mind busied itself with another topic. He pondered the irresistible pull he felt into another's orbit.
This urge to touch was new. True, they had slept together for more than a week, literally as well as figuratively, yet this need to be close was unusual – even before the long sleep. But he had never claimed or felt so claimed before. And Kirk still had to leave his own mark. The prospect of being further bound to another was a thrill and frightening at the same time. It was uncharted territory for both of them.
The former dictator would have loved to ask Otto about it. His 'brother' was the only Augment alive with experience in this department. But Otto was, like all the others, hidden away from him in cryo-sleep.
Khan listened to the quiet noises of the ship and the soft huffs of breath from his mate. Soothing as it was, it woke in him the terrible yearning for his family. Jim was the only one now to which he felt the love of family. But the loneliness for those kept from him was sharp. Made sharper by the knowledge that he was only allowed here because of the commodore's order and Jim's protection. Otherwise, he was still an intruder, perhaps still the enemy. Released from the med bay, he knew he'd get the full measure of those feelings.
He had before. Fear and hate were expected from humans. He hoped that at least some of them would come to accept him. Not that he voiced this hope – not even to Jim. His beloved had enough problems because of him without him complaining about something he should be used to by now. Still he hoped – there was little else to do at the moment.
And perhaps hope wasn't as far-fetched as he thought. The evidence lay in his arms in the form of this fierce, compassionate, lovingly, beautiful man. And again Jim's nearness worked miracles because Khan did not notice when sleep pulled him under.
In the CMO's office, McCoy closed the medical files of three crew members and rose to go to bed. Looking one last time at the readouts of his two most troublesome patients, he had a feeling of déjà-vu. One med-bed was no longer sending a signal to his monitor and the second one transmitted two.
Bones threw his hands up. "I give up!"
ST***ST***ST
The Enterprise's doctor wasn't the only one who was frustrated by a certain young captain. Hundreds of light-years away in San Francisco, two admirals had their own reasons for their frustration. The Enterprise was synchronized to Pacific Time in keeping with Starfleet's Headquarters in California where it was also late evening. Once again, Luengo and Norton walked through the quiet Golden Gate Park.
They too had been part of the very long conference. Nothing more than an endless waiting for news coming from the battle zone near the Aldebaran system. Both men had been relieved as had all in attendance, when word of the victory reached them. They felt vindicated in their the point of view that Starfleet should increase its military might - the Federation should hold a more aggressive stance toward non-Federation races or races that refused to join. A victory light-years away meant the war was still far from Earth.
It was irritating. Again the Enterprise played a central role in the victory. Even without the insolent farm boy in the captain's seat, the starship's crew was always good for a surprise. Not that this was a bad thing. Both staff officers agreed that the Federation owed its victor to the watchfulness of the first officer. He revealed the Klingon invasion. The flagship's name was once again on the lips of all Starfleet.
And so was Kirk's!
The media fell all over themselves to tell the story of how a young Starfleet captain and a handful of civilians stopped a Klingon assault in the planet's capitol and prevented the orbital station from crashing down onto the town. They printed unverified stories of three men aboard the space station who freed a cargo ship in danger of exploding and the pursued the villains. In interviews, people told how a young blond man took control of the dire situation as the last remaining Klingon tried to flee. Others spoke of another man – dark haired – who 'quick as a flash' saved a woman from falling over a catwalk. There were also the tales of a Tellarit and a Caitian woman who caught the Klingon. Then again, others spoke a Klingon bird-of-prey that opened fire at the dying space station, when suddenly, a constitution class ship appeared and chased the hostile vessel away and beamed the survivors out at the very last minute.
For Luengo and Norton, the whole thing was clear as a California summer day. Kirk and The Shadow saved the day again – and the Augment had to be with them. 'The man with the dark hair and quick as a flash' fit the Augment's description. But even if Kirk was working with Khan – something both admirals were convinced of – no one would take notice of this little detail.
"Kirk did it again – pulling a stunt that put him on the top of the popularity scale," Albert Norton murmured. "He's the public's 'knight-in-shining armor'. It will be difficult to silence him and those who think Starfleet is some sort of moral code."
José Luengo snorted quietly. "Yeah, Kirk stuck his neck out all right. Our leading officer on Aldebaran, Carpricio, reported that Kirk, a civilian technician who has a shipyard on Aldebaran, and one of Kirk's officers, Commander Lavi, beamed aboard the space station and tried to prevent the catastrophe." He glanced over the black surface of the lake. "I checked the files. There is no one in Starfleet by that name, Lavi. But the choice of name is interesting. It's Hebrew - means 'lion'."
Norton stared at him and chuckled for a moment. "The impertinence of this – thing is unbelievable. He's taunting us." He took a deep breath of the cool air. In the late autumn, it was almost cold in San Francisco. "Where is Khan now?"
"Kirk and other survivors were beamed aboard the Enterprise. It was in Commodore Wesley's report. Kirk's suffering from space exposure. Most didn't make it; others are still healing. I'm sure that Khan is among the latter – and aboard the Enterprise."
This time Albert gasped. "If that's the case, then the senior officers have to know about him, and they're staying silent?"
"Jesus Christ! If that's the case..." José threw in for consideration. "If Khan is aboard, then at the very least Spock and the CMO – what was his name?"
"McCoy. Leonard McCoy."
"Yeah, Spock and McCoy have to know that Khan is on that ship. I don't think that Wesley is involved. Kirk certainly has hidden Khan from him, but the Augment is there. And it would give us just the possibility to throw the lever. We could kill two birds with one stone. We can eliminate Kirk and his officers – one less problem – and we get the Augment back." He looked back at the lake. "Of course first we have to make certain that the subject is aboard."
Norton cocked his head. "Barnett mentioned that the Enterprise will head to Starbase 6-S for repair. And she lost crew members – losses that will need to be replaced." He glanced intensely at Luengo who looked back at him; the ghost of a smile played around his lips and made his mustache twitch.
"Indeed!" was all he had said, before he changed the topic. "And while we wait for Kirk to stumble over his own arrogance, maybe the Klingons will tell us they're ready to come to the table, what will be their downfall. This latest victory has hopefully made them see reason and accept the Federation's offer. Barnett and the others will be on their way to the meeting with the Klingon council." His eyes showed no emotions. "What about young Styles?"
"He's ready to act in Starfleet's best interest," Albert stated. "He wants to see the Federation broaden its territory – and see his academy rival, Kirk, fall."
TBC…
Yes, the noose is slowly tightening on Jim, his friends and Khan. Luengo and Norton are opponents worse than the Klingons, as you all will learn soon.
In the next chapter Khan will be confronted with another friend of Jim, who hadn't the slightest clue until now who 'Sunrise' is, and I can promise some funny scenes. And you'll meet Diego again, while Bones and Spock still try to cope with their friend's newest escapades.
I hope you liked the new chapter and that I not overdid it with the romance, but it was about time that both are admitting fully their love for each other – without shyness and with the heart on the sleeve.
Until next time,
Love
Your Starflight