And here we are. At last! The last part of this series, the second AU of M'aih. This is the one where we explore what would have happened if, upon Winona's death, James had chosen not to return to Earth (and what would have happened when James and all his Klingon friends found out about the Klingon armada destroyed while helping escape a prisoner from their planet prison...).

I didn't actually know just how much Jim Kirk Prime hated klingons when I first began working on the M'aih series. Didn't realize how far I was straying from canon with that one. Recently I got more interested in TOS Spirk and began watching clips from the series and the movies, and reading a lot about what happens in TOS in general. It surprised me, a bit, though at the same time I think it helps with a particular scene you'll see in the second half of this AU.

As always, all the words and phrases from the Vulcan language come from the VLD, while the klingon is from the Klingon Pocket Dictionary.

yoD'

(Alternative Universe to M'aih)

By: Lalaith Quetzalli

James has always been an adventurer; clever, reckless and a little insane. When his life was at a crossroads he made a choice: to leave the past behind, and he never regretted it. Since then he's gained a lot, become a lot: pilot, second in command, shield, brother… Only one thing is missing: a partner to share it all with…

Part I.

"Alert!" A deep female voice comes through all the speakers on the ship. "We've reached the edge of the Ni-Var system. As agreed, this is as far as the Ramjep will go. Our target, the Narada, is currently on the edge of Vulcan's atmosphere. I've confirmed that the block comes from their ship. They seem to be lowering something into the planet, it… it looks like a terraforming drill!"

"Pilots!" Another female voice, higher, sharper, called. "It's time! You know what to do!"

Indeed, they did. James flipped switches immediately, placed his headset on, and then waited… at a signal, the toQ (Birds of Prey) dropped from under the Ramjep, where they were usually hooked. Those ships were on the smaller side, meant for one person each only; but while their size might make some people underestimate them, they had advanced weaponry, extraordinary maneuverability, and their pilots were the very best of the taHaI Clan, with their leader: Asad yoD' Givens. A few seconds passed and when the signal came James flipped the last switch, which released his own ship, the SuvwI' from its spot on the right side of the Ramjep (it looked like an extension of the main ship, though it was the size of a mid-distance-travel shuttle). On the opposite side of the Ramjep he knew the Bat'leth, piloted by Tsernono, would be doing the same. Usually their ships would be handled by two people, but with the limits imposed on their numbers, and since he and Asad were serving as pilots for the current mission it was decided that Avoss and Cilaun would stay with their lady, both as protection, and to help coordinate.

"For duty, honor, and our princess." Tsernono called formally from the Bat'leth.

James, as well as the taHaI echoed the cry, and then the battle began…

xXx

Battle… James wouldn't say it was something he liked, not exactly. He might be an adrenaline junkie, but in his opinion there were better (easier) ways of getting a thrill than risking his life against insane enemies. James wasn't the kind to dream of being a soldier, a warrior, when he was young. And yet, it was where life lead him, a life that was so very complicated, more than a little insane, and despite how bad some things might have been (all the people he lost, the hopes shattered…) he wouldn't change it. Because there was good too, and he believed it all to be worth it. Because he was James yoD' Ravanok, space-born, a warrior, a survivor… he was the adopted son of T'Lura, formerly of Vulcan, and Van ThondaI' Ravanok (both deceased), adopted brother of a bright and courageous Romulan/Human hybrid female: Cilaun QIbtaj Ravanok, first shield to the only daughter and heiress to Chancellor Gorkon VeS'naS meQpu'yay: princess Kariva yoWhI' meQpu'yay; blood-brother of the leader of the taHaI: Asad yoD' Givens…

That hadn't always been him, no, that was the man he'd become, the man he, in many ways, made himself into. James was quite sure that he was far from being the man his parents imagined he'd be when he was born… but considering that his father died but seconds after his birth, and his mother could never stand to be in his company for long (seeing him as the reminder of the husband, the love, the life she lost…). His parents gave him the name of James Tiberius Kirk, but that just wasn't who he was anymore, hadn't been for a long time. No, truth was that James T. Kirk didn't exist anymore, as far as the whole galaxy was concerned that boy had been dead for years, and it was better that way.

James had had the name of James Ravanok since his adoption, when he was twelve years old. With Winona (his birth mother) gone all the time, and Frank (her second husband, whom she didn't love and only marry in order to be able to leave her children with him) being an alcoholic and violent bastard… James had done something pretty stupid involving the antique car that had once belonged to George Kirk and a cliff. Sam, his older brother, had run away, Winona was never around and James… in the aftermath he didn't even know why he did what he did. Was he trying to kill himself? He didn't think so, but then again, he hadn't seen much point to his own life back then. M'aih was the one to change all that.

Her name was T'Lura Ravanok; she, like Winona, was a Starfleet widow, her husband: Lt. Van Ravanok having died in the Kelvin, just like George. What was worse, because T'Lura was Vulcan, and she'd had a vulcan bond with her husband, his death caused her to go into shock, it also lead to her miscarriage. The situation so bad she was told she would never be able to get pregnant again. And even with all that T'Lura didn't get lost in her own grief, like Winona did, instead she tried her best to help others. She was as good as James's mom long before she adopted him.

Following the mess with the car and the cliff, Frank had refused to take responsibility for him. He'd intended to sell the car, and he hated that James took that chance away. Also, it's not like he ever cared for the boy, or for Sam (he never reported the old boy missing when he ran away). He married Winona because he wanted her, and it turned out not to be what he expected, because Winona wasn't interested in having another husband, in being someone else's wife, just in having someone she could leave her sons with, so she could go back to space. She never even took his name! Remaining Winona Kirk to the day she died…

So, when Frank didn't want him anymore, T'Lura took him in, that was when she truly became M'aih for him (that being the informal word for 'mom' in Vulcan). She wanted to give him a fresh start, so they traveled to Tarsus IV. The colony was growing, prospering, and it had one of the best educational programs for young geniuses like James. They had three awesome years in that colony. Before the plague, before the starvation, and the massacre and everything else… James lost his m'aih in that starsforsaken place… He managed to save eight children, but never fully got over losing his m'aih.

Back on Earth the so-called therapy was useless, just a pitiful attempt from a foolish pseudo-doctor who wanted nothing more than to be able to say he was the doctor of George Kirk's son. James left at the first opportunity. He had nothing at that point: no friends, no family, no home… so he took to wandering. The first three years he spent traveling from one corner to the other of Earth; and when the planet proved to not be enough, he got on the first transport off planet. That… that was the choice that changed everything…

His ears were ringing when he woke up. He hated that, ringing in his ears never meant anything good. It took him a minute or two, his mind briefly digressing this way and that, but eventually he managed to remember what had happened and how ended where he was in that moment: The way the pirates took over the ship, killed those who resisted. Jim himself knew better than to play hero, though he did try to protect a young girl when one of the pirates tried to take her, no doubt for insidious reasons. It seemed that Jim just couldn't help protecting children, regardless of their race. He'd been knocked down (and out) quite forcefully. That explained his need to 'awaken' as well as the ringing in his ears.

The first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes was the young girl (early teens) with dark hair and pointy ears; he'd thought her to be Vulcan at first, but as she sat beside him and he was able to see under the scarf on her head, he could see the light ridges on her forehead that gave her away as Romulan. He still had no idea how a romulan girl had ended on Earth, or in that particular transport, but he cared not.

"Are you alright?" She asked him softly.

"Fine." He answered simply, pushing himself to sit up, pushing the vertigo and nausea back and forcing himself to focus as much as possible.

"That was an illogical thing you did." She stated. "I am not your responsibility."

"I have a thing about people abusing children, as long as it's in my power I will not allow it." Jim stated evenly.

"It might get you killed one day." She pointed out.

Jim just shrugged; it's not like he hadn't considered it already. He could have died in Tarsus, and a few times since. He still wouldn't do anything differently, except… he would have tried harder to keep as many of them alive and safe as possible.

"My name is Cilaun." The girl introduced herself.

"Jim Ravanok." He stated in return.

Jim had known even then that sooner or later, something would have to give. He had no doubt that, whatever the pirates might be planning to do with them, it could not be good. He never did find out what they might be planning exactly though as, on the third day since the arrival of the pirates, they were attacked… again. This time by a vessel with a distinct advantage.

They were forcefully boarded by armed individuals. Jim could tell immediately that they were trained. Though he also suspected they might not know the kind of weapons the pirates had on board. So he made an abrupt decision:

"Keep your head down and tell the others to do the same." Jim ordered.

The transport had been big enough that all the pirates were on board, they had also made a point of keeping all the passengers together in the mess-hall. Making them sleep there and everything. They were taken so by surprised by the attack that Jim found the door opened after the two left on guard duty hurried to see what was going on with their colleagues.

Jim arrived to the thick of things right on time to see one of the pirates, an Orion, pointing a phaser at one of the newcomers, the smallest of the group. Jim didn't even think about it. He had no weapons on him, so he did the best he could and tackled the Orion to the ground. The figure in black that had been about to be shot turned in time to see their would-be attacker fall.

What followed happened so fast and in such a chaotic manner Jim didn't fully follow everything. Only that he suddenly found himself on the floor, on his back, a phaser pointing straight at his face even as the small figure yelled something at the one holding the phaser. Something in Klingon… Jim briefly feared that they might just have exchanged one danger for an even worse one. And then he met Captain Tsernono Qern and the crew of the Bat'leth.

The Klingons got the transport to Organia, where everyone disembarked and made their own way. No one except Jim had even noticed their rescuers were Klingons, and they seemed to prefer it that way. Even Jim had only noticed it because he recognized the language, even when he did not speak it.

And then there was Cilaun. She was an orphan. Half romulan, half human, she'd been sent to Earth when her parents died, but her extended human family did not want her. They weren't abusive, like Jim had originally feared, but they weren't kind to her either, so she decided to run away, make her own way in the world. Of course, she never expected pirates to take over the transport. Or for Jim to defend her so staunchly… she'd become attached to him. Refused to leave unless forced to; and she reminded Jim so much of his own kids that he couldn't find it in him to send her away, so he let her stay.

Which was, more or less, how they found themselves in a pub in Organia, having the first decent meal since leaving Earth. Jim noticed the exact moment when their rescuers entered the pub but didn't mention it. Instead focusing on his meal, and on making sure no one suspicious was looking too much at either him or Cilaun.

Of course, because such was their luck, someone definitely was looking at them. Jim knew, the moment the male began approaching them (he was sufficiently covered up the blonde couldn't deduce race just by looking at him), that he was going to be trouble.

"How much for the girl?" He asked in heavily accented Standard.

"She's not for sale." Jim answered evenly.

"Come on man, in these parts, everyone's for sale… even you." The man's tone turned cold.

The moment he reached into his clothes, Jim went into action. He took hold of the man's arm and spun, twisting it, forcing him to let go of whatever weapon he'd reached for, then kicked his ankle, dropping him. The move sudden enough, and with Jim still holding his arm, that his shoulder dislocated with a loud pop. Another male came close and Cilaun screamed as she broke the half-empty bottle of the beverage she'd been drinking over his head hard enough to knock him out.

"Nice." Jim complimented her.

"Jim beware!" She cried out.

Because apparently the idiots had friends and they were beginning to approach with threatening gestures. Until a voice called in harsh, guttural tones for them to stop. Jim almost winced, he knew that voice, it was the captain of the crew that had saved them. The male approached them as the others cleared the area post-haste.

"Thank you." Jim greeted as politely as he could, even as he pushed Cilaun behind him.

"You seem protective of the girl, she anything of yours?" A female inquired.

It took Jim a moment, but he realized she was the one he'd saved from getting shot in the transport. A young, female klingon… he wasn't expecting that.

"A friend." Jim answered evenly.

"You defend all your friends so strongly?" The captain inquired, curious.

Jim just shrugged.

"Who are you?" The Klingon girl asked with obvious curiosity.

"James Ravanok." He answered easily enough.

"Ravanok?!" It wasn't just the two of them then, but most of the crew.

"What was the name of your father?" The captain demanded.

"I had two parents for my birth, and two who took me in when I needed a family." Jim explained while still being quite vague. "The latter were T'Lura and Van Ravanok."

"Van ThondaI' Ravanok." The girl stated in an almost solemn voice. "I was unaware what had become of him after he left the colony…"

"I knew he joined Starfleet and married a Vulcan lady." The captain stated in a gruffly but respectful tone. "They were expecting a child when he was lost."

"That child was lost." Jim clarified. "The breaking of their bond caused M'aih to miscarry. She adopted me years later. While I never met Van I do consider him a paternal figure."

"As you should." There was approval on the captain's voice. "Tell me boy, what do you know of your own heritage, of ThondaI'… Ravanok's heritage?"

"Very little. I know he was a hybrid, grew up in the colony in Themys, though he was born elsewhere. There were things M'aih promised to share with me when I was older, but she never got the chance. She was lost three years ago, in Tarsus."

Several of the Klingons let out what Jim was almost sure were curses.

"We never knew Van's chosen, though most of us did hold him in high regard." The captain stated. "He was a valuable adviser to several of our Houses."

Jim had already understood by then, even if it hadn't been said, that Van had been half Klingon. Which explained why M'aih had never said what other race he had been; with the seemingly eternal tension between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, it was no surprise that she'd choose to keep such things under wraps. He still wasn't expecting what the captain said next:

"Would you like to join our crew?" The Klingon male offered. "We could use someone of your talents kid."

"You do realize I am not Klingon, right?" Jim couldn't help but point out.

"Clan is about more than blood." The girl stated. "It's about belief, and loyalty. I think you could do well with us." She offered him her hand. "Kariva Irsax."

Jim couldn't miss the way the captain's eyes narrowed before he offered his own name, yet he still chose not to mention it. Apparently, there would be time to find out what that was about:

"Tsernono Qern." He introduced himself. "Will you join us then?" He looked at the girl still behind Jim and added. "She may accompany you. She will be safe."

Jim wasn't even sure why exactly, but he believed them. He'd heard so much about klingons, about their warlike nature, their bloodlust, their savagery… and while he had no doubt it was all true to a point, he was also sure in that moment there was more. There had to be, the klingons wouldn't be such a big race, have such an Empire across the Beta Quadrant, if they weren't capable of more than destruction. Also, he couldn't forget the fact that Captain Qern and his crew had saved all their lives!

Jim just turned to look at Cilaun, eyebrow arched.

She stared at him for what seemed like forever. Jim had no idea what might be going through her mind exactly (though, later on, during a private chat between them, she'd confessed that she felt safe with him, and while she hadn't been completely sure about the klingons, she had believed that Jim would look after her, no matter what, and that was what gave her the courage to nod), but eventually she agreed.

And so Jim and Cilaun Ravanok joined the crew of the Bat'leth.

In many ways, that was just the beginning. The beginning of a new life, with the two of them as part of the crew of what James would almost call freedom-fighters (yes, he'd read way too many old romance earth novels, he blamed his m'aih, they'd been hers). James soon proved to be good as a pilot, and as a close-ranged fighter. He was a genius, capable of learning next-to-anything very fast, and he also had a tactical mind. With just some training from Tsernono and his second, Avoss, he was soon one of their best.

His joining the crew also proved convenient in another way. In the past they'd made a point of keeping their hoods up and scarves covering most of their face, to ensure they wouldn't be recognized, or their species suspected. But James, he was so obviously human… with a basic cowl and sometimes sunglasses, he could ensure he wouldn't be easily recognized, and the people they came in contact with weren't the kind who'd ever connect him with George Kirk. It lessened the chances of people finding out the truth about the Bat'leth and its crew, after all, who'd ever expect a young human man to be working with klingons and a half-romulan girl to fight slavers, pirates and other criminals across the Neutral Zone (and sometimes in the edges of the Federation as well)?

The next change came three years later, in a manner James would have never expected:

For the longest time Jim hadn't understood how a girl like Kariva Irsax came to be part of the Bat'leth's crew. It just didn't seem (to borrow a phrase from his new sister) logical. Still, he had no doubt about her skill in a fight. She was positively fearless, Kariva, which in turn pushed Jim into making sure he was there as much as he could, to look after her. Her and Cilaun both. He'd come to see them as his little sisters. Tsernono and his crew, for their part, had taken to calling him yoD', which was Klingon for 'shield', precisely for that penchant he had for doing his best to keep the girls protected, to the point where he'd taken several shots and a knife while in their defense. Kariva whined about his actions many times, but he knew that at least Tsernono was thankful that Jim was there when he couldn't be.

Even with all his efforts, Jim always knew that there was a limit to what all he could do. He couldn't be there all the time. And just like that, there was nothing he could do when a bunch of human pirates took the girls. Humans! Jim had grown used to watching his back when it came to klingons, romulans, orions, and so many other species, yet somehow he'd almost forgotten that humans were just as capable of cruelty and destruction (almost, because he could never really forget Tarsus, yet while on the Bat'leth the dangers always came from slavers, or from klingons who didn't like other klingons helping the galaxy the way they did -or the fact that not everyone in the crew was klingon-). It took him no time though to notice that Tsernono wasn't just worried, no, he was beyond concerned and quickly approaching a meltdown.

"Something else is going on here, isn't it?" He asked, straight out. "I mean, if it were just that a bunch of idiotic bastards kidnapped them we'd already be on our way after them. Rescuing people, kicking asses, it's kind of what we do isn't it?"

Avoss Tolvorg, Tsernono's second in command directed a rather intense look at his leader. Jim knew things were being kept from them and for the most part he didn't really mind, but two girls he saw as family were in danger, that he did not like.

"You know there are things that have been kept from you." Tsernono finally said out loud.

"I know." Jim nodded with a shrug. "I may call myself Ravanok, but that doesn't mean I'm really Klingon. And I never expected you to trust me simply because of who my adopted father was."

"Three years is not a short time by any means." Avoss stated. "We know you James, we trust you, but some secrets just aren't ours to tell, or they weren't."

"Under normal circumstances we'd have waited for Kariva to tell you the truth herself…" Tsernono began, soberly.

"You know, if it's some important secret, I don't need to know." Jim cut him off. "Whatever it is, it won't change anything. I'm still going with you to save her, to save them both."

"You need to know, because it might come up, it might be the reason they were taken in the first place." Tsernono admitted. "And it's something that we'd rather you hear from us, and not from those who might oppose us."

"Okay." Jim nodded and waited.

"You have heard of course about our King… well, they don't call him King anymore..."

"The Chancellor of the High Council." Jim nodded, he'd been living among Klingons and in the Empire long enough to know.

"The Honorable Gorkon VeS'naS meQpu'yay." Tsernono bowed his head in respect. "He once had four children. The youngest boy lost his life at the hands of Romulan assassins when he was still a child, it was why the King ensured that the rest of his progeny would receive appropriate instruction. I was chosen for that task. I personally trained the remaining three children of our Honorable Chancellor."

Tsernono had trained the royal heirs?! It made Jim wonder how then he'd ended as captain of a simple ship and leader of an operation many klingons did not approve of.

"I know the questions running through your head." Tsernono nodded. "You will understand. Our Chancellor's second-born fell in disgrace, Ma' to'vor…"

Jim knew what that meant: ritual death so those who'd lost their honor would regain it. He was both curious and dedicated and after three months of living among klingons he made a point of learning as much as he could. Not just the language and its various dialects, but their history, traditions, everything he could. Kariva and Tsernono had been very accommodating, and Cilaun had joined him in the learning. It was what allowed them to eventually be considered honorary klingons (much as the notion would probably be considered insane by most in the Federation).

"The eldest, Edraw tsepeS meQpu'yay, fell in honorable battle a fortnight ago, though we only heard about it earlier today." Tsernono added.

For a moment nothing more was said. Jim actually stopped to count in his head, wondering how wrong or right his thoughts might be.

"You said there were four children." He pointed out eventually. "But you've never mentioned the fourth. It's a girl, isn't it?"

It was the only thing that fit. Jim knew that while klingons didn't really see females as less, they still weren't considered in politics or such, unless there was no other heir available for a House. And having all three of her brothers perish would certainly qualify.

"Indeed." Tsernono nodded solemnly. "Our Honorable Chancellor's youngest child is a female. Her name is Kariva yoWhI' meQpu'yay…"

A part of Jim had seen it coming, he had… he still felt like the breath had been punched out of his lungs when the last word was said. The klingon girl he saw as a sister was a princess, and not just that, she was, as of two weeks prior, the heiress to the Klingon throne!

Jim took a moment to take a deep breath, then mentally smacked himself in the back of the head.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He asked the rest of the crew. "The princesses are waiting for us! And I doubt they'll be the most patient if we make them wait any longer!"

He was purposefully making less of the situation, he knew, but it was how he dealt with shocking information. Also, with or without a throne, Cilaun and Kariva had always been as good as princesses to him; he'd certainly done his best to protect them as such, and that wasn't going to change no matter what.

He was right of course, they caught up with the pirates' ship in time to assist the girls in what turned out to be their second escape attempt. The first having been unsuccessful. Cilaun had also ended with a deep slash that went all the way from her hairline, down her right temple and halfway to her cheek. The injury had been so bad, and so much time had passed before it could be properly treated, that she also lost her eye because of it. Though even that did not stop her. With the help of Jim and a klingon healer she'd created an implant for herself, and then ensured it would work even better than any natural eye could. Her way of proving to herself that she could not just recover from such a wound, but become even better in the aftermath.

After the rescue the Bat'leth had gone straight to Qo'noS, which made James more than a little nervous. It was one thing to be traveling, living and fighting with a bunch of klingons, and a very different one to go straight into the capital of their Empire; and not just that, but to meet the High Chancellor! (That was when he'd dropped 'Jim' once and for all, instead choosing to go by his full-name, the name M'aih so lovingly called him: James). The last thing he ever expected was when the Chancellor officially gave him the title of yoD', granting him Klingon citizenship and registering him as his daughter's first bodyguard.

Tsernono for his part was granted the title of General, though that was a position he'd only truly be taking if it ever came to war. The rest of the time he was responsible for security surrounding the princess. It was something Kariva didn't much like, the fact that becoming her father's heiress meant no longer being able to travel through the stars, meeting new people, helping wherever and whenever. But she understood she had a responsibility now, to her father and to their people. And those closest to her wouldn't leave her alone. Most of the crew had been given a new ship and leave to continue with their travels, but Tsernono, Avoss, James and Cilaun stayed.

Cilaun was granted a position and a title of her own too. She became known as Cilaun QIbtaj Ravanok, officially she was Kariva's handmaiden, or at least the klingon equivalent. In truth, being Kariva's personal servant was the lesser responsibility, she was also the last line of defense in case of an emergency.

A year or so after moving to Qo'noS things had mostly settled down. Kariva had some duties to see to every so often, but they didn't actually have to stay in the capital. Kariva was taking on some of her father's duties on various parts of the Empire, which allowed them all to travel together; they also had some time to still help others here and there. It wasn't like it had been before, but still, better than the first few months when they had to stay in Qo'noS.

It was around then that, when James went to check his old message account, he found one from none other than his sister-in-law: Aurelan. Though he was actually unsure, should he consider her as such when the two of them had never even met? The only reason he even knew Sam was married was because he made sure to keep electronic tabs on him and Winona both. In fact, regarding the latter, he could see that the algorithm he'd entered into Starfleet's systems years prior had forwarded several communications to his account (in such a way that no one would ever be able to trace it to him). That was how he found out that Winona was dead, the USS Windsor, the ship she served on, as Chief Engineer, had suffered serious damage. According to all reports Lt. Commander Kirk had done everything in her power to keep the ship together for as long as possible in order to give the crew time to get into escape pods. However, that meant that when the cascade failures reached a critical point she was the one left with no escape. It was believed that the sudden depressurization of the deck she was in, as the hull cracked open killed her before she was even aware it was coming.

James wasn't sure he fully believed that, at least not the part that she hadn't known it was coming. Winona wasn't… hadn't been, stupid. She was one of the best Engineers in Starfleet. Having some knowledge in the area James could make a guess as to what she must have done in order to give the crew more time. With cascade failures… they couldn't be stopped, not really, only deviated, and only for a time. But deviating a problem meant that if it didn't hit in one point, it had to do so elsewhere. Winona would have not only known where the damage was going, she would have chosen it. That much was in her power to control. Which meant, that she knew death was coming her way, and she accepted it. A part of him actually wondered if it had been entirely unavoidable, or if perhaps she could have escaped it somehow, and she just didn't want to. He knew how much Winona loved George, never stopped loving him. She returned to the stars because it allowed her to feel closest to him… maybe, just maybe, she was tired and decided it was time to join her beloved husband in the black…

After reading the messages James sat in his quarters in the Bat'leth, waiting for the news to sink in, for the grief to hit him, the tears… yet there was nothing. When he lost M'aih, back in Tarsus, he could barely take a moment to actually feel the pain of the loss of her, the loss of their family-bond; though he'd most definitely felt it. The loss of Winona… he felt nothing. And it was that for way too long (most of his life, really) she'd been a nonentity in his life. Physically absent most of the time, and even when she was physically there, mentally and emotionally was a whole different matter. He didn't think he'd seen the woman, at all, since months before he and M'aih moved to Tarsus IV!

Aurelan's message began with a notification of Winona's passing, an expression of shared grief (it made James wonder briefly if she had known Winona at all, or if she was just trying to be kind… he had no idea). After that was a request that he return to Earth as soon as possible. It seemed that Winona's will was to be executed soon, she left everything to her sons; but Frank intended to contest it, and Aurelan feared that James's absence might affect the outcome.

For all of five minutes James considered doing it. He considered going to see Tsernono and Kariva, expressing thanks for everything they'd done for him, and his regret that he had to leave. Then he'd talk to Cilaun, convince her to stay (she'd be much happier there on the Bat'leth than back on Earth with him). He'd take the little ship he, Avoss and Cilaun had been working on, the one he hadn't even named yet. Then he'd go to Iowa, get whatever it was Winona left him and… who the hell knew? It's not like he had the slightest idea as to what to do after that.

That was when he realized how stupid that line of thought was. Why should he return? Winona was already dead, attending a will-reading, accepting whatever it was she might have left him wouldn't change anything. And Sam… he gave up on James a long time prior, they might as well be strangers. The only reason James even knew about Aurelan and little Peter was because of his hacking! Truth was that as much as he knew Cilaun wouldn't find a place back on Earth (there was a reason she left in the first place) he didn't think he could either. Earth wasn't his home, it hadn't been in a very long time…

So he made a different choice instead. He called an Andorian lawyer he knew, giving him the order to execute the plan he'd had in place for years, since shortly after joining the crew of the Bat'leth, in fact. The plan was pretty simple in fact, it consisted in declaring James T. Kirk legally dead. Thanks to the fact that the last sign to be found of him being alive was the ticket he bought for the transport to Themys, a transport that never made it to its destination, thanks to pirates, that was made easier. While no dead had been reported at the time, the fact that the people on the transport disembarked in Organia, a planet that wasn't truly a part of the Federation (it was technically in the Neutral Zone and, in fact, fairly close to the edges of the Klingon Empire), made it more than plausible.

The legal offices that were processing Winona Kirk's last will would receive the notification when they sought to notify all beneficiaries and require their presence. It wouldn't be hard for them to believe that James died and they just didn't know (not like any of them tried to contact him before). Sam and his family would become the sole heirs then. All would be well.

A few weeks later, an ion storm made it necessary for the Bat'leth to slip into Federation space for a short time to avoid it. That was when they came across what at first sight looked like a very old, abandoned ship. The fact that while the infrared sensors caught nothing but coldness, and yet other sensors caught signs of life inside the ship made them decide to go in and find out what was going on. They could have never expected the seventy-three cryogenic tubes they found inside that ship.

Things were more than a little insane for a while. While Kariva and Cilaun were all for opening one of those tubes, waking up whoever was inside and getting the answers from them, James agreed with Tsernono that it could prove to be dangerous. So instead James and Cilaun hacked into the computers on the ship, to find out as much about those on-board as they could. And they went from there. It was more than a little insane. The technology was so old it took some creative thinking on the Ravanoks' part to get what they needed. And then they began hacking any and all databases they could in order to collate information, the others too turned to their own contacts, especially when they realized who the leader of that particular crew was: Khan Noonien Singh, Augment, General… a man who, over two hundred years prior had ruled about a quarter of planet Earth, who was accused of being a dictator, a murderer, a warmonger… and yet, if all that was true, why was it that the time he reigned had the lowest numbers of deaths, except for when there had been confrontation with European armies? Also, if he'd been as bad as some of the human history reports claimed, why was it that when things got to a breaking point he chose to bet it all on an insane undertaking (getting all his people, his young daughter included, on a ship, and in cryo-sleep) instead of staying and fighting to whatever end? If Khan had truly been all about the violence, about the killing, like some so-called historians claimed, he wouldn't have cared about his people; him being a perfect tactician, he'd have known the war was lost and would have cared about nothing more than taking as many of his 'enemies' down with him as he could. Instead, when he'd realized that very thing (that the war was lost) he focused on saving as many as he could. Even if that meant putting his hope on insane, unproven ideas. He tried, and James couldn't help but respect him for that. He'd never forget the first conversation he had with the leader of the Augments:

"Why are you doing this?" Khan asked, voice thick with some unnameable emotion.

"This?" James asked, curious.

Avoss was the one who actually knew more than the very basics of first-aid (which was all James himself knew, and the rest not even that). They'd woken Khan, his daughter (James being of the opinion that seeing her safe would make him more willing to talk to them and not see them as enemies). Then Khan had told them who their own medics were. They woke those next, and then followed their lead as they went about waking the rest of the people.

With Avoss working with the medics, Tsernono supervising, Kariva following them out of curiosity, and Cilaun compiling files with everything 'basic' she believed the augments would need to know in order to fit in the current times, James was the one left with nothing to do, so he sat with Khan and his young daughter: Anima, in what must have once been the mess-hall of the Botany Bay, and they talked.

Khan said nothing in reply to his question, just stared at the blonde pointedly.

"I… don't actually know." He hesitated briefly before saying a thing, glancing at the girl sitting with them, she couldn't have been older than five… and yet, considering all she must have been through before even going into cryo… "I guess I just… I've seen some bad stuff. Seen people killing others, their own neighbors, people they claimed were their friends, because someone told them to… and I've seen people with next to nothing, being willing to share what little they have with total strangers, some even willing to risk their own lives to save another. I… I know what kind of person I want to be."

"You're a most extraordinary individual Ravanok."

"James, call me James."

"Then call me Noonien, that is, after all, my name."

It wasn't actually his name for long. While the Augments as a Clan didn't have the same stigma in klingon society as they would have on Earth, or anywhere else in the Federation, there were still some negative things connected to them; like the virus that changed several Klingon Houses centuries prior, killed many too (said virus was the reason why Van Ravanok's ancestors chose to move to Themys, while they'd survived the virus they lost their ridges, which was seen as a terrible thing back then, so it was easier for them to start a new life elsewhere).

It was Kariva who named them the taHaI. And Noonien eventually chose to take the name of Asad, and for the name of his House, he chose the one of his deceased wife: Dr. Marlene Givens. Thus Asad Givens came to be.

A while later, on a routine trip to Praxis (as part of taking some of her father's responsibilities Kariva had taken to doing some of his 'rounds' and visits to some cities and important regions of the Empire), things got really dicey, really fast. In an attempt to make themselves look good, (as rumors were beginning to grow about the abilities of the recently arrived 'refugees') the Chief of the Mine gave orders to increase production, to dangerous levels, levels that they couldn't support in the end. The attempt caused an extreme reaction and suddenly all of Praxis needed to be evacuated… at least that was the plan. Until James did some mental calculations and realized that unless they did something to stop the reaction, it wouldn't just be Praxis suffering damage, but Qo'noS as well. So he went back to try and solve it.

When it was all said and done James could never fully remember the events of that day. He took a blow to the head so bad his skull cracked, his vertebrae too were damaged, and between that and the radiation caused by the explosions, he almost died. While he, and Asad (who went after him, while the others completed the evacuation) managed to stop Praxis from being destroyed entirely, there was no saving the mine itself, and the explosion of some of the machinery in the place had serious consequences. In the end the only reason James didn't die was because Asad offered his blood to save him. The transfusion was extremely dangerous, and would have never been allowed if James hadn't been half-dead and with no hopes for recovery by that point. Even then, it was a near thing. However, because he required so much of Asad's blood to survive, his body was left permanently changed in some ways. Enough that the taHaI recognized him as one of their own, and specifically as Asad's blood-brother.

Following the events in Praxis the Chancellor gave leave to the taHaI to settle in Praxis, promising a very good deal if they managed to make the mine work without putting either Praxis or Qo'noS in danger again. Commendations were given for several of the taHaI, for assisting in the evacuation, while Asad was granted the title of yoD', and officially granted a position as Kariva's second shield. Some other taHaI chose to join the guard, though the majority settled in Praxis, happy to have a home once more.

Over the next couple of years Asad and James were both part of a team that designed and built two new warships. One very small, meant for close-combat, with great maneuverability, the best weapons possible and decent shields, those were called the toQ, the birds of prey; the second was bigger, though not as big as most starships, had less weapons as it was mostly created to carry the smaller ships, their shields however were state of the art, they were called the notqa' (the name given to a large, but not so large, black bird).

The ships were supposed to work together. One notqa' for three toQ. The first prototypes were gifted to the Lady Kariva and her 'entourage'. And while the toQ were known simple as that, and by serial numbers: 001, 002, 003 (affectionately called wa', cha' and wej); the notqa' was given the name of Ramjep, for it was black with the slightest blue tint, like the midnight sky. Ramjep had later on been modified a bit further to allow the Bat'leth and James's own ship: the SuvwI' (which, by then, had been modified to kingdom come) to be hooked to its sides.

The ships were very new, they hadn't even had time to 'take them for a spin' as James would say, when things went to hell in a hand-basket:

It was the mind-numbing, insanity-brewing blaring of the red alert that woke him up. It wasn't the first time there was such an occurrence, so it wasn't hard for James to move, even half-asleep as he was, he dressed in his uniform, light armor, boots, was slipping one glove on while holding the other between his teeth as he half ran, half tripped out of his room in the meQpu'yay Residence, making it to the doors that lead into the War Room just before Tsernono entered.

Inside there was already a hive of activity. James took it all in even as he moved to take his position beside and slightly to the right of Kariva, Asad on her left. She was wearing her battle dress but no armor, and no boots, which told James something about the state she must have been in when she left her room. She was talking in fast, only half-formed sentences to Cilaun, who was still in her sleeping clothes, with a robe that James was fairly certain wasn't actually hers (and that was as far as he took that thought, as he really didn't need to think about whose bed his sister chose to sleep in… or not sleep, as the case might be). Cilaun was handling the holos, which were showing Rura Penthe, the prison planet and…

"Is that…?" James blurted out before cutting off, horror hitting her as he realized that what he'd at first thought to be some kind of malfunction on the holo, was in fact no such a thing, it was debris, and a hell of a lot of it.

"The 27th Armada, all forty-seven ships, destroyed." Tsernono confirmed, in his hands a PADD that James had no doubt must hold the official report, or as close to it as there might be.

"When?" He thought it was the logical question to ask.

"96 minutes and counting." Avoss informed him.

"Why so long?" James inquired.

"I think the better question is, what happened exactly?" Asad stated grimly.

"Both are excellent questions." Cilaun stated, though she never stopped working. "Regretfully, we possess very limited answers. We know this was essentially a break-out. A very well-coordinated one. As the group went in, got the prisoner and got out, the guards couldn't stop them. They tried to send out an alert to Qo'noS, it failed, as something was blocking their long-range communications. The best they could do was alert Captain Awrug of the 27th, you know how that turned out. There was serious damage to the prison itself; arrangements are currently being made for a full-scale evacuation, though that part is not actually our concern."

It wasn't. The fate of the prison, especially of the prisoners with life-senteces was for the High Chancellor to decide, not them.

"How could one group, one ship, whoever they might have been, defeat an entire armada?!" Tsernono demanded, focusing on what did concern them.

"That's what we're trying to find out." Kariva announced, as she too was working on collecting and collating as much information as possible.

"Do we know who the prisoner was?" Asad inquired.

"A Romulan called Nero," Avoss read the information sent his way to let the two females keep working. "He was in our prison for almost 25 years. The Romulan Empire never sought him out, there were no negotiations, according to our spies there was no mention of him, not ever, in all these years. Almost as if he never existed."

"Clearly he does, and some people do know, if he was broken out of prison…" Asad muttered.

James knew they were missing something, something important, he just had no idea what. And then it hit him, at exactly the same time Cilaun finally got the final image caught by Captain Awrug's ship before its destruction: a huge, dark ship, a ship he'd seen images of before, in the final records of another ship that had been lost, a little over twenty-five years prior…

James began cursing, long and creatively, in a mix of Klingon, Vulcan, Orion and Standard.

"James!" Several voices called at the same time, more than a little surprised by his rather visceral reaction to the image.

"That's… that's the ship that destroyed the USS Kelvin!"

The reaction to that particular revelation was quite visceral. Even being citizens of the Klingon Empire rather than the Federation, they all knew about the Kelvin. And what was more, everyone present in that moment knew what that tragedy had meant for James… How different would his life had been if his father hadn't died that day? Frank would certainly have never been in the picture. Would Winona have been happier? Would she have been truly a mother to them? Would Sam have chosen to stay instead of running away? Would James still have ended in Tarsus IV? But perhaps the biggest questions of all were: Would M'aih have been been a part of his life, if he hadn't needed a parental figure? And would he have ever met Cilaun, Kariva and the others? The most likely answer for those last two was No, and regardless of anything else, James just couldn't bring himself to regret those things. He loved his m'aih, and as much as the loss of her might have hurt, he'd never stop loving her, would never stop feeling grateful for having had her. And he'd never regret the family he'd found in Cilaun, Asad, in Kariva, Tsernono and everyone else. The life he had in that moment might not be the one he once expected, the one his birth-parents might have imagined for him, but it was most definitely His life.

It was easy enough to decide that they had to do something, some might even say that it was no choice at all. The hard part, was deciding how to go about it. Using the particular 'white-noise' that had interfered with communications from the prison planet as basis, Cilaun managed to track down the huge Romulan ship, as well as guess at their final destination. There were several options though the most likely, the one they were heading directly towards, was Vulcan.

The planet, which actual, technical name was Ni'Var, was in the middle of Federation Space, which presented more than a few complications. While the Ramjep was registered as a 'free-ship' same as with the Bat'leth and the SuvwI'; there was no way of fully hiding the decidedly klingon built of most of those ships. They'd all used Standard version of the names of the vessels more than once, especially when helping Federation people in Neutral Space or in the edges of the Federation Space… but Vulcan wasn't in the edge, far from it in fact. It was deep in Federation Space, if they were recognized, there would be no hiding the truth. Even if they planned on following their usual MO, and having James, and if necessary Asad and Cilaun, take point as representatives of their crew… they couldn't be certain that the truth wouldn't come out at some point, for whatever the reason. So, in the end, the real choice that needed to be made, was how willing they were for the Federation to discover they existed…

"There comes a time in every individual's life, male and female, human, vulcan and any other species, when they must decide what it is they're willing to fight for…" James quoted with a soft, quiet strength and conviction.

"Those are very wise words." Asad agreed solemnly.

"They should be, they were M'aih's words." James replied, the smallest of smiles on his face.

"The Lady T'Lura was very wise indeed." Kariva agreed, completely serious. "We all made a choice, years ago. To make a stand, for ourselves, and for all who might not be able to do so on their own. That hasn't changed. The current situation might take us to a place we've never been to before, but our mission stands. We are meant to help those that might need us, regardless of who they might be, or where they might be… Right now, that means Vulcan."

"You know that if we do this… the Chancellor might not approve." Tsernono pointed out.

"He will." Kariva retorted. "Because in the end, he wants the same thing we do: peace."

She went to see her father before they left. The High Chancellor signed on the mission. Officially they were being sent into Federation Space in pursuit of a criminal, as honor demanded it. They were to try and avoid Starfleet, though if that failed they were authorized to reveal their mission and the assurances that no, klingons weren't being sent into Federation space, it was just them, and just because of that particular romulan criminal.

It was Cilaun's idea for one of them to go down to Delta Vega. James knew there was a Starfleet base in the area, the personnel there should be minimum, which was ideal. All they wanted was to put them on alert, because while they might be going after Nero themselves, and even though the plan might be for them to avoid Starfleet as much as possible, being so deep into Federation Space made that unlikely. Also, the last thing they wanted was a repeat of the Kelvin tragedy.

James was the one to go down, as he was the obvious option, being human and the one who knew enough the most about both the Federation, and Starfleet. What they weren't expecting was when their calculations turned out to be slightly off, and James was left hiking through the ice and snow towards the base. And then there was the freaking monster!

James's reaction to the creature was instinctive. He ran, just long enough to make it to a mostly stable, open area, then he spun around and pulled out his weapon of choice: a couple of daggers the length of his forearm. Blade, hilt and guard were all black; the blade made of a particular metal that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it, with the symbol of House Ravanok engraved on the spot closest to the guard; the hilt was made of bone and covered in strips of supple and very soft black leather, the guard, also made of metal was rather plain, narrow, painted a mate black except for the rather simple but beautiful detailing in sapphire blue (the same shade as his eyes).

It wasn't an easy fight, yet it wasn't the worst James had been involved in either (he was fully convinced that training with Tsernono was worse). What he never expected was when another individual arrived, a male, and he used the torch he was carrying to scare the creature away. James waited several seconds to be sure it wouldn't be returning, then turned to face the one that had assist him. Coming face-to-face with an old looking Vulcan that wasn't wearing at all the kind of clothes he would expect of either a Starfleet officer, or a Vulcan scientist. And then the male opened his mouth to speak, and that was when things really got insane.

"James T. Kirk…"

"Excuse me?" James blurted out, not quite knowing what else to say.

"How did you find me?" The male asked, there was something about his stance, his expression, that had he been anything other than Vulcan James would have believed him to be emotional.

"I believe you're confusing me with someone else, sir." James told him, focusing on staying as calm as possible.

"I am not wrong." The Vulcan insisted. "I know you Jim Kirk. I have been, and always shall be, your friend."

James was feeling truly unsettled. He'd no idea how the Vulcan knew that name, or what made him so convinced that James was he… Him truly being that person was completely irrelevant! He'd never known any Vulcans other than M'aih, so there was no reason for that old-man (vulcan, whatever!) to know him!

"Look… uh, I don't know you." It was the best the blonde could think to say, at least if he was to remain polite.

"I am Spock." The old Vulcan announced, as if that was supposed to mean something!

"That means nothing to me at all!" James snapped.

"No…?" The Vulcan looked honestly shocked by that. "But Captain…"

"Captain?!" James echoed, half-scoffing, half-snorting. "Look, I have no idea what the hell you've been smoking, or taking, or whatever. I don't know you, I don't know any Spocks. I'm not a captain, I'm not even Starfleet! And my name is James yoD' Ravanok!"

The Vulcan looked honestly taken aback, and James finally decided to ignore him. Instead he pulled out his PADD and used it to find his way to the Starfleet base which, thankfully, wasn't too far away. There he met a Lt. Cmdr. Scott, to whom he notified of the situation (everything but the fact that he and his crew were all Klingon citizens). The moment Scott ran into the building (James was never actually allowed entry, which was just fine with him) to notify his superiors James decided his job was done and pulled out his comm to request a beam-up.

"You're with klingons…"

It was until then that he realized that the old vulcan was still there, and looking at the blonde human as if he'd just done something terrible, like shot a cute puppy, or destroy some priceless heirloom (who knew what most vulcans considered as truly terrible?) or just done something he considered utterly illogical.

"What's that to you?" He asked, defensive.

He never got an answer, for Cilaun chose that precise moment to beam him back to the Ramjep. The last image in his mind being the utterly broken expression on the vulcan's face… and James hadn't even known such a thing was even possible! It wasn't that he expected vulcans to be like computers, unfeeling, he knew better, and yet, he'd never seen one emote like that. Even M'aih, who'd shown him more love than anyone else in his life, she expressed her emotions through touch, through the bond, never in actual facial expressions. And the old vulcan's eyes… James didn't know why, but it was almost as if his pain, pained him in turn. It was, to borrow a classic vulcan phrase: illogical.

James had just slipped off the heavy winter-jacket he donned in order to beam down to the winter-hell that was Delta Vega, when Cilaun's voice rang on the Ramjep's speakers:

"Alert!" Her seriousness let him know, even the words themselves, that it was time. "We've reached the edge of the Ni-Var system. As agreed, this is as far as the Ramjep will go. Our target, the Narada, is currently on the edge of Vulcan's atmosphere. I've confirmed that the block comes from their ship. They seem to be lowering something into the planet, it… it looks like a terraforming drill!"

"Pilots!" Kariva called next. "It's time! You know what to do!"

Indeed, they did. It was time to do battle.

xXx

It was the most insane battle James had ever been involved in. Even Asad was forced to concede that things had never been quite so bad, even during the War (then again, back then there were limited to a planet, to staying within the atmosphere… the most recent battle had had them moving through the stars at vertiginous speeds). They lost cha' in the first few minutes, and with it, Elijah, Asad's second, and one of his oldest friends. It was only thanks to the sudden arrival of six Constitution-class Starfleet vessels that they didn't lose anyone else.

It quickly became clear that Starfleet didn't know who they were up against, nothing more than what James himself had relayed to the officer in Delta Vega. At least them knowing that much meant that they knew not to attack James and his friends, one of the Starfleet vessels had even covered wej' when it was badly damaged, taking several phaser shots from the massive ship, the Narada, meant for it.

It was James who ended the fight, by essentially flying into the Narada, setting the SuvwI' to self-destruct and then beaming out of the ship before the romulans could board the vessel. He beamed to Vulcan's surface, as it was the closest relatively safe location he could aim for (he couldn't beam to the other ships, as they remained in motion, and the Narada was blocking long-range transport, making it impossible for him to aim for the Ramjep. So Vulcan was the only option left. Mount Seleya, to be precise.

Upon learning that James and his team were responsible for ensuring the safety of Vulcan and all its people, the Elders gave leave for them to land on the planet. Which was a good thing as wej' wouldn't have lasted much longer. Asad landed in time to help wej's pilot, Hotaru Kamiya (the blood-sister of the augment who'd once ruled in the Far-East), get out of her ship. There was a spot of trouble when the Ramjep made orbit, Cilaun beamed down to check on James, and was recognized as romulan. Thankfully a Vulcan in science blues managed to defuse the situation before it got too out of control. There was a brief contact between the two of them, but soon James turned his focus to the Vulcan Elders, he had a duty to his crew after all.

"T'nar pak sorat y'nari." James pronounced the formal greeting in perfect unaccented Vulcan.

"T'nar jaral." T'Pau was kind enough to give him the traditional reply.

For several seconds the blonde human said nothing else, until Kariva (with her own hood still up for the time being) went to stand just behind him and pressed two fingers to his right shoulder-blade, it was a signal he knew well. It meant honesty, to a point. So James straightened up and said the words that would set the course for their future:

"I am James yoD' Ravanok and I speak for the crew of the Ramjep…"

Full-sized poster (and the fanarts from all the other parts of this series, and for the series as a whole) can be found at DeviantArt, where I go by Princess-Lalaith.

The couple of Vulcan phrases that have no translation it's because even in VLD there's nothing except an explanation of them being a formal Vulcan greeting and its reply.

The Klingon was a bit tricky, and if anyone knows of any particularly atrocious mistakes I've made, please let me know so I can correct them. I did the best I could.

I hope you're enjoying this series and might be interested in reading my other ST fics, and any/all other fics of mine. If anyone's interested in doing fanarts, a translation, remix, sequel, another AU, podfic, feel free to do so, I give blanquet permission for it. Just let me know so I can go take a look, and promote you everywhere!

Finally, if anyone might be interested, I also have original works of mine published through Amazon. Three novels thus far (two available in both English and Spanish and one solely in Spanish) you can find me there either as Lalaith Quetzalli, or Lalaith Quetzalli Caresi.