Kirk strikes a deal and Janice pays the price.

Antares, the cargo vessel that transported Charlie Evans to the Enterprise tried to message the Enterprise when she had got to the furthest distance allowable before going out of range. Uhura only got a partial message before the transmission ended abruptly.

"What happened Uhura!" Kirk demanded.

"They cut the transmission Captain and do not answer."

"Spock?" Kirk questioned his first officer.

"The vessel was destroyed, Captain. I'm picking up a debris field consistent with its mass but there is no sign of any weapon being fired upon it."

Captain Kirk looked over at Charlie who had asked to tour the bridge that day. Janice had reported to him that the boy was odd but could he have destroyed the Antares? And if so, how?

The captain decided it was time to take Charlie under his wing personally. He wanted to know all the secrets of the Thasians. He gave him the best accommodations available and tried to teach the boy self-defense and the social skills needed to survive on the ship.

Finally, after seeing what Charlie was capable of doing Kirk had had enough. "What is it you want Charlie? Do you want money? Power? I can take you anywhere in the galaxy, whatever you want it's yours, just tell me what I want to know. What is the source of your powers? Where are the Thasians?"

"I don't know what you want. There are no Thasians."

Kirk wasn't buying it. He'd seen Charlie disappear people. Seen him change the shape of matter with his mind. Surely there was something that would tempt him.

"Do you want a woman Charlie? I can give you any girl on this ship. Just tell me how you destroyed the Antares?"

"Any woman?" Charlie asked not bothering to deny destroying a ship and the lives aboard.

"Anything, just name it."

"Janice. Give me Janice and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Kirk frowned. Janice was his. Sure he'd let others use her talents for a price, but he never thought of just giving her away. But to have such power! The ability to destroy a ship without firing a single shot! He wanted the power that boy had and if Janice was the price he had to pay then so be it.

"Deal," Kirk said with a grin.

/*/*/

Janice stumbled into the sickbay. Her gown was torn and her body was covered in bruises. Christine saw her first and rushed over to her immediately.

"Yeoman, what the hell happened to you?"

"The boy!" she cried and crumpled to the floor.

"Nurse!" Christine yelled. "Help me get her on an exam table!" She said to one of the larger nurses.

"And you," she pointed to another assistant. "Go keep the Doctor busy. I'll call you when we're done here."

Christine and the nurse helped Janice onto the bio-bed and started peeling the tattered dress from her. "Shush now. It'll be alright."

"Hide me!" Janice cried. "He'll find me here. He's crazy. I only escaped because he fell asleep!"

"Shush, now you know you're safe here. We won't let anyone get you. What happened?"

Christine could guess what happened to the girl. Janice was the Captain's woman but only so long as she was useful to him. He had offered her up on numerous occasions to his friends and enemies alike so that he could get what he wanted out of them. Like most of the women on the ship, Janice went along with it for protection or for clout. What other choice did she have really? You were either the Captain's woman or you were free game for the rest of the wolves on the ship. But in reality, no woman was safe, not even the Captain's. Not when men were bigger and stronger and it was your word against theirs. And even if you were believed it didn't make a difference, not when they had already gotten what they wanted from you.

The women of the ISS Enterprise walked a tightrope all the time. A single girl was never safe on a ship full of virile males with a lust for life and riches. Christine herself had some measure of safety. She was the head nurse and she knew where all the lethal drugs were stored. And as long as she fucked McCoy once in a while he was happy to let her do as she pleased in the sickbay while he drank himself into a stupor. Half the time he could barely get it up which suited her just fine.

So she arranged for the sickbay to be a safe-haven for the women and even some of the more vulnerable young male crew members. Sexual assault was rampant on the ISS Enterprise and Captain Kirk didn't seem to give a damn so long as profits were up and the Empire was fed its pound of flesh.

But even Kirk had his limits. The Agonizer was an effective means of punishment for those who blatantly offended. And woe is the man if Mr. Spock caught him. Spock would not tolerate anyone abusing his crew unprovoked.

Christine and the other nurse worked to dress Janice in medical overalls and sedate her. Once she was out cold Christine went to the communicator but then she hesitated. She should alert the Captain to what had occurred, but she was certain Kirk was behind what happened to Janice. She didn't want to risk Kirk's wrath or worse he might send the girl back to that monster. Either way, it was too dangerous. There was only one man on the ship who could stand up to the Captain and protect Janice.

"Bridge, can you please ask Mr. Spock to report to sickbay right away?"

Christine heard Lieutenant Uhura relay the message to Spock, and she heard his response that he was on his way.

With that being the case Christine rushed into her side office to tidy up. She wanted to look her best for the Commander. Spock had shown little to no interest in women but it never hurt to look one's best and present a welcoming atmosphere. Spock was aloof, but he was also a man. Surely he craved the comfort of a female just like the rest of the wolves aboard this ship?

Vulcan men had a reputation for treating their women strangely. There were rumors of wild sex orgies and Vulcan scout ships sent out to raid other planets for females. Spock never showed any interest in the debauchery that took place on the Enterprise but surely he had sexual needs? So who was attending to those needs? Could he be involved with one of his Vulcan guards? They were the only people he surrounded himself with and allowed in his inner circle. No one else could get close to him and that could be a complication for Christine's plans.

Christine took one last look at herself in the mirror, she licked her lips, patted her hair into place, and made sure her uniform was smooth. Spock did not respect a disheveled appearance. If she could recruit Spock to her side, her position on this ship would be set. No one would dare oppose her not even McCoy, that drunken bastard. He was lucky he was kept safely under Kirk's thumb or else she would have gutted him long ago and become one of the doctors on board. But never mind McCoy. His time would come soon enough. Right now she needed to attend to Janice. And deal with Mr. Spock.

Note: I'm trying to follow the timeline and episodes of the show and will add them as a footnote.

Episode: s01e07 Charlie X