Jim stumbled as he walked through the jungle. He did not think he had ever hurt as badly as he hurt now. Of course, he thought he always felt that way. He supposed living in the moment made one have such thoughts. He felt like he would collapse, but he kept going because he was afraid Omakh would beat him more if he fell. Omakh had already broken his right arm to keep him from fighting. Oh, how he had tried not to scream, but he had screamed anyway. Now he felt sick as he walked trying to avoid vines so that he would not trip. He could hardly figure out how he actually got into this situation. He had suspected Cax, but not enough. He had wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had to learn to take action first and then get to the bottom of the suspicion.
Spock and Korax followed seeing Jim's steps becoming slower and even sluggish. Finally, Jim stumbled, but he managed not to fall. However, Omakh shoved him forward. "Walk faster!" he demanded.
Jim did his best to get his footing back, but then Omakh shoved him again which caused him to fall. "Get up or you will pay the consequences," Omakh said menacingly.
Jim struggled to get up. He certainly did not want to be kicked again, but he could not get back to his feet. He glared up at Omakh. "You're nothing but a coward!" he yelled with as much menace as he could use.
Omakh pulled out a kut'luch. Jim backed up on the ground as he came toward him, but Omakh was suddenly stopped by a strong arm that jerked him completely around. He practically growled as he faced Korax. "You take advantage of the wounded!" Korax said. "You are a disgrace to the Klingon race!" He retrieved his bat'leth from his back. "You will tell me where Doctor McCoy is."
"I will not!" Omakh replied as he retrieved his own bat'leth. "He is doomed."
Spock dragged Jim away from the impending battle. "Admiral, where is Doctor McCoy?" he asked.
Jim shook his head. "He's out there in the jungle," Jim said. "I think maybe I can find it."
Jim grunted as he stood up with help from Spock. "My arm is broken," Jim said as he almost bent double with the pain. "I don't know what else."
"We could not beam you to the Enterprise," Spock said. "Something is interfering with the scanners."
"I can't fight like this. You have to help Bones. He's wounded, and they had him hanging in a tree."
Spock was troubled by that information. "I must get you back to the Great Hall first."
"NO! I have to show you the way to find Bones."
Spock took out his communicator. "Grakar."
Grakar answered promptly. "Go ahead."
"We have found Admiral Kirk," Spock explained. "We are in the jungle. Korax now fights a battle with Omakh. We had no choice but to intervene. We must find Doctor McCoy. Jim is wounded, and I need help to rescue the doctor…"
Suddenly, Omakh jumped over into the small clearing where Spock and Jim were. He grabbed Jim before Spock could react. He drove his kut'luch into Jim's side, bringing a wail from him and then shoved him toward Spock as he exited the clearing. At that moment, Korax was coming into it.
Jim was struggling to breathe, but he said, "Don't let him kill Bones! Go after him!"
Korax was torn between helping his friend and going after Omakh, but just then, Grakar arrived. "We must go after Omakh," Korax declared. "He is going for Doctor McCoy!"
Without hesitation, they headed out after Omakh. Uhura was there with Spock now, along with Solan. They all got Jim up. They had no other alternative but to get him back to the Great Hall which would be no easy task. The kut'luch blade was completely submerged into Jim's side up to the hilt, and although it was not far to the Great Hall, they would have to go around the long way because Jim could not climb a hill. Spock got on Jim's right side which was where the knife hilt was sticking out. Jim groaned as Spock put his arm over his shoulders. "I am sorry, Jim," Spock said.
"Don't worry about it, Spock," Jim replied. "Just make sure they help Bones."
Spock was worried about their friend as well. "We'll get him in," Solan said. "Go after them, Spock."
"Are you certain you can get Jim to the Great Hall without my help?" Spock asked.
"We'll do it."
Spock nodded and then turned and ran out into the jungle. He felt urgency in finding Doctor McCoy. He knew Korax and Grakar would fight for him, but he thought someone should be getting him to a safer place.
As Korax and Grakar followed Omakh through the jungle, they lost sight of him, but they could see where he had been in the jungle because of his speed running among the vegetation, and also his footprints. They did not know how far into the jungle Omakh's camp was, and they were not certain that he would lead them to it. They soon came to a place where Omakh's tracks turned and seemed to be heading back toward the city. While they studied this, they heard something coming through the jungle. They waited to see what was coming, and soon, Spock came into view. Korax and Grakar stood up. "He has doubled back," Korax said. "He would not lead us to his camp."
"Why would he go back?" Spock asked.
They were all silent as they knew why he was going back. "He has led us away from our friend," Grakar said angrily.
Without another word, they turned to go after Omakh…but Spock did not like the fact that they did not find Doctor McCoy.
Solan and Uhura were practically holding Jim up as they made their way slowly around the precipice which went around the city. Solan was not back to his full strength, and he was struggling to hold Jim up. Jim stumbled, and they all almost went down.
Just then, Solan heard something coming through the jungle. "Get down!" he said and grabbed his blaster just as Omakh came from the jungle.
Solan fired his blaster at Omakh, but he was wearing armor that deflected the shot. He tackled Solan, and they were in a struggle. Omakh drew a long-bladed knife, and Solan avoided the blade but Omakh was not giving up. Solan held the knife away from himself…
Jim and Uhura watched in horror as everything had happened so fast. "Uhura, give me your sword!" Jim said.
"No," Uhura replied. She dragged Jim to safety and took the sword off her back and headed for the struggle. She yelled an insult at Omakh in Klingon.
Solan was surprised that she even knew how to say that, but it got Omakh's attention. "You pride yourself on attacking the wounded!" Uhura declared. "If you're so tough, you shouldn't have any problems defeating me!"
Omakh punched Solan. "I will deal with you later," he said. He stood up and drew his own sword. "You insult me, puny one!"
Jim knew Omakh was going to get a surprise because Uhura had fought plenty of Klingons. He looked at the handle of the kut'luch sticking out of his side. He fought the urge to pull it out because he knew if he did, he could bleed to death before they could get him to help. He watched the sword fight between Uhura and Omakh which was quite fierce. Jim was sure Omakh had not expected Uhura to be such an opponent. However, he noticed that Solan was going after his blaster which he had lost in his scuffle with Omakh.
Uhura barely missed getting impaled on Omakh's sword. "You tire!" Omakh sneered. "Perhaps I will take your hair as a reminder of this battle!"
Uhura glared at him. Why do you talk instead of fight? she asked in Klingon. Are you afraid? Stalling?
Omakh charged at her, but he somersaulted over her head and would have sliced her back open, but Solan fired his blaster at him, knocking him slightly off-balance. Uhura swung her own sword at him, but it clanged on the armor. She realized she would have to find a more precise location to slice.
Jim motioned at Solan. "Give me the blaster!" he said.
Solan was on his feet even though he felt lightheaded. He managed to get to the other side of the trail where Jim was lying and aimed the blaster at the back of Omakh's knees. Right at that moment, Omakh backhanded Uhura, knocking her to the ground. Just as Solan fired, Omakh was moving toward Uhura, and Solan missed. Uhura was scrambling to get up, but Omakh was advancing on her ready to slice her.
"NO!" Jim yelled. He managed to get to his feet and launched himself at Omakh.
"Jim!" Solan exclaimed at the same time that Uhura exclaimed, "Admiral!" Solan hurried that way, but before he got to the scuffle, Omakh jerked the kut'luch out of Jim's side, bringing a wail from him.
Solan grabbed Omakh's hand before he could plunge the kut'luch into Jim's chest. Uhura made it to them and jerked the helmet off Omakh's head. She would have sliced his face, but he managed to get loose from both of them and backed up. Uhura and Solan faced him, but then they realized Korax and Grakar were coming through the jungle.
Omakh knew when he was outnumbered, so he turned and ran back toward the village. Korax, Grakar, and Spock stopped seeing that there had definitely been a battle. "Jim needs help!" Solan said. He knew he could not carry him any further. He was not sure he could carry his own self.
Korax and Grakar got Jim up between them and they all headed out of the jungle. "Where's Bones?" Jim asked feeling like he was talking in his sleep.
Uhura looked at Spock. "Spock, we need to find him," she said. "Let them take the admiral back."
"We do not know where the camp is located," Spock replied. "Omakh never went back."
Jim was unconscious by the time they got back to the Great Hall. "We must get him to the Enterprise," Spock said.
Solan sat down in the floor beside Jim's bed gasping for air. "They are blocking transmissions," Grakar said. "You will not be able to transport."
"We came here in a shuttle. We will return the same way. We must find Doctor McCoy. We cannot simply abandon him."
"We will not abandon him," Korax declared. "We will search the jungle. We will search from the air."
"I believe I know someone who may be able to help you," Spock said thoughtfully. "I will bring him back when I take Jim and Solan to the Enterprise."
When the shuttle was ready, they headed up to the Enterprise, with Solan piloting the ship. "Are you sure you feel up to piloting?" Spock asked.
"I'll make it," Solan replied.
Spock could not remember ever seeing Solan look as pale as he did at that moment, but red around his eyes. They soon docked in the shuttle bay of the Enterprise. Spock called for medical teams to come and get Jim and Solan, and they were soon there. Solan was glad to crawl onto a stretcher and be carried to the medical bay. He did not even know when he arrived.
Spock called Artemus Gordon, who had been aboard the Enterprise, to the conference room. "Mister Gordon," Spock said. "The Klingons are blocking scanners and communications on the planet. Can you devise a way to stop this interference, or at least indicate where the interference originates?"
Artie considered that. "I have tried to realign the scanners on the Enterprise with no success," he said. "Nothing works."
"What if we were on a shuttle in the atmosphere of the planet?" Spock asked. "Plus, there was a time when we created a feedback to their disruptor."
"Yes, sir, but they've compensated for that. I believe they're using some sort of device that is down on the planet."
"Then we would need to destroy that device to stop the interruption."
"Right."
Spock was silent a moment. "We would not be able to find Doctor McCoy until this device is disabled," he said. "Unless we can locate him."
Artie frowned. "I'm sorry, Sir. I'll keep trying."
"Thank you, Mister Gordon."
Spock went over to the computer terminal. "Computer, bring up a map of the Kronos jungle," he said. He looked at the map a moment. "Computer, are there any caves in the jungle."
He soon saw blue dots on the map signifying the caves in the jungle, which was about ten different caves. "Computer, show only the caves which are large enough to be used as a dwelling and could house a large electronic device."
Five of the caves disappeared. Spock studied the map and estimated where Omakh may have been going by the direction he was running when they chased him through the jungle. He downloaded the map on a pad and headed for the medical bay hoping that Jim was awake somehow…
Spock arrived at the medical bay and found his chief medical officer. "How is Admiral Kirk?" he asked.
"Not very good, Sir," the doctor replied. "That kut'luch did a lot of damage. He's going to require surgery that I'm not capable of performing. We should find a hospital ship."
Spock frowned as much as a Vulcan frowned. "Can he be awakened?" he asked.
"I don't think that would be a good idea."
"I need to speak with him in order to find Doctor McCoy."
"I suppose I could wake him up for a few minutes, but he'll be heavily sedated. Otherwise he would be in severe pain."
"Wake him."
They went to Jim's bed. Spock looked at Solan who was in the next bed. "What about Solan?"
"Solan was completely exhausted," the doctor said. "He shouldn't have been down there."
"So it usually is with him and our admiral."
The doctor injected Jim with something to wake him. He soon began to open his eyes. "Admiral," Spock said.
Jim looked at him feeling incredibly sleepy. "Spock," he said. "Did you find Bones?"
"No, Jim. That is what I need to talk to you about. I need you to look at this map of the jungle. Since we cannot use scanners to locate the doctor, we must use common sense. How long did it take Omakh to bring you to the village from his hideout?"
Jim considered that. "We walked all day," he replied.
"Was there a cave?"
Jim had his eyes closed, but he nodded. "Yeah…he stayed in there while we hung out in the rain. Spock, you have to find Bones."
Spock was analyzing the distance and time it would take to walk from each cave to Omakh's abode, and there was only one cave that fit that distance. "I believe we will be able to locate him," he said.
Jim did not answer because he was asleep again. "Captain, if he doesn't have this surgery soon, he could die," the doctor said.
"Take care of him, Doctor," Spock replied. "If we find Doctor McCoy, he will be able to save Jim's life as he has done so many times."
"I'll take care of him as best I can, Sir."
Spock paused a moment as he looked at Solan who seemed to always be skilled at everything when it came to maps and other "common sense" situations. "Is Solan sedated?" he asked.
"No, Sir," the doctor replied. "He didn't need any help staying asleep."
Spock went over to Solan's bed. "Solan," he said and touched his shoulder.
Solan was startled as he woke up until he saw Spock. He realized he was in the medical bay and he relaxed on the bed. "Spock."
"Yes. I need your help."
"With what?"
Spock showed him the map. "Could you find coordinates for this cave?" he asked.
Solan looked at the map. "Sure," he said. "Why?"
"I believe this is where Doctor McCoy is being held, and may be the location of the disruptor."
"You're kidding. How did you come to that conclusion?"
"Thinking."
Solan snorted slightly at that reply. "Well, I'm sure I could find it if I was flying," he said.
"You will rest," Spock replied.
"Now, wait a minute…"
"There will be no arguments."
Solan did not think he had ever heard Spock be so assertive. He just stared at him a moment, thinking that almost sounded like Jim Kirk. "Yes, Sir."
"Very well. I would like you to work on the coordinates while I prepare to return to the planet."
"Alright."
Spock left the medical bay. Solan began working on the coordinates, but he wondered why Spock was not letting the navigator do this. However, he did not know the extent of the scanner block. The map he was looking at was only a stored schematic. He knew Spock would not be using this map if the scanners were working at all. He remembered when they had gone to Garresant, he had figured out where to go on the map of that planet. He supposed that was why Spock had chosen him to figure this out.
Spock changed into different clothes for the mission he was about to embark on. He wanted to find Doctor McCoy. He could remember when he and Leonard had been on Altamid. Leonard had practically carried him part of that time. He knew the doctor had been injured before he arrived on Kronos, but he had also been traded for a bounty.
Uhura arrived at their quarters. "Spock, we can't send any transmissions," she said. "There has to be something in space, not just on the planet."
"It could be a cloaked ship," Spock replied. "However, I do not know why they would let us come to the Enterprise without interference if there is a ship."
"Why would they?"
"I do not know. However, our concern right now is finding Doctor McCoy. We cannot allow him to be taken from the planet."
"Spock, what if they've already killed him?" Uhura asked.
Spock did not want to consider that. "We will find him."
Uhura watched Spock leave the room. She remembered how he reacted when he thought Jim Kirk had died on the Enterprise, and he had shared many of his thoughts and feelings with her. She would be with him this time as well. The Klingons might never have met an angry Vulcan, but if Doctor McCoy was…dead, they would meet one today. Uhura did not want to think of Doctor McCoy being dead either. They had all spent five years on that ship together, and it had taken time for them to adjust to not being together all the time.
Doctor McCoy was not hanging in the tree any longer. Omakh had come back seething with anger and took it out on him. Bones sat beside the cave wall wondering if he was going to live through this. He had no idea whether Jim was alive or not, but judging by the angry outburst of Omakh, he assumed he had escaped somehow. He also knew that if Jim was alive, they would be coming for him. He just hoped he could live until they found him.
Spock and Uhura came back down to the planet in a shuttle and landed at the Great Hall. They were met by Grakar and Korax. Spock explained to them about the cave. "I know that cave well," Grakar said. "If he is there, we can find him easily, but it is a day's journey on foot."
"We cannot spare that much time," Spock replied. "I fear that he will kill Doctor McCoy if we do not find him soon."
"I agree, if he has not already killed him. There is a clearing not far from the cave where we can land a shuttle. It would be a short distance to the cave."
"Then that is what we must do. I have the coordinates for the cave. I believe he has a disruptor there."
"It makes sense."
They discussed how they would get to the cave, and they would take several Klingons along, but make sure there were plenty to keep the chancellor safe. They were soon aboard the Klingon bird of prey and headed for the clearing. When they sat down, they disembarked making sure no one was waiting for them.
"Which way?" Spock asked, not taking his eyes off the tree line.
"This way," Grakar replied. "We must be wary of the cob'lat. They move at night this time of year."
"What is a cob'lat?" Uhura asked.
"It is…a large cat, much like Earth's lion."
They headed into the jungle trying to be quiet and also being wary of their surroundings. As they neared the cave, they slowed down and stopped outside the clearing where the cave was located. They watched a moment but did not see anyone.
"Could they have moved?" Spock asked. "Or perhaps we have the wrong cave."
Just as he asked that, they saw a Klingon come from the cave to stand at the perimeter. "Do you think he is the only guard?" Spock asked.
"Likely not," Grakar answered. "I will take him out."
Before the others could say anything, Grakar moved away from them and headed around the perimeter of the area. They did not see or hear him…
Grakar came to the side of the camp where the guard stood. He listened and watched a moment to make sure there were no hidden guards. He would have a battle with this Klingon, but they had to do this quietly. When the Klingon turned back toward the cave, Grakar grabbed him from behind. Spock and the others did not even see him, but they realized the Klingon guard was gone.
Uhura and Spock looked at each other. They thought they learned more about the Klingons all the time. However, they remembered how Grakar and others had taken out guards on the planet where Duras was hiding out when he had captured Jim Kirk. No one had known they were there until it was too late.
Grakar soon came back to where they all were. "He will give us no trouble," he said.
"I will take the next one," Korax said.
"Don't you think it's odd that they don't have more guards since they know we are most likely coming for Doctor McCoy?" Uhura asked.
"He is arrogant."
Uhura was not sure she wanted to take that as an answer, but she supposed it was the only one she would get. "Two of us should try to get around to the cave entrance," Spock said. "The others can wait here until we have their full attention."
"It is a plan," Grakar said. "You and I will go to the cave entrance."
"Be careful," Uhura said.
"I am always careful," Spock replied.
Uhura was not so sure of that anymore. She watched as Spock and Grakar moved out into the clearing where the cave was and moved around the side of the cave.
Spock looked around the side of the cave but there was no one at the cave entrance. "Do you not think it is odd that no one is here guarding?" he whispered to Grakar.
Grakar was beginning to agree with that. "Yes," he admitted. "But we must find out if the doctor is in there."
They went around the side of the cave and stood beside the entrance for a moment, and then moved over to the entrance, but as they moved into the cave, there was no one there. However, there was a fire going…and Doctor McCoy still sat beside the cave wall. They also saw the disruptor device. Spock could hardly believe there was no one else around there, but he went over to Doctor McCoy while Grakar disabled the disruptor.
"Doctor," Spock said as he felt for a pulse.
Bones opened his eyes slightly. "Spock?"
"Yes, Doctor. We are here to rescue you. Where are the Klingons?"
"They left."
"To do what?"
"I don't know. They just left me here."
"There is something deeply troubling about this situation," Grakar declared. He took out his communicator. "Korax."
"I am here," Korax answered.
"Come to the cave."
The others were soon there, and they could see the concern themselves. "We must get the doctor out of here and get him to the Enterprise," Spock said.
Bones groaned loudly as they started getting him up. He could not even stand up, much less walk, so Korax picked him up to carry him. They all made it back to the ship without incident and were soon on their way back to the Great Hall.
Spock and Uhura sat beside the bed where Doctor McCoy now lay. "I do not mind admitting, there is something very strange about this situation," Spock said.
"Is Jim alright?" Bones asked.
"No, Doctor. He needs your help as soon as you can give it."
"What's wrong? Isn't he with a doctor?"
"Yes. But he requires surgery that the doctor aboard the Enterprise is not familiar with."
"What happened?"
"He was stabbed in the side with a kut'luch."
Bones closed his eyes. He felt sick just thinking about that. "And here I am lying flat of my back," he said.
They soon arrived at the Great Hall and found that there had been no attacks. "This is becoming more eerie all the time," Uhura said. "What are they planning?"
"I do not know," Spock replied. "And it is impossible to know until they launch their plans into action."
"Can we contact the Enterprise now?"
Spock tried that, but it was still jammed. "The disruptor only thwarted communications on the planet. We are still blocked from space communications."
"So we can't be transported either."
"No."
They got Bones into the shuttle, and Korax went with them to the Enterprise…
