No. 10 Poor unfortunate souls (whipping)
~
"Now, now… who do we have here?"
Keenser stared up at the guy who had kicked him awake. His eyes widened when he recognized the man.
Memories flashed before his eyes. One of the first days at the academy. Humans beating him up. George saving him.
It was one of them. It was the leader!
Keenser grunted in anger. Especially when he saw the other two guys entering the room too. Of course they had turned criminal.
"You know these men?"
The Roylan looked over at Uhura who was sitting on the floor, tied up just like him.
These damn space pirates had surprised the landing party. Keenser and some other engineers had been sent planet side to fix some valuable machines. Uhura had been with them to translate because the inhabitants of the planet didn't like the technical devices translating. They always demanded a living and breathing speaker.
However, when they had started to do their work, some strange gas had filled the room.
Keenser, Uhura and the rest of the landing party had woken up like this. Their hands tied behind their backs.
"Bastards," Keenser growled. He saw some of the pirates starting to break pieces off of the machines.
The leader just laughed and knelt down in front of the Roylan.
"That's not a very nice thing to say. Why don't you let me introduce myself properly, experiment."
There was a smug grin on his face and Keenser glared at the man the best he could.
He watched the leader move over to Uhura.
"The name's Brandon. Pleasure to rob you ma'am."
Two inhabitants of the planet which had helped the engineers looked angry and shocked. Apparently they didn't know what was going on.
"Treag al tha nu," Uhura said, not taking her eyes of the man.
The inhabitants' faces cleared up. But it didn't change the fact that they were angry.
"You will not get through with it. The Enterprise will notice that something's wrong."
The leader grinned at Uhura and knelt down.
"Oh, honey, we blocked the channels. They don't even know about this little robbery."
He placed a hand on Uhura's cheek and she backed away.
"Gives us enough time to have some fun."
The leader leaned forward to kiss Uhura but she instantly reacted. She kicked the guy right into his nuts!
He fell to his knees and groaned in pain.
Keenser would have laughed if it weren't for the small staff the guy suddenly held in his hand. He pressed a button and a long lash emerged from it.
"You stupid bitch!"
The leader got up and tried to whip Uhura but Keenser was faster.
He got to his feet and came to a halt right in front of Uhura.
The lash hit him straight in his chest and he stumbled backwards, grunting in pain.
Still, he stood his ground and glared up at the leader, raging fire in his eyes.
"Leave. Alone."
The guy raised an eyebrow in surprise, before he grinned.
"Let's finish what we started back then, huh? Only this time he won't come and save ya."
More whipping followed.
Keenser fell to the floor.
The lash hit his back, his arms, his head. He grunted and whimpered in pain.
He felt his rocky skin opening, blood running down his back.
"Stop! Stop it!"
Uhura screamed and begged for them to stop. If only she could get her arms free.
Keenser had seen her fight. He was quite sure that she would have kicked these men's asses.
Another loud pang. Another wave of pain.
Keenser wanted him to stop. He wanted someone to help him.
George.
George had saved him back then. But now he couldn't. He was gone.
Keenser squeezed his eyes shut, endured the pain.
And suddenly the whipping stopped. There were voices. Familiar voices.
The crew. They had come to save them.
How? Why?
Keenser couldn't tell.
He felt someone holding him. He was in someone's arms.
"Keenser! Help is on the way."
Uhura. Keenser could see her face even though it was blurry. She looked so worried. But grateful too.
Keenser smiled weakly. Helping her had been the right thing to do. He may be small but not helpless.
His eyes moved through the room to see who had saved them.
His heart raced when he saw the golden uniform and the blond hair.
George?
No… it couldn't be.
The man dropped to his knees right next to them.
"Keenser, are you okay? Keenser!"
It was the Captain. It was Jim Kirk.
'Like father, like son.'
Keenser smiled before the pain eventually got to much and he lost consciousness.
It was okay. Dr. McCoy would patch him up. Until then he could sleep.