"Admiral, we have entered orbit of Nimbus Three," Sulu reported.
"Any sign of the Klingons?" Kirk asked.
"No, sir."
"I want a continuous scan of the sector," Kirk ordered, standing up. "If the Klingons see us here, they may attack before we can explain our presence." He turned. "Scotty, are the transporters working yet?"
"Ah can't even comprehend how th' monkeys at Starfleet thought to put th' poor wee thing together, let alone repair such a botched job at this point!" the Scotsman replied.
"We get the shuttles, then. Spock, David, Sulu; you three come with me. Have McCoy meet us in the shuttle bay," Kirk ordered, heading for the turbolift.
The doors slid shut without a hitch. However, once they arrived it was a bit harder coaxing them to open all the way again.
McCoy arrived a few minutes later, and the launch took place a few minutes after that. Sulu set them down a few kilometers away from the city, past the resident maximum sensor range. The five men looked down at the city through binoculars, and Kirk swore softly. "How long to travel on foot?"
"Two point seven hours, Admiral," Spock replied.
"Damn. I really don't think we can walk that far without being noticed."
"Agreed."
David's gaze swept across the sand at a low sound. He finally spotted the source and tapped Kirk's elbow. "What about those?" he asked, pointing.
Kirk followed David's logic to the letter. "Perfect!"
The outpost didn't have a chance. Kirk and Spock took out half the guards with their bare hands, and Sulu helped stun the rest. As soon as all of the guards were unconscious, David inspected the blue-furred horses. "All ready to ride," he reported, selecting one of the horned beasts to ride. He swung up on its back easily, then watched as his father did the same.
Spock had more difficulty than the two, and his approach made it obvious that he had never ridden a horse before. Kirk eventually told Spock how to use the stirrups for mounting, and within minutes the Vulcan was astride one of the animals.
Kirk looked down at McCoy. "You coming, Bones?"
McCoy scowled. "I've got a bad feeling about this, dammit, but I'm coming." He grabbed the reins of another horse and began to get on.
Sulu was already testing his horse's response time. "Never flown one of these," he commented, grinning. "Just getting a feel for the controls."
Kirk nodded, knowing exactly what the helmsman was saying. "Steady as she goes, Sulu," he remarked. Then he turned to the others. "Ready?"
"Affirmative."
"I'm set."
"Dammit, let's just go already."
Kirk grinned at McCoy's grumbling, and spurred his horse into a gallop. "Yah!"
~~~~~~~
The five horses thundered across the sand, hooves flashing in the low light. Their riders kept the animals in close V-formation, Kirk in the lead. All wore brown robes to mask their uniforms, which whipped around in the wind.
The gates of Paradise City rose up in front of them, and the guards perched atop the metal structure saw the approaching "scouts." One called to have the gate opened, and the five horses immediately galloped through. The guards caught an unfamiliar voice yelling something about someone following them, ready to attack. Trusting them, the guards turned their focus out into the desert.
Kirk glanced over his shoulder, relieved that they had not recognized his voice. He pulled back on the reins, his horse sliding to a stop. The other four halted their horses, and all reached under their robes for their phasers.
"Phasers on stun," Kirk muttered, and an instant later there was a blinding searchlight in his eyes.
"Identify yourself!" the shout came, and as Kirk squinted and raised a hand to block the light, he could see at least thirty soldiers around them, armed with primitive projectile weapons.
"David, get down," Kirk murmured to the young man at his side. "I think things are about to get nasty."
Apparently unsatisfied with the intruders' response, the lead soldier opened fire on the group. An instant later, the others followed suit.
"Scatter!" Kirk yelled, charging his horse to the left and drawing his phaser. He squeezed the trigger and took out two men, and in turn a third shot his horse.
The horse fell in mid-stride, throwing Kirk head-first from the beast. His skull hit the ground hard, pitching him into disorientation and darkness.
~~~~~~~
From the corner of his eye, Spock saw the admiral fall. Vaulting from his horse, he took cover behind the animal and stunned the man who had killed Kirk's horse. He took a moment to eliminate the most immediate threats before slapping his horse on the rump, sending it careening toward the soldiers.
Doctor McCoy rode past, stunning men as he went. Sulu followed close behind, causing chaos. Spock took advantage of the confusion and ran to Kirk's side.
The young admiral lay still, unmoving. Spock touched Kirk's wrist, and was relieved to feel a pulse. He was not dead then, but merely unconscious.
Spock reached out and placed a hand on Kirk's face, initiating a shallow mind-meld. Jim, wake up, he called. We have need of your fighting experience.
Kirk moaned and stirred slightly. "Spock?" he slurred, half-conscious.
I am here, Jim. You must awaken. Now.
"Too tired..."
Jim, unless you assist us we will all be killed!
It was with great effort that Kirk opened his eyes, fighting against the stabbing pain in his head. His eyes slowly focused on Spock's face. "Spock?"
A nearby burst of gunfire made Kirk wince, and Spock moved to shield Kirk from the firefight. "Jim, are you capable of standing?" he asked, concerned at the level of pain he felt through the meld.
Kirk rolled over on his side and pushed off the ground, managing to get to his feet. However, without Spock's support, he would have fallen again. Spock's fingers brushed gently against his face, and the Vulcan's touch banished some of the pain and confusion.
Spock helped Kirk walk to a shielded area behind the body of Kirk's horse. The Vulcan handed Kirk his phaser. "Here, Jim. Use this to help us fight off the soldiers."
Kirk frowned. "What about you?"
"I can get close enough to them to administer the Vulcan nerve pinch and, if the situation warrants it, tal-shaya. I will be in little danger."
Kirk nodded, wincing in reaction, and steadied himself against the dead animal. Spock watched him take aim and fire, taking out a soldier, before he turned and walked toward the building where he suspected the hostages were being kept.
~~~~~~~
David fired, taking out an approaching soldier. McCoy and Sulu had both lost their horses somewhere, and were now fighting on foot. He caught a glimpse of Spock moving toward what looked like a night club, but Kirk was nowhere in sight.
Distracted, he missed the soldier coming up behind him. The last thing he knew was a burst of pain in his chest, then merciful blackness.
~~~~~~~
McCoy had seen Spock too, and turned to follow. He tried to shut out the sounds of war all around him, but it was nearly impossible. And where was Jim? Knowing him, he would have thought that the admiral would be running for the building too, ready to free the hostages.
A bolt of pain lanced through McCoy's arm, and he gasped as blood began to run freely across his uniform. He ran to a small sheltered area, where he proceeded to rip a piece of his robe for a temporary pressure bandage. Luckily, the bullet had passed clean through his arm.
McCoy cautiously looked out at the battle. There was less gunfire now, with the occasional burst of a phaser. The doctor watched and spotted Sulu, who was making a hasty retreat for the building. His gaze swept across the sand, and he saw Kirk taking cover behind a dead horse and shooting at the soldiers, though with horrible accuracy; even from this distance, McCoy could tell that he was injured.
David was nowhere in sight.