Author: Keridwen Title: Forgiven Disclaimer: Um, How can I show my face after that last chapter? Don't hate me! I just want you all to know that Star Trek doesn't belong to me anymore. Rick Berman never showed up. I got bored of owning it really fast. I want to own Final Fantasy VIII next, but I promised to finish this first and I stick to my word.















Chapter: Um, oh, hell I am all messed up!







Chapter: Whatever: The Explanation





"Tell us what we want to know?"

On the verge of death or not, Leonard McCoy was getting very sick of hearing that phrase. After the surprising call to the Enterprise, McCoy had been left alive and alone for some time. Then his old friend had returned for another round of fun.

"Why the hell are you so fired up to find out what I know anyway!"

"To avenge the wrongs done to us by the Federation!"

"Bullshit."

"What did you say?!"

"You don't have enough influence of man power to start anything, and unfortunately, if the Federation wanted to observe this whole planet 24/7 there would be nothing anyone could do about it. Nilana hasn't the might to fight the Federation. What you are attempting to do is so lame-assed- stupid."

He was cut off by a foot in his gut.

"What do you know, physician."

McCoy kept his mouth shut.



His friend was about to remind him again why that wasn't so smart when the door opened and the ringleader if these yo-yo's marched in.

"Leave us," he commanded.

As the door swung shut, he kneeled down, knelt to McCoy, and grabbed him by the hair till his face was off the ground and facing him.

"So, we meet again, Doctor Leonard McCoy, I apologize for not introducing myself the first time, but I had negotiations to conduct with the Enterprise."

McCoy squinted at the leader; there was something very familiar about him.

The leader grinned and leaned down to whisper into his ear, and as he did, the Doctors eyes grew wide.





















"Jocelyn Darnell! Can you hear me?"

There was that voice again. Jocelyn was in a very bad mood. She felt as if she hadn't slept for weeks and now a voice was insisting that she get up. She had half a mind to belt this character and go back to sleep.

Instead she awoke to find a rather skinny looking Nilian with pointed ears bending over her.

Spock found her scream a most logical reaction; he supposed that he looked most distasteful. Nonetheless, he held her down and calmly explained the situation.

"Oh stop yapping, Mr. Spock, I know all that, I even know where the base is, and I know how I got here. We have to go save him, and now that you are here.. your not alone, are you?"

"No, the Captain is with me, he has just been detained in another part of the building."

"Oh, detained? What did you do?"

"The Scientists at this base told the Captain that Dr. McCoy beamed down with a phaser, killed you, and then proceeded to shoot anything that would move. The also told him that the Doctor was executed this morning for being a terrorist."

"Oh, well that's bullshit! There was an explosion in the market place. It killed all the others, and it would have killed Leonard and I as well, but we had stepped behind one of those large pillars to have a, um, personal discussion. We were knocked unconscious from the explosion, and when we awoke, we were prisoners."

Spock raised his eyebrow.

"Indeed. What happened after that."

Jocelyn swallowed and shut her eyes. It was all still like a terrible dream.

"The wanted to know where the Federation base was. I wasn't Starfleet, so they were going to execute me. I was taken away from him, but I managed to escape."

She sat up and looked around. To her surprise, she was in another prison cell. The walls were fabricated plastisteel, and there was a force field barring the door. She looked at Spock who was apparently undisturbed by their situation."

"Um, where are we?"

"You were put in this prison cell after they found you lying outside, suffering from extreme exhaustion. I was able to track you down using this facilities computer system."

"Did they find you and lock you up in here with me?"

"On the contrary, the officials of this facility presume me to be still at large. I let myself in."

Spock pointed to a hole in the ceiling vent.

"Oh."

"I suggest you regain your feet, Ms. Darnell. I will need you help. It seems that this base is not at all what it seems."

"No shit, Sherlock!"

Spock raised another eyebrow.

"I presume you refer to the novels about the detective from your earth. Indeed, what I have been trying do for the last hour is quite similar to detective work."

"What did you find?"

"It seems that this facility is not sanctioned by the Federation at all. In fact, a company called GyroTech runs it. Nilana is a great suppository of the mineral Trikelium, which is necessary for the construction of antigrav terraforming equipment."

"Oho! So with the Enterprise coming to settle disputes on the planet, they were in fear of being discovered."

"They knew that the technology on the Enterprise was second only to their own. They decided to confuse the situation by diverting the Captains attention to other matters. It seems that the explosion was planned to kill all of you. When you and the Doctor were discovered to still be alive, they did not know quite what to do with you. It seems that there were against just killing you. It was decided that maybe there could be more profit in pretending to be Nilians and holding you for ransom. They held you prisoner for a while, until doctor Whitefield though that it would be a good idea to have the Enterprise out of the picture for good."

"So first the wanted us dead, and then they wanted to hold us for ransom, and then that was too much risk again so they had to cover their tracks again."

"Yes, there was too much at stake to let the Enterprise leave and inform Starfleet of the supposed secret base. They planned to lure the Captain down to the planet by keeping McCoy alive, apparently in the hands of Nilian torturers. Unfortunately for their plan, the Captain took action before they suspected. They ended up bargaining with Lt. Uhura on board the Enterprise instead of Captain Kirk. Dr. Whitefield figured that the Captain had already beamed down. She decided that they could not waste any more time. They plan to kill the Captain in only a few hours, and the Doctor as well. Then they plan to tap into the Nilian planetary defense systems and activate several nuclear warheads. Without any advanced warning the Enterprise will be destroyed, Nilana will be blamed, and a conflict will start between the federation and this planet.

"What will happen then? I don't see the profit in that. If the Federation didn't bother to pay much attention to a suicide bombing, it sure as hell will pay attention to the accidental destruction of their best Starship."

"If there is a conflict, this small base most likely will be evacuated before extensive Federation forces arrive. Diplomats will come first, asking for recompense. The Nilians are a historically stubborn people and will refuse, claiming and accident. Then, with pressure from GyroTech's operatives in the Federation cabinet war will be declared in secret so as not to outrage the general populous of Vulcan, Earth, Centaurus, Rigel, Deneb V, Axion III, and other peace loving planets. Nilana will loose and their planet will need outside help for rebuilding. That is where GyroTech will come in, with the supposed intent of helping to rebuild the planet, they will ask for mining rights in exchange. The Nilians will not be able to refuse them, and then they will be able to mine as much as they want.

"Wow, and all the time, I thought it was a bunch of Revolutionary Nilians looking out for revenge on the intruding Federation. What do we do, Spock."

"You must free the Captain and tell him everything that I have told you. I will go and get the Doctor. Show the Captain the way to the prison where you were kept, I will meet you there. If my calculations are correct, that is also where they plan to fire the warheads.

Jocelyn got to her feet and Spock gave her a lift. Together they shimmied through the air vents until they came to a fork in the path. Jocelyn started to the right, and then looked back.

"Spock?"

"Yes."

"I'm not afraid for myself anymore. This seems like almost a no win situation. If either Leonard of you escape this, tell my daughter that I love her."

"Indeed, I will convey the message Ms. Darnell."

"And Spock?"

"Yes."

"Tell Leonard.. tell him.. it was all my fault."

"Very well, the Captain is being held three rooms down. The other vent leads to the elevator shafts. There is a hatch at the top that will lead to the Nilian sewage system. You can get back into the city through there."

"Alright, good luck to you, Mr. Spock."

"Luck is illogical."

"Oh shutup and just go save my ex, will ya!"



















(Back in the prison cell)

"So you see, Leonard, old friend, I am deeply sorry for what you have gone through."

McCoy turned his face away and tried not to look at the human in disguise in front of him. The sting in the words of his long lost friend still, was there.



Doctor Julian Niles had been in McCoy's graduating class in med school. He had been a great friend of the family. He was also Joanna's godfather. Niles had been a great Doctor and had immediately shipped out to a remote colony planet after graduation to help stop a plague. He never made it. His ship was reported lost at the hands of Orion pirates.

"What happened to you Julian? What happened that could make you do this to me, and Jocelyn. We were your best friends."

"Were is exactly right, Leonard. I began a new life after my rescue from the wreckage from my ship. Norton Treadway, the brother of dear Jocelyn's first boyfriend, remember him. His company, GyroTech helped me create a new purpose for myself. Now, with mining rights on this planet, we can terraform hundreds of others, new, plants and animals, discover new medicine. Think of it, Leonard, a hundred previously dead planets, now able to hold life."

"You have lost it Julian."

"No, I have found it. I am going to be very rich someday, and you can share in it with me, if you like. I don't have to let them kill you."

"Oh go to hell."

McCoy was sick of hearing him. Whatever had been left of the Doctor Julian Niles after that space disaster had been quickly consumed by his lust for power. And McCoy wasn't surprised to hear that Norton Treadway was behind all of this. Norton had been the black sheep of the family, which had always been hard for McCoy to believe since he hated Clay for wrecking his marriage. Yet, GyroTech had been in the news updates about every year since he had gone into space. It was a company one didn't mess with, not even in the legal system, although many had tried. No matter how much evidence someone had against Gyro Tech's dirty dealings, the massive company would always win every case.

That one of GyroTech little schemes would someday kill him, however, never occurred to the Doctor. Niles sighed and turned to the door.

"It is a pity, Leonard, but I am not surprised. You never did have any ambition."

He left and locked the door.



































Why do I always end with that door locking? Maybe I like the clicky noise it makes.









Oh well. Anybody still confused. Review, And I will try to spread the light.