Sulu's glance worriedly drilled over his steadily slowing companion. Chekov was trudging forward, his determination dwindling, his quickly purpling arm clamped to his side. The young Russian's features were drawn, his skin faded to hueless. He stumbled twice, relying on Sulu's shoulder as his anchor.
"Chekov?"
That gained a gaze, lethargic yet inquiring. That look made Sulu shudder.
"Are you okay?"
It took Chekov a moment to ponder the question. He attempted to flex his stiff fingers, but they didn't budge. He nodded once in Sulu's general direction then replaced all his inner focus on walking forward.
Uhura shared a glance with Sulu, one of mutual worry for their friend.
The group was forced to an abrupt halt, causing Ensign Laking to nearly stumble facefirst into his captain's broad back.
The leader of the Solotan braves, glared at them with opal eyes, then let out a command in his lilting language.
"YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE JASHA'S SANCTUARY."
The ground opened up a snowy maw, showing a flight of icy stairs. The prisioners' trodded down the dangerous steps, grabbing at the cold walls for support when the smooth surface beneath them confused their feet.
The chamber around them bloomed into immense beauty, the ceiling stretching onward, making a second sky of grey stone.
"THE JASHA KNOWS ALL, SEES ALL...."
The guard continued, not bothering to turn to his inferior captives as he spoke.
"ONLY ONE IS BORN IN EVERY FIVE CENTURIES."
"What is this...Jasha...to you?," Kirk asked, throwing an arm behind him to catch Ensign Laking from stumbling past.
This time, the guard turned, a sneer painting his blank face with fierce dislike for the captain.
He said nothing...just clapped his hands together. Two doors split open at the end of the hall.
Uhura gasped in fright and tried to pull away from her supportive grasp on Chekov, suddenly filled with unexplainable anxiety. The Russian snared Nyota's wrist with his good hand and yanked her back with such force, they both nearly fell.
"It's only in your head...The fear is only in your mind..."
He muttered, then glared the same message into Sulu's startled eyes.
Ensign Laking scrambled back, missing a step in his haste and crashing to the artic floor. "oh, gods....what is it?? WHAT IS IT????? what is in there??"
Captain Kirk's back tensed and he shot a breif hazel glance over his shoulder. He thought of his Vulcan first officer and could help a small, inappropriate grin of irony.
"What is it, Ensign? It's a...telepath."
Laking looked up, fearful and meek, "Wha? What??"
"A telepath controling our thoughts by FEAR, ensign. The fright is simply in your mind."
The guards pushed the landing party through the large doors into a smaller room. Terror seemed to hang in the air like humidity.
Ensign Laking stood like a deer, skittish, a step away from true panic.
And there, sitting in the very center of the chamber, was an old woman.
Huge white eyes, looking like boiled eggs smashed into her sockets, layed their scrutiny upon the group. A long mane of black hair roiled down her wrinkled cheeks and collected by her tiny feet. Her mouth did not open to address them, nor did the voice they heard emit from the univeral translator.
Her voice, powerful and shrill echoed in their heads like a bell.
"I AM THE JASHA. I TRIED TO DISSUADE YOU FROM COMING THIS CLOSE. PUNY HUMAN MINDS ARE EASILY FED. BUT YOU IGNORED YOUR OWN INSTINCT AND CAME ANYWAY, HERE TO SUFFER FOR THE CRIMES THE FEDERATION CAUSED AGAINST SOLO."
James Kirk was enraged, anger flooded his heart, and bitter words escaped his lips with out a second thought.
"OUR crimes?? Your people KILLED four of my crew!!! What crimes has the Federation done to deserve such a welcome???!"
The old woman stood, her fragile bones shaking with a fury the ancient body could barely contain
"WHAT CRIMES??!! FEDERATION-MEN CAME DOWN FROM THE SKIES AND MURDERED SOLOTAN CITIZENS FOR THE ORE OF OUR PLANET!!!!
THREE WHOLE VILLAGES NOW LIE IN RUIN AND BLOOD BECAUSE OF YOUR GREED."
The Jasha sat heavily, as if the burden of such a thought had been too immense to carry while standing.
"That is impossible!," Kirk argued, "The Federation would never do such a thing without just cause. An event as barbaric as that could be the cause of a war...There is no way."
"YOU SAY THAT NOW. BUT YOU DID NOT WITTNESS AS THE GREAT BIRDS BLOTTED OUT THE LIGHT AND LAYED WASTE TO OUR LAND."
The Jasha snarled within their ears,
"I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR...FEDERATION!"
"Are you now going to punish us for crimes we were no part of??," Kirk demanded, his eyes flickering over his ragged landing party.
"YES."
The old woman stood again, coming forward with shaky steps, but denying any aid from her guards.
"IT IS CLEAR FROM YOUR MINDS THAT YOU KNOW NOT OF THE HORROR I HAVE DESCRIBED. BUT AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER FEDERATION MONSTERS, I SHALL PUNISH YOU"
"How very fair of you...," Kirk stabbed, his voice echoing harshly against the chamber walls.
Pavel moaned softly and grabbed Sulu's shoulder for balance.
"Chekov?"
The asian helmsman turned in time to catch his friend for collapsing to the ice.
"Oh,no," Uhura cried, "Oh, Pavel..."
"YOU WILL NOT BE...UNFAIRLY...PUNISHED."
The Jasha walked barefoot across the gelid floor, her hair sweeping gently over the icy surface. She halted before Chekov's form, carefully clutched in Sulu's arms.
"YOU SHALL ALL BE PUNISHED EQUALLY."
She ignored Hikaru's glare as she pulled up Chekov's sleeve and revealed the violet limb in the dim light.
"THEREFORE, THIS ONE SHALL BE TAKEN TO THE HEALING CHAMBERS AND FIXED BEFORE HE JOINS YOU IN YOUR PUNISHMENT.
ALL MUST BE EQUALLY HEALTHY TO BE EQUAL IN SUFFERING."
She snapped brittle fingers and a pair of guards took the limp Russian from Sulu's embrace and carried him off. Uhura gazed, dolefully, tearfully after.
"AS FOR THE REST OF YOU..."
She snapped again and the remainder of the guards stepped forward to prod their weapons into the little group.
"...THE CAGES.."
Haggard and uncertain, the Starfleet officers were led away, five men short of the original count.
* * * * * * * ** ** ** ** ** ** * * * * * * *
"Chekov?"
That gained a gaze, lethargic yet inquiring. That look made Sulu shudder.
"Are you okay?"
It took Chekov a moment to ponder the question. He attempted to flex his stiff fingers, but they didn't budge. He nodded once in Sulu's general direction then replaced all his inner focus on walking forward.
Uhura shared a glance with Sulu, one of mutual worry for their friend.
The group was forced to an abrupt halt, causing Ensign Laking to nearly stumble facefirst into his captain's broad back.
The leader of the Solotan braves, glared at them with opal eyes, then let out a command in his lilting language.
"YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE JASHA'S SANCTUARY."
The ground opened up a snowy maw, showing a flight of icy stairs. The prisioners' trodded down the dangerous steps, grabbing at the cold walls for support when the smooth surface beneath them confused their feet.
The chamber around them bloomed into immense beauty, the ceiling stretching onward, making a second sky of grey stone.
"THE JASHA KNOWS ALL, SEES ALL...."
The guard continued, not bothering to turn to his inferior captives as he spoke.
"ONLY ONE IS BORN IN EVERY FIVE CENTURIES."
"What is this...Jasha...to you?," Kirk asked, throwing an arm behind him to catch Ensign Laking from stumbling past.
This time, the guard turned, a sneer painting his blank face with fierce dislike for the captain.
He said nothing...just clapped his hands together. Two doors split open at the end of the hall.
Uhura gasped in fright and tried to pull away from her supportive grasp on Chekov, suddenly filled with unexplainable anxiety. The Russian snared Nyota's wrist with his good hand and yanked her back with such force, they both nearly fell.
"It's only in your head...The fear is only in your mind..."
He muttered, then glared the same message into Sulu's startled eyes.
Ensign Laking scrambled back, missing a step in his haste and crashing to the artic floor. "oh, gods....what is it?? WHAT IS IT????? what is in there??"
Captain Kirk's back tensed and he shot a breif hazel glance over his shoulder. He thought of his Vulcan first officer and could help a small, inappropriate grin of irony.
"What is it, Ensign? It's a...telepath."
Laking looked up, fearful and meek, "Wha? What??"
"A telepath controling our thoughts by FEAR, ensign. The fright is simply in your mind."
The guards pushed the landing party through the large doors into a smaller room. Terror seemed to hang in the air like humidity.
Ensign Laking stood like a deer, skittish, a step away from true panic.
And there, sitting in the very center of the chamber, was an old woman.
Huge white eyes, looking like boiled eggs smashed into her sockets, layed their scrutiny upon the group. A long mane of black hair roiled down her wrinkled cheeks and collected by her tiny feet. Her mouth did not open to address them, nor did the voice they heard emit from the univeral translator.
Her voice, powerful and shrill echoed in their heads like a bell.
"I AM THE JASHA. I TRIED TO DISSUADE YOU FROM COMING THIS CLOSE. PUNY HUMAN MINDS ARE EASILY FED. BUT YOU IGNORED YOUR OWN INSTINCT AND CAME ANYWAY, HERE TO SUFFER FOR THE CRIMES THE FEDERATION CAUSED AGAINST SOLO."
James Kirk was enraged, anger flooded his heart, and bitter words escaped his lips with out a second thought.
"OUR crimes?? Your people KILLED four of my crew!!! What crimes has the Federation done to deserve such a welcome???!"
The old woman stood, her fragile bones shaking with a fury the ancient body could barely contain
"WHAT CRIMES??!! FEDERATION-MEN CAME DOWN FROM THE SKIES AND MURDERED SOLOTAN CITIZENS FOR THE ORE OF OUR PLANET!!!!
THREE WHOLE VILLAGES NOW LIE IN RUIN AND BLOOD BECAUSE OF YOUR GREED."
The Jasha sat heavily, as if the burden of such a thought had been too immense to carry while standing.
"That is impossible!," Kirk argued, "The Federation would never do such a thing without just cause. An event as barbaric as that could be the cause of a war...There is no way."
"YOU SAY THAT NOW. BUT YOU DID NOT WITTNESS AS THE GREAT BIRDS BLOTTED OUT THE LIGHT AND LAYED WASTE TO OUR LAND."
The Jasha snarled within their ears,
"I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR...FEDERATION!"
"Are you now going to punish us for crimes we were no part of??," Kirk demanded, his eyes flickering over his ragged landing party.
"YES."
The old woman stood again, coming forward with shaky steps, but denying any aid from her guards.
"IT IS CLEAR FROM YOUR MINDS THAT YOU KNOW NOT OF THE HORROR I HAVE DESCRIBED. BUT AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER FEDERATION MONSTERS, I SHALL PUNISH YOU"
"How very fair of you...," Kirk stabbed, his voice echoing harshly against the chamber walls.
Pavel moaned softly and grabbed Sulu's shoulder for balance.
"Chekov?"
The asian helmsman turned in time to catch his friend for collapsing to the ice.
"Oh,no," Uhura cried, "Oh, Pavel..."
"YOU WILL NOT BE...UNFAIRLY...PUNISHED."
The Jasha walked barefoot across the gelid floor, her hair sweeping gently over the icy surface. She halted before Chekov's form, carefully clutched in Sulu's arms.
"YOU SHALL ALL BE PUNISHED EQUALLY."
She ignored Hikaru's glare as she pulled up Chekov's sleeve and revealed the violet limb in the dim light.
"THEREFORE, THIS ONE SHALL BE TAKEN TO THE HEALING CHAMBERS AND FIXED BEFORE HE JOINS YOU IN YOUR PUNISHMENT.
ALL MUST BE EQUALLY HEALTHY TO BE EQUAL IN SUFFERING."
She snapped brittle fingers and a pair of guards took the limp Russian from Sulu's embrace and carried him off. Uhura gazed, dolefully, tearfully after.
"AS FOR THE REST OF YOU..."
She snapped again and the remainder of the guards stepped forward to prod their weapons into the little group.
"...THE CAGES.."
Haggard and uncertain, the Starfleet officers were led away, five men short of the original count.
* * * * * * * ** ** ** ** ** ** * * * * * * *