Chapter 4: The Cavern of Vagrants

Captain's Log

Star date: 94254.8

"After being stranded on an unfamiliar planet, being sworn for treason, locked up in a cage, and watching one of my crew mates Pavel Chekov being beheaded by the sinister civilization called the Balizsar Republic now I am standing in front of a Vulcan woman captain of the Aquila Interceptor, one of the ships that had gone missing two months from Star Fleet and a beautiful young girl who somehow saved me from being beheaded too in the Extermination Ritual. Confused and awaiting answers I approach Spika and the young girl..."

"Where am I?" Kirk implored.

"You are safe, inside the cavern of Vagrants." Spika replied. "Timmins, take this man to the resting quarters and set him up with a bed."

"What about my friends?" Kirk asked as Timmins took his arm. Spika turned to the young girl and nodded.

"Vaga, take two of the others and look for men dressed in this clothing." Spika said tugging at Kirk's shirt. Vaga suddenly transformed into the tall brown cloaked faceless guardian she became before. "Use the transmission adapter to bring them to the cave, preferably before they are executed."

Kirk watched as Charlie Malone and another man of the Aquila Interceptor dressed in the guardian's clothing beamed out without a transporter deck. Timmins silently showed him to a small shelter which held a cooking pot, small cot like beds and a small circle of seats made from molten rock. Spika entered the room and surveyed the area. There were only a few people in the shelter, a few men around the cooking pot discussing certain Balizsar threats on his companions. Kirk sat down on the small cot and saw a basket like the one he saw the little girl steal.

"I hope you like it here, it's small..but it's livable." Spika replied leaning next to him on the cave wall.

"I know..but I'm not going to be here for long." Kirk snapped.

"That's what we said the first day we were stranded..believe me they won't let you go." Spika answered.

"What does that mean?" Kirk demanded.

"The Balizsar won't let you leave without paying the consequences." Spika replied.

"My ship didn't mean to land here!" Kirk stated. Spika just sighed.

"The Balizsar don't know that..they think us voyagers of the Stars as enemies who wield dark magic." Spika added.

"You too?"

"Now..tell me your name and how you got here." Spika demanded, Kirk told his story to the Vulcan captain at the end she had an overwhelmed expression on her face.

"What is it?" Kirk asked quietly.

"Nothing..it seems too familiar." Spika answered. Kirk sensed she was hiding something from him and decided to jump on the instinct.

"How is that?" Kirk implied as Spika sat down.

"We too lost many valuable souls in the Extermination Ritual, most of the red shirts died and were beheaded. Captain Morrison mourned for them heavily that day." Spika answered.

"Morrison?"

"Brooklyn Morrison was captain of the Aquila Interceptor, I was second in command. He was a dear mate to me, some said we were an inseparable duo..until death fell upon him." Spika remarked as she turned to Kirk.

"What happened to...Brooklyn?" Kirk asked sympathetically. Spika's small beady brown eyes looked away in anger as Kirk asked her this.

"He was drugged by the Balizsars." Spika answered angrily as a tear rolled down her face. Kirk couldn't help but feel sorry for the Vulcan and hugged her.

"I'm sorry Spika." Kirk answered quietly as she pulled away.

"Stupid excuse for emotions." Spika sniffled furiously as she rubbed the tear away.

Suddenly the two men and Vaga appeared in their guardian costumes and carried Spock and McCoy locked in lava cuffs. Vaga hit McCoy gently with the back of her scythe and spoke in the other language to Spika as Spika got up in front of Kirk and surveyed the two men.

"Let us go...we didn't do anything wrong! What does a guy have to say to you people?" McCoy snapped. "We-did-NOTHING-wrong!"

"Doctor, I don't believe this woman has anything to do with our captors at any fact." Spock intervened. McCoy glanced towards his friend.

"Oh really? How do you know that she's not one of our captors?" McCoy implored.

"For one thing she's a Vulcan." Spock replied simply.

"For the love of Jesus..not another one." McCoy answered tiredly as he glanced at Spika. Spika only sneered.

"You should have us to thank human, for it wasn't for Vaga and the others..you would have your heads on sticks by now." Spika fumed and turned to the three vagrants. "Let them go."

"Who's Vaga?" McCoy asked, as he turned around and saw Vaga's womanly face come out from cloak, her brown eyes glowing and soft dark hair lifted into a ponytail. "Well that answers my question."

"Do you like her Dr McCoy?" Kirk asked jokingly from behind Spika.

"Jim.. You're alive!" Doctor McCoy shouted. "How did you manage to escape?"

"Vaga." Kirk answered simply. Doctor McCoy smiled as he looked back at her.

"Oh yeah..her." McCoy laughed, merrily seeing his old friend unharmed. Suddenly Spika went towards him.

"You are a doctor?" Spika asked inopportunely.

"Well from the looks of things I guess I am." McCoy said looking down at himself and raised his head. Spika didn't take the joke.

"Few of the people on the Aquila Interceptor survived the crash..including our chief surgeons and most of our nurses. Can you take a look at the crew's current physical state?" Spika inquired, McCoy shrugged his shoulders.

"I could, but I only have a few tools with me, I left my other implements on the ship..which is currently in pieces." McCoy replied, Spika nodded.

"I understand..Vaga. Show him to the infirmary, and show the doctor the medical supplies you replicated." Spika stated to Vaga and turned to McCoy. "Don't worry, Vaga was taught specified healing techniques and will serve under your command for now."

Vaga smiled at McCoy and lead him away into another tunnel of the cavern which he obeyed with a wide grin on his face. Spika crossed her arms and glared at McCoy as they vanished out of sight. Kirk stifled a laugh and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I guess Dr McCoy and Vulcans don't compute." Kirk said comically. Spika turned towards him.

"Neither do Balizsars and Humans, Vaga is the only exception." Spika replied.

"Will you tell him that Vaga is merely a child?" Kirk asked.

"Why should I tell him that she has the ability to shape-shift?" Spika answered tonelessly. "He is the most awkward man I ever met."

"Sarcasm getting to you?" Kirk implied.

"I know not of that word..he is certainly childish." Spika remarked.

"Indeed. I have examined him for many years and I still haven't figured the logic in cracking jokes." Spock replied.

"It lightens up the mood." Kirk said simply. Spika and Spock looked confused at him. "You know...ha...ha..ha?"

"I still do not understand." Spock responded, Kirk rolled his eyes and left the two Vulcans to talk among themselves, it seems he wasn't getting through to either one of them at all. He travelled the tunnel where Vaga took McCoy through to get to the infirmary and heard a faint shout. Suddenly McCoy ran out towards him.

"Jim, Vaga's in trouble..she's crying out something in that gibberish you learnt." McCoy shouted and grabbed Kirk's hand.

Kirk saw Vaga on a small table made of the volcanic rock that surrounded the infirmary shrieking in pain...Kirk pushed McCoy away and ran towards her.

"She's becoming blind! Come on Bones..do something!"

Pheofox22