Stranded

Chapter 22

"Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the

end of our fellowship...Go in peace! I will not say: do

not weep; for not all tears are an evil."

J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of the King

In Leonard's office, Jim spoke eloquently to the three Orion slave girls, first carefully explaining who he was, how his great ship was in orbit around Sarena, how the Orion ship had fled after seeing Enterprise on their sensor, and finally telling the girls that this was their chance to escape the Orion slavers.

Happily the three girls did not need much convincing to leave their lives of slavery and degradation behind. As soon as they recognized Jim as the Captain of the famed Enterprise, they were eager to get off Sarena and on board his ship, safe and out of reach from the Orions.

Dr. M'Benga explained how he and the Chief Engineer would be able to free them from the slave collars and bracelets without causing them injury or pain, how he would give the two girls the proper antiviral medication and get them well, and, finally, how the Captain of the Enterprise would take them back to their home planet, back to their family.

Nyota asked the girls if they needed to go back to their hotel room for their belongings. "Your have a little time to collect your things." But Dallash shook her head vehemently. There was absolutely nothing at the hotel, Orion slaves owned nothing. All they had was the clothes they were wearing and they would much rather leave Sarena immediately.

Geoff also made sure they understood about the quarantine procedure that had to be implemented once they were on the ship. Dallash assured the doctor they understood the necessity for quarantine and were in agreement with the procedure. And with that, Jim gave the order for Scotty to beam the girls and Geoffrey directly to Sick Bay.

Meeting them there, a gentle, carefully gowned and gloved Scotty, along with the doctor, slowly and meticulously removed the slave collars and bracelets. Later, once he was beamed back to the house, Geoff reported to Jim, Len, and Nyota that when the final piece of slave jewelry had been removed, the two younger girls had cried. After that he said, he gave them the antiviral. Christine gave them a fresh change of clothes, some nourishing food, and three beds for them to rest. He left the three girls content and sleepy.

Over the next two days, the girls finally were able to talk about their ordeal. One by one, each of them, slowly and haltingly, shared their terrifying, deeply traumatic experiences with Geoff, Scotty, Christine, and Spock. They related how the Orion slavers had come to their village without warning, how they had raided their small community, kidnapping all the young, able bodied boys and girls, and afterward, just as suddenly departed with their captives. The people of their village never stood a chance against the Orions.

The captured young people were taken on board the slave ship, shackled together to the bulkheads of the large prison bay, and left there until they were sold as slaves and taken away to who knew where. Dallash didn't know where any of their fellow villagers and friends were now. They had all been sold very quickly, and that was the last the girls knew of what had become of them. It was only luck and their good looks that kept the three sisters together on the ship to service the command crew and to be further used by the Captain as he saw fit; as body servants, cleaning crew, or as advanced scouts for more slave raids.

Dallash related to them how they had not been on the ship very long when she became ill. She told Geoffrey how she'd hidden her illness from the Captain when he'd given her the Sarena scouting assignment. He'd given her decent clothing and some credits so she could fit in with the villagers in order to blend in to do her scouting. She had been desperate to get off the ship, she told the doctor. Her one thought was that when she was off the ship, she might find a way for herself and her sisters to escape. She had no clear or specific plan, she related, only the burning need to find a way for them to escape.

It was on her first scouting trip to Sarena that she'd purchased the potions from the Apothecary which helped her recover her health. But once she'd been ordered back to Orion ship to give the Captain her preliminary report of Torreon, she noticed her two sisters were also getting sick with the same virus. She realized the virus was beginning to spread on the ship.

She seized that realization and spoke to the ship's doctor; told him how her two sisters were exhibiting her same symptoms. She convinced him that it was better to get them off the ship, beaming the three down to Sarena. That way, she told the Orion doctor, the two girls could recover from their illness away from the rest of the crew and, she added slyly, Dallash would care for them and still be able to complete her scouting assignment while her sisters recovered. After all, she told him, she, herself had been ill, but recovered quickly and completely from the illness in Torreon. And, she added, removing the girls was that only way the sickness would not spread to the rest of the crew. She reminded the doctor that the irascible Orion Captain would be extremely angry if members of his crew got sick, and he'd blame the doctor for failing to contain the illness.

The ship's doctor, afraid of his Captain, and of this unknown illness, agreed with her. He convinced the Captain this was the fastest and easiest way to contain the illness, to prevent it from spreading. And so the three girls were beamed down. Dallash was to continue with her scouting duties, the Captain ordered, and told her the two younger girls better be completely well by the time she completed her assignment.

Dallash got the same medicines from the Apothecary, but they didn't help her sisters at all. Increasingly desperate, with time growing short, deathly afraid of what might happen to her sisters if they didn't get well, she heard about the local Dr. Mkkoy and brought the girls to his office. The rest of the story they knew.

Jim, who had beamed back for a few hours to check on things, heard her story. He was horrified and infuriated by what he heard, what the three girls had gone through.

"Spock, the two younger girls are no more then 15, 16, years old, barely more than children," he told Spock furiously. "As soon as Bones is well enough to leave Torreon, we're going to look for that Orion ship. I want every inch of local space scanned with our long range sensors. Apparently the sight of us on their own sensors scared them off, but they can't have gone too far, leaving three valuable slaves behind is not their practice. By God, we're going to find them; we're going to hunt that Orion ship down, we're going to capture the pirates, interrogate them, and find out where the rest of those kids are. We'll alert Starfleet, make sure all our ships in this area of space are on the look out for them. When we find them, I'm going to blow that ship to smithereens."

Spock nodded, his dark eyes gleaming with approval. "I concur with your decision, Sir. We shall find them and they will pay for their crimes."

Satisfied for the moment and reining in his furious anger, Jim left the ship in Spock's hands. Jim and Geoff beamed back to the house to monitor Bones' recovery, because Jim was determined to keep an eagle eye on Bones.

—-************—-

It had been an eventful couple of days since Jim's arrival. Day before yesterday, Killeen had brought their evening meal and Nyota introduced him to Jim. Killeen greeted Jim with ill concealed delight, knowing that it was Kirok who'd brought the new antiviral for the doctor.

"I am vastly relieved, Friend Kirok, that you have come. I and others who are friends of the doctor and Nyota have been most concerned about Dr. Mkkoy. We saw that he was not improving no matter what we or Nyota did, and it greatly worried our hearts," he admitted. "We hold the doctor in great affection and esteem."

"As do I, Friend Killeen. Dr. Mkkoy is my dearest friend. I am confident this new medicine will restore him to complete health."

Nyota had also passed along the news to Doranna, Alarik, and Enzio that Jim had arrived with the new antiviral drug for Len, and the next day, Jim had been warmly greeted by Doranna and Alaric who, as usual, brought lunch for them. Doranna told Jim she remembered him well, from the time Alaric had been so ill she said, smiling shyly at him.

For Doranna, Alarik, and Killleen, the fact that Jim was Leonard's good friend was all they needed to know in order to accept him in their midst. In their eyes, bringing Leonard the new antiviral immediately made him a friend. The three, as well as Enzio, visited with Leonard every day while he was recovering, continuing to bring them food for lunch and dinner until they were sure Leonard was well on the way to a full recovery.

"You're right, Nyota," Jim told her. They, Len, Geoff, Jim, and Nyota, were enjoying tea and cake before Geoff beamed back to the ship. He came twice daily to check on Leonard. "These Sarenans are fine people, kind, generous, and principled. Sarena will be an asset to the Federation, and after their acceptance they'll also be under the protection of Fleet. Hopefully the fact that my ship is here will deter any further Orion interest in Sarena, and once it's official, The Federation can bring them up to speed with some sort of planetary protection. Starfleet ships will also make regular runs to this area of space."

Jim sat back in the big chair relaxed and content. Bones was looking good. Once Leonard had received the proper antiviral compounded under Spock's diligent and purposeful directions by his science department, he improved quickly. Under Geoffrey's watchful eye, and Jim's hovering one, Len continued to improve steadily and was almost completely back to his normal self. He'd gained back some of the weight he'd lost, his normal healthy color was slowly returning to his face, and the twinkle was back in his blue eyes. Nyota had told their friends that the antiviral Jim had brought had worked fast and beautifully; Leonard was responding to it beautifully.

In fact Leonard was recovering so well that he was getting antsy. "Ny and I are ready to go back to the ship and get back to work, Jim. I'm feelin' like myself again," he assured the hyper vigilant Jim. "I'm completely fine now. You and Geoff can stop worryin' about me."

"Not possible, Bones, and you'll only get back to work when Geoff says so and not one minute sooner, and I want no arguments from the peanut gallery," Jim added to forestall any back talk from Leonard.

Leonard looking at Jim's implacable face, sighed and silently admitted defeat. "All right, Jim. It'll be just as you say." Leonard knew a losing battle when he saw one.

"Damn straight." Jim grinned at the stubborn Bones.

When it was certain that Leonard was almost completely recovered, Nyota told Doranna that it was almost time for them to leave Torreon, they needed to go home. The news, although expected, was not welcomed.

"I know Dr. Mkkoy must return to his own home, Nyota, and you must go with him, as must Friend Kirok, but it is with a heavy heart that we hear this news," Doranna told her sadly.

"It's sad for us too, Doranna. We will miss you terribly."

So the going away dinner was planned for the following evening. Jim and Nyota worked steadily throughout the day to get ready for the dinner party, Len on the sidelines, offering suggestions and helping with light work such as setting the table and dusting. Nyota, coming in from the kitchen, looked around at the living room where all the furniture had been moved; now it had the kitchen table in the middle of it. They had found the extra leaves hidden in the back of the tall kitchen cupboard and put them in to expand the table. Doranna, Alarick, Enzio, and Killeen agreed to bring their own chairs so everyone would have a place at the table. And so it was that their closest friends in Torreon would be here with them before they left Sarena.

Leonard asked Doranna to gift the two heaters to someone in the village who might need them, and Doranna, looking at him with a sad face, promised that she would. Nyota and Jim gave the house a good cleaning and disinfecting and they arranged for Doranna and Alarick to come pick up her warm quilts and the two heaters after they were gone. Doranna was also tasked with closing up the house and returning the key to the house owner. Once inside the house, Doranna would find, prominently displayed on the sofa, nicely wrapped and labeled, gifts for each of them, tokens of thanks and gratitude from Len and Nyota.

Leonard also insisted that tonight would be their final goodbyes, it would be too sad to say goodbye again at the train station, he said. Doranna, Alarik, Killeen, and Enzio sadly agreed that it would indeed be too difficult to say goodbye for a second time, so they would abide by Leonard's decision and say a final goodbye after dinner.

Ostensibly, Leonard, Nyota, and Jim were going to leave Torreon by train the following morning. Their duffles were packed with their few items of clothing and Leonard's medical supplies, (Jim having nothing but the Sarenan clothes he'd brought with him). Once the Torreon cab they'd ordered left them at the train station, they would make their way to a secluded and secure location Spock had found, and Jim would have Scotty beam them up. The First Contact Mission to Sarena would be over.

Dinner was relaxed and congenial, conversation flowing easily, non stop. Nyota and Len had carefully planned the menu, and Nyota put to use all the cooking skills she'd learned from Winona's tutelage at the Kirk farm. Under her eagle eye, Jim helped her prep the dishes she and Len had chosen. On the menu were three roasted fowls filled with bread and spicy sausage stuffing, whipped, fluffy buttered tubers, orange honey, glazed green beans, dressed field greens, and two fruit pies made from Bones' mama's recipes. Nyota received many compliments on the food, but the one she cherished the most was from Killeen, who asked her for instructions for preparing the stuffed fowls. High praise indeed from the best cook in the group.

Their pleasant evening finally came to an end. There were many farewell hugs exchanged, and a few sad tears were shed by Nyota and Doranna.

At the door, Leonard gave Killeen a medical bag filled his asthma medication and a script to get more at the nearest large town. Leonard was confident the asthma meds would last Killeen until the village found their next doctor.

"You'll be just fine with these medicines, Killeen. It's a small thank you for all you have done for me while I so sick. I'm very grateful to you, my friend. I will miss your company and your kindness, Killeen. I hope it won't be long until the village finds a good doctor to replace me." Leonard, his blue eyes warm with affection, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No one will be able to replace you, Dr. Mkkoy," Killeen told him sadly. "But we will have to make do with whoever we find. Farewell my dear friend, my heart is filled with sadness at your leaving." With those words he embraced Leonard, and strode rapidly down the path towards his home.

There was a deep silence in the house after Nyota closed and locked the front door. Nyota turned to Jim sad tears streaming down her face. "I've really learned to hate the Prime Directive*, Jim," she said, bitterly.

"Nyota, darlin', Leonard protested softly.

"No, Len! To think that these dear people were so good to us, helped us so much, and we had to lie to them over and over again. Worse of all, we'll never see them again to explain why we had to do it. I hated it! It broke my heart, Jim, it really did."

Jim looked at the beautiful distraught face and at Leonard's sad blue eyes. He sighed. To offer them whatever comfort he could, he had to put on his Captain's persona, make his voice strong and sure with all the power of his command behind it.

"I know this mission has been very difficult for the two of you, and it was severely complicated by Bones' illness. I also know it pained you that you had to lie to your friends, but, Bones, Nyota, I want you to focus on one thing. You did a very good thing here. Because of you we'll have a new addition to the Federation, and Sarena will become part of our Federation family. This beautiful, peaceful planet will be safe because of you. The dear friends you made here in Torreon will also be safe from the scourge of the Orion pirates, and, who knows, maybe one day we'll come this way again." He met blue eyes and dark eyes with the clear hazel gaze of his own. "And with that knowledge, we'll have to be content."

Fin

*The Prime Directive

General Order 1

As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.