So sorry this is late... like I said a couple weeks ago, that update schedule only works when I remember it's Friday! Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: Star Trek isn't mine
The Klingons arrived on schedule the next day, a week before the talks officially opened. Jim was there to greet them, at the front of the delegation of Starfleet representatives. In addition to the five Enterprise officers who had been working on the treaty, Jon, Richard, Chris, and Nogura were all there, as was Commodore Paris as the officer in charge of Yorktown. She wouldn't attend the negotiations, but she welcomed the Klingons to the station. Ambassadors Sarek, Shras, and Maab were present as well.
The Klingons seemed to be trying extra hard to be cordial – alongside the half dozen representatives Jim and the others had been negotiating with for the last year, there were eight more, there for security. It had been agreed upon by the Admirals to allow the Klingons this request, in case anyone less than thrilled with the new peace treaty decided to take action.
Security around the talks was tight, Chris and Shay had worked tirelessly with Commodore Paris to make sure of that, but if it made the Klingons feel more comfortable, they weren't going to fight it. Everyone had to be checked by station security anyway, and there were no weapons allowed in the public areas.
Jim was surprised to see K'Temoc standing with the security detail as he greeted the Klingons that morning. Chief Garazha was clearly in charge as he shook the Captain's hand, pleased to see the honorable man in person again after so long. There weren't many humans he respected, but this man had earned it through his actions and deeds several times over.
Jim spoke in Klingon, Uhura following along easily while the rest of the Federation group used universal translators to ensure they didn't miss any comments made by the visitors. "Welcome to Yorktown," he greeted. "We've scheduled to begin the final negotiations this afternoon, so you have a few hours to settle into your rooms. The peace talks start next week, and will be full of debates, meetings, and discussions. We have also scheduled evening events for additional mingling outside of official settings. You are welcome to attend any of these that you desire, so long as they do not conflict with our own scheduled negotiation periods. The hope is that we can complete our negotiations by the end of this week, but we will have the two weeks of the talks should negotiations run longer than anticipated. There will be a welcome dinner in your honor on the first evening of the talks." He gestured to Commodore Paris and the team of officers behind her, waiting to escort the guests to their rooms. "Commodore Paris is in charge of the station, please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. She will make sure you have a full schedule of events. The officers here will escort you to your rooms."
The Klingons fell into step behind the officers Jim pointed out, and Jim found himself walking alongside Garazha, with K'Temoc slightly behind him. Jim greeted K'Temoc with a smile and a nod. "I didn't expect to see you here," he commented.
Garazha interrupted. "Captain K'Temoc has proven himself a valuable asset to our cause."
Jim saw the gauging look in the Chief's eyes, and understood that it was a calculated move on the Klingons' part. K'Temoc was on good terms with the members of the Federation team, specifically Jim and to a lesser extent Admiral Archer – whom he had spoken to when they had captured Kodos. The Admiral had expressed his gratitude for their willingness to hand the criminal over, personally thanking K'Temoc for contacting him.
It was possible that if they ran into any issues, K'Temoc might be able to ease tensions.
Jim and the Federation group parted ways as the Klingons were led towards the hotel area, making their way back to the conference room they would be utilizing for the next week. They had a few hours left to go over last minute details before the Klingons would join them, and planned to use every last second.
XXX
The next week passed incredibly quickly in long days of negotiations. Jim and the others were spending ten hours a day in that conference room, and he still doubted they would finish before the talks began.
The evening before the talks, the group was breaking up and heading for their rooms when Jon pulled Jim aside for a quick word. Exhausted, Jim didn't protest too much, even though all he wanted to do was go back to his room and sleep until the last possible second before he had to be at the opening ceremony the next morning.
Jon winced sympathetically; he was every bit as tired, but this couldn't wait. He didn't want Jim to be blindsided at any point during the next couple weeks. "Jim, I just wanted to make sure you were aware of a last minute Federation attendee." Jim frowned in confusion, and Jon sighed. "The Antilles docked this afternoon."
Jim blinked slowly, the words filtering through his fog of exhaustion. And then he blinked again and his jaw clenched. He hadn't spoken to his mother since he was twenty-two – and that confrontation had gone pretty horribly as he told her never to contact him again – but he still made it a point to know where she was at all times, which was why he recognized the ship Jon mentioned as the same one where she was currently serving in the Engineering department. "Thanks for the warning," he said, voice devoid of emotions as he looked away. Damn it, he had already had one uncomfortable family confrontation in the last year, he really didn't need another.
Even though things were actually going pretty well with Sam lately. They talked regularly, and in the last few months, had even moved the conversations to include more personal than professional topics. Sam had moved back to Earth a couple months earlier to take a post at a leading research company in Texas. He was already missing his friends on Deneva, but one of his new colleagues had made the transition considerably less difficult. Her name was Aurelan, and Jim knew his brother was smitten. It was in the look every time the older man talked about her. They had only been on a few dates so far, but Jim suspected Sam was in it for the long haul.
But letting Sam back in had been relatively easy, even though he hadn't thought it would be when they had met again on Deneva. Even at the height of his anger, he had always understood Sam's decisions. Winona didn't have the same courtesy. She had made a conscious choice to blame her youngest son for her husband's death and had chosen to let the first person who offered in so that she could dump her children and escape to the stars rather than help her kids heal from the sudden absence of their father. Time and again throughout his childhood she had put herself first. She had never once chosen Jim.
Realizing Jon was waiting for some sort of follow up, he forced himself to swallow. "There's going to be thousands of people here, Jon, the chances of me running into her are pretty small. Especially since I'll probably still be spending the majority of my time in this room." Though Jon and Richard would have to be present at other events now that the talks were beginning, the team still wasn't finished negotiating final details, so Jim and the others would have limited time available until they were done.
Jon nodded slowly. "I didn't realize they were coming," he tried to explain. "They were in the area though, and the Captain asked to attend and give his crew the opportunity as well. Most of the lower levels are getting a shore leave, but the command crew and maybe a few others will likely attend the talks."
And that would likely include Winona, Jim knew. She was a Commander, second in command to the Chief Engineering Officer on the Antilles.
Jim grimaced. "Thanks for the heads up," he said again. "I should get back to my room."
He left the Admiral there and made his way back to the residential area in a haze. He hadn't seen Winona since Frank's funeral in Riverside, right before he had enlisted. Not once had Winona contacted him to ask how he was, or see how his studies were going. She hadn't offered any congratulations for him making Captain right out of the Academy, or for graduating in three years Command qualified with specializations in two different Tracks. There had been no communication after Nero, after Khan. Nothing when his childhood had been splashed across news outlets across the Federation. No 'well done' when the Admirals had praised his efforts as being crucial to the new peace with the Klingons.
Jim forced his thoughts down as he reached his allocated room. He had long since given up expecting anything from Winona. For Christ's sake, he had stopped calling the woman 'mom' when he was five. He had stopped thinking of her as 'mom' when he was twelve. He didn't have to see her over the next couple weeks if he was careful about it. They may run the risk at some of the evening events, but Jim could always spend that time with the Klingon representatives – it would even make sense, considering his position in the negotiations.
XXX
Carol had been dating Jim for more than half a decade, and living with him unofficially and officially for nearly as long; she knew immediately that something was wrong when her fiancé entered their shared quarters. Jim couldn't even try to lie to her, and got to watch, amused and a little afraid, as she went off on a rant that would make any foul-mouthed officer blush.
"I swear, I'm going to find that woman and give her a piece of my mind," the Brit finished with an angry huff.
Jim immediately grasped her hand and drew her down to sit next to him on the bed. "Don't," he advised. When Carol looked at him, annoyed, he shook his head. "I'm done being angry," he explained simply. "I've waited for an explanation long enough. I've waited for her to start acting like a mom for too long. Now, I just can't muster up the energy to care anymore."
Carol winced at the admission. That was probably the worst reaction, when she thought about it. Anger meant there was still some feelings there, that he still wanted something more. But if he didn't care, that meant he really was done. "I will support you in whatever choice you make," she said quietly. "If you don't ever want to see her again, I understand. And I won't do anything to rock the boat."
Jim leaned over and kissed her lightly. "I already haven't seen her in a decade," he reminded her. "I doubt she ever thinks about me anyway. I gave up wanting more a long time ago."
"I hate that," Carol admitted, grasping his hand tightly. "My father was an ass, even before he was a traitor, but at least I could understand that he was trying to protect me, no matter my own personal feelings on his actions back then."
Jim smiled slightly. "It is what it is," he shrugged. "I know it might seem weird that I'm not more upset, but honestly I think I used up those emotions when I was a kid. I spent years of my life waiting and hoping. If she doesn't want to be in my life, I can't force her."
Carol leaned against his shoulder. "I'm proud of you," she whispered. "I still want to kill her for everything she put you through, but I'm really proud of you for letting go of it all."
Jim rested his cheek briefly against the top of her head. His free arm moved to circle around her shoulders. "I got Sam back, and that's honestly more than I could have ever hoped for a few years ago. I'm content with that."
Carol sniffed weakly, and didn't speak anymore. They stayed like that for a while longer, not speaking, just enjoying each other's company and a brief moment of calm in the middle of weeks of demanding and hectic labor.
Eventually, they untangled themselves and headed to bed.
XXX
Jim was up early the next morning, before Carol had even though about stirring. She was planning to attend the talks with those members of the command crew that weren't busy with the Klingons, but the opening ceremony kick off was still a good three hours away when Jim pulled his uniform on and slipped quietly out of the room.
Carol had gotten used to waking up to an empty bed over the last couple weeks, so it wasn't too much of a surprise when she finally stirred two hours later. She lay there quietly for a few minutes, adjusting to being awake, before she frowned in discomfort and pressed a hand gently to her mouth.
Nauseous, she quickly made for the bathroom and stayed there, hunched over the toilet as she emptied the contents of her stomach repeatedly.
Groaning several minutes later, she continued to kneel in front of the toilet for a little while longer, waiting to make sure she was done. The nauseous feeling was gone, so she carefully stood up and moved to the sink, rinsing her mouth and washing her face.
Finished in the bathroom, Carol moved back to the bedroom, rummaging around in her small bag that held all her necessities. Pulling out the item she had bought the day before, the Lieutenant made her way back to the bathroom. Grabbing a cup, she filled it with water and drank greedily. When the cup was empty, she once more set it down.
Looking at the pregnancy test in her hand, Carol sighed and shakily opened the box.
XXX
It was an unnamed planet, mostly because Starfleet had yet to discover it and there were no natural inhabitants.
It was not the kind of place one planned to visit; more likely, it would only be discovered by accident, due to the tumultuous nebula that surrounded it on all sides. Very few ships would be able to navigate successfully through the dangerous section of space, and several had crash landed on the uninhabited planet, unable to see it on scanners until it was too late.
Just because it was uninhabited, however, didn't mean there was nobody there. To the men currently having a hushed conversation outside the crude building, the setting suited them just fine. No Starfleet busybodies or clueless explorers would interrupt, giving them free reign to finalize their plans.
"Is your operative in place?" the taller man asked. His skin was a dark brown, muscular but not buff. There was a cold gleam in his eyes that spoke of eagerness for what was to come.
"Nearly," Kodos replied. His own voice was bored, but his gaze was alert. "She should arrive in the next few days, and the Starfleet do-gooders won't be able to help themselves – they'll have to respond."
The unknown man nodded in satisfaction. "Our monitors will pick up their arrival. They'll never know what's coming."
Kodos glowered. "Just as long as no one on that ship makes it out alive. But I want the Captain. Kirk belongs to me."
The man frowned. "You've made your price very clear. We will leave Kirk to you." He paused, and then asked interestedly, "What did this guy do to you to make you so mad?"
Kodos leered, a sick smile twisting his mouth. "It's not anger," he corrected. "He will always be mine. No matter how much the boy tries to deny it, he cannot escape. It will tear him apart to watch his crew die, knowing he can't stop it. I want him to see it, before I destroy him."
"I can arrange that."
Kodos nodded once, satisfied. "I trust you to finish up the final plans then, Krall. I will let you know when my agent makes contact." The escaped convict headed inside.
Krall watched him leave; he was uncertain of the history between this man and the famous Captain Kirk, a man he only knew of because they had managed to tap into Federation news feeds after many years of hard work. The last few years had been filled with plans for unity and togetherness. It made Krall sick to see aliens mixing with humans as if they belonged. Captain Kirk was the Federation darling. If Krall wanted to show his disgust, Kirk would be the ideal target, particularly considering this recent development he had been leading. Peace with the Klingons! They didn't deserve peace. Klingons couldn't understand anything other than violence and destruction.
These stupid peace talks would be the perfect place to attack. Soon the whole Federation would know Krall's loathing.
XXX
The talks started off wonderfully; everyone was behaving and seemed to enjoy all of the various events that had been planned for their enjoyment. The whole idea of this event was to establish better relationships between Federation members, and even just a few days in and with the limited contact he had when not sequestered with the Klingons working on last minute details of the treaty, Jim could see that it was working.
With everything that had happened the last few years, starting with Nero's destruction of Vulcan and the death of most of the upperclassmen at the Academy, an event like this was doing a lot to soothe nerves of many Federation members who had been somewhat neglected as Starfleet recovered and got back on its feet.
Jim, with the rest of his team and the Klingons, attended very few talks in the first couple of days. Most of their time was spent hammering out details on the treaty, but by day four, they emerged from the conference room at the end of the day with a treaty that only needed one thing: signatures. They would sign the document on the last day in front of several hundred witnesses and cameras documenting the momentous occasion.
Until then however, they were free to attend whatever talks and events they desired. Jim stuck with the Klingons for the first day, making sure they would be accepted. His worries were mostly unfounded though. There were some disgruntled representatives, but no outright arguments.
It only made sense – Klingons had been raiding Federation planets and picking fights for decades. It wasn't as easy as flipping a switch to see the warrior race be accepted.
Garazha seemed to take it all in stride, but some of his companions were less than pleased. Thankfully, other than some angry looks and glares no one on either side tried to instigate any altercations.
Jim wasn't able to spend much time with Carol at all, but the time they were together, the Captain could tell that something was wrong. She smiled in all the right places, seemed engaged in the events they attended, and appeared to be entirely focused on helping make sure the talks were a success, however she could.
But still, Jim knew something was off. He wanted to confront her, but this really wasn't the time. The second they left Yorktown though, he would get to the bottom of whatever it was. Was she upset because they hadn't gotten married here? He thought they had reached that agreement together, but maybe seeing April and McCoy had made her wish it had been them? Or maybe she was angry because he hadn't been spending time with her? that didn't make sense either, she had always understood that sometimes he had to be a Captain before he was a boyfriend or fiancé, and she definitely understood his need to put everything he had into the success of the treaty and these talks, even if it meant they didn't get to spend a lot of time together during the event. She wanted them to succeed as much as he did.
Jim, Garazha, and a few higher ranking Admirals were in the middle of a small table discussion in front of roughly twenty audience members towards the end of the fifth day of the talks, when an aide interrupted, apologetically informing them that Commodore Paris needed to see Admiral Archer and Captain Kirk immediately.
Confused, the two left the room together and made their way to the control tower.
The Commodore greeted them somberly, informing them of the situation. "We rescued a drifting escape pod a few hours ago," she said, indicating the window in front of them. It was large, almost floor to ceiling, and showed a young woman surrounded by three Starfleet officers. The woman couldn't be more than twenty, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked distressed, but not completely inconsolable. "She hasn't said much, beyond asking for help. Something happened to her ship, it's a little unclear what though. I had hoped you would be willing to join me in questioning her."
Both men nodded, and together they entered the room. The officers respectfully left their superiors alone when Paris gestured towards the door, closing it behind them and leaving the trio alone with the stranger.
Paris attempted to offer the young woman a reassuring smile, but she wasn't sure if she was successful – she had two children who could attest to their mother's unfeeling and uncaring attitude. You didn't get to be a woman in Starfleet in command of a station like Yorktown without having to make some sacrifices. "Thank you for being patient. This is Admiral Archer and Captain Kirk. Can you tell us your name?"
Jim thought he saw a gleam in the woman's eyes when his name was mentioned, but then she blinked and it was gone. "I am Lenore," she said tearfully. "Please, you have to help. My ship, my crew…"
Jim took a small step forward. "Calm down, ma'am," he placated. "Just tell us what happened. Take your time."
Lenore took a deep breath, and started again. "We were traveling through a nebula. I know it was probably unwise, but the Captain said there was no other way around. I think it damaged the ship too much, all systems were failing. I was barely able to get to an escape pod. I've been drifting for days, I'm so glad you found me!"
Paris shared a significant look with Jim and Jon, before turning back to the newcomer. "Wait here, please. I'll have some food brought in."
She led the two men out of the room and into the next one. Watching the woman through the window for a moment, she then sighed and pushed a button on the computer console, turning the window opaque so that Lenore couldn't see them. "Thoughts?" she asked.
Jon sighed. "The nearest nebula to Yorktown is pretty dangerous," he admitted. "One of the reasons why it's remained unexplored until now. Most ships that go in, don't come out."
"And she's right," Jim conceded, "going around would take days. Reports do indicate a couple of uninhabited planets though, it's possible her ship crash landed on one."
Paris nodded decisively. "Captain Kirk, I would like you to take the Enterprise and search for survivors. Your Chief Engineer has recently upgraded your scanning systems, correct?"
Jim almost blushed. "Yes, he just finished those before our arrival at Yorktown. They're significantly stronger and more accurate than previous models." And not entirely legal, but Jim and Scotty had worked that out years ago – as long as it didn't cross too many lines to 'dangerous' and didn't negatively affect any of their current missions, Scotty had near free reign to experiment and make improvements. The Engineer knew to keep any experiments to the quiet downtimes between missions, though there had been a rather embarrassing – and nearly disastrous – situation a couple years ago that had been hell to explain to Jon.
How was Scotty to know a crop of giant plants that looked oddly like Venus fly traps but sprayed a hallucinogenic gas would decide to invade the Federation colony posted on their planet, steal their shuttles, and then make for the nearest Federation vessel, which happened to be the Enterprise, at the same time Scotty had decided to take on the locking mechanisms of the shuttle bay in an attempt to boost the security systems, ironically leaving them open to any passing shuttle to be able to open without authorization from the Enterprise as he worked on the upgrades. The crew had been completely blindsided by a crew of Venus fly traps storming the ship and spraying hallucinogens into the air. It had gotten into the air vents, and had caused mass chaos as crew members all over the ship succumbed to the effects. (The worst scenario had probably been Lieutenant Kielson thinking he was Superman and trying to take a swan dive off the second level of the largest Observation Deck – thankfully, Spock had been there to stop him).
(The best scenario was Scotty and Gaila being caught in an intensive make out session when they were hosed down with the antidote McCoy and the medical crew had come up with, and then realizing that they actually did have feelings for each other. They had now been dating officially and exclusively for eighteen months).
Since that situation though, Scotty had made a point of letting Jim know when he was planning to make any upgrades, so that the Captain could be prepared, and boost security as necessary.
Jon shifted slightly, and Jim's thoughts returned to the present moment. The Admiral rolled his eyes, knowing that whatever the Scotsman had done probably wasn't completely above board, but also knowing that those improved scanners would likely soon be making their way into the new ship design for future implementation. Many of the improvements to the newest class had been added because Jim and Scotty had worked them out on the Enterprise first.
But he ignored that, and simply gave the Captain his orders. "Take a skeleton crew, Jim. No need to pull all your officers out of the talks, and it might concern some of our guests. This shouldn't be too difficult."
Paris added, "You'll ship out in two hours. I will arrange for those crew who are not going with you to have rooms on the station in your absence."
As Jim agreed and left to go send messages to his crew – one for those who would be joining him, and one to let the rest know of the situation so that they didn't get worried when their ship was no longer in port and to give them time to pack a bag for the few days they would spend on the station – he couldn't help but think that Jon's parting statement could be considered 'famous last words'.
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