Chapter Three – Things that are the Same and Things that are Not
Ok I know it's been a long time! But here is another chapter.
Please read and review.
The shuddering continued throughout the ship, creaking and groaning filled the silent void, the Enterprise voicing her opinion of the recent attack. Wires sparked brightly in the darkened command center, hoses hung loosely from the ceiling having been dislodged from their previous hold, the blinking red of the battle alert still flashing annoyingly. Every station blaring with the emergency conditions throughout the ship. Pike pulled himself up from the floor he had been thrown to, looking around he tried to take stock of the command crew. "Status!" He hollered as he resumed his seat in center of the room, typing away at the arm rest to check the condition of his crew and his ship.
"Shields are down, Keptin." Chekov called from his station, he had a nasty bruise forming on his brow from where his head struck the dash. Despite the nasty headache that must be forming his fingers sailed across the panel, gathering more data for his Captain. "Hull damage sustained on decks 8 through 12." The Russian continued with his assessment. "Veapons are fully operational and awaiting your orders sir."
"Return fire." Pike ordered subsequently. "Aye Keptin, firing torpedoes." There was a slight tremor as the photon's left their secure holding and launched at the enemy combatants.
"The warp core is offline, Captain. Relying on sublight." Sulu, whom appeared to have survived the impact without damage, updated Pike as he tested the systems at his station.
Pike nodded as the rest of the bridge offered him important information. "Number one, what is the status on those warbirds?" He yelled over his shoulder, not taking his eyes of the PADD that an ensign had brought him. Reviewing the report from engineering he was glad to see that the damage had been minimal. He waited a minute before frowning and turning his head slightly, "Kirk?" Raising his voice slightly.
"Sorry Captain." The young man's breathy voice returned, as he composed himself. Focusing on reading his screen, Kirk typed as fast as his clammy hands could manage. "It appears the Velician's launched their planetary defenses. One of the war birds was destroyed, another disabled. The lead ship has fled, after out counterattacks, sir." Confusion flooded his voice.
"They retreated?" Pike asked curiously, his gaze not wavering from his second-in-command. "Yes sir." Kirk replied, still confused. It was not like their enemy to retreat, it was not the honorable thing to do.
"That doesn't make any sense." Uhura voice what the crew was thinking. An uneasy murmuring was shared between the crew, Kirk and Pike still staring at each other.
A beep sounded from Uhura's station, "Sir USS Yorktown is hailing us." Finally, he looked away from his charge, "Put them through Lieutenant."
"Captain Pike, you look like you could use a hand." Captain Shaw's voice broke through the comm's, "It would appear so Captain Shaw, you don't mind do you." Pike replied with a small smile on his face. Although he couldn't see her Chris knew that his old friend was smiling as well. "Absolutely." Shaw replied, "We'll be headed over with our engineer and a doctor or two, do you need anything else?" Slowly Pike nodded, "Not at the moment, thank you for your assistance, I'll see you soon."
Standing from his seat, Pike turned toward the Spock. "Begin plans for boarding that Klingon Ship. Once we have our view screen operational, we will contact them. I want to know why they were here, and how they got so far into Federation space without anyone noticing." Heading for the lift, "Kirk you're with me." Kirk was quick to join the older man in the lift, "Mr. Spock you have the con." Pike called just as the door swished shut.
It didn't take long for them to reach their destination, they ventured in silence. Kirk letting his mentor overreact, and lead him to the medbay. Once their Pike looked around, seeing six or seven of his crew being treated for injuries sustained from the attack. They all looked to be in good hands, and there appeared to be nothing to serious. Pike couldn't help but commend McCoy for his efficiency in medical care.
As soon as McCoy saw the new arrivals he came over, his scanner already in hand. "What happened? Who's hurt? Why weren't you here earlier? Where does it hurt?" His rambling continued until Kirk lifted his hand, indicating that he was the injured one, although he was reluctant to do so. "I'm fine Bones, just a little bruising. Pike is simply overreacting." Kirk still didn't understand how the man knew when he had hurt himself, but he always knew. A beep was heard from the tricorder, signaling it had completed his scan. "Bruising my ass! Dammit Kirk!" The southerner didn't mean to yell, as he led his friend to an empty biobed. "You have three cracked ribs."
"Which can heal on their own. Like I said, I am fine." He grumbled trying to resist his friend, pulling his arm away more roughly than he intended Jim took a step away from the doctor. He was not in the mood for physical contact at the moment. The pain he felt with every breath helped to ground him, keep him in the present.
McCoy turned to Pike with a questioning glance, Pike shook his head. Now was not the time to push. "Alright machoman." Bones whispered. They were just out of hearing from the rest of the injured crew, and Jim could feel Pike's eyes on him. Kirk avoided his stare, pointedly looking at the floor, he waited to hear the real reason Pike had brought him down here.
"Who is she Kirk?" It wasn't often that Pike pushed the survivor for information, Kirk was very good at providing them with the information they needed to get the job done. He was an amazing wealth of knowledge, one that Pike respected enough to give him time to come to terms with everything he had endured. McCoy and Pike knew that Kirk had been through a lot while living in Klingon territory, they didn't have all the details as Kirk refused to speak of it. But McCoy had seen the scars, both physical and mental that plagued the boy. Kirk shared the facts, and important insights, but never anything personal.
Since his escape six months ago, this was the first time Kirk had to encounter the demons from his past. And Pike knew it. He had seen the reaction from the young man when he entered the bridge, he had heard her demands.
Toiling with these thoughts Kirk tried to avoid the question, by offering the facts. "T'torson Cirmogh is the first adviser to the Chancellor. She is her right hand, her closest confidant. Cirmogh is a dangerous and unpredictable adversary. I was surprised to see her so far away from Q'onoS." Kirk explained with a serious, unemotional tone. He had answered the question but ignored the underlying concern.
Pike nodded slowly, "I see." He started slowly, moving away to lean against the wall. "But you know that's not what I meant." He spoke softly, as he would to a wounded animal. "Who is she to you Jim?" He didn't miss the way Kirk's finger's curled and balled into fists, and his breath caught in his throat. Pike waited, watching carefully.
"That's not important." He whispered, Kirk's voice held none of the rage that his body was portraying. Slowly his fists loosened, and his body relaxed, although he looked relaxed on the outside both McCoy and Pike knew him well enough to see that he was not in anyway calm or relaxed. The way he bounced on the balls of his feet ever so slightly, or the way his breathing calmed to a ridged pattern. His muscles loose and primed for a fight. Kirk was the master of manipulation, and there was no way they would receive any information from the cornered creature that had developed in front of them.
McCoy had stayed silent throughout the exchange, obviously he was present for emotional support or something along those lines. Even though he was supposedly Kirk's closest friend, McCoy knew he was still held at arm's length, and he had no idea what these two men were talking about. But the reaction from Kirk stilled the question forming on his brass tongue, he had no intention of provoking the man any more. McCoy would be sure to ask Pike what the hell they were talking about in a more private setting.
Pike sighed and nodded his head, "Kirk, I don't know what they did to you on Q'onoS. What you had to grow up with. But I want you to remember that it is in your past, I won't let anything happen to you." I promise. He added silently to himself, clipping himself before offering potentially empty words.
He waited a little longer to see if the man would divulge anything else, when suddenly his comm beeped. "Captain, the view screen is operational. Captain Shaw has communicated that she is ready to be transported along with several members of her crew." Spock was quick to relay the information, efficient as always. "Thank you, Mr. Spock, Kirk and I will go greet them in the transporter room."
The connection cut, Pike took a moment. Letting Kirk settle, this conversation was over for now. At least until there was a bottle of Jack between them, and Jim's tongue had loosened. "Alright Kirk let's go." The use of his last name returned them to their normal context, between crew and captain. A cocky smile made its way onto Kirk's lips, once again his happy go lucky façade had been restored, awing his friends as he showed exactly what he wanted others to see. Nothing more and nothing less than expected. "On your six Sir." With a final nod, Pike turned.
"Be careful with those ribs Kirk! I don't want to see you down here cuz you broke em!" Bones yelled at the man's back as the two men headed for the lifts. Wagging his finger as he spoke.
"Captain Shaw." Christopher greeted a woman in her mid-forties, with deep jet-black hair and piercing green eyes, clad in black pants and golden long-sleeved Command uniform. She was quick to descend the stairs and approach her longtime friend.
"Captain Pike it is good to see you again, although I wish it was under better circumstances." Captain Elizabeth Shaw shook his offered hand, before turning to the three men she had brought with her. "This is Commander Shane Rishen, our Chief Engineer." She gestured to the man whom was about her age, he had sandy blond hair and green eyes wearing the traditional red uniform of the Engineering Department. Just behind him stood two others who were also dressed in red, "Lieutenant Misha Heartly," She gestured to a young Human man no older than thirty, "and Ensign Ja'hirq Jasilque also from Engineering." The young Hekaran simply dipped his head in greeting. Captain Shaw continued after the introductions, "Your Chief Medical Officer notified us that you were not in need of medical assistance." Pike nodded to each member of the Yorktown crew.
"Thank you for bringing you crew, I just came from medical and our Doctor McCoy appears to have everything in hand." Pike smiled slightly with a dip of his head before turning to Kirk. "This is our First Officer James T. Kirk, I believe you have met." Jim stepped forward and stiffly shook the other Captains hand. "Captain." He conceded.
"Yes, six months ago. I am glad to see you doing better Specialist." Shaw gave a chilly reply, hesitant to shake the man's hand. Pike didn't miss the indifferent between the two but choose to ignore it for now. Clearing his throat Pike signaled to the door, "Shall we? Kirk why don't you show Commander Rishen and his men down to see Mr. Scotty. I'm sure you could lend a handy down there too."
With a nod, Kirk headed out into the hall, "This way." He was all grins once again, as he engaged the three men in his lofty tales of Scotty and Keenser. "You're going to love Scotty, there was this one time…." It trailed off as the four disappeared down the hall.
Pike and Shaw went the other way, headed toward Pike's ready room. They had mission parameters to discuss.
With repairs underway, Pike offered Shaw a seat across from his desk. "You want to tell me what that was all about?" Shaw was a well-respected Captain, had been for years. Pike had never seen Kirk act so cold with any officer of Starfleet, except of course with the Admiralty.
Shaw raised a level gaze toward the Captain of the Enterprise, she knew the relationship that had been forged between Captain and Specialist. Carefully thinking of what to say, she cleared her throat and shifted her gaze to the stars through the window. "You know I'm not at liberty to discuss such things Christopher." In the privacy of the ready room, it was easy for the friends to drop their positions, relying on the friendship that had formed back in the academy.
Pike narrowed his gaze at the woman, her reply spoke volumes for what she refused to divulge. Her lack of compliance lent to the fact that she was involved in Kirk's current situation amongst the Fleet.
"I see." He spoke softly, although the finality in his voice chilled the air. "I hope you know that no matter what happens, I will always stand by my crew. And Kirk happens to be part of that crew." Shaw had nothing to say in that regard and grimly nodded her head instead.
"Shall we get on to business?" Shaw sidetracked their current conversation, there were other more pressing matters to get to. "Hmm." Pike nodded.
"We have tried to contact the remaining Klingon Warbird, but they have refused our hails." Shaw was quick to continue given the out from Pike.
"We still have no idea what brought them here. Yes, the Velician's are important, but not important enough to risk such a dangerous mission." Pike added pulling up his PADD and review the information Spock had sent him. Shaw drew a blank face, before narrowing her eyes slightly, "Do you honestly think it's a coincidence that they encountered the Enterprise?" Her implied accusation struck Pike, who balled his fist. "Excuse me Captain?" His voice was frigid, his anger obvious.
"Chris, have you thought that maybe Kirk told them how to get here? Told them of our defenses, and how to avoid them. I know you want to trust the boy, but he is not a citizen of the Federation. He grew up in the company of Klingon's, and yet he refuses to offer all his information, instead convincing everyone to allow him into the field to offer better insight? Pike you must find that suspicious!" By this point Pike had stood from his seat, Shaw mimicking the reaction also stood.
"How dare you! The man has saved thousands of lives since boarding the Enterprise. He has never once disproven my trust in him." Pike's chest heaved with his anger. "We will be attempting to contact the Kligon's momentarily, and I will be sending a security team to board the Warbird and take the remaining crew prisoner. We will find out why they ventured this far into enemy territory. If you would excuse me, I have an operation to oversee." Storming past the woman Pike exited his ready room onto the Bridge.
"Keptin on ve Bridge." Chekov dutifully sounded, as Pike took his chair. Captain Shaw standing to his right. "Lieutenant Uhura, please hail the last Klingon Ship. I think it's time we get some answers." He spoke over his shoulder but kept his gaze on the view screen that had been restored. "Mr. Spock please contact Kirk and get him up here."
A "Yes Sir," and "Aye Captain." Resounded as both officers went about the commands sent.
"Like I told you Pike, they haven't been responding." Shaw tried to convince the man that it wasn't going to work. "Uhura?" Pike ignored Shaw, still too angry with the woman.
"On screen sir." Uhura replied turning toward the huge screen. Much to Shaw's surprise a very angry looking Klingon had engaged in the final hailing from the Enterprise. Obviously they only wished to speak with the flag ship.
"Captain Christopher Pike." The Klingon drawled, in a thick accent. "What do you want?" It was obvious that he was angry, angry at being caught, angry at being abandoned by his commander.
"Please prepare to be boarded. You have illegally entered Federation Space, and will be brought to earth to under go interrogation and sentencing to various war crimes perpetrated against the Federation." Much to everyone surprise, a cackle came from the man.
"We will surrender peacefully, on one condition." The alien grinned devilishly. With a narrowed gaze Pike ventured, "And what would that be."
"We will only surrender to James Tiberius Kirk."