Chapter 10

Kings, Queens, and Pawns

The thick, wooden door to the dungeons burst open with a loud thud, making all but Spock to flinch slightly. Uhura and Scotty both drew themselves up, sitting tall and proud for Sulu, McCoy, and Spock, whose backs were still torn open. Her dark brown eyes glittered angrily at the man who she recognized to be Zachariah Greenaway, the current Governor of Zenobia – the uncle of that bastard Wolff. She had no doubt that he had a role to play in all this, and her hatred for Wolff bled over to him.

Greenaway was followed closely by four soldiers who had their hands hovering over their guns that hung at their sides. He didn't seem to be that much of an impressive man. His features were average and his body language exuded nothing but pleasantry, but Uhura knew better. One could easily manipulate one's body to lure prey in. She had seen Kirk do the same every time he wanted something from someone, but with Kirk, at least he was doing it to protect his people. Greenaway, on the other hand, no doubt just wanted to see blood.

"Good afternoon," Greenaway greeted with a serene smile on his face.

Uhura cocked her head defiantly. "Is it," she replied, purposely phrasing her caustic and cold words as a sentence, not a question.

"Now, now, Miss Uhura. There's no need to be so hostile," Greenaway said, completely unfazed by the bloodthirsty aura she was emitting. "I am not my nephew. I am merely here to inquire about your health. Unlike Royce, I have much better manners when it comes to hospitality. It is cruel what he did to you all, and I am truly sorry on his behalf."

A flash of surprise crossed her face, but she recovered quickly and smothered her features with anger. "Don't give me that. If you were really sorry, we wouldn't be here."

"You have personally seen what my nephew can do. Do you really think that I have any power over him?" Greenaway's expression never wavered, maintaining the apologetic and sorrowful look. For all intents and purposes, it seemed like he was truly upset about what Wolff was doing.

Uhura's eyes shone with slight hope, which she immediately quashed. She tilted her head, quizzically, as she read Greenaway's body language. He was no doubt a smart man, but also shrewd. His eyes and expressions never gave away anything except genuine care; yet, no matter what he said or did, Uhura knew better. She had lived and followed Jim Kirk for years, seeing and learning all the minute details of body language and microexpressions that she had never known had existed. She may not be Jim Kirk, but she was still damn near good enough to do what most exceptional people couldn't do: take pride in herself as Captain Kirk's Communications Officer.

She shifted slightly, even as she read Greenaway's hidden perverse glee at seeing others suffer, and swept her hair back in one quick motion. "Prove that you're not Wolff," she said calmly, widening her eyes just a tad.

"What would you like me to do?" Greenaway replied, smiling kindly.

"Give us some medical supplies. Sulu, Spock, and McCoy need something or else infection is going to settle in."

"I'm sorry, I cannot give you anything. I have been warned by my nephew that you lot are the brightest in Starfleet. I have heard that Kirk can fashion a weapon out of a simple tricorder, not that I believe it quite yet, but I am also not naïve enough to underestimate you all."

Uhura bit her lower lip, her eyes flickering down in disappointment. Her long, delicate fingers picked at the hem of her short skirt on her upper thigh. "I knew it," she mumbled, looking away from Greenaway. She crumbled a little as the hope in her shoulders disappeared.

Greenaway swallowed hard at the sight at her bare legs, as did his two soldiers. They had heard the rumors that Kirk had a beauty with a talented tongue at his side. They had not believed it until now. And the fact that she seemed so willing to do anything to save her friends? Well, it would wrong of Greenaway if he did not take advantage of it.

Greenaway cleared his throat. "I cannot allow your friends to have access to medical supplies, but I can order my men to treat them instead."

Her head jerked up. Her eyes were wide. "Really?"

"But you have to do something for me."

"Anything!" Uhura readily agreed.

"Pick one of your friends to receive a 'special' treatment from my boys."

Instantly, she was on guard. "What sort of treatment?"

"The soldiers have been preparing for the arrival of your Captain and require a target to practice on."

Uhura's eyes widened as she understood the subtext of Greenaway's words. They basically wanted her to pick one of them to fulfill their sadistic urges. They wanted her to pick one of her family members to be a freaking piñata.

Like she ever could.

But if she didn't, there was a high chance that McCoy, Sulu, and Spock were going to get really, really sick if their wounds weren't treated. She had seen Kirk become septic from torture before, and she never wanted to see that again: to see others as broken as they were when Kirk was laying on what seemed to be his deathbed. She didn't think any of them could take something like that again.

She shifted, hugging herself tightly, subconsciously trying to protect herself from the harsh reality before her. Her thin arms wrapped around her chest, pushing out her breasts, as she tried to make herself smaller. "W-what? I couldn't possibly!"

"Do it, or I will pick for you, and you're not going to like who I choose." Greenaway's eyes roamed up and down Uhura's body, making her shiver with disgust. He grinned at her obvious discomfort and nodded at his two soldiers, who both glanced at her suggestively.

This did not go unnoticed. Instantly, Sulu, McCoy, Scotty, and even Spock rose in anger, but they were quickly overshadowed by one Scottish man.

"Ye yellow-bellied bastard! Ye wanna pick on someone, yer welcome ta start with me! I cannae wait ta git my hands on you!" Scotty shouted loudly. "Yer worth absolutely nothin', Greenaway. I ain't afraid of someone like you who rides on the coat-tails of his wanker nephew."

It was exactly the wrong and right button to push. In that instant, there was real and true anger on Greenaway's face, unmarred by any manipulation or deception. He pointed his finger at Scotty. "Sorry, girl. It looks like your choice has been made for you." He snapped at his people. "Get him up and bring him to me."

"No! Don't!" Uhura cried, rising to her feet and rushing to stop just centimeters before the bars.

One of the soldiers moved towards a metal box on at the far end of the dungeon – near the entrance and away from Uhura and the others. He inserted a key and opened it, revealing a row of switches – one for each of the cells – and flipped the one switch that turned off the electricity to Scotty's.

The other unlocked Scotty's cell and reached in to roughly grab him, but the Engineer was ready for him. The moment the soldier stepped into his prison, Scotty launched himself forward, snarling like a feral tiger. His hands punched and scratched wherever he could reach, but unlike the rest of the Command crew, he was the only one who hadn't trained in hand-to-hand combat, and it was obvious. His movements were uncoordinated and most of the time, he barely made contact with the soldier.

Within seconds of Scotty attacking the soldier, he was quickly subdued and thrown to the ground where he curled up like an armadillo. The soldier was instantly on him, kicking harshly wherever he could hit, which was everywhere.

The sounds of Scotty's pained grunts echoed excruciatingly in the Command crew's ears. It was even more painful to just sit there in their respective cells, completely helpless and useless. Greenaway revealed in their defeated expressions. A broad and satisfied grin settled on his face, and it just made Sulu, McCoy, and Spock loathe him even more for it.

Uhura moved closer to the bars, her eyes welling with tears. "Please! Stop it! You're going to kill him!" she cried. "Please! I'll do anything!"

Greenaway raised a hand and the soldier stopped kicking Scotty for a brief moment. He raised an eyebrow. "Anything?" His eyes roamed over her body suggestively.

She shuddered, knowing exactly what he wanted, and hesitated. "I…I can't…" she stuttered.

Greenaway shrugged his shoulders. "Pity." He turned back to his soldier. "Continue."

He resumed kicking; this time with more fervor.

"No!" Uhura screamed and in her anger, fear, and worry, made the mistake of getting too close to her bars. She let out a cry as the electricity buzzed and fell backwards, collapsing on the ground, unconscious.

McCoy, Sulu, and Spock all called out for her, terrified at seeing her unmoving on that cold, unforgiving stone floor.

Greenaway sighed and nodded at the other soldier. "Make sure her heart is still beating. Wolff would not be pleased if we killed them this early in the game."

The soldier nodded and flipped the switch to Uhura's cell. After unlocking it, he stepped in and bent down next to her, purposely putting his hand on her chest to check. "She's alive," he reported to Greenaway.

"Wake her up. I don't want her to miss anything."

The soldier slapped her cheek a few times. By the third slap, Uhura's eyes were fluttering open. By the fourth, she was fully roused, but the soldier slapped her a fifth time, just for the fun of it.

"Bastard, leave her alone!" yelled out McCoy.

"I would like to see you make me," Greenaway smirked, but it slid off his face in a flash when another soldier came running into the dungeons.

"Sir!" the soldier rushed out.

"I thought I told you that I was not to be disturbed!" Greenaway shouted, his face flushing with anger.

"Two bodies were found on the perimeters of the castle. Captain Wolff wants to speak with you. Now."

Greenaway pinched his nose to compose himself, his mood shifting from anger to resignation in a second. "Fine." He turned to his soldiers. "Pack up. We'll visit another time." He smiled lewdly at Uhura. "Consider yourselves lucky for today."

The soldiers locked up properly and turned the electricity back on and left without much fanfare, leaving Uhura supine in her cell, Scotty rolled up in fetal position, and McCoy, Sulu, and Spock absolutely seething, but they didn't remain so still for long.

When they were sure that they had been left entirely on their own, Uhura sat up quickly, as did Scotty. There was a glint in Uhura's eyes and all her confidence was back in her body language.

"You alright there, Scotty?" she asked.

Scotty gave her a grin. There were a few bruises already darkening on his face, but it looked like it didn't even phase him. "Betta than alrite," he replied, raising his right hand to show the communicator that he had stolen from the soldier.

She smirked, raising her own hand to reveal a second communicator in her hand. "Same here."

"You are a phenomenal actress, bonnie," Scotty congratulated. "Honestly, I was all caught up in yer actin'. If I dinnae know what you were doing, I really woulda thought tha you were about ta break."

Sulu nodded in agreement. "Seriously. I thought my heart was going to stop when you pulled the whole getting shocked thing. How did you even manage that? You can't have really knocked yourself out, otherwise, how else did you manage to get the communicator off the guy?"

Uhura pointed at her boots. "Starfleet standard, remember? Repels electricity enough to prevent getting electrocuted. All I did was kick at the bar a little to make it seem like I touched it. Was fully awake for the whole thing. Slipped off the communicator somewhere between the first and second slap." She shuddered at the memory of the man touching her. "Ugh. I'm going to need a nice, long shower after this. I feel disgusting."

"Greenaway is a bipolar, perverted bastard," Sulu concurred with anger laced in his words. "He's going to get what's coming to him."

McCoy looked over at Uhura with a tinge of sorrow and apology in his eyes. "You didn't have to do that, you know? You didn't have to go as far as to use yourself to tempt the soldier into your cell. Spock, Sulu, and I would have been perfectly willing to do the same as Scotty."

Uhura shook her head adamantly. "You guys are already injured. Kirk would never have forgiven me if I let you guys get hurt more."

"He's never going to forgive us if something happens to you," McCoy shot back. "Hell, we would never have forgiven ourselves if something happened to you."

"What about Scotty? He got himself all beat up to get that communicator!"

"That's a different story. I know for a fact that Kirk's been teaching Scotty how to get beat up properly," Sulu said.

Uhura frowned, confused. "That's a thing?"

Scotty filled her in. "Just like Jim's been teachin' Chekov how to fight, he taught me how to protect meself when I'm under attack. Ah have some bruises, yes, but it ain't anything bad. Nothin' vital was hit."

Sulu snorted at the recollection of Scotty's feeble attempt at attacking the soldier. "I think Kirk should have taught you how to fight instead of defending yourself. Were you actually trying your hardest to attack that soldier?"

Scotty sniffed. "It was enuff to distract him enough to get this communicator."

"You got your ass handed to you, Scotty," Sulu chuckled.

"Ah pretended to have my arse handed to me. Just like bonnie over there pretended to be weak and vulnerable to seduce the soldier."

"It's what Kirk would have done," Uhura said softly.

"That is certainly true," Spock commented. "I have witnessed Jim purposely antagonize others into attacking him for an alternative purpose countless times."

"And Jim uses those blue eyes of his all the time to seduce anyone if it'll get him what he wants," McCoy added. "Congratulations, everyone. We're as crazy as Jim now."

Sulu grinned. "Awesome."

McCoy rolled his eyes. "You would be the only one to think so. I swear, you and that genius teenager of yours are awful influences on him. You should not be enabling his crazy."

"It's more like Kirk is an awesome influence on us," Sulu shot back.

"I give up. You're doomed," McCoy said, but he was laughing.

Spock spoke over McCoy's low chuckling. "Mr. Scott, will you need assistance in configuring that communicator?"

Scotty looked up from the communicator that he had already broken apart while they were speaking. "Nah, I think I can make somethin' outta this that'll overload the fuses to our cells. It might take some time though."

Spock nodded. "Mr. Sulu, you informed us that you are capable of picking locks?"

"Yeah," Sulu replied. "Kirk spent an entire afternoon teaching me. I'm a bit rusty, but I'll be ready as soon as Scotty is."

"How the hell did Jim have the time to teach you that?" McCoy wondered out loud, but no one had the answer to that.

"Nyota, are you able to enhance the communicator in your hands to contact the Enterprise?"

Uhura shook her head. "No. Besides, didn't Wolff say that he encrypted a virus onboard? I'm not Kirk, and even if I was, I doubt he'd be able to override that program with a communicator alone. But I can modify it a bit to capture all signals coming out of the castle and monitor all communications. Rule number thirty-one: knowledge is power. Maybe they'll say something that we can use to our advantage."

McCoy nodded. "Did you hear what Greenaway said? He said that Wolff wouldn't be happy if we were killed so early in the game. That means Greenaway isn't in charge, and he doesn't seem pleased about it. You think we can use that?"

"It is possible," Spock replied. "However, we will require more information. For now, it seems that Jim has started to make his move. He would not have left the soldiers out in the open unless he wanted to announce his presence on the planet to Wolff. We will need to escape quickly."

"Give me a day and ah'll have this baby amped up ta take anything," Scotty said.

"Let's just hope we have a day," McCoy grouched. "Jim's an impatient idiot."

Sulu shook his head. "Kirk may be impatient, but he isn't stupid. He'll be taking his time because he can't afford any mistakes. I can bet you that Scotty will have his 24 hours, barring any unforeseen circumstances, of course."

"It's a sad day when we can understand Jim's mindset, isn't it?"

Spock just glanced over at McCoy. "That is incorrect, Doctor. It is a desperate day when we must resort to Jim's methods, for only Jim is capable of emerging victorious from no-win scenarios."

Sulu gave McCoy a lazy smile. "If you ever find yourself panicking, just think 'what would Kirk do'? He'd say something like panicking is for morons who don't have an ounce of intelligence in them. He'd channel that energy into doing something productive, like figuring how to goad or seduce the soldiers so that he can steal communicators. Most importantly, he'd never stop believing in himself that he'll get himself out, so relax, McCoy. Rest up, because you'll need your energy when we break out of here and fight our way back to Kirk."

"You're a strangely optimistic man, aren't you, Sulu?" McCoy muttered. "You're still bleeding all over the floor, you know."

Sulu shrugged. "I believe in Kirk and he believes in us, so yeah, I guess you can call me optimistic."

McCoy huffed and did as he was told for once. He relaxed back on the floor, lying on his stomach to avoid aggravating his wounds. He watched Scotty work furiously on the communicator, already tuning out the world, Spock go back into a healing trance (his wounds were already closed, though it would take medical intervention to get rid of those scars completely, but he was still weakened from the ordeal), and Uhura tinkering with her own communicator. He listened to Sulu humming whimsically and tunelessly and closed his eyes, trying to fight down the fear and worry he had for his best friend, but at the same time, he could see where Sulu was coming from.

He had faith in Jim. He had absolutely no doubt that Jim was going to save them and he had no doubt that between Spock, Scotty, and Uhura, they would find a way to break out of their cells, but there was a heavy stone in his stomach, and he couldn't define it. Was it worry or ominous foreboding? Or maybe it was just McCoy feeling useless that his skillset was completely irrelevant until they escaped. What could he do to help out?

No. It wasn't what he could do. Sulu was right. Their whole plan hinged on luck and brilliance that could only be seen outside of the box.

The one thing that could save all of them now was: what would Jim do?

Wolff may think that all of Jim's key chess pieces were captured, but not for long. A mere prison was never enough to hold Jim down for more than a day or two, unless he chose to stay. It was going to be the same for them.

Jim was going to have to get in line if he wanted to get his hands on Wolff. Between the five people who knew Jim inside and out, there was no way that these cells could hold them for long, and when they got out, they were going to stick Wolff's head on a pike.

"What do you want, Royce?" snapped Greenaway as he stormed into one of rooms adjacent to the throne room. "I was busy."

Wolff was barely phased by his uncle's anger. He just nodded at Greenaway, acknowledging his presence, but continued to listen to the report of his soldier.

"And you're sure that all Kirk managed to get from our men was a single communicator and a couple of guns?" Wolff asked.

The soldier nodded.

"Thank you. You may go."

When the soldier left, Wolff finally turned to his seething uncle. "Uncle, I apologize for cutting into your playtime, but I have something important to discuss with you."

"I take it Kirk is alive and well. Are you happy now? We have yet to get the Goddess' power and Kirk's already making his move! This is unacceptable, Royce! I did not come this far just to have your stupidity and desire to toy around with Kirk destroy it all!"

Wolff calmly considered his uncle, remaining seated at the table. Despite the blood relationship, Wolff was not one to lose his head, no matter the situation, but if there was anything that he did not stand for, it was disrespect, even from his uncle. "Do not forget who put you on your throne, Uncle," he said slowly. There was a warning edge to his words.

But Greenaway was undaunted. Greenaway leaned forward, pressing his hand on the table and leaning forward to encroach into Wolff's personal space. "You may have put me here, Royce, but I have kept it for all these years while you groveled like a dog around Starfleet. Do not speak down to me like one of your peons. Do not think for a second that you are in charge here."

Wolff stood, his eyes narrowed. "Do you truly believe that you would have gotten this far without me? When I put you on the throne four years ago, I incorporated myself into Starfleet to gain access and trust of those who essentially ruled this side of the universe. My presence in Starfleet kept a blind eye on Zenobia and all the shit that you have pulled since your term started. If I hadn't filtered through all the messages sent from Zenobia to the Federation, they would have been here in a heartbeat. So do not demean my role in all this. Without me, you never would have gotten this far Uncle."

Wolff crossed his arms. "I was the one to eliminate all the potential threats to our plans. And that included Kirk. I have done what is asked of me thus far and more. We are at the cusp of everything we have ever wanted, and yet, you're here throwing a tantrum. I ask you, Uncle, is that truly a good use of our time?"

"Is taunting Kirk a good use of your time?" Greenaway shot back.

"This is chess, Uncle. It may seem like taunting to you, but I assure you, there is an endpoint to my games with him."

"Is that all you want? To bring Kirk down? Because, at this moment, that's what it seems like."

"And what is it that you desire, Uncle? Surely, you cannot be content with control of Zenobia alone, because that is all that I can see right now."

"You know my ambitions expand farther than that, Royce, but neither of our goals will be achieved without the Goddess' power."

"Speaking of, I think I have the answer to why she won't show up." Wolff picked up the PADD that was lying on the table and raised it. He flicked a file open. "One of the monitors caught a few seconds of Kirk before he walked off screen."

"And I care about that why?"

"I think you're going to be interested in the girl that was with him."

The recording wasn't very clear – it was to be expected with technology that hadn't been updated for years – but Greenaway could easily make out Kirk walking through the woods, his eyes darting around to catch any potential threats. He was wearing the same clothes as he had on when he was captured – black Starfleet standard – and he walked with confidence, brimming with adrenaline, but Greenaway wasn't interested in Kirk. He was drawn to the young girl that traveled beside Kirk.

She was shorter than Kirk by at least five inches, but she stood tall and proud, like the man beside her. She was wearing an olive green light jacket over a tight black shirt and black jeans. On her back was a cache of arrows and a bow; her black hair was tied in a ponytail and swished as she walked on. There was a small smile on her pretty face as she talked with Kirk. Her black-brown eyes roamed and unknowingly, slowly made contact with the camera.

There was such strength behind those irises. It was deep like the universe, never-ending and always shining. It spoke of the ability to see the worst of mankind and still remain unbroken. There was hope, despite the world falling apart. And it ate at the remnants of Greenaway's soul, taking him and throwing him further and further into the abyss.

He felt an unspeakable urge to gouge those eyes out – a desperate need eviscerate the light in her eyes. He couldn't survive in the light. He, like Wolff, had grown accustomed to the shadows. He had to get rid of her, if only to preserve his own survival in the dark.

Greenaway leaned forward, touching the screen to pause the image on her. "She's the reason why the Goddess won't show…" he breathed. The Goddess only showed when everything seemed lost and all that was left was despair and sorrow. While this girl was alive and wandering the woods whole, there was still hope, and that was simply unacceptable. "She must be eliminated. Now."

"Our sources say that she has hidden some children away as well. I think the Goddess hasn't appeared because there are still kids free. If we get the girl, we get the rest of those kids, and then the Goddess will have to step in."

"She could be anywhere at this juncture. How are we to find her?"

"Kirk stole a communicator off one of the soldiers. I have no doubt that he tore out the GPS tracker in it, but he should be monitoring all communications on our feed. We can use that to lure him out."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Tell me what you did with Kirk's people."

Greenaway gave Wolff a confused look, and Wolff rolled his eyes in response.

"I'm not interested in your tastes, Uncle. I need to know to draw Kirk out. Who did you target the most? Was it Doctor McCoy or Commander Spock?"

"It was the woman." Greenaway smirked. "Those tears of hers are just absolutely delicious."

Wolff grinned back, pulling out his communicator. "Perfect. Tell me all about it."

Thea woke to the feel of someone holding her hand, their thumb making these comforting circles. A small part of her wanted to smile at the sensation – it was a habit that her brother had picked up almost half a year ago, and they both had found comfort in his actions. Even now, when she found herself sleeping on the stone cold ground, it made her feel warm, safe, and loved, despite where they were at the moment. And despite the headache that had been coming and going for weeks now.

Sensing her waking, Liam squeezed her hand briefly as reassurance before letting go, almost reluctantly, so that she could get up. Blearily, she rubbed her eyes as she sat up, pushing the sensation of her headache to the back of her mind where she resolutely ignored it. She felt a weight fall on her lap once she did. Frowning in confusion, she glanced down to see a black leather jacket, far too big to have belonged to any of her kids, lying on her upper thighs.

"Kirk lent it to you sometime during the night. Had it in that backpack of his," Liam said softly as an explanation. "He also had some rations in his bag that he passed out to all of us. He didn't want to wake you, but I'm pretty sure I saw him set one aside for you."

She craned her neck and saw Jim and Chekov near the mouth of the cave, tinkering with the electronics in their hands, completely oblivious to the eyes that watched them from the back of the cave. Both had begun to mutter in Russian to each other, obviously bouncing ideas off each other as they worked.

It was almost fun to watch their fingers flit across the circuit boards and see the sparks fly. Chekov had modified the circuit board so that its origin was almost unrecognizable; Jim, on the other hand, was fixing up something smaller that was about the size of a communicator. It seemed that he had made it completely out of scraps from Chekov's byproducts. Jim really hadn't exaggerated: their caliber of genius was something that people couldn't even begin to think to touch.

"They worked through the night," Liam commented, admiration evident on his face.

Thea looked at him. He had a boyish expression that made him seem like the young teenager he was. His eyes were following everything that Jim and Chekov were doing, soaking in their actions like a sponge. Thea wasn't surprised. He had always had a talent when it came to electronics and math. His grades in school were outstanding and he was in the gifted program before Greenaway ruined everything. If there was anything Thea regretted, her brother missing the chance to take the world by the ropes and wasting his life away in this cave, but there was still hope for him. And that hope was sitting at the mouth of the cave with bright blue eyes.

Jim muttered something to Chekov, making the teenager nod quickly and twist something onto the circuit board. The two of them were so concentrated that they both jolted when the communicator that Jim had left sitting by his side rang and a familiar, hated voice came through.

"Kirk, are you there?" Wolff's voice echoed against the walls of the cave. Luckily, the other children remained fast asleep, huddled in the back besides Thea like newborn puppies. They had a blanket covering them, no doubt pulled from Jim's backpack as well, but Thea was too distracted by Wolff to really take a note of it. She and Liam froze with fear. Had they been discovered?

Jim, on the other hand, straightened as if his spine was made out of steel. Though there was no outside semblance of anger, Chekov noticed a greyish tint enter Jim's normally bright, blue eyes. Jim didn't make a move to grab the communicator to respond, but his eyes were glued on it, as if he could set it on fire by glaring at it.

Wolff continued to talk, despite not being sure if Jim was even listening. "I know you're out there and I know you've stolen a communicator off one of my men. You can hear me, Kirk. I know you can."

Jim still didn't answer and just sat unmoving with his hands clenched in his lap.

Wolff's tone changed and became full of glee. "Who's the girl that you have wandering the woods with you?"

Instantly, Jim shot a look at Thea, worry deep in his eyes, but only for a second. His attention was immediately back onto the communicator, knowing full well that Wolff was far from done.

"I thought you were a gentlemen. I can't believe that you'd let a beautiful girl like her stay with someone as dangerous as you. She will go through such harsh hardships by your side. Just ask your crew. Why, my uncle just informed me that Uhura was even willing to give up her body to stop the beating of your Engineer."

What the hell did Greenaway do to Uhura and Scotty? How dare he touch Uhura and hurt Scotty? Jim just couldn't let that pass. He snatched up the communicator in a second, his finger pressing the button so harshly that he almost cracked it. His snarled response was dripping with anger.

"Wolff, you're going to live to regret touching my crew. Oh wait. No, you won't, because I am going to rip your fucking head off."

Wolff just laughed. "What are you going to do, Kirk? This is chess, and I'm winning. I've got your bishops, knights, and rooks captured in my dungeons, rotting away. All your pawns are stuck in the sky, unable to go anywhere. All you have left in your hand is yourself: the queen. What can you possibly do?"

Jim grinned mirthlessly. "I thought you said that you weren't going to underestimate me, Wolff."

"I won't underestimate you. Let me make you a deal, Kirk. My uncle has a personal interest in that girl that you have with you. Why don't we do a pawn promotion? You give me the girl, and in exchange, I'll return one of your pieces to you."

"First of all, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. What girl?" but even as Jim spoke, his eyes connected to Thea, scanning her for any signs of fear. There was none, just sheer defiance, and Jim felt a surge of pride rush through him. It must've showed on his face because she actually smiled shyly at him.

"Oh, Kirk, at least give me the same courtesy as I give you. Do not insult my intelligence."

"You do you, Wolff. Believe what you want. Secondly, chess games can be won with simply a queen and a pawn, and you know it. You keep saying that you won't underestimate me, but I somehow doubt that. Good luck, Wolff. The next time I see you, it'll be the last thing you ever see. And to my crew, in case they're around you, you sadistic jackass, don't do anything stupid, got it? I'm coming for you." He switched to Vulcan, shoving in as much derision and sarcasm as possible within that structured language. "Live long and be prosperous, you bastard," he finished in Standard. Hopefully, his crew would get the hint.

He slammed his hand against the communicator, hanging up on Wolff.

He glanced up at Chekov who had kept quiet through the entirety of the conversation. "You about done with that amplifier there, Chekov?" he asked, his voice hard with lingering anger. "We're speeding up our timetable."

Chekov just looked at Jim, raising an eyebrow. "Keptin, are you sure that is vise?"

"You channeling Spock there, Chekov?"

"Are you channeling Dr. McCoy, sir? You do not usually let your emotions make your decisions for you."

"He touched Uhura!"

"And ve vill make him pay, but as you have said, ve have a mission to do. You cannot let your emotions rule you. Calm, Keptin. Do not get impatient. Ve vill save everyone, I promise."

Chekov's warm smile was contagious and Jim felt his anger subside quickly, like it had been doused with water. He never could argue against logic. It was why Spock won their arguments almost all the time. He gave Chekov a small smile. "When did you become the voice of reason?" he asked.

Chekov shrugged. "Someone has to be."

Jim ruffled Chekov's hair proudly. "I'm glad I have you with me, kid."

"You can't win against Wolff and Greenaway with just the two of you, Jim. You should know that," Thea said, getting up and approaching them. Liam followed her like a shadow.

"You're very pessimistic, has anyone ever told you that, Thea?" Jim quipped.

She crossed her arms, unamused. "I'm a realist. Now, clearly, you and Wolff are playing a game of chess. He's right, you know. You can't win if you're the only piece on the board."

"I'm not. If that was the case, you would be right, but you can win a game with just a queen and a pawn. I wasn't lying about that. It's difficult, but not impossible."

"Volff won't give in so easily. He knows not to underestimate you, Keptin," Chekov said.

"Ah, but that's what I'm counting on."

Chekov was not the only one that was confused.

Thea frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You see, it's not me that he's underestimating. He keeps thinking that I'm the queen in this game, but Chekov here is my queen."

Chekov instantly blushed. "Keptin!" he said out in protest.

Jim chuckled before growing more somber. "Look, Wolff isn't someone I can underestimate either. He has won every time thus far and has been one step ahead of me since the very beginning, but the fact that Wolff doesn't know about all the cards I hold in my hand is that paper-thin advantage that will allow me to win in the end."

"Fine, if Chekov here is your queen, what are you then?" asked Thea, honestly curious.

Jim stood, not meeting anyone's eye. "I'm just a pawn in this game," he replied as he patted the dust off his black pants.

His words were aloof and it made Chekov extremely nervous. There was something deeper behind that; Jim sounded deprecating and yet, at the same time, nonchalant. Chekov recognized that tone. He couldn't place it, but he knew that he had to be cautious. God knew how many demons Jim had hidden under that cocky smile of his, and he fought with them every day. With all that was going on, it seemed like Jim was having a harder and harder time pushing them back. His smiles were becoming strained, his words clipped. Though he never outright showed his restlessness and anxiousness, if Chekov could see the cracks in Jim's mask, then that couldn't mean anything good. And since Dr. McCoy wasn't here, Chekov had to make sure Jim was alright, physically and mentally, in place of the doctor.

Thea just smiled, not even noticing the red-flag waving in front of her face. She wasn't to blame though. Jim could fool his own reflection and she had already fallen under her spell. She would never be able to see any of Jim's weaknesses or vulnerabilities, if only because Jim would never let her see them.

Thea placed her hands on her hips. "You, the narcissistic peacock, are just a pawn? I don't believe it. I thought you would have claimed to be King or something."

Jim laughed, "I have my moments."

But Chekov knew better. Jim would never be King. He could never let others sacrifice themselves for him; that was obvious from the very first day he stepped onto the Bridge as Captain. Hell, that was obvious from the very first time he walked onto the Enterprise as a stowaway Cadet. He could never be the weakest piece on the board either. He would be on the front lines, just ready to throw away himself to make way for the other pieces to break through and reach victory. No, Jim truly believed that he was a pawn. But to Chekov, Jim was his King, and if he was the Queen in this game, then he was sure as hell going to protect the one piece that he and all the others had gathered onto the board for.

Chekov glanced down at the amplifier in his lap and made one last tweak. He had meant to wait before telling Jim that he had finished; he wanted to test and make sure that he had made no mistakes, but now was not the time to lack confidence in himself. Jim wanted to speed up their schedule; Chekov would oblige, if only to give Jim a peace of mind a moment earlier.

"Keptin, the amplifier is ready."

Jim turned and flashed Chekov a proud smile. "Perfect. I'm about done on my end," he said. He slipped the electronic he was working on into his pocket. "You ready to get this show on the road, Chekov?"

"Yes, sir!"

"And Thea, Liam, you ready to get your life back?"

Thea reached over and held Liam's hand. "He is," she grinned back.

"Done deal." Jim reached down and shouldered his backpack. As he straightened, he patted Chekov on the shoulder. "Hang on to that," he nodded to Chekov's amplifier. "We'll use it soon."

He turned to Thea. "You guys stay here for now. I'm going to show Chekov the castle. We shouldn't be long, but since Wolff knows about you, I need you to stay low for a bit, Thea. Don't leave this cave for a second, alright?"

Thea nodded. "How did he find out about me? I was careful to avoid being seen."

Jim shrugged. "There must've been some sort of surveillance still operational."

"You think they know where we're hiding? Are my kids in danger?"

"No, if they knew we were here, they would've stormed it ages ago. It'll be fine, Thea. I'll keep your kids safe. Just stay in this cave until we get back, okay?"

"Alright," Thea agreed. "Be safe, you two, and may the Goddess watch over you."

Jim just nodded tersely as a response and patted Chekov on the shoulder. They both silently exited the cave and disappeared out of view.

Everything was going according to plan and Jim was right on point, time-wise. For a brief second, Jim thought that he would actually succeed without losing anything, but he should've known better. It was any Kirk's fate: death, blood, and destruction followed Kirks wherever they went, leaving behind a wake of loss and sorrow.

He really should've known better. If he had, then perhaps things wouldn't have turned out the way they did: broken.

To be continued...

Um...I'm still alive? Sorry I haven't been updating either of my stories. I have been writing, but at one point, I had some personal issues I was going through and I ended up taking a break from everything for a bit and literally didn't write more than like two sentences per each time I sat down to write. But I'm back now and I am super close to posting up the next chapter for Ingenious Idiot and I almost done with the next chapter of this story. Hopefully, cuz I'm back in school, I'll find more time to write more and faster. So I'm sorry again for not posting as often as I should and thank you all for all the encouraging words and support! I do read all your reviews and they warm the cockles of my heart. :)

Love you all! Thank you!

Cheers,

Kanae Yuna