AN: Usual disclaimer, the rights to Star Trek etc. belong to someone else. The entire

story is complete on my PC, and I'll try to load up a new chapter every few days.

Please read and review – constructive feedback will help me finalise the remaining

chapters.

Chapter 14

Nearly three days had passed since Freedan had sent his message, and he waited expectantly in his office. With the door firmly closed, the noise from the tunnels dimmed to low muffles. Sat at his desk, he observed the reflective gaze of his next client as they peered back at him from the screen. Having been hastily summoned, the Perpetuan was hiding his desperation with a cocksure sales pitch.

Freedan continued, 'I can do it, I've done it before and will be ready to leave in-'

The unidentified being chortled before interrupting, 'I can wait. You're not as necessary to my plans as once thought. In fact I may not need you...'.

Freedan's grin dropped as he leaned closer to the terminal. 'What do you mean? We had a deal...' He challenged.

'Things change', hissed the stranger. 'You think I have not heard about your latest activities. Why would I need that kind of attention. Do not contact me again', and he coolly ended to call.

Freedan slumped back into his seat, he needed the funds offered by that venture. Without it, his funds would dwindle far quicker than expected. Now that he was currently the most wanted man in the region, money would grease the palms of those who could assure his anonymity.

'Fucking dammit' he wailed, smashing his fists down on the terminal rendering it useless.

'You really do need to learn to control your temper...'

Scowling at the sight in front of him, he snapped, 'what are you doing here?'

'You thought I had abandoned you?' Samson sat opposite Freedan. She purposefully scanned over his desk.

'Shouldn't you be in some holding cell tried as my accomplice...' He frostily replied.

She triumphantly handled the dagger laid on his desk, idly admiring the metalwork 'seems that you framed me to stop the best person on Irin's staff from going after you...naughty naughty cousin...' She tut tutted under her breath 'I'm free to resume the search for you, the sunstones and Captain Kirk, in that order'.

'In that case, shouldn't you be searching elsewhere? snatching the weapon from her hands. Standing to attention he hungrily eyed the well stocked bar. Striding over, there was no intention of being a hospitable host. With a sneer, his glass rose in a mock toast to Samson's presence before swiftly downing the unidentified liquid.

Suppressing her irritation, 'Starfleet will never renege on their no negotiations with kidnappers. Are you really surprised they've ignored your demands'. She coasted to his side and grasped his forearm, berating him was not going to resolve anything. Softening her tone, 'we are going to have to shelve the plans for the sunstones...for now. There is too much attention'. Freedan angrily shrugged out of her reach, nevertheless she continued 'Leave Perpetous, once you're gone I'll release Captain Kirk...'

Freedan's grip increased around his glass, small stress fractures snaked from his fingers 'No!' He yelled. Unlike Samson, he lived for the moment, spending as he pleased amassing his vast collection of weapons. There were no savings he could fall back on, the Sunstones had to be sold for him to even have a remote chance of survival. 'We will sell the sunstones as planned. When I leave Kirk comes too!'

Samson's faux smile barely reached her eyes. She would have to tread carefully; there was no way she was going to allow that to happen.

'What of the Vulcan?' She coyly asked hoping to distract him.

'What indeed?' Freedan's fickle mood swinging to the sinister. 'As far as Starfleet is concerned he's dead.' Realisation of what that meant hit him. Cocking his head to the side, 'I wonder if he wants to play...'

Spock would be useful distraction for Freedan, and nobody was looking for him. Part way out the door, Samson warned 'have your men show some restraint...Shyloh almost didn't make it...'

Uhura was ashamed to admit she had spent the best part of the week avoiding Christine Chapel. Although she had immediately gone to see Christine once Scotty broke the news about Spock, she had all but ignored her since then.

Holed up in her quarters she sat crossed legged on the bed, her forefinger hovered over the last piece of code that would permit her access to Samson's comms terminal. Four years with Kirk had taught her a thing or two about computer programming, and 11 days after his disappearance she was about to put those skills into action. Once active, the program would serve two purposes; she would see real time activities, and it would be to seek out anything 'sunstone', 'Kirk or 'Freedan' related. An amazing number of Starfleet regulations were about to be broken, if caught the fallout would be unthinkable. However, she had to do something. No news was not good news. The number of pitying looks she received each day increasing. He is still alive! She wanted to holler as her hand dropped to her belly nearly 12 weeks pregnant she whispered to herself.

Outside the Enterprise Perpetous was in view. Conveniently, Scotty had discovered a fault with the warp coils. 'What were the bloody odds of that happening?' He had told a frustrated Admiral Routledge during a heated briefing. In response, the crew were told in no uncertain terms to remain away from the investigation and away from Samson. 'On my life I didn't do anything!' Scotty exclaimed when McCoy jovially slapped him on the shoulder. He was absolutely adamant he had nothing to do with their current mooring. At once she pressed enter, and almost immediately Samson's screen appeared. Words on screen in a ghostly manner as her quarry typed up her latest report. Resolute about her decision, she shut down her PADD in order to prepare for the working day. If anything were discovered she would automatically be alerted.

'Time to let people know you're still alive...' Freedan manhandled a gagged and restrained Kirk into a shuttle. He had no intention of going anywhere, it would serve as a prop in his next demand. He thrust a filthy Kirk onto a bunk, the blue eyes now tinged red. Freedan had already gone into great detail what he would do to Kirk if he so much as sneezed. To be sure, he extracted a vial and plunged a needle into the clear liquid. As he approached Kirk, he weighed up just how much to give him - too much would knock him out, too little and he'd be too much of a liability. A little thrill coursed through him as he watched Kirk's eyes grow wider. There was little resistance as the needle sunk into Kirk's neck.

The next time Kirk tried to move, his body refused to respond. Sit up, charge, do anything. Whenever he blinked, the lights from the display panel hazily flared out towards him. He understood the message was for Starfleet and Freedan attempting to barter for his freedom, but it made no sense; they both knew Starfleet would never negotiate so why bother?

Freedan glanced over at Kirk, noting he was impassive and calm. However, he knew the captain was trying to fight the effects of the paralytic, most people did. Recording completed, he confidently approached Kirk to began a one sided conversation.

'This makes no sense right? Why send demands that Starfleet will ignore. Well, they might ignore them but eventually Irin won't. He will do whatever it takes to get the Sunstones back...' Nothing, no reaction from Kirk. He was almost disappointed. 'Two more days and then we'll go on a real trip...' Still no reaction. 'Your woman is very spirited...' There, a slight change in Kirk's demeanour, those eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Freedan wilfully continued 'so fragile, one kick and she was down. Admittedly, I didn't see her...' He smirked at the confusion registering on Kirk's features. 'Oh, you don't know...' he knelt down and intimately whispered into Kirk's ear 'ask yourself where was she that day of the intervention when Kulj'ita stepped into help...I kind of broke her, like I will eventually break you...' His hideous smile hiding the cruel things he longed to do to the man who had ruined everything for him.

Back on the ship, Uhura commandeered a terminal in the far corner of her lab. Back to the wall, nobody would catch her mid snoop. It had been a discouraging few hours reading through Samson's files. Nothing of importance stood out. She sighed heavily, all she needed was a crumb...that one thing which would lead her to the ultimate goal.

Getta approached excitedly, 'I, that is Behan and I have something...' He had been a different person since Kirk's kidnapping, attentive and championing the return of Kirk. Through his actions, he had begrudgingly earned her respect for his unwavering support.

'Ok...' So far everything else he had thought was something turned out to be nothing. So she was not optimistic in the slightest.

'You were right about Freedan's message. It sounded like he was in a vacuum, because he was in a vacuum...there was no interference, no humming of engines, nothing, because he was stationary...'

'That still doesn't tell me where to find the Captain...or the Sunstones'

'Oh but it does. Every journey leaves a footprint on every comms. Likewise every planet's atmospheric construction leaves some sort of microscopic interference', she looked at him, slowly blinking. He was telling her stuff she already knew. 'His ransom demand and previous comms messages we intercepted all have the same anomaly - the absence of interference, almost like he's cloaked. The day of the message about the stones going missing he was planetside. There was no record of him leaving...'

Unexpectedly she embraced Getta. Her slender frame, pressed into his. Not knowing what to do with his arms, he limply returned the gesture. Freedan must still be on Perpetous, and maybe Kirk was too. She had her crumb, she needed to reprogram her program to look for any comms on Samson's terminal and PADDs that had that anomaly. It would prove she was still be in contact with Freedan. Abruptly a cough interrupted, and they awkwardly parted as McCoy eyed them up.

'It's not what you think...', she said accompanying McCoy to the mess hall. It was the only way he could be sure she was properly eating.

'I don't think anything sweetheart...' She rolled her eyes at his statement waiting for the follow up. 'But, others might not be as enlightened as me...' He gestured ladies first as they entered the busy hall. Just gone 1330, it was lunchtime. Following her to a table he signalled for service and ordered for the pair of them. As they got comfortable, he observed her fidgeting with the cutlery. There was no point asking if she was alright, she would simply avoid the question. Soon a waiter appeared with two bowls of tomato soup, and some bread.

'Getta told me Freedan and possibly Jim are still somewhere down on the planet...' She watched intently, waiting for a reaction.

Mid way through spooning soup into his mouth, the utensil hung in the air, hot liquid falling back into the bowl 'Jesus Christ! What you doing here with me. You need to tell someone!' He shouted at her, several crew members stopping to observe the excitement.

Imploring him to keep it down, 'It's circumstantial evidence...I'm working on it. If Admiral Routledge is going to act she'll need to be 100% convinced...' It pained her to wait, knowing that Kirk was much closer than she had ever thought.

'Ok then...', he gave a reassuring squeeze to her hand. 'Have you seen Christine recently?'

'No'

'Why not?'

'I've been busy...' Her tone indicating she no longer want to talk about the subject.

'She lost her husband. Someone who was once very close to you...'

She sighed, 'I don't know what to say...' They were both struggling in their own way.

'Just be there for her...I doubt she's expecting anything more than that'

Uhura softly whispered, 'I'll go see her when we're done here...' wondering if that was his ploy all along.

Outside Christine and Spock's quarters she pressed the buzzer. McCoy long since parting. A few minutes passed, maybe she's sleeping Uhura thought, turning away. The whoosh of the opening door, they stood face to face, united in grief. A sorrowful smile admitted Uhura, neither exchanged any greetings. On the centre table Spock's lamp burning brightly in the dimly lit room.

'Commander Uhura...' Christine eventually said breaking the silence. Though friendly, they were not friends. She listfully crept back into her bed.

Uhura quietly stood, unsure what to do or what to say. So remained silent.

'I still feel him, you know, right here...' Christine pointed to her chest, then slowly to her head. 'Am I going mad? People think I am. But I know what I feel...' Her voice weak and far away. 'Was it like this with you, when you were bonded?' A sharp intake of breath, Uhura felt like she'd been slapped. A topic they had never broached, they shared the same unique experience.

'Yes, I could always feel him. Except when our bond was severed...' Her voice drifted, a painful memory recalled. She knelt beside the bed and looked at Christine. For the first time actually seeing the grieving widow. A shadow of her former self, her eyes puffy from crying. Uhura gently placed her cool hand on Christine's to comfort her. 'Does the strength of the bond still feel as strong as normal, you know, before...?' She fought to keep her tone neutral, yet wanting confirmation.

'Yes. Dr McCoy says its my way of dealing with this' the green eyes locked onto hers, she sniffed it was clear she was fighting hard not to cry.

Uhura sat back on her heels, her heart racing. Stupid stupid stupid! The bond, unbreakable unless someone died. She needed Christine to consent to MRIs, but if they showed what she suspected...

'I need to go...but I will be back. Promise'. Uhura hurriedly laid a chaste kiss on Christine's cheek before leaving.

In the corridor, she smacked her insignia summoning McCoy. 'I need you to get a scan of Christine's brain...' She rattled off at him before he even had a chance to acknowledge her. Initially unwilling without a valid medical reason, he relented when she explained her theory.

'It's a hell of a long shot, Nyota' he hesitated before continuing 'are you sure you're not transferring...?'

Retort ready for his question, she received notification of a large file delivered to Samson. Too large to be an ordinary report, it was flagged urgent and important. Distracted, 'there's something I need to do...Uhura out'. Sprinting back to her quarters, she needed absolute privacy. She dodged and weaved through chatting personnel. Slipping into a free turbo lift, she wondered what it could be.

Grabbing her PADD she flopped onto the bed, accessing the file it had been sent directly to Irin and his security detail, namely Samson and several others. Cupping her mouth in shock, she ignored the ramblings of Freedan and zoomed in on Kirk - proof that he was alive. For ages she stared unable to process any thoughts. He looked terrible but definitely alive. Scrutinising every frame, only after the third viewing she checked the origins. Nothing, a void. Same place as before. Galvanised into action, she sprung off the bed. The recording would need to be forensically examined, bit by bit, scene by scene. There had to be something that pointed to where he might be. She forwarded the file to her terminal in the lab. Later that night once everyone was asleep she would begin her work.

Earlier that same day Shyloh stiffly shuffled out of bed, the sunlight streaming into her room had awoken her. Over the last few hours doctor's had decreased the medication keeping her in a medically induced coma. Door open, people wondered by going about the normal duties in the hospital. Looking over her chart, the last examination revealed she was healing nicely, the staff no doubt paid off or threatened by Samson; there was no way her injuries could have been caused by rock fall, her records falsified to appear authentic. Draped over a chair some clothes waited. Swaying as she moved, her hand explored the bandage wrapped around her head, bandana like, it kept her waist length blond mane from matting too badly. No longer in a trademark braid, it freely swished matching her motion. She approached the door and carefully closed it. Calculating she had limited time, the gown fell to the floor to be replaced by the ill fitting garments. Her phaser and dagger had been taken along with her communicator, no matter, she would acquire replacements she was resourceful. It was time to leave, get far away from the hospital. But first she needed to complete a small task. Fury blazed within, she would have her revenge.