Ty's hand jumped as sparks hit him and he swore loudly, shaking his hand to get some feeling back into it. "What happened?" an engineer asked, turning to look at the young man. Ty grinned sheepishly, "I forgot to monitor the power levels." The man laughed, and knelt to inspect the injury. "Aw that's nothin." he said, standing back up, "But you're bein called." he pointed to the wall where the intercom lights were flashing. Ty got up from his knees and went over to the speaker, "Tiberius Kirk here." It was his mother on the other end, "Ty, you're sisters are ready to leave...where are you?" Ty put a hand over his eyes, he'd completely forgotten. "Sorry, Mother. I got caught up with something in engineering." Ana mimicked her sons action, this is clearly where he got it from. "I see...Can you finish up and get to my room?" Ty grumbled a response, "What was that?" He sighed, "Yes mother."
Turning off the intercom, Ana went to the window and crossed her arms, watching the stars flicker. Jim had said he was on his way to pick her up, that he had a surprise waiting. She had no idea what he could possibly think was worth giving her that she didn't already have. A son heading for the Eldarian academy, two daughters that were coming into their beauty, and an Admiral for a husband.
An Admiral...she smiled at the thought. Jim had been promoted only a year ago, and given command of the Station. The reasons why were unclear to her, but she had a feeling that it had to do with her own experiences with the slash in space that she saw outside her window. She knew what was through that split, another universe, so similar to their own and yet so vastly different. She remembered the people she'd met there...then again, she'd met them before in her own time. This not only went to another universe, but back in time. It was almost as though the cosmos were writing a great story, and she was the character being rewritten. Shaking her head at the thought, she turned away from the window and sat at her husbands desk. He'd run the station just like a starship, keeping the crew on their feet; that was until he had gotten whiff of the Federation sending the Enterprise after something that was eating up ships on a path to Earth.
Ty entered the room, his face a mask. "Ty, what's wrong?" she asked, but he ignored her. Just went about his task of packing the clothes she'd piled on her bed. Tossing his bag onto the bed, he began throwing the clothes into it haphazardly. "Ty, tell me." she said, moving to stand next to him. "It's nothing, Mother." he said, keeping his face diverted from her. Aggravated now, she grabbed his arm and made him look at her, "Tiberius. Something is bothering you, tell me." he watched her face for a moment, then slumped in defeat, "I don't want to go with Ethan." he whined, and she let him go. He stopped throwing stuff around, and she smiled, "Is that all?" he shook his head and plopped on the bed next to the diminished pile of clothes. "No..." he stuck out his lower lip in a pout and folded his arms across his chest. "Ethan's always been the smarter one, the better one." she chuckled and put an arm around her boy, "You know that's not true." he shook his head, "No Momma! It is true, everyone's always been talking about how smart Ethan is and how brave he is..." Ana put a hand over her sons mouth and made him look at her, "Ethan's had a different life than you. He had to fight off an invasion when he was six years old, and you?" Ty closed his eyes and looked away, "I brought my family back home..." Ana grinned, "See? Isn't that something?" he shook his head again, "No, Momma. Anyone could have figured that out." Ana sighed and put her head in her hands, "What do you want me to say, Ty?" he didn't say anything, just stared out the window. She looked at him, then knelt in front of him, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Whatever you may think about people comparing you to Ethan, Ty, I want you to understand one thing very clearly." he nodded, knowing his mother was serious, "You are Tiberius Spock Kirk, son of Admiral James Tiberius Kirk and High Rear Admiral Analise Vloomre Kirk, Prince and Princess of Eldaria. You were taught sciences by Spock, first officer of the Federation flagship, Enterprise. You were taught the tricks of engineering by Montgomery Scott, chief Engineer of that same ship. While you may think that Ethan is the smarter one, trust me, you have just an awesome a pedigree as he." Ty was staring at her in surprise, "But what about fighting? Ethan's been taught by Uncle Kendrick, you know what he looks like!" Ana laughed aloud, a deep hearty laugh that she usually shared with Jim, "Oh Ty...there is so much you don't know." she patted his knee and stood up, "Finish packing." Ty was curious now, "Momma? What did you mean?" she smiled, remembering something, "You really want to know?" he nodded emphatically. She bent to look him in the eye, "Then finish packing."
Ty went about the task, while Ana returned to the paperwork she'd been working on...for three days. She'd just been so distracted lately, with getting her children off on their next adventure, that things around the station didn't appear to seem important. "Done!" Ty announced, standing expectantly at the desk. She looked up at him, and brushed a hand through her hair. "You really want to know?" Ty nodded, even more enthusiastically this time. "Then go to the Academy." Ty's nine year old eyes widened, "Momma!" he groaned, she chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll learn it at the Academy." the door opened, and in rushed Ana's two other children. "Momma!" Amanda cried, and flung herself at her mother, "Momma, when is Ethan going to be here?" Ana smiled broadly and lifted the girl onto her lap. "He'll be here soon enough," she said kissing the girls hair. Moria climbed onto the desk, sitting down with her legs swinging. Ana sighed as papers went flying onto the floor, this one would always be trouble. "I don't see why we have to go anywhere." Ana looked pointedly at her eldest daughter, "You know why you have to go, Moria. Both your father and I want you to know a home other than a starship." Moria's face fell in a mock pout, "But we were born on a starship!" Ana laughed and leaned back in her seat, Amanda laying her head against her mothers shoulder. "Ria, sweetheart, you don't need to remind me that you were born on a starship. All three of you were," she looked around her at them, "And you don't need to remind me that your first years were aboard one either. But both your father and I want you to know the homes that we love."
The intercom beeped and Ana patted Amanda off her lap, "I'm coming." she said to no one in particular, then accepted the call, "Ana here." it was the shuttle deck, "Approaching shuttle craft from the Hunter, Admiral." Ana looked at her children, "I see. We're on our way." closing the channel, she folded her arms and looked at them, "Well? Are you ready?" Ty glanced at his sisters, then shrugged, "If I have to be." Ana raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Well then, shall we?" Ty grabbed his bag from the bed, while the girls picked up their packs from where they discarded them earlier. The group exited the room, and went to greet their relative.
Ethan Charles Vloomre was an eighteen year old with his mother gentle features and his fathers towering build. He'd already received many commendations as a lieutenant on the reclaimed Eldarian vessel the Hunter, and was on the fast track of becoming a captain. This trip was his vacation, one that he had been looking forward to for some time. He was looking forward to reuniting with his only male cousin, Tiberius, and forming something of a friendship. They were the offspring of the two Vloomre children, they had to stick together. As his shuttle docked, he flipped some remaining switches and turned the engines off. He'd become a fair pilot, under the tutelage of his uncle, Porter Hanserack, and knew his way around a bar thanks to the same man, although he doubted he would mention that.
Her opened the main doors and exited the shuttle, looking up to see Moria and Amanda rushing at him, arms open. "Ethan!" they shouted, and he bent from his six and a half foot build to embrace them. "Oh, it's good to see you!" he said, looking over their heads to his aunt, "Aunt Analise." he said, straightening and letting them go. Ana stepped forward and embraced her nephew, now a full foot above her. "Ethan...why so formal?" he smiled, "Father told me too. Said he'd have my tongue ripped out if I didn't obey him." Ana laughed, and grabbed his arm, "Well forget what he said, Aunt Ana will work just fine." she looked over her shoulder at her son, standing apart from the group, watching them carefully. Shaking her head, she turned back to Ethan, "If Kenny gives you any trouble, just remind him of Hlaothy." Ethan's brow wrinkled, "What happened there?" Ana smiled, and stepped out of his hug. Ethan waved at his cousin. "Hi Ty." the boy waved back at him, halfheartedly. "How long do you have until you leave?" Ana asked, watching the ensigns load her children's luggage. Ethan shrugged, "The latest from home says that there's a meteor shower happening right now, and should last through the next hour. We can wait until it's over to get going." Ana smiled, "Well then, I think you deserve a good meal before you leave, don't you?" Ethan nodded and grabbed Amanda around her shoulders and took Moria's hand, "Lead the way!" Ana looked at Ty, "You coming?" he watched Ethan walk out the door with his sisters, then walked up to his mother, "See what I mean? As soon as he gets here...." Ana gripped his shoulder and walked him out of the shuttle bay, "Down boy. You'll get your chance to show off soon enough." Ty looked up at her, "When?" she smiled, and followed her daughters to the holodeck.
She went to the computer panel, "Computer, begin program Admiral James Kirk 15." The computer beeped and the doors opened, revealing a secluded cove on the beach, with the Golden Gate bridge in the distance. Ethan glanced at his aunt, then walked inside, followed by the girls. Ty looked up a this mother, "What is this place?" A soft look came over her face as she thought about it, "This is a special place for me and your father." they stepped inside and the doors closed, the entire cliff face now visible. The sun was just beginning to set, and the tide was steady, the sand soft beneath her feet and the sound of the water soothing her aching soul. The program included a small picnic basket, a bottle of wine and later, moonlight. Ana cleared her throat, "Computer, replace usual picnic with larger meal of the backyard barbeque." the romantic scene disappeared, and was replaced by platters of hamburgers, chicken breasts and vegetable kabobs. A pitcher of a fizzing drink and several glasses appeared on a blanket large enough to hold them all. Moria squealed with delight and hurried over to the food, Amanda and Ty followed her quickly, while Ethan hung back, "I don't recognize this food." Ana looked at him, then continued walking, "They're called hamburgers, and yes you will like them." Ethan matched her pace, "Cow meat?" Ana smiled again, and turned to look at him, "Yes, and very delicious when cooked right." Ethan gave her a look, and she laughed, "I told you to trust me." Ethan shrugged and sat down, letting Amanda pile a plate full of food and put it in his lap. Ana sat sideways,tugging her feet underneath herself and picked up a chicken breast, "Are you taking any senior classes at the academy?" she asked Ethan as he sniffed the burger on his plate. He looked up at her surprised, "Not really, I am going to assist the battlemaster with a few of his classes, but other than that, I'm just preparing to go to the Federation." Ana nibbled on her food and nodded, letting them talk amongst themselves, and watching the waves.
Jim had created this program as a retreat for the two of them and had modeled it after the small cove where they'd watched their first sunset. It was a bittersweet thought, but she smiled nonetheless. It had been this same cove that he'd brought her to for their one year anniversary, the very spot where her children sat now. 'Well, not the very spot' she thought to herself, taking a drink, 'but damn close.' she closed her eyes, lost in the memories of that night, and the sunrise that greeted them as they lay in eachother's arms. "Have I told you how beautiful you are...."
"...Ana?" she shook her head and blinked at her nephew, "Yes?" Ethan smiled sadly at her, "It's time for us to leave." she looked at her children, then back at him, "Alright. I'll say goodbye here...that way you won't be embarrassed." the group stood, and Ana hugged her youngest first. "Oh, my little minnow. I'm going to miss you." she whispered, holding the seven year old close. Moria came over, a small tear running down her cheek, "What's this? Tears?" Ana wiped it away with a finger, then kissed the spot where it had been on Moria's face, "Don't cry, my little Ria. You're strong...and smart. You go show the children of those Eldarian nobles I once knew just what a you can do." Moria nodded, and took her sisters hand, walking back to where the doors should be. Ana stood and said farewell to Ethan next, then called for the doors. When the three had exited, she turned to her eldest and folded her arms, looking him in the eye. Ty watched his mother think a lot of things, he knew what was going through her mind, 'I love you, I'll miss you, be smart, come back a better man...' He stepped forward and hugged her tightly, "I'll miss you too." she smiled, and wrapped her arms around him. "Remember what I said earlier, Ty. Because I'm going to need you to do something for me." Ty's eyebrows knit together, "What is that?" Ana took a deep breath and explained, "When I married your father, there were some amongst our people that were against it, thinking that someone of royal blood shouldn't have 'muddied the waters'." Ty knew that, he'd never really forgotten the things that the madman Joshua Harssed had called him.
"There has been no resistance to your admittance, thankfully, but I'm sure there will be some students there who've heard their parents speak about your father, and might use it against you and your sisters. I need you to be their protector, Tiberius, just as you were two years ago. They will need you to be strong, and not get into trouble." she looked into his eyes, as serious as she could be, "There are many insults they will say to you about me. I want you to be bigger than that. Can you promise me that?" Ty watched the pain in her eyes, it hurt her so much that her children couldn't be as easily accepted among their people. He nuzzled his head into her shoulder, "I promise, Mother." she pulled him back and planted a kiss on his forehead, something he hadn't let her do in a long time. "I will miss you, my little warrior." she tried to smile, but it was difficult. The academy was ten years long...and to only see her son on the holiday breaks...it was almost more than she thought she could take. "Computer, exit." she called, turning away from him and waiting as he walked past. He left the deck, but before the doors closed again, he turned to look back at her, "I love you, Momma."
The doors closed again, and the program restarted. She fell to her knees, silent sobs racking her body as she listened to the waves. Burying her head in the blanket, she closed her eyes tightly and let her emotions take over. She didn't know how long she stayed like that, sobbing into the blanket where she'd spent her last moments with her children, her arms wanting to hold them one more time. Finally sitting up, she brought her knees to her chest and watched to waves crash against the shore. She was oblivious to everything except the water, the rush and pull of the air and it followed, the stars appearing overhead as night fell. "Oh Jim...how I wish you were here." she said to nothing, "You'd be so proud of him. He's got your pride..."
"And your stubbornness." she hadn't heard the doors open, but she knew who it was. Turning on her seat, she looked over her shoulder and saw him, illuminated against the cliffs. His hands were on his hips, legs spread and head bent enough to catch her eyes. "Jim!" she said excitedly, getting to her knees before he got to her. He held her tightly to him, kissing her neck, cheek and finally her mouth. "Oh I've missed you." he said, pulling back just enough to rest his forehead against hers. She chuckled, "I thought that was my line." he smiled, and lay down on the blanket, pulling her with him. She laid her head on his shoulder, her hand playing on his chest. "So...tell me! What was it like?" he chuckled, and pulled her on top of him, her hair falling around their faces, tenting them from the outside world, "I'll tell you about it later." with that he leaned up and kissed her furiously. When she pulled away slightly, he sighed and lay his head back on the blanket, "I had slightly different ideas as to what I would do first when I got back." she giggled and slipped off of him and went to the waters edge. She heard him let out his breath, then stand and come to her, wrapping his arms around her and leaning his head on her shoulder. "I saw Ty and the girls as I came in, I said goodbye." She smiled, and put a hand over one of his, "That's good." she leaned back against him, "I'm going to miss them." she whispered, "Then my surprise might help a lot." he said, turning her to look her in the eye, "I've been given back the Enterprise." He sounded like a boy who'd been given exactly what he wanted for Christmas; her eyes widened, "What? How..." he chuckled, "Don't ask 'how' I'd rather have you asking 'when'." he winked at her, and she shook her head, "When do you leave again?" he drew his chin in to his chest, "What makes you think I'm leaving you again?" She was confused, "I've been in charge of the Station..." he shook his head, "That command has been given to someone else; Ana...I want you with me." he put hand on her cheek, "we can explore the stars again."
Her eyes were glistening in the simulated moonlight. "The stars?" He smiled, knowing he'd caught the one thing that she couldn't resist. "The stars..." he said again, his voice softer. His thumb traced her lips, and he leaned in again, "the stars..." she was hooked, and he knew it. "Just you, me and the Enterprise." She laid her head against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist, "Well...when you put it that way....it's rather hard to refuse." he tightened his grip on her. "Glad you see it that way." she laughed and tapped his shoulder, "You..." she shook her head, not knowing what she wanted to say. He chuckled thickly, "Now...can we get to that other thing I wanted to do?"
(Later That School Year)
"ROLL CALL!" came the shout as Ty was waking up. He glanced at the clock sitting on the side table, then groaned. It was 5 am, way to early for roll call. The shout came again, and he rolled out onto his side, but miscalculated where he was and fell to the floor with a thud. "Ugh." he grunted, holding his head where it had clipped the side table. His bunk-mate started laughing, "Was that an Eldarian 'ow' or a human one?" Ty grabbed his shoe and chucked it at him. "Shut up, Matthias." Matthias Childs just kept chuckling as he got dressed, and tossed the shoe back to Ty. "Don't worry, Ty. My grandfather is Councilor Childs, a supporter of your mother I was just teasing." Ty grinned at him, and hit his arm playfully as they left their room. It was good to know he had at least one good friend here...
Life had been difficult since he and his sisters had arrived. They'd been received warmly enough by the crew and peoples on the Orbital Station, but he had seen the look an ensign had given them as they'd gone past. Ethan had caught it too, and had pinned the poor kid with a glare before Ty could stop him, "Is there a problem, Ensign?" the boy had looked from the prince to the Kirk children, and said, "Yes." Ethan had grown angry, and reached for the boy, but Ty had grabbed his arm, and pulled him back, "Don't Ethan. We don't want any trouble, it's not worth it." the girls had huddled behind the two cousins, scared that a fight might break out. Ty had looked at the ensign, and said coldly, "Whatever you may think about my family is your business, but I would appreciate it if you wouldn't say anything in front of my sisters." the boys' eyes had widened slightly, either with anger or fear, Ty didn't know, but he had been sure that his sisters had never heard an opposing remark to their existence...
Ty and Matthias exited their building and waited in the predawn light for their names to be called. Matthias was first, then further down the line, Ty. There were a few sniggers as he answered, "Present, Sir." but the commander silenced them quickly. Once the list had been read, the commander stood in front of them, "Today, you will be assigned to your battlemasters, with whom you will train until the end of your stay here at the Academy." Someone to Ty's left said something, but while he didn't hear it, the commander did. "Cadet Amberson, step forward." A burly kid appearing to be a year older than Ty did as he was told, holding his hands behind his back and feet spread, "Cadet, would you mind repeating what you said?" The boy glanced over his shoulder at Ty, and smiled, "I said that it might be best that the human be given a nursemaid instead." A few in the crowd laughed, but Ty said nothing, just looked ahead. The commander nodded, then moved to stand in front of Ty. "Cadet Kirk, would you mind telling Cadet Amberson the name of your mother?" Ty looked up sharply at the commander, then nodded briskly, "Aye, Sir. My mother is Analise Vloomre Kirk, High Rear Admiral of the Eldarian fleet, commander of the Roary Station and Princess of Eldaria." The commander put up his hand to stop him. "Please, Cadet Kirk, just your mothers name, one more time." Ty looked at the man, confused, "Sir?" the commander smiled, "Just do as your told." he said, and Ty complied, "My mother is Analise Vloomre..." before his could continue, he heard the murmurs around him, and stopped. The commander nodded to him, smiling. "Cadet Amberson, would you mind telling Cadet Kirk what his mother has done here?" Amberson was staring at Ty as though Ty could break him in half, "Analise Vloomre was the best battle student in the entire history of the Academy, which dates back to her great grandfather Kendrick the Valiant." Ty's eyes widened, she hadn't told him that. The commander nodded again, "Knowing that, Cadet Amberson, would you like to say anything else about Cadet Kirk?" Abmberson shook his head no, "Good, dismissed to your classes." he reached out and grabbed Ty's shoulder. "Cadet, I with to speak with you privately." Ty returned to standing at parade rest and waited as the small crowd dispersed.
Once alone, the commander looked at him, "You didn't know that about your mother did you?" Ty shook is head, "No sir." The commander smiled, "Walk with me." he said, motioning towards the gymnasium. Ty followed, barely keeping up with the mans long stride. The commander spoke softly as they passed other students, "Tell me Cadet, what do you know about your mothers past? The years before she married your father?" Ty thought a moment, then spoke, "To be honest, sir, I don't believe my mothers really spoken about them. She's mentioned my grandfather, King Charles II, a few times, but that's about it." the commander nodded, thinking. If the Admiral hadn't said anything to her son, then perhaps he'd best not. He swallowed, having made his decision, "Cadet..." they stopped moving as he looked at the boy, "Tiberius, I knew your mother when she was here at the Academy. She was a class ahead of me, but we shared a battlemaster." they were walking inside the building now, and Ty could hear the shouts from cadets as they tried to attack their masters. One door hung open for ventilation, and Ty glanced inside.
His cousin Ethan was wielding a staff against a taller, darker...KLINGON! Ty froze in place as he watched his cousin leap at the Klingon, swinging his weapon wide, but missing entirely as the Klingon stepped out of range, then swept his own staff low, knocking Ethan onto his back, then stood over him, staff held to his throat. "You still hesitate. That will get you killed." Ethan groaned and rolled onto his knees. "So what can I do to stop that?" The master leaned on his staff, glaring at the boy. "Lose all thought, focus only on the fight." Ethan nodded, and got to his feet. The commander grabbed Ty's arm and dragged him down the hall. "Your battlemaster is waiting in the fourth room, here." They stopped at the next room over, and the commander opened the door. Ty stepped inside, and looked around. The room was perfectly spartan in its décor, with a tumbling mat on the center of the floor and different weapons on the walls. There were staffs, swords, maces, flails, throwing knives, throwing stars, and all sorts of other weapons that Ty hadn't seen before. Standing in the right corner, spinning what looked like a knife in his fingers was a particularly ferocious looking Klingon.
Ty looked up at the commander and wrinkled his brow, "He's gonna teach me?" The Klingon laughed, a rough grating laugh that sounded like rocks rubbing together. "I'll teach him," he was speaking to the commander, who nodded respectfully to him, "Thank you. I leave you to it then." Ty swallowed hard as the commander left him alone with the Klingon, who was smiling at him. He motioned to the mat, and Ty obeyed, removing his boots. Standing in the center of it, the Klingon circled him, his hands now wielding a short staff. "What is your name, warrior?" Ty turned his head to look at him, and the staff came against his knees, making him fall. "I asked your name." Ty stood quickly, and folded his hands behind himself the way he'd seen his mother do so often. "I am Tiberius Kirk." the staff came again, whack! Ty gulped as he hit the floor, this was harder than he'd thought. Standing again, he waited, "I asked your name, warrior." Ty watched him circle him carefully, then answered, "My name is Tiberius Kirk." Whack! Ty caught himself from landing on the mat, but he knew that his knees couldn't take much more of this, "What is your name!" Ty swallowed hard, and barked, "Tiberius Kirk." the staff came again,but he jumped and saw the staff come in front of him. Landing, he put the staff under his foot, and looked up triumphantly at his teacher. The Klingon grinned, and lifted the staff and Ty into the air, making him fall hard on his rear. He glared up at the Klingon, but didn't move. His teacher brought the staff to his throat and glared back, "What is your name?" Ty took a deep breath, expanding his chest as far as it could go, then said loudly, "My name is Tiberius Spock Kirk, son of Analise Vloomre Kirk." the staff was lifted, and the Klingon withdrew.
"You are strong, little warrior, but you will break." Ty stood up, brushing his rear. "Somehow I doubt that." the Klingon laughed again, "You are willful, but you will break." Ty glowered at him, and folded his arms tightly, "No, I won't." The Klingon was circling again, "I will break you!" Ty turned with the man, never losing sight of the staff that was now being slapped in the Klingon's hand. "So you are the son of Analise Vloomre." he stopped moving, but Ty stayed alert. "My grandfather taught your mother, and I will teach you everything he taught her, including your name." He tossed the staff to Ty and grabbed for another. "You will know how to fight," he swung at Ty, but the boy blocked easily. The Klingon was surprised, "Very well done, warrior." He started circling again, and Ty followed, turning the staff in his hands. The Klingon swung again, faster then Ty had anticipated, and he fell to his knees. "And when not to." the end of his teachers staff came into his field of vision, "You are the son of Analise Vloomre. I see nothing but honor for you, just as she earned hers." The Klingon knelt and looked Ty in the eye. "You will come to hate me...but I'd prefer it be out of a grudging respect than anything else."
"Moria, would you please come forward?" Moria looked at her sister, a worried look crossing their faces. She stood and walked to the front of the classroom, waiting for the professor to speak. The man was well into his second millenium, and was known amongst the student body as being on of the strictest teachers in the whole school. Moria swallowed hard, and watched his face. The man held up her computer pad that held her homework, the math problems from the night before on the display. He was staring at her, "Moria, would you please explain to the class your answer to problem thirty four?" she sighed inwardly, and took the computer from him; hitting the large display button, she began.
Amanda watched her sister explain the technicality of long division, her heart racing. They'd been so scared that it was something else that the professor had wanted. Their first day in class he had had each student stand and say their names, who their parents were and where they had hailed from...
"Amanda Kirk, Moria Kirk." the teacher had looked at his datapad again, as though he hadn't pronounced the names right. The girls had stood, and cleared Moria her throat. "I am Moria Wynonna Kirk..." she hesitated and Amanda continued, "I am Amanda Shasa Kirk. Our parents are James T and Analise Vloomre Kirk, current commanders of the Roary Station." The students around them started murmuring, the teacher looked at them over his glasses, "Admiral James T Kirk?" they'd glanced at eachother, then nodded. He'd nodded and continued on with the rest of the class, while they'd sat down. Later that afternoon as they were heading home to the castle, one of the boys in class had stopped them, a group of other kids behind him. "So you're the kids of Kirk?" the girls gripped hands together and stiffened their spines. Moria opened her mouth, "You heard us in there." the boy nodded, and folded his arms across his chest. "I've also heard my father say that your father..." he looked a the kids behind him, and grinned evilly, "Your father is 'a swaggering, overbearing, tin plated, dictator with delusions of godhood.'" The kids laughed as the girls swallowed this, but didn't say anything. The boy stopped laughing at stared at them, "What? Nothing to say? Is the human half of you too weak?" Amanda sniffed, and looked at her sister. Moria had inherited their fathers mouth, and their mother's wit, "Is that all?" The boy raised an eyebrow, and another kid chimed in, "My mother said that your father was a denibian slime devil, and deserves to die!" Amanda looked up sharply at that, and Moria took a deep breath, "Really? Your mother said that about the man that saved Eldaria?" the girl who'd spoken shushed quickly, and glared at Moria. The boy who had started it smiled, "Well then...this little girls got a mouth!" Amanda gripped her sisters hand tighter and whispered, "Stop, Ria..." But Moria didn't stop, "Yes...twelve years ago, my father and mother defended the Eldarian Empire against the Gregoran Invasion. Where were your parents?" the boy got mad and grabbed her free arm, "My father...you are nothing but an unwanted child." he threw her arm back and she caught herself from falling. The kids around them laughed, and then the leader grabbed Amanda, "I've always wondered what a human sounded like..." There came a shout from behind the group and the bully dropped his grip on Amanda. Moria looked behind her sister to see their cousin Prince Samuel approaching quickly, "I don't know what you think you're doing, but you'd best get going home now." he said darkly to the bullies. They dispersed, leaving the Kirk girls in the dust as they ran for the hills. Samuel smirked and looked at his cousins, "They didn't hurt you I hope."
Not that things had gotten much better for them, children could be so cruel if they set their minds to it. The boys behind her would routinely pull her braids or put something in their seats. Right now she was sure they would accost them again after school for Moria being called to the front to show her work, but she didn't care. Her sister had been called to show off! As Moria finished, the professor nodded to her, "Thank you, Moria, you may return to your seat." Moria did as she was told, and grinned excitedly at her sister as she walked past. Then grimaced as she heard the snickers behind them, something was coming. "The human show off." said the bully, Morgan. Moria looked at her sister, and sighed silently. "What now?" she thought to Amanda. It was a secret trait amongst Eldarians, when one was close to someone they were related to, they could communicate telepathically in a minor way. A mother, angry at a child could do it, chastising the child privately. Their mother had done so with Ty on multiple occasions, saving her voice for when it was really needed. As twins it was stronger in them, and they'd had many conversations when they were supposed to be asleep, only giving away their trick when they'd started laughing too loud. "I dunno, but keep your ears open." Amanda responded, her eyes scanning words they were supposed to be learning for Spelling. Moria grinned, and responded, "I hate this...I wish we were on the Enterprise." Amanda chuckled mentally, and turned the page, "So do I, but you know what Mother would say." she had a thought, "What if, when we get back to the castle we have Uncle Kenny show us how to create a program in on of the holorooms?" Moria shook her head, "No...it wouldn't be the same." Amanda nodded, and the two went about their work.
Ana raced through the halls of the re-outfitted Enterprise, a small computer pad in her hand. They'd gotten a letter from Ty, and she didn't care if Jim gave her grief. This was important, Ty was about to undergo the Purago, a combat test taken by the cadets to advance into the higher realms of training. She reached the turbolift and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited, and dashed out once the doors opened again. Jim was leaning over the science station with Spock, looking over some readout about the planet they were orbiting. "Jim!" she breathed, a smile spreading on her face. She held up the pad, and looked at him, "It's from Ty." Jim left Spock's side and took the pad from her, everything forgotten as he read the letter from his only son. She watched as he smiled, "He wants us to be there for the fight." he said to her, handing the pad back to her. She nodded, and grabbed his arm, "The Purago doesn't happen for another three weeks, Starfleet hasn't given any other order for us, have they?" he shook his head, and glanced at Spock. Spock looked at his computer screen and nodded, "We can arrive at Eldaria within that time at warp 6 from our current location." Jim turned back to her and his eyes brightened, "Well, then. I should think that after so long on board without shore leave, the crew would welcome a stay on Eldaria." Ana wanted to clap her hands together and shout for joy, but her training, both from Aktuh and her royal breeding stopped her. But she did smile broadly, and let Jim wrap an arm around her waist, "Well then, let's get going!"
Four hours later, all the scientific information that they could possibly gather had been collected and they were setting course for Eldaria. Ana was sitting in her and Jim's shared quarters, finishing off a subspace notice to her brother: "Oh, and Kenny...I'd like to surprise my girls when I arrive...although I doubt that by now that's possible. We'll see you soon." She turned off the recorder and sent the message. She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, staring at the computer screen before her. This was Ty's fourth year at the Academy, and already he was taking the Purago...she could almost not believe it. Cadets didn't take the Purago until their fifth or sixth year, well, most anyway. She knew of one that had taken it in her fourth year, and had gained a scary reputation as the only cadet to beat her batttlemaster. Ana smiled softly as she remembered that fight..
Aktuh had stood, arms crossed and glaring at her. Ana was twelve years old and trying to not shake in her boots. Her master had said she was ready for the fight, and had put her name on the list. The Admiralty had approved it, and so she found herself standing in the middle of the arena, thousands of cadets seated around her, the battlemasters standing on the higher tier, waiting. The Academy Admiral stood in front of the high box where the Admiralty Board watched, "Cadet Vloomre, your battlemaster has called you forward to undergo the Purago. Are you prepared to die?" Ana didn't look up at him, just kept her gaze on her soon to be opponent, and said loudly, "A warrior is always prepared to fight. Prepared to die." Aktuh nodded proudly at her, but she couldn't tell if he was smiling at her or not, but she knew she'd said the right thing. The Admiral glanced behind him at the Board, then said, "Master Aktuh, you may begin your proving." Aktuh stalked forward and grabbed the throwing knife on the table beside him. Spinning it in his fingers, he looked at her, still standing without a weapon and waiting...
The doors opened and Jim walked in, "Finished with your message?" She nodded and smiled at him, "Just sent it." he moved to stand behind her and grabbed her shoulders, "Why are you so nervous?" she leaned her head back to look at him, "Why would I be nervous?" Jim smiled, and turned her chair around so that she was facing him, "Our son's about to undergo the biggest fight of his life, and you say you're not nervous?" Ana smiled,and stood up, pushing him gently out of her way. "Ty's stronger than they think..." she folded her arms and waited by the window. She smiled when he came over to her and held her against him, resting his chin on the top of her head, "Well I am." she chuckled and reached back to scratch his scalp, "I know..." she sighed, "I know." he chuckled also and let his hands roam over her waist, "Jim, I've never been so scared for him in his life." he chuckled, "Why do I doubt that?" she turned to look up at him, "I seem to remember a certain time when he was only six months old and we were trapped on Gamma Trianguli VI, the Enterprise was being dragged into the atmosphere and there was nothing we could do about it." she rolled her eyes, and opened her mouth to speak, but he covered it with his hand, "And then there was the time when he started crawling, walking, wanting to move about the ship..." she punched him playfully on the shoulder, then laid her head against his chest. "I see your point, but this is serious." Jim brought a hand to her hair and ran his fingers through the strands, "He's a smart kid, you've read his reports. Our son could probably outsmart a Romulan commander if he had to." Ana grinned into his shirt, "You think so?" Jim lifted her chin to look her in the eye, "If he's even half as smart as his mother, he can." Ana shook her head at him and put a hand on his cheek, "You're incorrigible, you know that?" he grinned mischievously and grabbed her waist tighter, "Really?" she giggled and tried to push him away, but all she succeed in doing was getting more tangled in his grip. "AH!" she laughed, "Jim, let me go!" they fell laughing onto the bed, his arms still holding her to him. "Uh-uh." he whispered in her ear, his breath teasing the stray locks. She shivered pleasurably and stopped struggling, "I'm not letting you go." his lips brushed the skin just behind her ear, and she turned her head, denying him access to it, "Oh yes you are. I told you to." he smiled, a different look entering his eyes, "Make me." She swallowed, then twisted quickly, putting her hands on his shoulders and straddled his hips. His eyes widened slightly as she grabbed his hands and pinned them above his head, "I said, let me go." as she spoke she lowered her face to merely inches above his, and raised her eyebrows. He grinned, and bucked against her, his right leg bending to flip them both so that he was now on top. "And I said no." she was trying not to giggle, or even move. Her entire body was tingling, she knew what he would do next. His head lowered and he kissed her, letting go of her wrists, "I said no." he whispered as he pulled back, and she smiled, "Well...when you put it that way...I guess I can stick around for a while." He smiled and kissed her again.
The time passed slowly as Ty waited for his chance at the Purago. He was pacing in his room when Matthias came in, coated in sweat. "Hi." Matt muttered, reaching for the towel he kept folded on the shelf in their shared closet. "Just finished my fight training for today, thought I'd take a shower." Ty nodded, ignoring him. Matt smiled ruefully, "You're worried about something." That stopped Ty from moving, making him glance over his shoulder at him, "What makes you think that?" Matt smirked, "I've been your roommate for four years, I think I'd notice if you were worried." Ty grinned at his friend. "And what if I am." Matt shrugged, "Get over it. It's just a fight." Ty rolled his eyes and turned away, "Just a fight, he says. But his mother isn't Analise Kirk!" Matt looked at his friend, then shrugged and walked out the door, towel wrapped around his sixteen year old shoulders. Ty went to the window, hands clasped behind his back and watched the campus flood with students as they went about their day. He took a deep breath, "Yeah...just a fight." he whispered to himself. He'd read about his mothers fight in the library files, how she'd downed her master in four hits. No one could explain it, but she had, and now he was going against his master. It wasn't exactly a thought he wanted to focus on, but it was all he could think about. His master, Tanas as he'd finally found out, was ferocious in his training, ending each session with the hated question "What is your name?" Each time, Ty answered the same, "I am Tiberius Spock Kirk, son of James and Analise Kirk." and each time, he fell onto the mat, his knees having been whacked out from underneath him. He couldn't quite figure out what Tanas wanted to hear, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't pass the Purago without knowing the right answer. He rubbed his temples and sat on his bed. His mother had won in four hits, how would he do against his master? His classes were done for the day, and he needed to talk to someone. Shaking his head, he got up off his bed and walked out the door. He made it to the grounds before someone called after him, "Ty!" He turned around, and saw his cousin Samuel running to him, "Ty! I thought that was you, where are you going?" Ty shrugged, "I hadn't really thought about anywhere, I just needed to clear my head." Sam nodded, "I see. Can I go nowhere with you?" Ty shrugged again, and the two set off. "I hear you're to take the Purago." Sam said, his tone nonchalant. Ty looked up at his cousin, and marveled at different his two cousins were.
While both were tall and dominated any crowd, Samuel had crested six foot six last year, but that was about where the similarities ended. Ethan had Sophie's black hair and blue eyes, while Sam had his father's lighter blond hair and gray eyes the could be hard as permasteel when he got angry. Samuel was the warrior while Ethan preferred to be the pilot. Ethan was in line to receive their grandfather's ship, the Mercy, while Samuel was waiting for his own ship, the Judgment, to be built. Well, his ship wasn't quite the right term. Samuel was only a lieutenant, and still had to prove himself in space, as was the law on Eldaria, but Ty had no doubt that he would soon be captaining his own vessel.
Ty raised and eyebrow and took a deep breath, "Yeah...I am." Sam laughed gently, and put a hand on his cousin's shoulder, "Don't worry so much. If you're anything like Aunt Ana, you'll do fine." Ty blew out his breath, slightly peeved, "So I keep hearing, but I don't think that I..." Sam shook his head, "Don't think like that, otherwise you'll never get through it." he glanced around them, and started leading Ty through the streets for the castle. "You wanna know something?" Ty looked up at him, cursing his own height. Although Ty wasn't someone to tangle with, he was only five feet six, a full foot shorter than Sam and it made him angry. "What?" Sam's eyes twinkled, and Ty knew that he was about to share something explosive, "my father had to take the test twice." Ty's eyes widened, "WHAT?" Sam smiled, and nodded eagerly, "And so did Ethan. Trust me, beat their records and you've got nothing to worry about." Ty grabbed his arm, "What about you?" Sam winked at him, "I figured it out." Ty was confused, "it's a fight, what is there to figure out?" Sam smiled, and grabbed his cousin into a half nelson hold, rubbing his knuckles good naturedly across his scalp, "Sorry Ty." he released him, "I can't tell you that." They made their way through the central square, where the crowds were making things almost impassable. "Excuse me," Ty said, gently pushing his way past a man carrying a basket full of produce. The man grunted, and shifted his weight, then looked at Ty. The man's face contorted into a snarl and he dropped his basket, "Back off me, half breed!" Ty froze, this was why he didn't leave the Academy much. The people around the man turned from what they were doing and created a small circle around the man and Ty. "I'm sorry, sir." Ty said, bending to pick up the spilled basket. The man grabbed Ty's shoulder gruffly and threw him back, "Don't touch that!" Ty looked up at the man, and set his teeth. He'd promised his mother four years ago that he'd be a good kid, but people like this really made things difficult. Sam knelt next to his cousin and helped him stand. "You alright?" Ty nodded, brushing off his uniform, "I'm fine, let's just go." They were about to disappear into the crowd when the man shouted something at his back. Ty caught most of it, and turned back to face him, "What was that?" the man glared at the son of Kirk and spat, "You heard me, go on and run. It's just like your race, just like your father. As weak and spineless as your mother."
That did it, Ty had taken insults about his heritage for four years, but to hear his father called a weakling, in the same breath as his mother. Ty's eyes flamed with hate and he flew at the man, his fists ready for contact with the man's face. The crowd hadn't been prepared for a fight, but when Ty reacted they got a show. It was clear that the Klingon training was paying off because Ty was dropping low, his leg extended to trip the man. As he fell to the ground, Ty rolled onto his knees and raised his fist again to strike the man, but froze when a hand grabbed his wrist. The man on the ground was covering his face in terror, and the crowds around the two fell back in respect as King Kendrick the Rescuer lifted his nephew up from the ground and stared into his face, "Enough, Tiberius." All the fire went out of Ty as he was set back on the ground, and Kenny's attention went to the man lying there, cowering in fear and awe of his king, "Your Highness!" he said, trying to get to his knees. Kenny grabbed the mans arm, and hefted him to his feet, "I heard what you said about my sister and brother in law, the Prince and Princess of Eldaria." Kenny put stress on their ranks, and the man ducked his head, "Yes, my lord?" Ty looked up at his uncle, and saw the dangerous set of his jaw. "I'm of a mind to let this young man defend his father's honor." Kenny said, his voice low and menacing. The man looked at Ty, then returned to his groveling, "And what is your choice, my King?" Kenny took a deep breath, and looked around them to the crowds of people, now waiting to hear what the King would say.
Kendrick knew that the majority of his people still loved his sister, remembered that she and Jim had been instrumental in their retaking of the empire. But there were the angry few, like this man before him, that had lost family in the invasion, and blamed Ana for it. Kenny looked at his nephew, saw that the fight had gone out of him, and nodded. "My decision is final." he said to Ty, and turned to the crowd. Ty didn't know what to do, was he being allowed to attack this vile creature? Inhaling slowly, he decided to wait for Uncle Kenny to speak again, "My people," he began, raising his arms to be seen, "Many of you remember my sister, and how without her husband we would even now be under Gregoran control." there were murmurs and nods, "And many of you know that my sister loves her planet, and cannot wait to return to you. Would this be the planet you have her return to? A home that she would willingly die for, hating her?" several of the women in the crowd cuddled up to their husbands, and Kenny saw the looks changing on their faces. "I, as her brother, would not like to have that happen..." he stopped talking. This wasn't going to work, it hadn't before and it wasn't going to now. He lowered his head in defeat, and turned back to his nephew, "Let's go, Tiberius." Ty looked at the man who'd insulted his family, "I'm sorry, sir." The man looked at Ty as though he were a poisonous snake he'd really rather avoid, but he nodded. The crowd slowly dispersed as the three royals stood together, with Ty staring at the ground ashamed at himself. He'd broken a promise, and if there was anything his father had taught him it was to never break a promise. After a painfully still moment, Sam looked up at his father, "I'm sorry, Dad...I shouldn't have let him..." Kenny put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about it." Ty looked up at that, and saw his uncle staring at him expectantly. "if you want me to say I'm sorry and mean it, I won't." Kenny raised an eyebrow, "I'd be disappointed if you did." Ty's eyes widened in surprise, "Your mother reacted that same way once, when she was in the Academy." They started walking towards the castle, where Ty could see his sisters waiting for him, "The Lady Morgan, your grandmother, was also thought to be inferior for my father. But King Charles married her anyway, saying that his people would come to love her as he did. She was the daughter of a traveling actor, and loved to perform in the few plays and such that are held around the city on festival days. She was really good too, she could evoke emotion from a Vulcan if she put her mind to it, and she had a singing voice that could bring tears to a Klingons eyes." They stopped before the cathedral, where the marks of phaser fire could still be seen, all these years later, and Kendrick looked down at him, "The sad thing is, there are many expectations from the older population for us Royals, and given Eldarian law, they have a right to think the way they do. Several on the Council of Governors expected your mother to marry an Eldarian...any Eldarian to keep her bloodline pure. Instead, she followed her heart and married your father. Several have yet to figure out that it wasn't just a matter of the heart, but one of the best strategic moves she'd ever done. By marrying your father, she has created a permanent tie with the Federation for Eldaria, and given us the best of protectors, the Enterprise. The Federation Council knows this, and I've been working on the Governors for the past sixteen years, and so far I've gotten the southern continents to see it our way, but the northern leaders, specifically Governor Amberson, are having difficulty. Another part of it is that many blame her for the Harssed Incidents..." Kendricks eyes took on a sad look as he raised them to look at the doors to the cathedral. Sam grabbed Ty's arm and motioned his head to the castle, "Come on." Ty risked one last look at his uncle, then followed his cousin. Kenny remained where he was, lost in thought.
"Take him to the compound...stand trial for his crimes." The men surged forward and dragged Joshua away, the man's face contorted with rage. Kenny shook his head, and turned to follow his sons and nephew into the castle, but his memories wouldn't let him be. "Commander Joshua Harssed, you are hereby stripped of your command, rank and privilege as a noble of the Harssed family." Kenny watched his sister lift her chin slightly. She was seated in the Royal gallery with her husband, the newly crowned Prince James Kirk. Her eyes were cold as she watched Joshua's command insignia was ripped from his uniform, and Joshua forced to his knees before the King. Ana rose from her seat and waited as Kendrick walked forward, his face stone, "Joshua Harssed, you have been found guilty of treason against your family, your king and your country. You are to be sentenced to death, made to suffer the death of the people you betrayed, unless someone here will speak for you." Kenny watched as Ana moved away from the whole scene, her own stance hard to read. Joshua looked up at Kenny, his eyes sparkled, "my queen will speak for me." Kenny heard Sophie suck in her breath behind him, and Ana's footfalls stopped as he said it. She turned slightly, her face a mask of disgust, her eyes glued to Jim, 'my queen?' she mouthed to him. Kenny watched Jim's face change from mild anger into a full annoyance. Kenny set his shoulders and folded his arms across his chest, "You have no queen, Harssed." Joshua chuckled, "Oh yes I do. Analise will vouch for me. I've done nothing but try to give her her rightful place on the throne." Ana's eyes widened, and she stepped forward, her hand resting on Jim's shoulder. She looked down at him, saying something, and Jim responded with a shake of his head. Ana sat down in her empty chair and the two went into a heated discussion. Jim's hand caressed her cheek, then his other hand came up and touched her arm where she'd been grazed by a phaser shot. She lowered her head, and he kissed the top of it, pulling her into a tight hug. His eyes met Kenny's and he shook his head, 'no'. Kenny nodded, and turned his attention back to Joshua. "Like I said, Harssed, you have no queen." Joshua's face contorted again, and he turned his head to look to where Ana sat, with her head turned away from him. "Analise...Analise!" he cried, "Analise, my love, help me!" Ana didn't move, but Jim stood and blocked Ana from view. Joshua's head reared back when Jim moved, and his face changed from pleading to insatiable anger, "YOU! You're keeping me from her!" Joshua tried to get to his feet but the guards stopped him. Joshua struggled for a little bit longer, then Jim spoke, "I've kept nothing from you, Joshua. Ana made her own choice." Kenny motioned for the guards to take Joshua away, and he started kicking and screaming for Ana to help him. Kenny turned to his brother in law, and saw Ana now standing beside Jim, watching Joshua. Her voice came into his head as he opened the doors to the castle, "I could have stopped him, Kenny." she'd said it after the first learning/science center was destroyed, "I should have stood up to Jim and said something about...something." He glanced into the receiving room, where his wife sat listening to a couple, "I could have stopped this whole thing Kenny...I could have saved those people." her face had fallen, then she'd turned to the thrones, "Sometimes...sometimes one death can stop that of thousands." Kenny watched his wife, a sad smile on his face, 'One death.' he thought, his sister had been right, but she'd also been very wrong. She wasn't the one that had needed to be stronger, he was. Kendrick drew his shoulders back and walked to the small alcove outside the room, where a great stained glass window depicted his grandfather, Kendrick the Valiant, with the Eldarian ceremonial sword and High Crown on his brow. If only Kenny'd been as strong as his grandfather had been, perhaps his sister wouldn't be as hated as she was...and perhaps he wouldn't be living with the guilt of twenty thousand deaths.
He heard Sophie come out of the reception room with the couple, wish them well, then come towards him. "Kenny?" He turned to her and tried to smile, "What?" Sophie came closer and put a hand on his arm, "What's bothering you?" Kenny smiled and put a hand on her cheek, "is it that obvious?" she smirked and pulled away from him, walking slowly towards the stairs leading to the family quarters. Kenny followed her, catching up in two strides and putting an arm around her shoulders, said, "I was just thinking." she nodded, "About Ty I bet." He chuckled, "He told you did he?" she looked up at him and smiled, "Samuel did when they came in. It bothered him that he hadn't stopped Ty from attacking that man in the street." Kenny nodded and they started up the stairs, "I should have stepped in sooner, Fi. I shouldn't have..." Sophie stopped moving, and turned to look up at her towering husband, "You were thinking about Ana and Jim, weren't you?" Kenny looked away and sighed, "If I'd only..." Sophie shook her head and stalked a few paces away from him. She was agitated, it bothered her that her couldn't let it go. Joshua was finally dead, although regrettably twenty thousand good men and women had to die for it to happen. "Kendrick Vloomre, I do wish you would be able to get past all that. I am sick and tired of you acting like this!" She turned to glare at him and put her hands on her skirted hips, "Enough of it, Kenny. Ana is on her way her and I don't want her to find her brother moping over something that couldn't be helped!" Kenny folded his arms and watched her rage at him.
He'd only seen her this angry a few times before, but each was a sight to behold, "Kendrick," she said, finally softening and coming closer to him, "I know that it hurt you, when Joshua escaped. I also know that it hurts you now that Ana, or her children, cannot come to this planet without some animosity shown to them. But trust me, this will blow over! The people will learn to love her again, and once they do her children will be so widely accepted that they won't know what to do with themselves." She was close enough to him that he put his hands on her shoulders, "No, Sophie. It's not entirely true...the people hate her because I did nothing. I should have killed him when he stood before the courts, and not let him go to prison." She watched his face, and saw the deep rooted pain in his eyes. She'd never really understood why he was so hurt by this, maybe now was the time that she get the answer, "My stepmother was never accepted by the people, and throughout her life Ana had to fight against those who had thought the Lady Morgan inferior to our father. She didn't overcome that until she went through the Purago." Sophie's eyes widened. Her family had been based on the Furton colony, so the information she'd ever heard of the royal family was sketchy at best. "After that, she had the grudging respect of everyone she met. And then she was given the Vengeance, 'a ship with a fitting name for the daughter of Morgan.' his father had said, 'Vengeance for the way her mother was treated...for the way she was treated.' And with that ship she earned her title as High Rear Admiral, her following...proved herself worthy of the crown that you now wear." his fingers brushed back a few strands of hair from her face, "Sophie, my sister hasn't had to fight to prove herself since she was in her 90's. And now I see that same hatred and resentment that she endured being heaped upon her children? You can't expect me to just brush all that aside, not when I could have done something about it."
Now Sophie understood, and found herself torn between her own shame for chastising a loving brother and her own feelings about what was happening to Ana's children. She took a deep breath, and dropped her gaze, "I'm sorry Kenny. I guess I never thought about it that way." Kenny smirked, "You never had to. You grew up in the protection of knowing who you were, what you were. No, my dearest Sophie, you are the sheltered one...and that's why I love you. You let me go out and deal with the worlds troubles, while you sit at home, giving me a haven to return to." Sophie looked up at him, a slight smile on her lips. "My children will never have to know the pain that Ana and her children have gone through, and I am grateful for that. Do you really think that Samuel or Ethan would be able to handle the heckling that Ty received today? Or the name calls and hassles that Moria and Amanda deal with each day?" Kenny shook his head, "Don't misunderstand me, my love, our sons are strong in their own way, but there's something in Ana's children that makes them...different." Sophie giggled and took his arm again, leading him to the family room where the Kirk children and theirs waited for them, "It's because their half human, my darling. And that makes all the difference in the world."
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Ana crossed her arms and looked at her eldest child, "Tiberius, you know I can't answer that question." Ty threw up his hands and stared at her in shock, "And why not? Isn't it the only way to beat the Purago?" Ana grinned, "It's just a fight...I can give you all the pointers you want on that portion. But other than that, I can't say anything." Ty dropped his shoulders, defeated, "Fine then. Show me how you beat your master in four hits." Ana chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder, "Let me explain. In the Purago, it is considered a hit when one hits the floor, not when you physically hit them." Ty's eye's brightened, "So, your master fell four times?" Ana nodded, "I hit, kicked, bit and scratched him who knows how many times, but yes, he fell four times." she smiled, "And it was his own finishing move that I used against him." Ty's ears perked, "And what was that?" Ana glanced around them. They were standing on a balcony overlooking the central garden of the castle, very much alone as Jim had taken the girls on a field trip to the shopping centers. "Come with me." she said, walking off the balcony and out of the family suite. Ty followed her closely, his interest piqued. She went down two sets of stairs and around a corner, to where the holographic rooms were. Opening the doors to one of them, she called for the computer, "Begin training program Analise 45." the computer beeped and a wrestling mat appeared on the floor, along with changing their clothes into training suits. Ana walked forward and stood, legs shoulder width apart, hands on hips and watched her son. "Come at me." she said, not moving from her stance. Ty raised his eyebrows, "What?" Ana nodded, "Attack...unless your scared to." Ty smirked and walked onto the mat. Bowing to her, he brought up his fists and moved towards her slowly. When he was within kicking range, he brought up his right leg, but she caught his ankle in her hand, sending him off balance. "First, never let them know what you're going to do." she said, her eyes having taken on a harsh look of a battlemaster. She threw off his ankle, making him stumble backwards, "How did you know that's what I would do first?" Ana smirked, "It's what I always did first when I was your age. My legs have always been stronger than my arms and fists. Doing anything other than a kick first will make him rethink his strategy." Ty nodded, returning to his place opposite her on the mat.
"Again." she said, and he dropped into a low stance, one leg forward and arms up, waiting for her to attack. Ana smiled, "Good...but not good enough." she moved fast, her own foot connecting with his chest and knocking him on his back. She knelt over him, a fist held close to his throat. "Once punch and your windpipe breaks. Like I said," she grabbed his arm and helped him stand back up, "Good, but not good enough." She moved back to her place and nodded, "Again." This was harder than he'd thought! He stood still for a moment, thinking off what he could do, but she moved first this time, bringing her fist up making him bring up an arm defensively...too late, her hand connected with his jaw,and she patted him gently. "Think faster, your battlemaster will...if he's any good." She smirked, and moved back to her place. "Mother, you said you'd teach me that finishing move." Ty said, putting his fists on his hips. She looked at him with an eyebrow cocked, "I did. But in order to teach you that, you need to know how to get to it first." Ty shrugged, and waited. "Again." he moved slowly, keeping his fists between him and her, circling her around the mat. She followed his movement, keeping her eyes locked on him. But when he finally made his move, she was ready for it. While he was circling he'd been slowly closing the gap between them, and he now brought up his fist for a right cross while at the same time bringing his left leg up to connect with her waist. Ana's hand opened and she grabbed his hand, centimeters from her face and her other hand came around his ankle, pulling it into her waist effectively pinning him with out much effort. "NEVER DO THAT!" she said, almost laughing at him. Ty's brow wrinkled, "Why?" Ana's shoulders slumped and surprise crossed her face, "have they taught you nothing at that Academy?" Ty still didn't follow, but when she lifted him, ever so slightly from the floor, he caught on. She spun around once and dropped him on his rear. "That's why. Ty I swear it's like your not even trying." He looked up at her, "I don't want to hurt you." she shook her head at him, "You won't hurt me...unless you fail the Purago." she knew it was a barb, but she had to say it. Ty's face darkened, and he stood. "Alright then." he growled, and she moved back to her side of the mat. "Again."
He came at her straight on, something she hadn't been prepared for, and knocked her onto the mat. "Hit number one." he said, climbing off of his mother. She laughed and got to her knees. "Very well...I'll show you one of his seven moves." Ty's eyes widened, "Seven finishing moves?" Ana nodded, and motioned for him to come at her, "Slowly," she said, "You'll need to follow this." He came at her at a walk and she dropped low, her foremost leg sliding forward, beside his trail of movement. "First, drop low." he nodded, listening, "Then as they get closer, grab here," she grabbed onto his left thigh with one hand, "and here," her other hand held his left wrist, "then do this." she brought her leg back behind him and had it hit him just behind his knees. As he fell she used his own arm and momentum against him, twisting his arm behind his back and placing her foot on his backside. "This was my first hit." She released him, "Now...show me." It took several trys before she was satisfied enough to show him another. "This one is fairly simple." she said, and explained the maneuverings to him. Ty nodded, and completed two run-throughs before she raised her hand, needing to catch her breath. They went that way for a few more hours, mother showing son ways to defeat their master, until she came to the last one. "This one is very dangerous...and should only be performed at the most dire of circumstances." Ty's eyes widened, "Why?" she took a deep breath, "It's a killing move, meant to absolutely finish your enemy." he opened his mouth to ask but she put up her hand, "Don't ask me why or how he taught it to me, just know that I've only performed this move when I knew I was going to die." Ty nodded, his attention fixed on his mother. She nodded, sure that he was listening carefully. "Computer, add to program one opponent." The computer asked for specifics, she gave them and soon a man about their fathers height and build appeared on the mat. "Stand back." she said to Ty, who stepped backwards off the mat and folded his arms watching. "Attack!" Ana shouted at the simulation, and the man ran at her, arm raised with an imaginary knife. She moved so fast that Ty could almost not register what she had done, but he saw it. She nudged the attacking arm out over her shoulder, her right hand held flat as she slid her fingers underneath the mans ribcage, lifted him off the ground and used his own momentum to toss him over her head and onto his back. The man connected with a snap, she'd not let go of his arm, and it now was twisted out of socket, and the enemy could barely breathe. She grabbed the knife from his hand, and dropped to her knees, holding the blade at his throat. "Computer, end attack simulation." she said, her breath coming hard. Ty's expression was blatant shock, "Mother...I didn't know that you..." she chuckled and ran an arm across her brow, "I don't like to fight as much as your father seems to, Ty." she took a deep breath and looked at him seriously, "When preformed correctly, you have a small blade of your own either hidden in your sleeve or held openly in your hand that connects with his torso." Ty was nodding, "That's why it's so deadly, even without the weapon, you knocked him out of the fight." Ana grinned, "Of course, when fighting a Klingon, you have to be very precise in your hand placement. You might only hit a liver, instead of the diaphragm." The doors opened and Jim walked in, "Am I interrupting something?" Ana laughed, "No, not really. I was just showing Ty some moves that might help him in the Purago." Jim nodded, and put a hand on his chest, "Mind if I join in?" Ana looked at Ty, and shrugged, "It's up to Ty." she said, and the boy just grinned. Jim shrugged out of his jacket and shirt, making Ana's face heat slightly. Even now, sixteen years after their wedding she still felt a little thrill when he did that. She turned away as he removed his boots and stood on one side of the mat, her breath finally steadying. "So what have we learned?" he said to Ty, gripping his son's shoulder playfully. His eyes connected with Ana's over Ty's head and he winked at her. Ana grinned and shook her head, "Ty, show your father what they've taught you at the Academy."
Ty looked up at his father, "It's just basics," he said, trying to not fight his father. It had been hard enough when his mother had said to attack her, but this....Jim smiled at his son, "I can take a hit or two my boy." he clapped him on the back and moved opposite him with Ana. She looked from her husband to her son, "Have you learned about honor?" she asked, folding her arms. Ty nodded, "Then show me." she said, taking an attack stance. Ty's eyebrows raised and he looked questioningly at his father. Jim just shrugged, "Do as your told Ty." Ty took a deep breath, and went at his mother. His first kick was easily blocked, as was his second. Then she took a swing at him, opening her fist at the last second to lightly slap him. Ty's head shook each time she did that, allowing her to make several more connections before her foot connected with his gut and he fell to the floor. Jim shook his head, and helped his son stand as his mother went back to the first stance. "You can't beat her Ty, not even I'm that good." Ty looked up at his father, "What?" Jim didn't answer, just stepped out of the way as Ana came forward again and tripped Ty onto the mat. "It's true, you should see him try." Ana chuckled and glanced at her husband, "Should we show him?" Jim bowed his head to her, and they helped Ty stand. Ty looked between the two of them, "I think I'll just go do some practicing on my own." he said, calling for the rooms doors. Ana waved to him, "Good luck." Ty nodded, and the doors closed leaving Jim and her alone. "You can't beat me?" Jim shrugged and walked around the mat. She mimicked his actions, keeping her eyes on him. "I wouldn't think that possible, you've got at least a hundred pounds on me." he chuckled, "Not that much, dearest." she grinned at him and stopped moving, "Prove it."
Ty turned his back on the holoroom and ran a hand through his hair, how in all the hells was he supposed to beat the Purago if his own mother wouldn't fill him in on the secret? Was there some special answer that he had to know? Shaking his head, he moved down the hall and activated another room, complete with a training simulation of his own. The Purago was in two days, he'd need all the practice he could get today, because tomorrow he wouldn't be able to do anything. Mother would insist that he take the day off and recuperate. 'But what about that damned question.' he thought to himself, throwing punches and blocking kicks. He downed the simulation twice before he called for a break, bracing his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "What's your name?" said someone behind him, and he turned to see his towering cousin Ethan watching him. Ty glowered at him, and turned away, "You know my name, Ethan." He smirked and came forward, "Do I?" Ty again turned around to face him, his arms crossed over his twelve year old chest, he didn't have time for this, "Yes. My name is Tiberius Spock Kirk, son of James T and Analise V Kirk." Ethan shook his head at his younger cousin, "No it's not." Ty was taken aback, "Yes it is." Ethan grinned at him and entered the room officially, standing tall over him, "No, it's not." Ty heaved a breath, "Then what is it?" Ethan grinned, "That is something that you have to figure out for yourself." He turned to leave when Ty spoke up, "why won't anyone tell me what I should say to that?" Ethan glanced over his shoulder at him and shrugged it off, "Because we can't, Ty. Who you are is something only you can determine." Ethan left him standing there, anger and despair ranging across his face. 'Can't tell me what?' he thought to himself, starting up the program again.
"THEY'RE TRAINED BY WHAT!" That was fathers' voice, and what followed sounded like mothers, but they hadn't heard her yell at anyone before, so they couldn't be sure, "JIM, I swear, you raise your voice like that again I'm going to have to gag you." There was the sound of scuffling as he apparently sat down, and Mother continued, "Like I said. We've been in contact with other species like the Klingons and Romulans for several hundreds of years. My ancestors admired the Klingons teachings of the warrior code, and asked that they train our fighters, and it's been that way for a long time." The girls cautiously opened the castles doors and sneaked inside. Their parents were talking in the reception room, just across the hall from where they were, and the doors to it were wide open. Father was seated on one of the great chairs that the Council of Governors used, while mother stood off to his side, hands on her hips and talking like he was a child, "Jim I'm sorry about not telling you sooner, but you'd never have let him go to this Academy otherwise." Father looked up at mother and stood, his tall frame allowing him to look down at her, "I can assume that Klingons are teaching my girls this same thing as well?" Ana shook her head, "No...only if they request it." Father nodded and turned his back to her, "You were right, if I knew I would never have allowed this."
Ana felt as though he'd hit her, "Jim...I'm sorry. How many times do I have to say it?" he moved his head to look at her over his shoulder, "A few dozen more times at least." She raised her palms to him, and said, "I'm sorry times infinity. There, you happy?" Jim shook his head, "Not really." she sighed and slumped into a chair next to him, "What would you have me do? Pull him out of the Academy? You heard what those boys said earlier; pulling him out would not only hurt his pride, it would give them excuse to hassle him for the rest of his life." Jim's gaze dropped to his wife, now seated and thoroughly defeated. Taking a deep breath, he sat as well and took her hands in his, "No...I know what that would be like. But Ana, why didn't you tell me?" she glanced at him, one eyebrow raised, "I was trying to avoid this discussion." He smirked, "well that backfired didn't it?" she nodded, and opened her mouth, "Jim, I know how you feel about the Klingons, but trust me, these are nothing like those that we've met on our travels." Jim snorted, "Why don't I believe you?" she sighed and looked at him, putting a hand to his face, "Jim, I know what you think about them...remember Kang? We all were trapped on the Enterprise, he could have easily killed us all, but he saw reason." Jim snorted, "Yeah, after I beat him." Ana smiled and shook her head, "That's not quiet how I remember it, but I'll play along. The men in the Academy are like he was, after the fighting stopped. They are here of their own free will, able to leave at any time, and more capable than any of those that Starfleet used to teach you." His ears perked at that. While at the Academy, they'd never actually combated each other in their hand to hand class, but Jim had watched her defeat man after man. Even now, when they would spar against each other, Jim could tell that she was holding something back, as though she didn't want to unleash some caged creature. "I trust these Klingons, Jim. I know what they're teaching Ty." Jim looked at her, his face skeptical. After a few tense seconds he heaved a breath and put his hands on his knees, "Alright, you win. But," he brought a finger up to her face, warning, "If one thing goes wrong, I'm jumping in." Ana grinned, "You'll have to beat me to him." Amanda looked at her twin sister and smiled, 'They'll be alright now. Momma's talk some sense into him.' Moria shook her head, and pointed to the stairs.
The day of the Purago came and Ty found that he wasn't as nervous as he'd thought he would be. His parents were on planet, his sisters waiting to hear that he'd done well, but he wasn't nervous. He was standing in his bedroom on campus, arms folded and watching the sun rise over the horizon. Swallowing, he turned away from the window and shook his head. Why wasn't he nervous? He couldn't possibly be thinking that he could beat his battlemaster, could he? Everytime that he'd tried, he'd ended up on his back staring up into that Klingon face of his, wondering where he'd gone wrong. But Master Tanas had said he was ready for this...Ty shrugged and went to the showers. He preferred to be clean before entering a ring with someone that would surely snap his neck. He walked down the hall to the main bathroom, passing his roommate Matt and his crew. Ty waved to them, then dropped his smile as he saw Cadet Amberson approach him. In four years he and Ty hadn't learned to get along, although Ty never really started anything. "Well, well well. If it isn't that Kirk brat." Ty rolled his eyes, in four years, Amberson had never learned a good insult either. Ty tried to move past him, but Amberson had a good thirty pounds on Ty and was standing right in the middle of the hallway. Ty glanced behind him and raised an eyebrow at Mat and his group. Turning back to look at Amberson, Ty waited. Amberson glowered at him, and took a menacing step forward, "You gonna speak? Or has that human tongue of yours been cut out yet?" Ty again rolled his eyes, and tried to move past the kid again, but Amberson grabbed his arm. Ty looked down a the hand on him, then back up into Amberson's face. "I would suggest you let me go, but I doubt you'd understand it." Amberson's face darkened and he made to twist the arm behind Ty, but was too slow. Ty doubled back and grabbed Amberson's shirt, rolling it over his head and using his own momentum to get behind Amberson and kick him on his backside. As Amberson fell to the floor, Ty ignored him and went into the bathroom, letting Matt and his group deal with the wannabe. How the hell was he going to beat his battlemaster?
Ana looked up at her husband, then turned back to the Admiral who had been reserving their seats for them. The man nodded curtly and stepped out of the way and the two Kirks sat down. The Academy's Admiral sat on Ana's left while Jim was on her right, and the remaining Admiralty Board arranged themselves around her. Once they were settled, the Admiral raised his hands to call for silence, and walked forward to the railing at the edge of the box. In the pit below him stood Ty, Ana could just see how her son was trying to not quake, just as she had tried so long ago. Opposite him, as was procedure, stood his battlemaster. The Admiral on her left leaned in and whispered, "His name is Tanas," She nodded. A solid name for a Klingon...although she doubted he'd the reputation yet to inspire the respectful fear that Aktuh commanded. The Admiral on the other side of Jim leaned in and said, "He's Aktuh's grandson." That caught her attention, and she leaned forward, her attention completely on the Klingon. Jim chuckled and rubbed her back, "Family business?" she glanced back at him, then leaned back in her seat to explain, "If Tanas is half a good as his grandfather, which if I know anything about Klingons he is, Ty's in for a serious fight." Jim turned to look at his son, "Well, if Ty's as good as his mother, which I know a lot about her and he is, then Tanas is in for the fight of his life." Ana watched the muscles in Jim's face twitch, and shook her head, "I'll tell Ty you said that." he glanced at her, and winked.
The Admiral was still waiting for it to quiet down, then said those words, "Cadet Kirk," Ana swallowed, if Ty didn't say the right thing here, things could only go downhill, "Your battlemaster has called you forward to undergo the Purago. Are you prepared to die?" Jim's grip on Ana's knee tightened, but he said nothing. Ty tightened his shoulders and didn't look up as he spoke, "A warrior is always prepared to fight. Always, prepared to die." Ana hid a smile as her heart swelled with pride, then was doused as she remembered. This wasn't the only question that Ty would have to answer correctly, if he survived the fight. Her own hand fell to her husbands and returned the squeeze, her eyes turning to him, looking for something. Jim didn't turn his head, just kept his gaze on his son...his son that was about to be eaten alive by the fierce looking Klingon in the corner. The Admiral turned back to look at Ana and whispered, "You can stop this, Princess." Ana looked up at him sharply, then stood slowly, regally. She moved slowly to the rail and looked down at her son, who still refused to look up at the box, just as she had so long ago. A smile spread on her face, and she cleared her throat, "Master Tanas," she paused, letting her voice echo around the hall. The cadets stared up at her in shock; she was the unsurpassed Analise Vloomre, the only cadet to have taken the Purago in their fourth year, and passed...let alone that she was the only female in history to have attended the Academy. There were hushed murmurs throughout the room as Ana smiled down at her son, "You may begin your proving."
Ty watched as Tanas face changed from its stoic expression to one that looked as though it would eat him alive, but he still didn't feel afraid. Tanas stalked forward, the weapons on the tables beside the mats unnoticed...or so it looked. Quick as an Earth cobra, Tanas' hand snapped out and grabbed a yan, the Klingon equivalent to a short sword. As the weapon spun gracefully in his hands, Ty didn't flinch, step back or even blink...and he still didn't feel fear. Ana remained where she was, her feet frozen as she watched Tanas approach her son menacingly. When he'd grabbed the sword, Jim and joined her, his hands gripping the rail so tightly his knuckled were turning white. She carefully put a hand over his held it, showing some support to his fraying nerves. Tanas took another step, and another, the whole time the yan spinning over, under and around his body. Ty still didn't move, didn't show any emotion, and then came the moment of contact.
Tanas' arm came forward, and his hand grabbed Ty's throat. Lifting the twelve year old into the air, Tanas sneered at his pupil, "Are you going to fight or not?" Ana swallowed, it was the same thing that Aktuh had said to her when he'd finally gotten within reach of her. Ty stared down at his master, and raised his eyebrows, "Not every battle needs be won by fighting." Ana heard Jim inhale sharply, and she looked at him. Jim was smirking! He leaned in to her ear and whispered, "I told you that Spock would teach him more than sciences." Ana's head snapped back to the center of the hall, where Tanas still held Ty above the floor, the yan held limply in his other hand. Ana thought she could see something change in him, was he agreeing with Ty? Tanas' grip on Ty slacked, not much and you wouldn't notice if you weren't looking for it, but it did. It was then that Ty attacked, his feet swinging forward and catching Tanas full in the chest, catching him off guard. At the same time, Ty's fingers curled around his masters and peeled them from his neck, making him drop to the floor. When he hit, he rolled to the side, bringing his leg up and swinging it at the back of Tanas knees. The Klingon registered the hit, and roared. It was a fearsome sound, and made the shouts from the cadets sound like the whimpers of kittens. Ana took a deep breath and waited for Jim to react, Tanas would surely be more alert now. Ty hadn't turned his back on the Klingon, and was now backing slowly away from him, his hands searching for a weapon.
Ana looked at Jim, "That was too easy." Jim's brow wrinkled, "What?" she shook her head, "Never mind." Together their attention returned to the fight. Ty had found himself a yan, and was tossing it between his hands as though the weapon was too hot to handle. Tanas came at Ty, and their swords crossed, the hot clang of metal ringing around the hall. Ty went high into the classic Purring Tiger attack, and Tanas blocked with Holding Fist, Ty slid back and went into the Flying Crossig while Tanas knocked him down with the Gulping Fish. It went like that for a while, each showing signs of wear when Ty finally landed a hit, and knocked the Klingon to his back. "A hit!" came the shouts from below, and Ana smiled broadly. Just one hit...after an hour of trying. She glanced at Jim, who was staring at Tanas harshly. Ana nudged him, "What is it?" he looked at her, startled out of his thoughts, "Oh, nothing....I think." Ana raised an eyebrow, but another shout came from below and drew her attention back to her son. Apparently, Tanas had swung at his pupils legs, making Ty jump back instinctively to avid the sword. The thrown yan buried its blade deep into one of the four pillars around the ring, and stayed there. Ty flipped over his master and stalked backwards, dropping his own sword to even the fight. Whatever Jim might think about the Klingons, he couldn't deny them their sense of honor, and he saw those traits now showing. Tanas got to his feet, now weaponless and breathing hard from the exertion. Ty backed up a few more steps, then stopped, and took stock of the situation. This could end one of two ways, either with him on his back staring up at his master or the other way around...and he greatly would prefer the latter. He was standing next to the weapons table and grabbed it, tossing the contents onto the floor. It was something that Master Tanas had done when he'd wanted only a fisticuffs match. Tanas nodded to Ty, and brought up his fists, dropping into the Crouching Leopard. Ty brought one foot back to brace himself, and raised his arms in the Gregoran Flick. Ana gasped and Jim glanced at her, "What?" she shook her head, "That move...it's illegal!" Jim spun back to watch his son leap into the air as his master slid along the floor. Ty landed on the Klingons back and brought his knee around the mans neck, effectively strangling him. Tanas fell to the floor again, and Ty rolled off from him, again not showing his back and waited.
Tanas took even longer to get to his feet this time, and when he did he watched his young pupil through hateful eyes, "I didn't teach you that." Ty shook his head, "No, you didn't." Tanas lunged for his pupil again, and the fight continued for another three hours, with Ty ending up on his back more often than he would have liked to announce, but Tanas always got his share back. Then came the finishing blow; Ty had a bat'leth in his hands and Tanas was twirling twin yans in his hands. Ty came forward, sweat rolling down his face and blurring his vision, but he continued to move. Tanas saw what he was doing and got to his knees, propelling himself forward to roll away, but he'd taught Ty too well. Ty kicked out as Tanas rolled past, knocking him off balance and flattened him against the mat with the bat'leth held at his throat. Tanas brought up his own weapons, not pressing hard, but just enough to show Ty that once again, he'd exposed a vital organ...his gut. The Admrial's hands came up calling for silence, but it was slow in coming. After a moment of struggling to quiet down, Ana finally took matters into her own hands, and whistled loudly. Every voice in the room was silenced and looked up at her; she glanced at the Admiral and nodded. "Thank you." he mouthed, then spoke, "Cadet Kirk, you have bested your opponent...but also lost your life. Would you say that this is a win?" Ty stepped back from his master and looked up at his mother. She couldn't nod or give any hint of the answer, but he knew it. "I died honorably, at the hands of another warrior, hopefully defending that which matters most to me." Ana swallowed a grin, and looked at the Admiral, who was looking at her. Motioning to Ty, he stepped back and she walked forward, praying that he'd learned what to say next. She cleared her throat, glanced at Jim, then said, "What is your name, warrior?" Ty's shoulders tightened. He knew it! He'd known that this question would come up! Taking a deep breath, Ty cleared his throat, and said, "Before now, I was known as Tiberius Spock Kirk, son of James Tiberius Kirk and Analise Vloomre Kirk." Ana swallowed, this was his choice. To give himself a warriors name and shrug off that of his parents, or continue his life, forever linked to them. She asked, "And now, warrior?" Ty smirked, and bent a knee to the box, "my name is Tiberius Spock Kirk, son of James T Kirk and the Silver Rose."
Ana looked at Jim, and waited. "Well Jim...what do you think?" Jim was grinning like an idiot, and when he finally looked at her, she could see the pride he felt for his son. Nodding, she smiled herself and looked back at her son, the warrior. "Well then, Tiberius Kirk, by the powers given me by my station as High Rear Admiral of the Retribution Fleet, Princess of Eldaria and the Silver Rose, I grant you all privileges and honors awarded to one who has beaten the Purago." The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts of congratulations. Ty just stood on the mat, his 'defeated' master now standing across from him. Tanas came forward, and extended a hand to Ty, "You've done well, Tiberius. You've brought honor not only to yourself, but your family as well."
Amanda glanced at her sister and grinned, they both had heard the shouts that came from inside the main gym hall. Ty had beaten the Purago, they both knew it. Moria jumped up and down and clapped her hands, "He did it!" The girls had been told to wait outside by an Admiral, saying that it was only open to cadets of the Battle Academy and the Admiralty. Not that they had really minded, from all the stories they had heard, from their uncle and cousins, the Purago was an ordeal that they probably wouldn't be able to watch their brother go through. Amanda was shocked that Momma could have watched Ty do it, but as she thought about it, there wasn't much that Momma couldn't handle. They girls were waiting on a stone bench outside the gym hall, knowing that they would need the extra height when the doors finally opened and the cadets came pouring out.
That had been five years ago, but so much had happened since then. Ty had gone on to the Senior Academy, the top of all his classes and graduating as the most honored student there. The girls had changed into blossoming teenagers...with mood swings and temperaments to match. Jim had accepted an Academy position with Starfleet, and had brought Ana and the girls to Earth with him...at least for the spring break before they returned to the Senior Academy. After a whole year without her children, Ana was ecstatic to show all of her old haunts along the western coast...and maybe a 'road trip' to see their grandmother, Wynonna. Ty had stayed on Eldaria, taking a few additional classes that would help him when he applied for the Starfleet Academy. Ana hoped that her husband wouldn't still be there in four years...she couldn't think of anything more embarrassing for Ty than that.
She was lying in a hammock in the small garden area of the apartment complex that they were staying in, one leg swung over the edge with her toes barely touching the ground enough to keep her swinging, the bent to have her foot beneath her other knee. She had been reading a novel, The Killing Fields by an author that she doubted she could pronounce, but the day was just too beautiful. The sun was filtering through the leaves of the large maple trees her hammock was strung between, a light breeze rustling the leaves above her...but she was asleep. Her hair was spread over the hammock and over her shoulder, almost swallowing her frame. She wore a tank top and shorts that came to her knee, her sandals had been kicked off when she'd gotten onto the hammock, and a small kitten had curled herself into the sole, purring loudly. It was a scene out of a fairy tale, and he couldn't stop himself from taking a closer look.
He was Lochlan Matthews, the nephew to the Commander of Starfleet, and wasn't supposed to be in this complex. Well, normally he wasn't, but this was a special occasion. The Starfleet Commemoration Ball was coming up this weekend, and he was supposed to bring an invitation to Mrs. Kirk...but he doubted a small delay would be that big of a deal breaker. After all, it wasn't that often he got to see someone this...pretty? No, it wasn't strong enough to describe what he was seeing here. She looked so vulnerable, asleep like that...but also like she knew that he was watching her. Wait a second, she did!
Amanda sat up in the hammock, careful to let her foot plant itself on the ground to prevent her from tumbling out, and raised an eyebrow at him, "And you are..." Lochlan blushed, and looked away. Should he give his name to someone he was just caught staring at? She cleared her throat behind him and he turned back to her, if he didn't he'd never live this down. "I'm Lochlan." he said, his voice sounded strangled, and he grimaced. God, he sounded like he was still going through puberty. She nodded, "Lochlan Matthews I bet." his brow wrinkled, and she smiled. Her smile was magical, it seemed to be brighter than the sun shining through the leaves. She shook her head, and got up from the hammock, gathering her sandals in one hand and the kitten in the other, "You're here to see my mother, aren't you?" Again he didn't say anything, although he bet his face was something close to confused. His tongue felt like lead in his mouth, all he could do was nod...and she smiled again. "You're father sent a notice this morning through vid-mail, saying that you'd be coming." She come over to him, the kitten mewing softly in protest, "My name's Amanda Kirk, follow me." She walked in front of him and led the way into the building. She stopped a the door and glanced back at him, he hadn't moved, "You coming?" he jumped as though he hadn't been listening, and in truth he hadn't...he'd been watching her walk away. Lochlan's face flamed again, and he walked forward, grabbing the door and letting her lead him inside.
Their apartment was on the third floor, and Amanda called for the first elevator they came to. "So...why are you here?" she asked when the doors closed, and paid attention to her kitten, now trying to crawl over her shoulder. She offered him the sandals and he took them, his fingers brushing hers for a second. He looked up at her sharply, but she didn't seem fazed by it. "huh? Oh, um, my uncle want to invite your parents to..." it hit him, she was the daughter of Admiral James Kirk, a man that he admired greatly. She was looking at him again, and he shivered, "My uncle wanted me to give this invitation to your parents for the Starfleet Commemoration Ball this weekend." Amanda nodded and cradled the kitten in her elbow as she reached for her sandals. The doors opened and she stepped out first, "Alright, we're just down here..." she reached the door and tried the handle and pushed it open.
The apartment wasn't lavish, but it suited a purpose. The farthest wall was all window overlooking the bay, and the main doors opened into a great sitting/living room with a fireplace on the right wall and ancient relics all over the walls. In a hallway past the left wall were the doors to two bedrooms, a master suite and second bathroom. It was smaller than most places they'd lived in on Eldaria, but with father's gun collection and mother's books lining one wall, it was almost better. But only almost...having Ty at home would have been the best. Amanda set her key on the small basket a table near the door and called out, "Mom! You've got a visitor!"
Out of a hall on the right came an older image of Amanda, with the same auburn hair and intense green eyes. Analise Kirk had a presence about her, and it wasn't just from being an Admiral's wife, Lochlan knew, she herself was someone important. A princess of Eldaria, one of the Federation's greatest assets. Her people were strong fighters, and had a knowledge about the universe beyond anything that they had known before, not to mention the advantage they gave any starship they served on. They had a natural affinity to the sciences and their military was just short of perfect, their loyalty undeniable. His mother had told him of when she'd met a younger Analise at the academy...and had introduced her to Jim Kirk. Ana was a beautiful as his mother had claimed, with hair flowing down her back, eyes as green as emeralds. Her cheekbones were soft and high, and her lips were full, but not overwhelming. She wasn't really that intimidating, as his father had claimed, but her sudden appearances did send him for a loop. Damn it, she was talking to him!
"Hello, young man. I understand you have something for me?" Lochlan nodded woodenly, and held out his hand. She took the small computer pad from him and opened the flip top. Ana read the invitation and smirked. "Commander, you always were the show off." She ran a hand through her hair and looked at Lochlan, "What's your name?" her smile was as enchanting as her daughters, Lochlan could see where she got it. Bowing as he'd been told to do, and said "I'm Lochlan Matthews. My uncle is Commander Jacob Mathews of Starfleet." Ana's eyebrows raised, "your mother wouldn't happen to be Sabrina Renolds, would she?" Lochlan nodded, "She's often told me that she knew you before you were..."he swallowed, "you." Ana threw her head back and laughed heartily, "That sounds like Rina all right." Lochlan smiled as well, and Amanda moved past them, her kitten mewing angrily. Ana extended a hand to him, then motioned to the chairs before the fireplace. He followed her to the seats and sat across from her. She was dressed modestly and when she sat she brought one leg under the opposite thigh, her back against the soft leather of the chair, her eyes watching him. "Please, tell me." she started, "the last I heard from Rina was that she was getting married, to Joseph Matthews." Lochlan was nodding, and smiling. He liked this woman, there was something about how she spoke with him...
Another girl about Amanda's age came in, and smiled at him. "Hello." she said, moving past them to the front door, "And where are you going?" Ana asked, watching her daughter stop moving and look back over her shoulder, "ummm...nowhere?!" Ana continued to look at her, and Moria's shoulders slumped slightly, "I was going to hang out with Sara and Matt...." Ana smiled, "for how long?" Moria shrugged, "I dunno, maybe an hour or two?" Ana nodded, "Okay." Moria smiled and went out, Lochlan watched her leave then turned back to the mother. "I really should be going," he stood, ad she followed suit, "my mother's probably waiting for me to tell her all about coming here." Ana smiled, and held the door for him, "Tell her I said hi...I'll probably see her at the ball." Lochlan nodded, and walked out the door. It wasn't until he got to the elevators that he cursed, 'Why didn't I ask for her number!'
It took Jim another full hour to get home that night, and it made Ana worry. Her husband had been acting strange lately, and she couldn't quite figure it out. Maybe it was because his birthday was coming up on him sooner than he would have liked...he was only in his 45th birthday, she couldn't understand why it bothered him so much. The man still looked like he was in his late twenties, for gods sake! It was a fringe benefit of having half her soul in him; apparently he'd received the good fortune of aging slowly...well slower. No matter how much she thought about it, Jim should have been glad that he'd retained his physique, after all, it's not every Admiral in Starfleet that got to...her face flushed as her mind went on its on trail, and let out a little squeal of surprise when the doors finally opened and her husband walked in. "Did I surprise you?" she shook her head and turned her back to him. He shrugged out of his overcoat and walked to her, "Had a cadet take the Kobyashi Maru today." Ana smiled, and lead him to the kitchen. "And?" He lifted a shoulder in response, "What do you think?" she shook her head at him, "Jim, you have to be a little nicer to them!" He grinned evilly and took her in his arms, "Really? And why should I?" She rolled her eyes, and pushed at his shoulders, "You're someone they look up to..." it was said, and it was too late to take it back. She'd inferred about his age, and it sent his happy mood out the window. He stepped away from her and went to the window, not talking. "Jim..." she said, taking a step forward. He shook his head and didn't turn to her, and she sighed. Putting a hand in her hair, she went into the far bedroom...passing the archaic copy of A Tale of Two Cities he'd left on the side table. She glanced at it, then back at her husband, "I see Spock gave you his gift." he nodded, but didn't turn. Shaking her head again, she glared at his back, but didn't move.
They stayed that way for a good long while, with the girls coming into the room a couple times to investigate, but saying nothing to them. Finally Ana couldn't take it any more and called to the girls, "Ria, Minna, gets your coats. We're going out to eat tonight...without your father." The teenagers tumbled out of their rooms, and gave their father a quick hug each. Ana waited until the last second, then swallowed her pride and walked to him, "Jim, I love you." she stepped up and kissed his cheek, "see you later." they hadn't been gone for a moment when the bell rang again, and he answered it, welcoming Bones inside.
The next morning, Ana woke to find her husband packing a few belongings for a trip. She'd drawn her own conclusions when she'd come home to find him sprawled across their bed passed out drunk from what she could only assume was Romulan Ale...she'd found the empty bottle in the kitchen. Now she sat up, holding the sheet over her chest and revealing nightdress. "When will you be back?" she asked groggily. He looked at her, surprised that she'd woken, "Sorry...I didn't mean to wake you." she waved him off, "Just answer the question, Jim." He looked past her out the window, "should only be a week or two.. it's just a training cruise." Ana grinned and let the sheet slip, "And it's only the Enterprise." he glared at her from the sarcasm in her voice, but she ignored him, getting up and walking to her dresser. "While you're gone I'm taking the girls to Eldaria for their final semester this year." she pulled a t-shirt over her head and looked at him in the mirror...he was watching her every move. Carefully, knowing what he must be thinking, she bent and pulled on a pair of jeans. Fastening the snap she shook out her hair and turned to him, "You'd better say good-bye to them." he nodded coldly, and returned to his work. She had to walk past him to get to the bathroom and stopped at his shoulder, wanting to say something... "Jim." he didn't look at her, and she grabbed his chin to make him look at her. His eyes were hard, she could see he was nursing a hangover. Releasing his chin she dropped her gaze, "I'll miss you." she said, her voice hopeful. There was just something about how she said that that caught his attention and he turned to her, "I'll miss you too." She put a hand on his cheek and smiled sadly, "Jim...I'm sorry..about last night. I shouldn't have..." he stopped her, "Don't Ana. You didn't say anything, it was all me. I just, I just can't..." she nodded, "I'll miss you, Analise." she shook her head at him, smiling broadly, "You always did know what to say..." he leaned down and kissed her.
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Jim hated inspections, and his current headache wasn't helping things. Trying to distract himself from the situation at home, he'd sat down as soon as the shuttle doors closed and opened the book Spock had given him. The computer's voice came filtered through the speakers, welcoming them to the Enterprise. "I hate inspections," he said to Sulu... "As a physician you should appreciate the dangers of re-opening old wounds." As he walked off the turbolift, his mind wandered... He'd never told Ana about Carol, or about the son she'd had from him. He just hadn't known how Ana would have reacted to it, another woman having slept with her husband...when she'd waited 188 years to give of herself? He shook his head and grimaced, if Ana ever found out about his past exploits, he didn't know what he would do...or what she might do to him. How do you explain to an Eldarian, one of the longest lived races in the galaxy, that for shorter lived humans it was better to enjoy now and ask questions later? Blinking decisively, he put the matter from his mind and sat at his desk, figuring he'd think about it later. Whatever Carol might have to say had to be important...especially if she was searching for his input.
"KHAN!" Jim screamed into the communicator, his rage coming from somewhere he couldn't' explain. The group around him waited until the echo died from the underground chamber before really getting around to themselves. Bones was kneeling over Chekov, Carol and David standing off in a corner and Saavik trying to assist Bones with whatever she could... "This is just to give us something to do isn't it?" Jim shrugged,and looked at Carol.... "...And what am I feeling?" he looked away, Jim sighed, "Carol, the son you raised would like to kill me, but the one from Ana can." Carol looked up at him, her brow wrinkling, "Who's Ana?" Jim smiled, his mind far away, "You'll hate me for saying this, but Ana's my wife." Carols head went back slightly, then she nodded, "She must be some woman." Jim's smile widened, and he looked up at her, "Ana's like no one else I've ever met in my life..." Carol grinned, "I see." Jim stood, "She's beautiful...and looks so young and lately I've been feeling so old, old and worn out..." Carol stepped closer and took his hand, "Let me show you something..."
"He'll die!" Jim wanted to scream, but it came out a strangled whisper. Scotty gripped his captains arm even tighter, "Sir, he's dead already." Jim's heart sank...no, not Spock. Not SPOCK! He wrestled from their grip and stumbled forward, his hands slapping against the intercom, "Spock...Spock!" this man had been his companion for all of his adventures, there no matter what had happened to him...more loyal to him than Jim ever felt he'd deserved... "The needs of the many outweigh..." Jim knew that phrase, "The needs of the few." Spock nodded, "or the one." the one...Jim. Jim swallowed as his friend continued to speak, "I never took the Kobyashi Maru test until now...what do you think of my solution?" Jim shook his head, this couldn't be happening...not to Spock, not to himself. "Spock." Spock didn't stop, "I have been and always will be... your friend...Live long....and...prosper." Jim shook his head emphatically, "No..." his friend was gone, gone to a place that he couldn't follow. Jim knew that the portion of Ana's soul within him would have him live for a while longer, perhaps a lot longer than he should to begin with. But that life without his first officer...confidante...his friend...his brother...he couldn't think straight. Leaning against the glass between him and Spock, Jim couldn't have felt more lost. So alone in a cold, wide universe.
The Enterprise was returning to dock, and Ana knew something was wrong. She could feel it in her gut. Hurrying to the reception room, she passed the cafeteria, with its wall of windows showing a battle weary ship, with a great gash in her hull. Ana stopped in her tracks and gaped at it...this couldn't be the reason why she felt this way, then she heard the whispers around her, "Spock....dead..." her heart sank. 'No.' she thought to herself, as the ship limped past, 'no...Jim wouldn't..." she glanced over her shoulder as Starfleet Commander Morrow walked down the hall with an aide. Not wanting to think it through, Ana followed, and stepped onto the turbolift with them. "Mrs. Kirk," said the commander, nodding to her, "I had been hoping you would come with me to greet your husband." Ana gave him a look, knowing full well the commander hadn't thought that at all. Shaking her head, she spoke softly, "Tell me commander, are those rumors I'm hearing true?" Morrow looked at the floor, and it was all the answer that Ana needed, "I see." she turned to the door, and folded her hands behind her back. This wasn't going to be pretty. That night, as old friends gathered in their apartment, Ana watched her husband get lost in his own thoughts watching the bay beyond the windows. Their friends surrounded them, each dealing with their pain in their own way. Uhura, Sulu, Chekov...she alone was the one that would outlive them all, and yet she wasn't having the problems with this passing that they were. Ana frowned and went to her husband, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder and whispered, "To old friends." Jim nodded, "Absent friends." he raised his glass and all followed suit. Sulu asked a question and Jim answered, but Ana wasn't paying attention...The Enterprise, decommissioned? Jim without Spock was one thing, but without the Enterprise? Her husbands entire world was falling apart, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She took a breath and turned back to the group, and nodded to Uhura. The woman returned the gesture, and waved the others out of the room..now wasn't the time for Jim to be with others. He had to be the strong one, and not just for them, but for himself. Ana turned back to him, and sighed, running a hand through her loose bound hair, "Jim I..." she half grinned to herself, "For once in my life I don't know what to say." He looked over his shoulder at her, "Don't say anything..." he held out his hand, and she went to him, taking it in a soft grip. He pulled her in to him, and held her tightly, resting his chin on her head. She snuggled in close, wrapping her arms around his middle and closing her eyes, "You miss him don't you?" she felt him nod slowly, then turn his head to lay his cheek against her head, "He was my best friend..."she smiled gently and pulled her head back, "I know, Jim." she lowered her gaze to his chest, not wanting to look him in the face, "Sorry doesn't cut it does it?" he wanted to chuckle, to reassure her, but he couldn't. The pain was just too much, "No...but I am glad you're here...with me." she looked up at him, and tried to smile. Before she could speak, the door chimed and Jim was all business again. "Come."
The figure that entered their home was like an image out of the past, with Vulcan cowl drawn over his head and figure taller than what should have been. It was so familiar that Ana sucked in her breath and Jim's face drained of color...was this a ghost, or someone's idea of a sick joke? Hands came forward and the hood was thrown back, revealing Sarek...Spocks father. "I will speak with you alone, Kirk." Ana bowed her head to the ambassador, and rubbed Jim's arm as she walked into the back rooms, leaving the two alone. Three hours later Jim came into the bedroom, a flurry of activity. Ana sat up from where she had been lying, the compu-book discarded on the bed, "Jim what's..." he didn't stop, just kept rummaging around for something, "There's a chance that Spock might still be alive." Ana's eyes widened and she slipped off the bed, "On Genesis?" That stopped him. Jim straightened and turned to look at her, "How do you know about Genesis?" she grinned halfheartedly at him, "Jim, I know more than you think." It was low, and it hit him hard, "Then you know...you know about..." he couldn't say it, but she nodded and put a hand on his cheek, "I know all about Carol and David. What were you thinking? That I would hate you for it?" she laughed then, but it sounded forced, "Jim, I love you...and not because you are the type to wait for what you want. I've met Carol since you came back, she's explained everything to me." she rolled her eyes at his expression, something torn between shock and horror, "It was a long time ago, Jim. You and I weren't even thinking about each other then. I was off trying to save my planet, and you were the great starship captain, able to get any and all women that crossed his path. Am I jealous? Angry with her or you? Do I resent David for being born? No. I understand, Jim." she released him and grabbed the leather trench coat she kept in the closet, "Now about saving Spock?"
Ana had taken a ship with Uhura to Vulcan, and was again waiting anxiously for her husbands approach. It was this very feeling that she hated, and why she had insisted that she accompany Jim on every adventure she could. She knew her husband's reckless nature, and she also knew that patience wasn't one of her many virtues. She tried to distract herself by looking her appearance over in the mirror. For a woman of 208, she didn't look half bad...of course, it didn't help that she only looked to be in her late twenties. Her hair was still the thick mass of tresses that it had always been, her skin lightly tanned, her eyes the same piercing green, but the look on her face was different than it had been in times past. She took a deep breath and smoothed the dress she was wearing; the main dress was a soft gray all overlaid by a black robe that fastened beneath her bust. The sleeves were loose from her shoulders, swallowing her arms, and were cut upward to give her access to her hands. Her hair was tied back with a gray ribbon at the nape of her neck, and she' brought the chunk of it forward to hang over her shoulder...it was an old habit, a comforting act. She ran her fingers through it, wanting time to move so much faster. Uhura stuck her head in the room, "They just contacted us, their about to land..." Ana nodded, and followed her old friend outside. They looked upwards and saw the Klingon Bird of Prey make it's descent onto the landing pad. As the loading ramp lowered, Ana walked forward carefully but her pace quickened as she saw her husband emerge. Relief washed over her as she got closer, he was assisting in carrying a stretcher with a Vulcan body on it. His arm reached out for her as she closed in, and she wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug.
Uhura had followed her, and said to him, "Sarek is waiting above." Jim nodded, and held Ana's hand as they carried the stretcher up an impossible flight of stairs. "But at what cost? Your ship...your son." Jim watched a hint of emotion play on Sareks face. This was one of the few men alive that Jim thought would understand the hidden pain he felt over David's death. Jim swallowed hard, "If I hadn't tried, the cost would have been my soul." Ana's grip on his hand tightened as Spock descended the steps ahead of them...this was it, the moment of truth. He passed them, flanked by two priests, and their whole group turned to follow him with their eyes, not one wanting to look away. The robed figure stopped, and turned back to them; they all held their breath as he walked back to Jim, his gazed fixed. His hands came up and threw back the hood, he glances at each as he passes them, but when his gaze fell on Jim, Ana stepped back, letting him have all his attention. "I know you, do I not?" Jim's face showed a hope that she hadn't seen since she'd first told him she was pregnant with Ty. "Yes. And I know you." Spock processed this, then said, "My father says you have been my friend...You came back for me." Jim smirked, "You would have done the same for me."
"Why did you do this?..." Ana could see that he was trying to remember, something...anything. Jim spoke up trying to help his dearest friend, "Because...the needs of the one outweighed the needs of the many." Spock's brow furrowed, a small connection had been made, but it wasn't enough. He was about to turn away when Ana couldn't take it anymore and rushed to him, her small hand clasping his arm. Ignoring the looks she was getting from the Enterprise crowd and the Vulcans behinds her, she whispered, "Spock...Spock..." Sarek held out his hand to the priests as they are about to forcibly remove her, "Wait..." Ana swallowed, and looked into those all knowing eyes that she had trusted for so long. Suddenly, he turned away from her, something made it through the fog! He was looking at Jim, and Ana watched the vast emotions play against his features, "I always have been ...and ever shall be...your friend." Jim stepped forward, wanting him to remember so much more, "Yes, yes Spock." Spock half turned back to Ana, watching her face, "The ship out of danger?" Ana smiled briefly, trying to remain somber, "Yes. You saved the ship...you saved them all. Do you remember?" Spock turned back, and looked Jim square. It was as though he'd found the final puzzle piece, "Jim...your name...is Jim." Jim's face erupted in a smile, "Yes."
Ana paced the hallway. She'd come before her husband to try and smooth things over...but the news from space wasn't good. Two Eldarian ships had been affected by something that they couldn't describe. They'd been patrolling the Eldarian/Terran border when something had passed them by, but left them sitting ducks with no power, and only enough reserve power to limp home. It bothered her, but then again, something always seemed to be happening to Earth. In her own planets storied history, it had only been attacked by 'invaders' about a handful of times, but Earth...she shook her head as she thought about it, Earth just seemed to be the 'red-headed step-child' of the universe...if she understood the use of the Earth phrase correctly. Footsteps were approaching from down the hall, and she was drawn from her thoughts as Christine Chapel, her lone companion on this dreary day, came forward to speak with Sarek. "Thank you for coming....it's not going well." Sarek glanced at Ana as she stared out the windows, "Am I too late to testify?" Ana swallowed and turned around, her face stony, "I don't know..." she sighed and motioned for the doors. The interior of the room was dark as they moved forward to the main viewing area... The Klingon ambassador was furiously trying to reveal something to the Federation Council. Ana was pulling double duty as the second Eldarian Ambassador to witness this. Her partner in crime, Ambassador Joseph Childs, son of the great adviser Jacob Childs and father to her son's roommate back at the Academy. He was seated near the human councilors, and they both were thinking the same thing...whatever the ambassador came up with against Jim Kirk, they couldn't let the Klingons take him away. On the large central viewscreen were images of the Enterprise, followed by shots of the crew as they watch it explode. The image zoomed in on Jim's face and the Klingon shouted, "There! Hold the image, hold!" The ambassador stood and pointed at the screen, "Behold! The quintessential..." Ana rolled her eyes at the ambassadors theatrics, she'd seen all this before. Years ago when the Klingons had wanted to renegotiate their training contract, she had been present as her father had dealt with the same victim mentality. She glanced at Sarek, and shrugged, "you wanna go first?" she whispered, and the stately Vulcan nodded in acknowledgment.
"Klingon justice is a unique point of view, Mr. President." Sarek walked forward and held the audiences rapt attention. He continued, knowing exactly what his presence here would mean to those watching the proceedings. "Genesis was perfectly named: The creation of life, not death. It was the Klingons who had first blood while trying to posses its secrets." The Klingon blustered, "Vulcans are well known as the intellectual puppets of the Federation!" Sarek was unfazed, "Your vessel did destroy the USS Grissom. Your men did kill Kirk's son. Do you deny these events?" The Klingon drew back his shoulders as though he'd been slapped, "We deny nothing! We have the right to preserve our race!" It was more than Ana could take and she spoke before she could stop herself, "Do you have the right to murder?" That did it, the entire gallery erupted as she moved forward to stand beside Sarek. Not that she felt any camaraderie with the man, but it was a better position to arguer their points than beyond the sight of the Council. Sarek didn't look at her, but she could tell he was 'glad' she'd said something. It had prevented him from an emotional outburst. The Klingon wasn't happy, and the President shook his head, rapping his gavel against the hard wood and calling out, "Order. There will be no more outbursts from the floor." Ana wasn't going to play along, she beat Sarek to the podium before the Council, but he spoke before she could. " Mr. President, I have come to speak on behalf of the accused." The Klingon was fully angered now, and shouted his objection, "Personal bias! His son was saved by Kirk! And she is his wife." The President wasn't listening to him anymore. "Mr. Ambassador, with all respect, the council's deliberations are over. You have been allowed to speak in order to put your views on the record." His chill gaze fell on Ana, and she straightened her spine, lowered her chin and closed her eyes. It was no secret that she was Jim's wife, they'd never hid that fact from anyone. The president took a careful breath, his face unchanged, "Mrs. Kirk..." she nodded, and opened her mouth, "Before I was James Kirks wife, I was Princess of Eldaria, and commander of the starship Vengeance. While on that ship I was not treated as Princess, but the commander of those people. Believe me, President, I can be two different people, I've been doing it all my life." The President nodded, but continued talking, "Admiral Kirk has been charged with nine violations of Starfleet regulations..." that set the Klingon off again, "Starfleet regulations?" he paused, as though thinking of something that would send some of them screaming for cover, "Remember this well" there will be no peace as long as Kirk lives!"
As he left the room Ana watched the President, "Sarek of Vulcan, with all respect – we ask you to return Kirk and his crew to answer for their crimes." Sarek cocked and eyebrow, "With respect to you, Mr President, there is only one crime: denying Kirk and his crew the honors they so richly deserve." The president was shocked, and Ana shook her head trying not to laugh. If ever there was a Vulcan put down, that was one of them. She took a great breath and looked at the president, wanting to see his reaction. The man wasn't going to give her the satisfaction, "...you are welcome to remain and testify." Back on Vulcan, Jim watched as his brave crew worked hard on the retrofit of the Klingon vessel to their needs. As he walked past it, his eye fell on Scotty. "Mr Scott, how soon can we get underway?" Scotty shook his head, a smile lighting his older features, "Give me one more day sir." Jim made a shocked face, and Scotty was quick to clarify, "Damage control is easy...Reading Klingon, that's hard." Jim chuckled and glanced at Bones... "Maybe we should have brought Ana along."
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Ty threw his shirt on and shook out his hair. Glancing in the mirror, he smirked his father's self-confident smirk and walked out of his dorm. In the five years since he'd taken and beaten the Purago, he'd grown...significantly. His once blond hair was darkening into a richer auburn shade, his eyes a more impressive shade of blue. When he smiled he lit up the room around him, and all people wanted to be near him. But, when Ty really thought about it, the thing he was most proud of was his physicality. When he was about fourteen he'd noticed the changes happening to him; his legs got longer, his shoulders broader, his muscles beefier. Now seventeen, Tiberius Spock Kirk stood an impressive six feet four inches tall, and carried himself with that gentle arrogance that his father had. It wasn't really arrogance either, but a confidence born of knowing who he was and what he was meant to do. His shoulders were broad, and evened out his whole look of a barely contained animal power. His arms were thick enough that even his loosest shirt was tight on them, his stomach a perfect washboard and the greatest compliment to his well defined chest. Ty knew what girls thought about him, knew that many wanted him to ask them to this or that event that happened on campus, and Ty would indulge himself every once in a while. But he'd grown up with the greatest love story of the universe, or at least one of them, as his parents.
He couldn't count how many times he'd seen his father look at his mother with a hunger that could devour the ship, or how many times his mother had simply sighed as she watched his father walk out of the room. Theirs was more than a marriage, it was a meeting of minds. Ana was the perfect tame compliment to Jim's ferocious temperament. When his father all set to go to war, his mother had simply to lay a hand on his shoulder, arm or thigh, and he would think it through again. There wasn't anything that they couldn't face together, and their names would forever be said together, "James T and Analise V Kirk, commanders of the starship Enterprise." It was a relationship like theirs that Ty wanted, and these girls in the Senior Academy weren't living up to his expectations.
His father had told him about the first time he'd seen Mom. "She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and trust me I'd seen plenty of women by then...I couldn't take my eyes of from her. We were at a carnival for the opening of classes and she'd never eaten Chinese food before..." Ty was shaken from his thoughts by a hand gripping his shoulder, "Well, well, if it aint my old roommate!" Ty glanced over to see Matt Childs grinning at him.
"Matt!" he exclaimed, and clapped the man on the back in a brotherly hug, "I'd thought you were still at Starfleet!" Matt shook his head, "Nah. Winter comes sooner on Earth than here." Ty nodded, and glanced around at the small piles of snow that were scattered around campus, "So I hear." he muttered sarcastically, kicking a clump of ice covered snow out of his way. Matt laughed and kicked it back to him, "Watch it!" he said,and the two went down the lane that way, laughing and tossing snow at each other. They'd reached the library when they finally stopped, and Ty plopped onto a chair in front of a computer screen. Matt turned a chair around and straddled the back, "Whatcha lookin up?" Ty shrugged, "I've got a paper I need to write about some big battle that happened in history." Matt nodded, "Any idea what it's gonna be about?" Ty shook his head again, and Matt shrugged, "Well then, mind if I help?" Ty shrugged himself and the two set about it. Opening the Eldarian archive files, Ty typed in the requirements for the assignment and the computer brought up about half a dozen files. Ty raised an eyebrow and read the brief descriptions, then clicked on the first.
"You almost ready Minna?" Amanda stuck her head out from the bathroom, "Almost, I've got this problem..." Moria shook her head, and glanced in the hall mirror. but this was taking forever. She grinned in the mirror, thinking about her date that night. It was the night of the homecoming dance, and she was looking forward to it. Moria was going with the star fullback, Ranger Howard, while Amanda had snagged the quarterback, Artemis Jackson. Moria had chosen to wear an off the shoulder number that was of a green satiny fabric that clung to her torso and fell loose to the floor from her hips. She'd pulled her hair up into a fancy style that showed off her delicate features, swept up in a mass of curls that flowed down from the pile on her head in a cascade of blonde and brown. Her mother had sent them both headbands of silver with a small design engraved into the metal. The note had said that the engravings had been father's idea, and they were sad that they couldn't see them off on this, but they trusted their Aunt Sophie to take care of them.
Amanda came hurrying out of the bathroom, tugging on the one shoulder of her own dress. Amanda had chosen a dress of soft yellow that was cut similar to the Earth's toga styles from way back when. With a silver belt that followed her hips and dipped low in the Earth's Celtic style, she looked full human instead of half. The one sleeve was loose, split along the top and tied at her wrist. It was similar to how their mothers' dress uniform looked, and Amanda pulled it off beautifully. The girls looked at each other carefully, eyeing each other the way sisters do, "Nicely done!" Moria said, making sure her sister's hair was perfect. Amanda had it braided down her back, a simple style except that every few inches, she'd added a silver ribbon to coordinate with her belt. With her green eyes and tick hair, she looked wonderful.
Their aunt came hustling into that room, her face glowing, "They're here! You girls ready?" The Kirk twins glanced at each other and smiled, "Yeah...I guess so." Sophie smirked at her nieces and waved at the door, "Well then, get going! Your uncle's going to talk their ears off about what they can or cannot do tonight...and your cousins aren't helping much." Ethan and Samuel were on shore leave, and when they'd found out about the girls staying with their parents...well, they' hadn't gotten much chance to be the domineering older brothers they'd always wanted to be. They hurried down the stairs and met their uncle standing tall over their dates, with their two cousins seated just behind the newcomers. Kendrick was talking when Moria dared to clear her throat, "Um...Uncle Kenny?"
Kendrick glanced beyond the two boys he was talking to and raised an innocent eyebrow at his nieces, "What?" Amanda shook her head and walked over to Artemis, "Come on...He's just doing that overprotective uncle thing." The two boys tried to laugh, but it was a little difficult. This was, after all, King Kendrick the Protector, uncle to their dates and brother to Analise Kirk, also known as the Silver Rose. Ranger stood next to Moria and smiled bravely, "Don't worry, Your Highness. We'll have them home by ten." Amanda raised an eyebrow at her uncle, and Kenny shrugged, "Don't look at me like that, young lady. Only your mother and aunt can con me that way." Although it was proving to be a little difficult, Amanda was almost the spitting image of Ana at her age; with an iron will and a stubborn streak at least a galactic mile wide, Amanda was exactly like her mother...in the years before death and war softened her.
Ty re-read his report before saving it to a removable memory disk. Leaning back in the chair, he ran his hands through his hair and stared at the ceiling, remembering how shocked he had been to learn about his mother's youth. Although he had to admit, he should have seen it coming. Analise Vloomre Kirk was no push over, be it a battle of wits against Spock or a physical fight with his father, she had proven that she could hold her own against most anything. Straightening in his seat, he removed the disk from the computer and slapped it against his hand. 'Why didn't she tell me about this?' he asked himself, standing from the library computer he'd been using and stretching his back. It was dark outside, but there were lights along the many pathways leading to the main dance hall, where the Senior Academy's homecoming dance was being held. Ty knew his sisters would be going to that tonight, and prayed that his uncle had talked some sense into their dates.
It wasn't that he was being protective...okay maybe he was, a little. But when your sisters look as good as his did it tends to be that way. He grinned to himself, and walked out of the library, intending to go to the castle to talk to his uncle about this report he'd just written, when the small communicator he owned beeped at him. Flipping it open, he spoke, "Ty here." The voice on the other end was his aunt, "Ty, when are you expecting to be home?" Ty looked up at the sky, and smirked, "As soon as the Enterprise comes back."
Sophie chuckled, "I walked into that one didn't I?"
Ty nodded but didn't say anything, "I'm just leaving the library now, I should be there in a few minutes." he closed the communicator and put it back in his pocket. Yes...his home wasn't here on Eldaria, even after eight years on the planet, Ty couldn't feel like he could claim that right. He'd been born in space and he wanted to explore the stars with his father for as long as he could. When he reached the castle, he saw that Kenny was waiting for him outside the main doors. Kenny took his nephew under his arm and they walked inside together. "Uncle Kenny...there's something I've been meaning to ask you." Ty said as the doors closed behind them. Kendrick glanced at his nephew and raised an eyebrow, "What about?" Ty took a breath and began, "It's this assignment I've had to do for my history class." Kendrick was nodding, leading him up the stairs to the family quarters, "And while I was doing some research about it, I came across something interesting." Kendrick stopped in his tracks and looked hard at Ty, "What were you researching?" Ty swallowed, "The Hloathy Battles..." he trailed off as his uncles face paled. Kendrick took a breath and looked Ana's son in the eye, "What do you know so far?" Ty shrugged, "I was just beginning today. I thought I'd get some preliminary done before I really vested any time into this." Kendrick glanced up the stairs, then gripped Ty's shoulder, "I think we need to talk." Ty was curious now, and followed as his uncle led him down a side hall, then the main one that lead to the holorooms. Once inside one, Kenny called for the historical file that contained the information about Hloathy.
The room changed and Ty found himself standing in the throne room, well it looked like the throne room, except that there was a chair missing from the main dias. On the center chair was an older version of Kendrick, about Ty's height and weight, with Kendrick's silver eyes and light hair. Ty recognized him immediately, "Grandpa!" he shouted, and was about to run forward to the man when Kendrick grabbed his shoulder, "Two things, First, we're just going to watch the events, so anyone in here isn't going to hear or see you. Second, how do you know him?"
Ty smiled, and stepped back to stand next to his uncle. "Remember when my mother, sisters and I disappeared for two years?" Kendrick nodded, King Charles was listening to some petitioners, nothing important yet. "Well, what happened was when we went through that rift, we actually went into another time period...another universe. We were able to get ahold of the Eldaria there, and Grandpa was still alive." Kendrick nodded and had to stop himself from moving out of the way as the petitioners left the room and a young man walked in. "We were able to spend two years with Grandpa...Mom was really glad about that." Kendrick smiled and motioned to the young man now talking to the king, "I bet she was...listen to this..."
---
Brant Williams was the son of a lesser noble at court, and nephew of one of the Governors. His name and position alone would have awarded him a ship, but Brant didn't work that way. He wanted to file through the ranks, work his way up from the bottom, like everyone else. It had taken longer than normal, but when he added in the time at the Battle Academy and his in-space training, it was worth it. He was now first officer on the Justice, second in command to Prince Kendrick, and his most trusted officer. There were things that Brant knew that not even Kendrick's beloved sister knew about the man. His purpose in coming today was to tell the King about an attack on the Hloathy colony, and perhaps to call out the fleet to help. He bowed low to the throne, and rose slowly as he was bid. Charles' face was serious, "You're here about the colony." Brant nodded, and Charles continued, "I know what my son wants, and I would gladly give it to him,but we cannot spare the man power. Nor the ships. We are currently having difficulty with the Klingons. They wish to renegotiate the training contract we have with them, and any show of weakness on our part will be foolhardy at best." Brant nodded, and opened his mouth to speak, "I...the Prince understands this, and requests that instead of stretching ourselves too thin, that perhaps a compromise can be reached." Charles nodded, "Go on...."
---
Kendrick paused the program and turned to Ty, "I'm going to fast forward a bit through this. This conversation really isn't important for you to know about, other than the fact that it did happen." Ty nodded, and glanced back at the young man talking to his grandfather, "Who is he?" A sad look passed over Kendrick's face, "He was my first officer. A damn good soldier, one of the best officers, my best friend and a good man." Kendrick sighed, he never sighed, and called for another moment in the program. The setting changed to the central garden of the castle, and Ty was surprised to see his sister Amanda sitting beneath the willow tree. Kendrick chuckled a little at his reaction, "No...it's not Amanda. That's your mother at age 95...roughly equivalent to your sisters' age." It was a little unnerving to see his mother so young, and dressed the way she was.....
---
Ana wore a pair of tight black jeans whose hem went into her knee high boots. The green top she wore revealed her taut belly and tied at her side. The sleeves were longer than she would have liked, but they hid the small throwing knife she always had on her, so she guessed it didn't matter that much. She was sitting beneath the willow tree, on the one bench that was shielded from her fathers' room, and she knew that she wasn't alone She stood and moved to the tree, putting her hands on it and looked around the trunk. Her hair was loose and fell in a shower over her shoulder as she looked around. "I'm over here." It was Brant, and she smiled broadly. Turning around, she found herself looking at her brothers' best friend...a man with the heart of a warrior and the scary reputation to support it. "When did you get in?" she asked, moving back to the bench and sitting down, "I thought Kenny wasn't going to bring the Justice in for another week." He sat next to her and took her hand, "There's a problem on the Hloathy colony. Kendrick sent me back to talk to your father about it and see if there's any ship he can spare." Ana was nodding, then leaned her head against his shoulder, "Have you spoken to him yet?" Brant took a deep breath, "Yes...and he says that there's nothing he can do with the Klingons hassling him the way they are." Ana blew out her breath and put her head in her hands, "Yeah...their really starting to be a problem. I'm surprised that Kenny's even..." she trailed off as she felt his hands trace figures on her back, "What are you doing?" Brant shrugged and continued to trace, "Nothing...." he smiled at her as she turned to look at him...
---
Ty cocked an eyebrow and glanced at his uncle, "He liked my mother, huh?" Kendrick grinned, "Yeah....um, has she never mentioned him?" Ty shook his head and Kendrick chuckled, "Just watch, you'll see..."
---
Ana stood and put her hands on her hips, "I can't believe that Father wasn't going to help you." Brant was laying on the grass, arms folded behind his head and knees bent. She stood over him, watching him carefully. "He said no ship could be spared?" Brant nodded, and smiled, "Well...none but the Justice, and the Mercy which he was sending with his first officer in command to help. Otherwise, yep that's what he said." Ana shook her head and knelt down next to him, "I just can't think that Father would only send two ships." Brant shrugged, and brought an arm around her waist, "Eh, we're Eldarians. We're supposed to be able to handle stuff like this on our own." Ana raised an eyebrow at him, "Really? Is that what the poster says now?" Brant grinned to show his teeth and nodded, "Uh-huh!" He suddenly sat up and touched his nose to hers, "And guess who they want on the poster?" she squealed with laughter and pushed him away, "Oh please..."
---
Her next phrase was cut off as Kendrick paused the program, "I don't think you want to watch the rest of this little scene." Ty looked at him, confused, then glanced back at his mother cuddling with a man that wasn't his father and nodded, "Yeah....uh, can we skip ahead a little?" Kendrick nodded and the scene changed again....
---
Kendrick was seated in the command chair of the Justice, a worry line creasing his forehead. He'd just briefed Brant on their situation and they were now waiting for the Mercy to come out of docking at the Orbital Station. "I'm sorry...I should have tried harder." Kenny shook his head and looked at him, "No. Once my father's made up his mind, there's nothing that can change it...except maybe Ana." he watched Brant's face change slightly at the mention of her name and chuckled, "I see..." Brant glared at him, "What?" Kenny shook his head and leaned forward as he watched the Mercy pull out of the docking clamps. "Admiral Vloomre, this is Captain Howard on the Mercy, do you copy?" Kenny waved to his communications officer, "We can hear you, Captain." They exchanged a bit more information before the Justice pulled ahead of the Mercy and went to warp 3....
---
Kendrick paused the program and looked at his nephew, "I knew about Brant and your mother. It was kind of hard not to." He chuckled and hung his head, "She never really forgave me..." Ty was confused again, "Forgave you for what?" Kenny's face drained of color, "Watch."
---
They'd arrived at the colony three hours ago and it wasn't an easy fight. The Mercy had taken a few hits and the Justices' shield weren't going to hold much longer. They were horribly outnumbered and Kendrick was about to call the Mercy to fall back when a voice crackled over the speakers, "Kenny! Kenny, pull back We've got this!" The Vengeance dropped from warp and fired phasers at two Romulan warbirds attacking them. One had sparks fly from the engine while the other fired back at the Justice. Ana maneuvered to take the shot and her ship bucked as the shields held. "Kenny, get the Justice out of here, you're in no condition to take these guys on!" Kenny was already shaking his head, "No, Ana. I've got my engineers working on this right now...I'm not leaving you alone!" Ana, feet apart and hands on hips, was wearing her functional uniform and shouting various orders to the bridge crew. Porter's hands were skimming over hie console screen, firing phaser and torpedoes right and left as they brought themselves around to defend. A frontal assault knocked them around and Ana fell to the floor. "Admiral I'm serious. We can handle this long enough to fall back!" Another shot came across the nose of the Vengeance and Ana's intercom erupted with noise, "Captain! We've got problems..." Ana shook her head and raced to Brayden's side to help him coordinate the repairs. Kendrick ordered his helmsman to bring them rear to rear to the Vengeance and the Mercy followed suit. It was the modern way to circle the wagons, and was fairly effective. There were three more ships waiting to attack, and the Justice was the first to fire at them. The Vengeance was taking shots and firing back, and dropped another before the Mercy was having trouble... "Admiral Vloomre! This is Lieutenant Gandtril, Captain Howard is dead from that last volley. We can't take another hit like that, we have to pull out!" Ana overheard the call and shouted into the communications panel, " Get out of here Joseph. You can't help us much more." Kenny was nodding at his screen, when his own ship rocked and his helmsman was blown backwards as his control panel exploded. "Ana!" He screeched at the ship to ship panel, "What?" she asked, before commanding another volley at the last remaining ship. "We've got problems over here. I'll be lucky to get my crew off from here, you got the room?" Ana was flipping switches and helping Porter boost power to the shields. Ana smiled grimly, "Get off that thing Kenny, your right engines about to blow." Kenny glanced around his bridge, "Admiral Vloomre to the transporter rooms, on Captain Vloomre's order, get everyone off this ship!" Brant was running from station to station when Kenny grabbed his arm, "You're getting off this wreck." Brant raised his eyebrow, "You really think I'm going to follow that one?" Kenny's grip tightened on his arm, and he glared at the man, "I'm not going to allow you not to." Brant shook his head at him, "Eldaria needs its prince, Ken." Ana's voice crackled over the broken speakers and Brant moved fast. Removing his belt, which held his communicator, he wrapped it around Kenny neck, "Tell Ana...tell Ana I love her. And I'm sorry." Kenny didn't have time to react as lights appeared around him and his surroundings changed. When he rematerialized, Kenny saw something he hadn't thought he'd see in his life. He'd appeared on the bridge and watched the image of the Justice lose an engine pod. Ana glanced over at him and gasped, "Kenny...where's..." She turned back to the screen, "Oh no." she slammed a button and Brant's voice came over the speakers, "Don't Ana. I know what your thinking, and it's not going to happen." Ana swallowed, her voice a lot softer than Kendrick had heard it before. "Brant...Brant please don't do this. We've got just enough time to get you out of there, We can save you!" Brant sat in the command chair and smiled sadly, "Ana...listen. The Justice is going down. Get the Vengeance out of here...save your crew and your brother." Ana was shaking her head and took a step forward but Kenny's strong arms stopped her from moving. She grabbed onto him like a drowning woman. "Brant...Brant please don't..." tears rolled down her cheeks, "I love you." the ship she was firing at swung around and started attacking the Justice. Brant grabbed into the manual controls and set his jaw. These damned Romulans were more trouble than they were worth. His could hear Ana still trying to talk him out of this as he sat in the command chair, waiting for his death. "BRANT!" she screamed as the Justice exploded in an impressive fireball.
---
Kendrick stopped the program and drew a breath, "Any questions?"
----------
"Analise Vloomre Kirk, you answer me." her sister-in-law Sophie put her hands on her hips and glared at the stubborn woman. Ana shook her head, and leaned against the railing of the balcony. Sophie sighed angrily and spun in a circle. It was an odd habit of hers, but it helped her focus on something other than what was making her angry. Coming to a stop, she drew a breath, then started again, "Ana, please. You used to be able to tell me anything, but now your acting as though we're complete strangers." Ana lowered her gaze to the multitude of flowers growing in the central garden, but continued to ignore the other woman. This was important and she would only speak of it with Jim.
Moria and Amanda were excited, it was the summer before their senior year at the Eldarian Senior Academy, and they were going to spend it with their grandparents, George and Wynonna Kirk back on Earth. Moria tossed her suitcase onto her bed and was throwing jeans and t-shirts into it haphazardly when her twin sister walked in with a computer pad in her hand, "Ria, look at this!" Moria took the pad from her, and hit a few buttons:
Moria and Amanda, you're grandfather and I are looking forward to seeing you this summer. Perhaps your brother could drop you off before he heads to Starfleet."
It was signed by Grandma Kirk, but it didn't sound like her. She'd never called Ty, 'your brother'. "What's wrong?" Amanda asked, watching Moria's face darken. Moria shrugged, "I don't know...I just don't know."
Tiberius stood, legs braced and arms crossed, staring out the window of his room. He had an excellent view of the castle from here, with it's central tower which housed the family's rooms raising up into the sky above the rest of the complex. He knew his parents were on the planet, and that was most likely where they'd be. The door to his shared room opened, and in walked his newest roommate, a newbie to the academy, Porthos Arturian. The kid was barely over five feet tall and was more brain than brawn. Ty honestly felt sorry for him when he thought about it, the kid had been given his battlemaster earlier this month...and the bruises had yet to heal. Ty had written to his mother about him, expressing his concern that maybe Porthos wasn't cut out for the academy, and she'd replied, "It's the shaky ones that matter most, Ty. Not everyone can have the strength of will that's been given you by your father, or your sense of duty ingrained into you by Spock..."
That was the thing about his mother, she never spoke about what she had given her children. Analise Kirk was strong in her own right, she could handle the command of a starship as well as his father. She could command that same respect that his father held whenever he walked through a room, or that Ty had now gained amongst his peers. It was no secret that he was the son of the Silver Rose...had his mother forgotten what she'd called herself after winning the Purago? Ty had looked it up in the databanks, and Silver Rose was the name of Kendrick the Valiant's horse that he'd ridden during his claiming of the planet. And then there was Brant...and the Hloathy Battles. He'd watched those computer replays but it still didn't make any sense, why hadn't his mother done what she'd always done and go against what she'd been told to do.
Or maybe that was where it was started. His mother had always said that she'd regretted some of the choices she'd made in life... maybe that was one of them. He couldn't really count the number of times he'd caught her looking out at the stars, a silent awareness about the room as though she were searching for something...or someone. Ty shook his head, and grinned at himself, "Hey, Porthos. You hungry?"
Jim Kirk took the castle steps two at a time, and threw open the main doors. He ignored the small knots of people that waited to have the Royal audience, and hurried up the stairs leading to the family rooms. His wife had called him, saying that something big had happened, and he'd run the whole way from the military complex to the castle. He reached their rooms, and stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him. There she was, dressed in a pair of jeans and a long button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. The top half of her hair had been braided, leaving the rest to float in the light breeze that crested the balcony. "Ana?" he asked, stepping up to her. She didn't look at him, just continued to stare at the sky. "Ana, darling, what's gotten you so riled?" she turned to him finally and spoke softly, "The federation's building a guard station near the Rift, and the Romulans aren't happy about it." He nodded, it wasn't surprising that the Romulans wouldn't be happy about any station of any sort that the Federation backed. The Rift was too close to the neutral zone and Romulan space to give them any comfort. But it was a good idea to have someone guard the area, who knew what sort of trouble would come from having such direct access to another 'realm'.
----------
Captain Jim Kirk leaned back in his chair, hand beneath his chin, staring out at the expanse of stars before his ship, thinking. It was a dangerous mood for him to be in...thinking. He was still a young man and when young men started thinking, it could be dangerous for those around them. The chief medical officer had noticed it first, but when he tried to talk to him about it, Jim just waved him off, saying something similar to, "Don't worry about it Bones. I'm fine." Truth of the matter was, Jim was thinking about her and McCoy knew it. She'd captured his imagination when they'd met, with her story about how she'd married another Jim Kirk and had children with him. Shared adventures with him... Jim shook his head and shifted in his seat. They were on their way for a rendezvous mission with the Eldarian ship Vengeance, and although he knew she wouldn't be on it, his heart was still beating faster than normal. There was a blip on the scanner, and he sat forward, waiting for Sulu to say.... "Captain, we're being hailed." Jim nodded, but instead of the bridge of the Vengeance, he saw something eerily familiar...but different.
The man that sat in the captains chair was older, a bit thicker through the chest and shoulders and had a slightly darker shade of blonde hair. But those eyes...his eyes were that same shade of blue as a young boy he'd once encountered.
"Who are you?" the older man asked, tilting his head to the side and glancing at someone off screen. There was some shuffling, and then she appeared, wearing the same uniform as the man in the chair. Jim watched as her eyes widen and her hand went to the other mans arm, calming him. The other man was waiting for an answer, "Well?"
Jim cleared his throat, "I'm Captain James T Kirk of the starship Enterprise."
The other man's eyes widened now, and he turned to look at her. 'Is this what you were talking about?' he asked, silently. She raised an eyebrow at him, then answered, 'well...yes. You think they've seen the ship?' The ship she was referring to was the Romulan ship that now held their three children hostage. Ty had been on his way to Earth to attend Starfleet while the girls were going to spend the summer with their grandparents...grandparents that had called, anxious as anything, when the children hadn't arrived. James sat forward in his seat, putting a hand on his knee, and asked, "You haven't encountered any Romulan ships around have you?"
Jim's brow wrinkled, and he shook his head, "No...why?"
James chuckled, and stared at his wife, waiting for her to answer, "They've taken my children, Captain..." she glanced down at her husband, "Our children."
It hit him like a ton of bricks. This was her James T Kirk! The man that had helped her free her people, her planet from certain destruction. He had taken her to see the stars that she so admired, and given her a freedom that she'd only been able to dream of as a young girl. Then another thought struck him, this James Kirk had known his father...maybe even could tell him something about him.
James leaned back in his chair and took his wife's hand, "well then, we'll just be on our way."
He was about to cut the transmission when Jim reacted, "WAIT!"
Both James and Ana raised an eyebrow at him, "Yes?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip.
Jim swallowed, trying to think, "Why don't you come aboard...tell us about this ship that's got Ty and the girls."
James fidgeted, it bothered him hearing another him talking about his children so casually. Ana glanced down at him, then turned back to the screen. "Give us a moment, will you?" she flipped off the screen, and took a deep breath. "Well, now what?" she looked over her shoulder at Spock, who just raised an eyebrow at her. "They're your children, Admiral. I don't presume to tell you what to do about them." she shook her head, "It's not my children that's bothering me at the moment." James looked hard at her, "Then what is it?" She took a deep breath, "That..." she pointed to the screen where they could still see the other Enterprise, "That Captain Kirk doesn't look as though he's aged more than a year or two from when I last saw him. If we tell him we're looking for three teenagers, I don't know what he's going to do." she crossed her arms and began to pace. It was what she always did when she was worried, "Now Jim, I went along with you in thinking that those damned Romulans came through here," Chekov snorted behind her, but said nothing, "and now we've encountered the very ship I was afraid we would! We can't do or say anything that might affect this timeline, you know that as well as anyone on this ship does, but by trying to find our children we might well do that very thing!" she stopped moving, planted her feet and put her hands on her hips, staring down at him as he sat in his chair. "I don't like it Jim. We've got to find our kids and indulging that child isn't going to help." James raised an eyebrow at her, and leaned over the arm of his chair to look at the screen. "That child you're referring to is myself..." She sighed, and put a hand over her eyes, "No it's not Jim. It's another you. This Jim has had to grow up fast."
Her Jim raised an eyebrow at her and she knelt at his feet, something she hadn't done in years. Putting her hands on his knees, she stared up at him, "Jim, I know you. I know that you're dying to go over to that ship and see what differences there are, to meet yourself and talk with yourself." She shook her head and sat back on her heels, "Gods know that I would love to have that same conversation myself, but even so, we've got to be careful." Jim leaned forward and looked deep into her eyes, "Ana...it's just a conversation. Besides, Chekov said that Romulan ship came in here, and I tend to believe him." Ana stood abruptly and stepped away from him, "Fine...but know this, if you go over there, I'm going with you." Jim smirked, "Alright. Fair enough." he motioned to Uhura to recall that Enterprise and the youthful Kirk reappeared. "We're on our way."
Jim nodded, and smiled, "I'll see you soon." his eyes glanced to Ana, but she didn't return the smile.
----------
They all sat around the conference table; James, Spock, Bones, Uhura and Scotty sitting across from their counterparts, with Ana at the head of the table between the two captains. Her eyes were moving back and forth between the two groups, her mind reeling. 'I don't like this Jim.' she thought, putting her chin in her hand and raised an eyebrow down the table at her old roommate from Starfleet. Nyota just shrugged, and went back to watching her copy. Shaking her head, Ana leaned back in the chair and sighed, "Well, somebody better say something. That ship's getting further away the longer we sit here, and I'm not liking the whole idea of my kids in their hands." She swallowed hard and glared at her husband. 'And why aren't you answering me?'
Jim smiled, "I don't know how." Ana's head snapped around to look at him, "You heard that?" the rest of the table, save her husband stared at her in confusion, "You heard what I said right now?"
McCoy, the other Bones, leaned forward and said, "You didn't say anything." Ana rolled her eyes and bit down on her tongue.
The Bones she knew chuckled and began to explain to his other self, "It's a trick that the Eldarian's have amongst themselves. Between relatives, or in Jim and Ana's place those that share a soul, they're able to communicate telepathically."
The other group stared at the older doctor in amazement, and McCoy couldn't stop himself from exclaiming, "WHAT!" Ana snorted, 'Now that sounds familiar.' she said to her husband, eying him carefully.
The younger Jim raised an eyebrow at her husband, "was that directed at me or you?"
The older Jim laughed, "Me, I think." he said, ducking the glare that his wife gave him. Shaking her head, Ana explained further, "Apparently, while I'm in this universe, whenever I think something for my husband, your captain here seems to hear it too." she leaned forward and clasped her hands together, "I'll need to watch myself for that." She looked up at McCoy and smiled, "And don't worry, your reaction was very similar to his," she jerked her thumb at Bones, "What he told you is true; I can speak with my husband privately without having to worry about being overheard. My twins girls have it too, it's stronger with them though, they can talk a whole conversation while Jim and I can get maybe a sentence or two before one of us gets a really bad headache."
James smirked, "It's usually me."
Jim nodded, "I don't know if I would like that, someone else in my head." Ana smirked, "I can't read his mind. It's strictly for communication."
James swallowed and pointed to his younger self, "Yes it has come in handy in a fight, and no I'm not going to tell you which one."
Jim nodded, "Fair enough..." he glanced at Ana, then looked at his people, "Why don't we take a moment to talk things over with..." he just pointed across the table, not knowing what to call them, "We'll meet here again in two hours." His crew nodded, and left the three Kirks alone.
The Spocks were playing chess.
The two doctors were comparing notes in the medbay.
The two Uhura's were discussing college days.
The two Scotty's were having the time of their lives getting drunk and swapping stories about the Enterprise.
But the three Kirks, specifically the two ship captains, were silently taking stock of the other while Ana paced up and down the conference room. Ana could hear her husband as he spoke to her via their mental link. "He's younger than me...by a good ten years it looks like." she shook her head, biting on her lip. "Okay, maybe not ten years...he sure isn't any older than thirty."
Ana snorted, and stopped moving, keeping her back to the table. "He's no younger than you were when you got the Enterprise." both Kirk's sat up a little straighter as she said it.
Jim glared at his counterpart and leaned onto the table, "For the record, I'm 27 years old." Ana shook her head and glanced at her husband, "Sorry, I had to say it."
James put a hand over his eyes and blew out his breath. "I could sure hit you some times." Ana grinned, "You could try talking..." He spun around and gave her a glare, then turned back to his younger self. "And you've had the Enterprise for how long?"
Jim leaned forward, matching him glare for glare, "Two years."
James raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Was I ever that cocky?" Ana sat down next to her husband, and gave him a look, "Worse, but you had the...cahones to back it up." on her left, Jim's jaw dropped.
He couldn't quite figure out if she had just insulted him, or alluded to his own...self confidence. He had to admit, if she had given him a compliment, it wasn't for him directly, but the man she shared a bed with. A bed... his brain kept thinking, that is, until Ana slapped her hand on the table and glared at him. "Now I know my husband wasn't just thinking that, so I'd greatly appreciated it if you'd stop." Jim's eyebrows raised in shock, "ME?"
James leaned over to his wife, "What was he thinking?" she put a hand up to him, "I'll show you later." her eyes were glued to the younger captain, "Yes, you. I wasn't really clear in my explanation before. I cannot read your mind, but when you think Analise Kirk specific thoughts, I can hear them. Well, his anyway. Apparently with you, I get feelings...images."
Jim grinned, "I see..." Before he could think again, she moved and slapped him across his face. His eyes registered the shock, but he didn't move, the motherly anger in her eyes held him in his place. "For the duration of this little excursion of ours, you will watch your thoughts." she glanced over her shoulder at her husband then sat down, "And don't make me pull rank to make you do it."
Jim was confused, "Pull rank?"
James chuckled, "Yeah, in our universe the Federation recently finalized an amendment that recognizes Eldarian military rank on Federation ships." he tilted his head in Ana's direction, "If she so chooses, she can make you dance a jig naked on your own bridge."
Jim reared back, "Last I heard, she was only a High Rear Admiral, only two above my head."
James shook his head and Ana chuckled, "That was thirteen years ago. I'm now what the Eldarian call 'komandant i përgjithshëm i të gjitha anijet'. The easiest translation is Commander in Chief of All the Ships." she let her words sink in a little before she continued, "If we were on board an Eldarian vessel, the only person who could veto my command would be the King himself." she smiled at Jim's reaction, "I'm equal in rank to the Commander of Starfleet. So like I said, don't make me pull rank on you."
It wasn't the fact that Ana outranked him, she'd been like that since he'd met her. It was more the fact that she'd said... "Thirteen years?" Ana nodded, "I'd have to double check with Spock to be sure, but it seems as though time adjusts so that whenever someone from our universe is in yours, it slows or equals in our universe. Making it possible for me to have only lost two years in my universe when I was here earlier."
He nodded, it made sense...sort of. "So now what?" Ana glanced at her husband, "We only need one ship, and Eldaria will help us as much as she can, I know that much about this Kendrick. With the crews and all the information we could possibly need, but most importantly, a safe place to keep one of our Enterprise's until we find Ty and the girls."
Both Captains balked, neither wanting to say that the other leave their ship behind. Ana looked between the two of them, then smiled at the table, shaking her head. "You two are about as stubborn as...well yourselves!" she put her chin in her hand and looked at her husband. She raised her eyebrows and waited for him to make the connection. He shook his head, "No." She kept staring at him, and all she got was another "No".
Jim was lost, what was going on?
James leaned forward on his elbows again, glaring at his wife, "I don't like it!"she shrugged. James glared at her, then his shoulders slumped and he nodded, "Alright, alright...I don't like it, but I'll go along with it." he leaned back in his chair and sulked, "Not as though I really had a choice."
"So who do we take? My crew or yours?" Ana had left them alone, having gone in search of Uhura.
The older one looked at him, then grinned, "Does it really matter? I'm assuming that they're both good."
Jim smiled back, "We both know they're the best in the fleet."
James laughed, "Yeah, I suppose we do..." he instantly sobered and leaned forward on his elbows, looking at his younger counterpart carefully. "There's something on your mind, boy. What do you want to ask?"
Jim swallowed, "You can read me pretty well."
James grinned, "You're me aren't you? I was just thinking about what I would like to know if another me came onto my ship." his grinned faltered, "Ana told me...about Dad."
Jim did everything he could to keep his face emotionless. "What did she say?"
"That he died in a ship battle, saving hundreds of lives. Including yours."
"What else?"
"That he died as a ship's captain...and that because of his death you never got to know him."
Jim couldn't stop his yes from flicking down to the table, then back up to the man sitting across from him. "Will you...can you..." It had always irked him that after all this time, of all the people he knew in his life, he was the only one that really had no knowledge of his father first hand. It was all from those others...
James was shaking his head, "I don't know how much I can tell you, not without..." his eyes got a far off look in them, and he smiled, "He's a big man, with a big heart." James grinned, remembering, "When I was about ten, I'd decided to take up running after this bad crew of kids in town. One night we got ourselves into some real trouble..." he chuckled, "You ever driven a car off a cliff?"
---
Tiberius Spock Kirk leaned forward on his elbows, put his chin in his hand and stared out the forcefield wall barring his jail cell. It wasn't the first time in his life that he'd been in such a cell and damn it all if he wasn't sick of it! Blowing out his breath he stood and walked to the door. "Ria? Minna? You two okay?" It was Moria who answered, "Yeah...that last round with those two guards gave Amanda a black eye and I'm sure I don't look perfect, but we're alive." Ty chuckled, "I'm sorry I got you into this." he said, bracing his hand on the wall separating them. He heard Moria giggle, "Don't you dare be sorry, Ty. We would have tried something even if you hadn't suggested it." Ty smiled, "Dad would be really proud of you two." Moria looked over at her twin sister and nodded, "And Mom would be proud of you, Ty. You've proven that sending you through the Battle Academy was the right thing. Maybe when you get to Starfleet you can teach them a thing or two."
She heard Ty chuckle, "Well that's a second failed try. You think they'll give us another?" Moria shrugged, and put her back against the dividing wall, "They gave us two already, I wouldn't be surprised if they did again." Amanda smirked, and spoke up from her place on the slab bed in their cell "All we have to do is think like Mom and Dad. How would they get out of this?"
Ty sighed, and sat back down. "That's the problem. We ain't Mom and Dad." Moria straightened and glared at the wall, "Maybe that's it!" Amanda stared at her sister, "What are you getting at, Ria?" Moria started to pace, a habit she'd picked up from their mother, "This Lise, she's been treating us like we are Mom and Dad, and we've gotten outsmarted everytime. Why don't we act like ourselves and see what happens?" Ty slapped his knee and went back to the door, "That is it! Moria, I'd like to apologize for all those times I said you were dumb." Moria smiled, and patted the wall, knowing he'd hear it, "Ah, forget about it. Besides, I always knew that you said it cause you knew that I was smarter than you." The three Kirk children laughed, and Ty leaned against the wall, "So Moria Smarty, what do you suggest we do?"
----------
Ana glowered at the young captain, her husband standing behind him and shaking his head. "You want me to do what, with what, and when?"
Jim swallowed and glanced behind himself at the angry woman's husband, "Aren't you going to help me?"
James shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "I'm staying out of this one." his eyes flicked to his wife, who had now put her hands on her hips and was taking deep breaths trying to calm herself.
She didn't return his humor, and James put up his hands, turning his back to the whole thing.
Jim turned back to Ana, and tried to reason with her, "All I said was that since we've found the ship we've been looking for, we need someone on there to make sure that it's the right one!" Ana turned her back to him, and chewed on her lower lip.
Thinking for a moment, she turned back to her husband and hissed, "I'm sure this is your suggestion!" crossing her arms across her chest she took a deep breath and raised an eyebrow. James shook his head, "Oh no you don't. I didn't do anything!" Ana sighed and put a hand over her eyes, "But I like my ears the way they are!"
---------
Bones was shaking his head, "Now why did you agree to this?" Ana sighed, and laid back on the operating table, "I didn't. It was a do or die choice." Bones nodded, and prepped for the surgery.
McCoy came in to the med bay, and his eyes widened "What are you doing?!"
Ana raised an eyebrow at him and let Bones answer, "Saving her children's lives."
McCoy looked at her, "How?"
Bones and Ana glanced at eachother, and she shrugged, "We've got another hour, maybe, before I lose my nerve and walk out of here." Bones chuckled and picked up a hypo, "Alright, alright. Here, this help you sleep." He put it against her neck and injected the serum, "Count backwards from ten, Ana." Ana opened her mouth, but her eyes rolled back and she closed them again, fast asleep. Bones looked at McCoy and grinned, "Now, you ever performed plastic surgery?"
----------
Jim was walking the edge of the bridge, thinking.
James was sitting in the captains seat, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the screen. His children were out there somewhere, held by Romulans for whatever reason. The only reason he could think of was that conference that Ana had gone to a few months ago...but why would they bring the kids here? The Romulans weren't exactly predictable, but why... he shook his head, and stood himself, pacing back and forth.
They were waiting for Ana to get out of that surgery, a surgery that he himself had once gone through. He could remember it like it was yesterday...Ana had been so worried. Ty was only three years old, and the girls had just had their first birthday, when he'd gotten that fateful order. For whatever reason the Federation didn't trust the Eldarians, mostly because of their close relations with the Romulans. Jim had been surprised that the Federation had even allowed them into their tight circle, with their old trade routes with the pestersome Romulans.
Why? Why capture his children and bring them here? The turbolift doors opened and a woman stepped out, a cloak over her shoulders and the hood drawn tight over her face. Both captains turned to watch her entrance, and she stopped moving just beside the captains' chair. Her shoulders were straight and tall, her stance defiant. She folded her arms and lifted her face a bit more, and they could just make out her nose and mouth, and two simmering green eyes. "Well?" Ana's voice was expectant, as though she expected him to object.
James crossed his arms and stared at her, "Let me see." She hissed, and was about to turn away from him when their Spock spoke up, "It would be wisest to show us what you look like, so that when the shooting starts, we know where not to aim."
Her shoulders slumped and she glowered at Spock, "I beat you once at a verbal battle and I can never live it down, can I?" Spock just stared at her, didn't even give her the satisfaction of a raised eyebrow. Dropping her head, she lifted her hands and threw back the hood.
Her waist length hair was loose, falling around her face and down her back, the usual way she wore it when she wasn't on duty. She turned around and raised a new pointed eyebrow at her husband, "Happy now?" her profile was different, with the pointed ears. But that same look was in her eyes, that same fire for life. Neither captain could speak as she stood there, still the same old Ana, regal as ever even in a new face. Her back was straight, taut in her anger at him. Her arms were akimbo, her hands on her hips and glaring at them. "We'd better be damned close to that ship, Jim." she hissed, "Because I'm not about to be walking around this ship like this for too much longer." she flipped the hood back over her head, and growled, "I'll be in my quarters when you need me."
----------
Ty pressed his body against the bulkhead, hiding from the patrol that passed right next to him. His sisters were just down the hall, Moria was pretending to clean the hallway while Amanda walked right up to where he was hiding, her hair down and floating around her shoulders, her clothes newly cut to show off her young body. With a slit up to her hip and slashings across the back of her shirt, Amanda cut a fine figure and was the perfect distraction for the lonely soldiers. As they turned around, Ty brought up his stolen phaser and downed the one on the right as Amanda kicked the other in the groin and then slammed her joined fists into his nose before the man could scream. The bone jammed into his brain, killing him instantly. Moria came up behind her sister, and helped her pull the body into that small alcove beside Ty. He pulled Amanda in for a hug and kissed her forehead, "Good job sis. Let's get to that shuttle bay."
Ana was still grumpy about having to change her appearance, but Jim knew it was the only way. They'd had the Eldarian government contact the Romulan ship and were now about to enter Eldarian shared space with the Romulans. They were supposed to rendezvous with them and transfer Ana, now a Romulan captain, from the Eldaria. They needed a pair of ears on that ship...'heh, ears'...Jim grinned at the inside joke, then stopped smiling when her voice echoed through his mind, 'JAMES TIBERIUS KIRK! I WILL HAVE NO MORE OF YOUR JOKES, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?' then she did something he hadn't expected, she kicked him. He winced and leaned over to rub at his low back and he thought angrily, 'Ana, what was that?' In her shared quarters, she grinned to herself and went about brushing her hair, still getting used to her longer ears, 'If you had been my husband, you would have gone flying into the viewscreen. I've told you to stop and you will stop, not only by my order as a woman but as your superior officer.' Jim winced again, and let the issue go. Ana leaned back on the bed and put her arms behind her head, staring at the ceiling. James was seated at the computer desk in the room and was busy working on something. He turned around to her, grinning, "Personally, I thought it was funny." she glared at him, "You would. Did you know that I haven't been outvoted on something since before Ty went to the Academy?" he shrugged and stood, walking over to her, "It's not something I'm used to anymore. Just one of you was bad enough, but two Jim Kirks running around is enough to drive a girl insane!" he chuckled and leaned across her, bracing his weight on the far arm, "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. Is there anything I can do to help?" She shook her head, "No...not really." He leaned down and kissed her, "Are you sure?" She braced her hands against his chest and shoved, "Jim, you know that I think things while we....I won't have someone else reading my thoughts about that!"he grinned mischievously and whispered in her ear, "Aw, come on...it is only me after all." She slapped him and rolled off the bed. Grabbing the cloak she'd taken to wearing when she left the room she said "You need me, I'll be in the gym." she turned back to look at him, a fierce glare in her eyes, "And I hope you don't want me anytime soon."
Jim sat back in his chair and watched the ship pulling away from them. "Captain, Romulan ship is heading to the rendezvous point." Jim nodded, and glanced at the console on his chair, "Captain Kirk to Captain Kirk." he grinned when the older voice responded, "Kirk here."
James took a breath, and shook his head, "If' you're looking for Ana you'd better be the one to find her."
Jim's brow wrinkled, "You're in that much trouble?"
James smirked, "Let's just say that my face isn't exactly the one she wants to see right now."
Jim shook his head, "And mine is?"
----------
Ana slammed the ensign into the mat and took a heavy breath, "Dead." The young man nodded, rolling away from the angry woman and heaved a breath of his own. "Right." Ana stood straight, her hair had come undone in the last fight, and she now brushed it back from her face, revealing her new eyes and ears. The ensigns eyes widened but before he could speak, a young Kirk voice came over the intercom, "Admiral Kirk, your presence is needed on the bridge." Ana blew a breath up into her bangs, "I'll be right there." she growled and thought hatefully, 'Screw you, James Kirk.' she got two responses; a shocked feeling from the young one, and a chastising rebuke from her husband, 'Ana, play nice.' She shook her head and walked out of the room, leaving her cloak on the floor.
She called for the bridge, then paused the ride about halfway there. She shook her head and but her lip, putting her hands on her hips. When she entered that bridge she would be expected to act like a captain. And not just any captain, but a Romulan. One hand came up to her ears, ans she sighed, defeated. She got herself into this mess, she would get her and her children out. Even if it meant her life. Resuming her trip, she ran a few finger through her hair and wiped at her face. It wouldn't do to have her looking as though she'd just been in a fight when she appeared on the other ship. The doors opened and she stepped onto the bridge. Her eyes scanned the room, Uhura at her station, Spock beyond the captain at his... and in the chair the young captain. Her blood boiled again at what he'd made her do, then the image of her children crossed her mind. Broken and bloody, phaser burns through their clothing and Romulans standing over them, laughing. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. It was an image that she'd seen on her son when he was seven and it had nearly destroyed her. Her daughters were beautiful and young...she couldn't continue on that train, it meant trouble.
Jim spun the chair around and looked at her, "You ready?" she opened her eyes, a new fire in her soul. He could feel her anger over her children's abduction and it made him shrink back slightly. She nodded slowly, every ounce of her regal upbringing coming to bear as she walked towards him. Her shoulders braced, her back straight and her face clear of emotion, this was the Analise Vloomre Kirk that had helped command a starship. And she would win back her children, no matter what the cost.
----------
"I am what I am, James Kirk. Nothing and no one can change that."
Ty and the girls had made it to the shuttle bay, but skidded to a halt when they found themselves in a maze of catwalks, steep stairwells and stomach wrenching drops. "Well NOW what!" Moria asked, glancing behind them at the approaching troop of soldiers. Ty shook his head, he didn't know. He looked to Amanda, the sweet one, the innocent one and shook his head again, "I don't know..." Amanda bit her lip and tugged on his arm, "Come on! We've got to run!" She pointed down four flights to the main deck, "There's a shuttle there!" The Kirk children took off running, dodging phaser fire and other thrown objects...
-----
"Before you leave...I just wanted you to know..."
Ana threw back the hood of her cloak and went to the transporter panel. She only had a few moments before the red alert was sounded and her real identity known. Four humanoid shapes materialized in front of her, and she caught the phaser thrown to her from her husband. "We don't have much time..." her sentence was cut short as the lights flashed and a red glow permeated the room.
Jim chuckled, "Even less than before it would seem." Ana rolled her eyes and led the way out of the room. Every Romulan they meet was cut down and left to rot. They knew coming onto this ship that only the children mattered, and whatever got in their way....
-----
"It takes a lifetime to really get to know someone." She smirked, "A human one? Or Eldarian?"
Moria tripped as they made their way up another set of stairs. They'd lost their way as they came through that last hallway, and now were three flights higher than they'd been when they'd first entered the bay. "Damn it all!" Ty swore, pulling Amanda even with them and taking off again.
Ana ducked into a side hall, dragging Jim with her. Four crewmen passed them, ans she shook her head, "Vengeance is one thing, but I'll have no part in massacre." Jim glanced at her, then moved to race down the hall when she gripped his arm, "Wait." her eyes were following that last group, and he couldn't quite figure it out. She glanced across the hall to where her husband and their own Spock stood. "The shuttle bay." she thought feverishly. James nodded to her, and she let him lead the way.
-----
"They're going to let me serve aboard the Enterprise... any objections?"
Ty shoved his sisters into an alcove and turned in time to take a swift punch in his gut. Swallowing bile, her lifted his arm to swing and connected with the Romulans jaw. The man went sprawling, having severely underestimated the human's Klingon taught strength. Amanda risked a glance out at the fight, and gasped as Ty took another hit, this one an upper cut to his chin and another to his gut. She moved before she could think about it, and her leg reached out, connecting with the Romulan's genitalia. The man went down finally, and left Ty to stare at his sister. "What?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. Ty looked back at the Romulan writhing on the ground and kicked his face, shutting him up. "Where did you learn about that?" Amanda shrugged and glanced down the hall, "Mother taught me. Said it would come in handy one day."
-----
"Jim...I'm pregnant."
James T Kirk swing his leg up and connected with the Romulan fighting him. Off to his side, his wife and younger self were dealing with their own set of problems. With his own enemy dropped, he was about to help them when his wife shouted at him, "NO. They're in the shuttle bay. Go for them, I'll meet you there." One last look at her, James nodded, "You'd better." he chastised, then left them to their own fights.
Spock was right behind him, as he'd always been.
As Ana should have been.
Instead she ducked a swing and grabbed the man's arm, twisting it around behind him and then throwing him into the wall. His head cracked on the metal and he fell into a pile on the floor. Smirking to herself, Ana glanced over at Jim and nodded approvingly as he dropped his own sparring partner. "Come on." she took off running after her husband.
-----
"It's a boy, Jim.... you have a son."
Ty grabbed up Amanda as she fell onto her knees, she couldn't run anymore. Her sides were hurting so much and she was having trouble taking a fair breath. "Just a little further, Minna. We're almost there!" He said, tightening his grip as they hit another set of stairs. Moria was right behind him, holding his stolen phaser and keeping a sharp eye out for anything.
James and Spock rounded a corner, and found themselves in the maze of the shuttle bay. There were pathways and stairs everywhere. James threw up his hands and looked around them, "I don't believe it!" Spock just looked at him, then turned in relative surprise when there were thundering footsteps behind them...
-----
"Twin girls...Promise me you'll protect them, Jim. No matter what."
Ty stopped so abruptly that Moria ran into his wall of a back and humphed, "Ty! Why are you..." she glanced around him, and saw her father. "DAD!" she cried, and raced forward to hug him. James wrapped his arms around her and looked over her head at Ty. "What's wrong with..?" Amanda stirred in Ty's arms, and smiled at her father, "I'm fine Dad. Just a little winded." Ty set her on her feet and kept a brotherly arm around her shoulders. "Where's Mom?" His eyes were scanning around the bay, hitting as many of the catwalks as he could. James shook his head, grinning, "She's on her way...she's..."
Something was bothering him, something deep in his gut.
-----
"It's not until you love someone that you realize things about your own life."
Ana, Jim and his Spock raced down the corridors, taking turns where they met resistance and found themselves on the lowest level of the bay. Ana looked up at the maze above her and had the same reaction of her husband, "Why in all the levels of heaven and hell is my life like this!" she shouted, and turned to stare at Jim. He could only shrug, grin, and motion to the stairs, "Let's climb."
Ana nodded, "You two take that route, I'm heading this way." she pointed upwards at the first catwalk, a good thirty feet above their heads. Jim looked at her like she was crazy, "How are you..." she didn't answer, just ran to a group of shuttles on the level and used it to leap up to the catwalk. "She's good." Spock said, and Jim nodded, "Really good." The two of them took off as they'd been told, neither wanting to face Ana's wrath.
-----
"No Jim. When you go to Valhalla, I will be your Valkyrie."
She'd made it to the fourth catwalk, when she finally looked up and saw James looking down at her. The three faces beside her made her smile brightly, "He found them!" she breathed to no one, and waved widely, "You found them, my love. Let's go home." James shook his head ruefully, "Home where?" She shook her head and asked Ty, "Will you please tell your father that I would like to go home." Ty grinned, "Come on up Mom. We'll catch you." Ana smiled, and was reaching for another bracing when Jim cried out, "ANALISE!"
Her arms were up, her guard down as she turned her head to see what he was shouting about. There was another Romulan walking towards her, cowl drawn over its face. She dropped her arms, ready to throw this one off the catwalk like many she had encountered before, when a light flashed off to the Romulans right, distracting her. She took a step backwards, trying to see what had made the light dance, but the Romulan moved to quickly.
Two steps forward, and something bit into her stomach. Her hands fell to where the hilt of a yan was exposed from her body, the only piece that couldn't go through her torso. Ana latched onto the right arm of her attacker, and looked up into the shadowed face. From what she saw, her mouth opened in the same cry of her children as she fell to her knees, blood pooling around her body.
"Mother."
----------
It had all happened so fast, Tiberius Kirk was having trouble processing what he was looking at. His mother, cloaked in traditional Romulan travel clothing, lying dead in a pool of blood. Her blood... blood that ran through his veins. His heart was racing as he hit his knees, his mouth working but no words escaping his shocked lips. His father stood behind him, in a similar state, aghast at the sight three levels below them while his younger sisters were sobbing, the only noise coming from the tight family group as the other Jim Kirk and Spock emerged from a side hall. Ty's mind was whirring as the gears spun, trying to think of something, anything that would explain why his mother was now lying dead on the ground below them. "Mother." he gasped, falling forward on his hands and leaning over the edge, "MOTHER!" his voice cracked, it was all too much for him. His mother was dead and he was only twenty years old. What was he going to do without a mother to guide him, teach him how to live in this hostile universe. He tore his gaze away from the body to his sisters, and watched as Moria wrapped an arm around Amanda and pulled her in tight, they clung to each other while they wept rivers for their departed mother. How could Mom leave them! How could she possibly be so careless as to let her guard down Hadn't that been the one thing that his teachers had pounded into him at the Battle Academy? To NEVER let your guard down, no matter whom it was that you were talking with? Ty closed his eyes, refusing to cry...not yet. Not until they were sure that it was Mom down there, now surely dead. His grip on the ledge of the catwalk tightened, and he could hear the metal creak as he did so. "Ty..."
It was his father's voice, but he couldn't answer him right now. No right now all Ty wanted to do was kill the one that had attacked his mother, left his father a widower, he and his sisters without their wise mother. There was a great pain in his palms as he tore away a fair chunk of the catwalk in his sudden rage, and flung it across the expanse before them. He didn't hear the startled shrieks from his sisters or the attempt his father made at calming him; all the furious Tiberius Spock Kirk could hear was the blood pounding in his ears as he stood shaking over the broken catwalk, the horrified gasps from the group as he extended his right leg and let himself drop from catwalk to catwalk, to get to his mother. Once by her side, he gently rolled her over, brushing the hair back from her face and his hand running down her arm. "Mom..." it came out the strangled cry of a child, not the voice of a grown man. The body before him didn't move, the chest didn't rise with the breath of life, the arteries beneath her skin didn't pulse with blood, it was all on the floor beneath his feet. "Mom..?" he asked again, rolling her onto her back, taking in the full horror of what the yan had done to her. It was only a small gap beneath her ribcage, but he knew from his own training that the wielder had known exactly where to do the most damage. It was an upward angle, cutting deep into the pericardial sac and destroying her heart. He knelt next to her, the blood on the floor sticking to his skin as it soaked through his clothes. He didn't know what to do...all that training on how to kill, it should be a simple matter of reversing what had been done to heal her, but no, he knew in his heart that his mother was gone.
Of the three children, as the oldest he'd known her the longest, had her all to himself for two and a half years before his sisters had been born. He could barely remember what it was like, to be the one running to his mother and having her willing to hold him tight against her as they walked through the halls of Enterprise. His mother had taken many holovids of him back then, when he'd first crawled, walked, his first words. He felt the tears begin to roll down his cheeks as he thought about those videos. His first word had been 'Entprise', and she had been ecstatic, 'Jim! Jim. Ty, he's said his first words!' she'd called out, and Father had come running for them, leaving the bridge in Spock's able command as he came to them in their shared quarters. 'Entprise...' Ty had said upon his mothers command, and both his parents had been sickeningly happy about it. Yes, he loved his mother. She was the epitome of what a woman should be, equal to her husband in everything, loving to her family and more than capable of handling any situation that she may be put into. He'd learned long ago that he idolized both his parents, that he was setting impossible standards for his future wife, but he didn't care. As his tears dripped from his chin, he lowered his head and whispered her name in anguish, "Momma...Momma come back."
----------
Moria held her twin tightly, her mind numb from what she'd just seen. Her strong, fighting mother cut down in cold blood by a Romulan. Amanda sobbed into her shoulder as Moria watched her brother fight his own demons. When he leapt from the catwalk, she knew where he was going, knew that he wanted to see if maybe...just maybe he could save her the way she'd saved him all those years ago. "Mom..." she heard him whisper, watched him roll her body over and try to examine her. Moria set her jaw, and lowered her face into her own hand as she realized that her brother wouldn't be able to do anything. Arms encircled her shoulders, and she glanced up to see Spock, the younger one, kneeling next to her. Moria swallowed, trying to think of any reason why the Vulcan would be showing even this little emotion, then she remembered. Her mother had told her while they had traveled with them on their way home. "He's lost his mother, Ria. Somehow, Romulans destroyed Vulcan...and his mother was lost in the attack." Moria had felt sorry for the Vulcan, but 'sorrow over something in the past was illogical', and she'd quickly put it from her mind. Now he just knelt next to her, his face showing that same stoicism that the Spock she'd known all her life had shown, but with his arm around her shoulders, giving her a comfort, a strength that she so desperately needed. Her mind was beginning to work again, the gears turning as she began to process what had to happen next. She, Moria Wynonna Kirk, needed to be the strong one. It had been her job all her life; Ty was the feisty one, always getting into fights and rough housing, Amanda, as the youngest got to be the soft spoken, kindhearted one. But Moria, mouthy little Moria had to be the smart one, the peacekeeper and the brains of the whole Kirk operation...that is, when Momma or Father weren't around. She was the glue that kept her family together, and now they needed her very badly.
Amanda looked up at her sister, her eyes red from crying and her cheeks still wet with tears, "Ria...Ria, what's Ty going to do?" As her sister shook her head, Amanda felt a great fear well up in her chest. She'd watched her brother many times before when he was angry, when he was young he would explode in a fit of uncontrollable rage that usually ended with him having a stern talking to by their mother....mother. Amanda remembered how her mother would scold Ty, then she would shake her head, put her hands on her hips and say, "You're just like your father, you know that?" Just like their father... why wasn't he moving? Why hadn't he jumped down after Ty, or even before Ty dropped to see to the body. 'The body,' she thought, closing her eyes against another wave of tears. Her head dropped again, and she found herself being pulled against a young, strong body, tucked beneath an arm and someone kissing the top of her head, "Shh, now. It'll be alright." It was that other Kirk, the one that she'd met when she was only five years old. She shook her head into his chest, and took a shaky breath, "No it won't.... No, it won't ever be alright again." Kirk's arm tightened around her shoulders and held her against him, rubbing her back. Images flashed in her mind; her mother dancing with her father, her mother helping her with her homework as they were stashed away on Eldaria, her mothers smile, the look she gave her father whenever he was being impossible, the way a room seemed to light up when she walked in.
Amanda knew what she had to do, knew what her sister would be doing. Swallowing the tears that continued to roll down her cheeks, she pushed out of Kirk's embrace and stood, straightening the ragged clothes she wore. Moria looked up at her sister, who just squeezed her shoulder and walked over to where James T Kirk stood, his face stone against the raging emotions in his soul. "Father?" Amanda whispered, placing a hand on his arm, tilting her head to look him in the eye. James tore his eyes from the scene below them to his youngest, dearest child. "Minnow..." He wrapped her in a tight hug and held her to him, his face buried in her hair. "Minnow..." his voice cracked, and Amanda wrapped her arms around her father, hugging him in return. Moria pulled away from Spock and stood next to them, her own heart breaking. "Father? … Father, we should go..." James pulled his head up and almost spat a retort at her, but she continued, "To her. Mother needs to be taken care of. Minna and I can take her back to the Enterprise..." she held out her hand for the communicator her father always carried, and as he placed it in her palm, his movements seemed more than a little wooden.
----------
She stopped running and leaned against the wall next to the door to her quarters. The weapon in her hand was still red with the blood of her, and some dripped from the point, staining the floor. Her cloak was of black cloth with red threads woven through, making it that much darker, easier to hide in shadow. She wore the same uniform she should have been wearing, the black pants tucked into the characteristic shiny black boots underneath the deep blue tunic, tied off with a golden sash to signify her rank...or, more correctly, the rank she should have had in this universe. With that same waist length auburn hair and piercing green eyes, she looked remarkably similar to the woman lying dead on the floor in the shuttle bay. Remarkably similar.
-----
Ty stopped his weeping, bit his knuckles and looked off away from the body now growing cold before him. Closing his eyes, Ty sucked in his breath through his teeth, his calves beginning to protest his lack of movement. "I'm sorry Momma, but this must be done. I know you taught me that revenge can never heal the wound, but I can't... I can't let this go. Not when they've taken you away from me, from Moria and Amanda, but most of all, away from Father. You know he can't survive without you, even if he has us." He stiffened his spine, straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat.
Moria heard her brother clear his throat and knew what was coming. She ducked her head and covered her ears, she never had liked the sound of the Eldarian Death Roar. Amanda turned her head into her fathers shoulder, letting him hold her as Ty took a great breath. The younger Kirk looked to his Spock, confused, "What..." the rest of his sentence was drowned out by a great bellowing shout from below them. It only lasted for a second or two, about as long as Ty's breath held out, but it sent shivers down his spine. Once it was over, he looked at the two Kirk girls who were still hiding around their father, and asked again, "What was that?"
His other self looked at him over the heads of his daughters, one arm still around Amanda as the other held Moria's hand, "That was the Eldarian Death Roar. My son has just committed himself to killing the one that... that killed Ana." His voice caught in his throat, and his grip flinched around his daughters.
Jim stared at James in shock, "And you're just going to let him go?"
The older Spock spoke up, "It isn't a choice made lightly, Captain Kirk. But it is a necessary one." The younger Spock was nodding while the Kirk family watched Ty dip his fingers in the blood pool, then touch his fingers to his face. When Ty looked up at them, all three of his remaining family inhaled as one, and their Spock raised and eyebrow, "Interesting."
Jim was too busy admiring the boys handiwork to notice that his comrades were in an angry shock. From the outer corners of his eyes, Ty had drawn swirls to the corners of his mouth, then looped it around his ears to connect back to his nose. It was his mother's design, the symbol of the Silver Rose. He'd used his mother's blood to paint his mother's symbol on his face to go after his mother's killer. "What is it?" Jim asked again, this time quieter and didn't expect an answer.
"Come on, girls." James said, "We need to move her before too much later." Moria nodded, and led her father down a side set of stairs, remembering where they went.
-----
Ty felt the cold wind of the fast air running past the drying blood on his face. He was running to the bridge, kicking, punching and slamming bodies out of his way as he made his way, never once looking back to see if he'd downed his opponent. All he knew was that the last he'd seen of that murderous slug of a Romulan was this way. The bridge made sense, from there he'd be able to find anyone aboard, and know exactly what and where they were. The turbo lift appeared in front of him, and as he stepped in, he called for the bridge. His hands were empty, but with his training he didn't need any. He knew where and what to hit to kill a Romulan.
-----
She turned as the turbo lift doors opened behind her, and she saw the angry child standing before her. There were no words to say, nothing was really needed, but he said it anyway. "You killed my mother." She smirked, "It's possible, I've killed a lot of people. Why don't you tell me her name?" Ty took a breath, he didn't want this to end too quickly, besides she might still have the yan around somewhere. "Her name was Analise Vloomre Kirk, the Silver Rose." The woman raised her hand, "The Silver Rose? Really, the Silver Rose?" Ty didn't react, so she continued, "Oh my dear child, I'm afraid you are gravely mistaken. That was not the Silver Rose, she would never have been taken by surprise like that. So easily destroyed." she turned her back to him, a risky move given the mood he was in, "And I am the Silver Rose."
She heard his swift intake of breath, then his guttural growl, "No, the Silver Rose would never kill that way." She looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting in the old habit that she'd never really beaten, "How can you be so sure?" Ty blew out his breath and took two dangerous steps forward, resolving to get the truth out of her before he killed her, "I am sure because all my life my mother taught me what the Silver Rose stood for. Justice, peace and above all things, a fair chance at life."
The woman nodded, "Yes, the one known as Commander of all the Fleet, the Princess of Eldaria, Analise Vloomre Kirk, stood for those things. But the Silver Rose..." she shook her head, "The Silver Rose is a being you never met, because she was hidden away before Ana went to the Academy. You see, the Silver Rose would never have allowed her father to hide her away." She turned back to him, and braced herself with her hands on her hips, "The Silver Rose was a fighter, above all else. Nothing was more important to her than her people, her family, the universe, in that order. The truth is, the Silver Rose most certainly would have attacked that woman that way, simply because she saw an opening, nothing more."
Ty's breath was coming quicker as she spoke, "That's a lie." she raised her eyebrow at him, a mocking look, and smirked again, "Is it? How can you be so absolutely sure about your mother, when you've only known her for twenty of her two hundred and ten years?"
Ty growled at her again, "And what can you possibly know about her?" The woman's eyebrow raised again, "I know more about Analise Vloomre Kirk than you give me credit for, Tiberius."
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The girls were next to their mother now, and they could take in the full horror of what had been done. The blood had dried and was now a brown mass of substance beneath their feet. Moria flipped open the communicator, and called the Enterprise. "Scotty here." Moria's voice caught in her throat, and Amanda responded, "This is Moria and Amanda, Scotty. Three to beam up..." Moria piped in, "And have McCoy waiting with a antigrav unit." Closing the communicator, she looked at her father, who nodded, "Good. She's taught you well." Amanda smirked, and gripped her sisters shoulder, "No, we learned this from you." Before he could respond the transporter lights appeared, and the three most important women in his life disappeared.
Moria, Amanda and Ana's body reappeared in the main transporter room, both girls equally somber. It was Bones that met them, his hands working something on a triquarter, but he froze when he saw that only two of them were standing. "What happened?" he asked hurriedly, taking the small step in a long stride and kneeling next to Ana's body. Amanda shook her head at him, "She's dead, Bones."
He looked up sharply, glancing at the two of them, "Is that true Moria?" she snorted, "You're the doc, you tell us! We watched a Romulan shove a yan into her gut to the hilt! We watched as her blood spilt upon the ground!" When she was angry, Moria could sound just like her mother, and now wasn't any exception. Amanda reached over and gripped her arm, "Easy, Moria. It isn't his fault." Moria spun to face her sister, the sister she'd always been able to depend on to be there for her, the sister she'd shared so much of her life with, and nearly throttled her, "No, it's not. It's not anybodies fault but Mom's! Why did she drop her guard, why, why why!" she ground her heel into the shiny floor and stalked out of the room. Amanda watched her leave, closed her eyes and stepped off the platform. She couldn't look at anyone else, just followed her sister out the door. Bones motioned for help from the two transporter operators, and lifted Ana from the floor onto the anitgravity unit. "Oh my dear... what did you let them do to you?"
His brow wrinkled, he'd never spoken to a dead body before...but somehow, this one was different. Maybe it was because that this was Ana, once his superior officer, a good friend and the wife of one of his best friends. As he led the unit into the med bay, he passed the quarters where she had been staying with her husband as they searched for the children. He could hear voices inside, the girls were fighting about something. Bones just kept walking.
Older Scotty came into the med bay, his face ashen from having just heard the news, "It's all over the ship, Doctor. The Lady..." His eyes fell to the bed where Ana was now laid out for the autopsy. Scotty shook his head, "Oh no... What's the captain doing about this?"
Bones shook his head, "I don't know. He stayed behind with the others." Scotty nodded, glancing at the young Christine Chapel as she came into the room. The woman checked in the doorway, only to be bowled over as the two Kirk daughters came bursting into the room, "BONES!" Amanda cried, "Wait, please." she gasped for breath as Moria explained, "Our mother was stabbed, right?" Bones raised an eyebrow at her, "Anything else you want to tell me?" Moria nodded, "With a yan. That's a Klingon weapon; now how could a Romulan get her hands on a Klingon weapon?" All of them paused, and Amanda pointed to the body on the table, "I'm willing to guess that she is not our mother." Bones' brow wrinkled as Scotty spoke, "Now girls! Anyone can see plains as day that she looks just like your mother." Amanda walked closer, "Yes, just like her, but what about that scar on her back? The one given her by Joshua Harssed?" The two men looked at each other, then each grabbed an end as they flipped her over. Bones cut away the cloth to reveal the woman's back.
-----
James turned to Spock, the Spock that had lived and died, and whispered, "You go with these two, start in engineering and work your way up here. This is only a small freighter and we've taken care of most of the crew already. You shouldn't meet any resistance."
The young Kirk and Spock were shaking their heads, "And just where do you think you're going?" Jim asked, crossing his arms and staring at the father pointedly.
James glanced over his shoulder at the doorway through which Ty had disappeared, "My boy... He's going to do something that he thinks needs be done but..." His eyes moved to his own friend, "Get going, we can cover more area that way."
Spock turned away, about to obey the order when Jim spoke again, "I don't see why..." his own Spock gripped his shoulder. He turned to look at him, then walked off the other way, the pair headed for another door that the elder Spock hadn't gone through.
James rubbed the back of his neck, and bit his lip, thinking. It was a pose his wife often took when she had done the same thing, and after so many years of having half her soul, he'd picked up on the trait.
He closed his eyes against the pain that threatened to bury him in grief. His beautiful wife...his steady companion, the one person who knew him better than he knew himself.
'Ana. My wife...my love. Why did I ever let you onto this ship?'
He kept berating himself as he followed the path his son had taken, knowing exactly where he had gone.
'I never should have married you, I should have listened to you when you said it would never work. I should have let you live your life out on Eldaria, safe from the hatred of your people, safe from the dangers of the universe.'
He walked past a pile of Romulan bodies, yes, Ty had been this way. Blood made the floor slick, but James' footing was sure. The turbo lift was only a few feet away as he continued to speak to his dead wife.
'You were right, my dearest one. My only one... why did you have to leave?'
He felt like he was drowning as he stepped into the turbo lift, and called for the bridge.
'Analise... the hummingbird... my Princess...'
He coughed, desperate to not tear up. The door opened, and James walked forward.
-----
Ty glared at the woman, "You don't know anything! How dare you claim to know my mother! She was the greatest woman that ever lived! Beloved princess of her people, adored wife and mother and respected commander of the Enterprise!" His voice choked him, his own rage over his mothers death coming to the forefront. In three long strides he stepped near her, his eyes dangerously cold, "What do you know about the Silver Rose?" Her eyes simmered, a low boil coming into her veins. It was the same heat that flowed before she killed an enemy...
Before she'd killed the one who'd brought him here...
She materialized into a holding cell, "Where am I?" she shouted with all the dignity she could muster. There was a man on the other side of the forcefield,clothed in shadow and laughing at her. "Don't you recognize me, Analise?" she cocked an eyebrow at him and put her hands on her hips, "My name isn't Analise. It's Ro'Wena Riuurren, a captain being transported from Eldaria to the border where I was to meet this ship and be taken to Romulus."
The shadowy man shook his head, "No. You are Analise Vloomre, surgically altered to appear as a Romulan. You may have fooled my lieutenant, but I can never forget a face that I've kissed." Ana sucked in her breath, "What are you talking about?" He stepped closer, leaning in so that she could just make out his eyes... a pair of hazel brown eyes that had once melted her knees. "Brant? You're supposed to be dead!" she'd shouted, taking many steps backwards in a failed attempt to get away from him. He grinned evilly, and tossed back his hood."Yes, Ana. It's me." There was something else about him... something she couldn't quite place...
She shook her head, "No, I watched you...the Justice exploded, you were still aboard!" Brant shrugged, "What can I say? I've always had the ninthe devils luck. I was captured, after I set the Justice to explode."
"And how did you get here?"
He shrugged again, "That I don't know. But I do know that I'm happier here than I ever was back home...except, maybe, when I was with you." her eyes widened, and she put a hand to her throat, "Me? I was just a child! Barely old enough to understand what love really was, how can you say..." He put up a hand, "You didn't know what love really was? Ana, I do believe you are quite mistaken. You knew, you've always known what love was,and what it meant to a man." he chuckled, "The way you dressed, the way you walked, the command you had not only of yourself but your crew... Ana, you underestimate your power!" She checked her tongue, biting down hard to stop the retort that popped into her mind. She hated being separated from Jim when things like this happened, shared soul or not, her thoughts couldn't cross the vacuum of space. Brant signaled to a Romulan standing off to the side, "Drop the field." as the energy disappeared, Ana pressed herself against the back wall, "Brant...What are you planning?" His eyes glinted wickedly, and his smile made her skin crawl. "If I remember correctly...you once promised me a kiss..." She swallowed, "Brant! I'm married." He nodded, "I know. You married that human Starfleet captain, what's his name...oh, yes! Kirk, Jim Kirk, isn't it?"
Ana didn't react. He just shrugged, "You don't have to tell me, Ana my dear. I've already gotten my answers out of your children. Your son seemed...rather proud of his father." Ana raised an eyebrow, "Unlike yours, Brant Williams, my children have a reason to adore their father. Not because of a name that he gave them, but because he supported them, provided for them, loved them." Brant reacted, just not the way she'd wanted him to...
Ana had woken later to find fresh bruises on her arms and legs, and her clothes torn from her shoulders. The forcefield was back up and she was as alone as she could get, with another person in the cell with her. "Well now, I'm glad to see you're awake!" she said, and Ana scooted back away from her.
"And who are you?" she whispered, glancing over at the door.
The woman on the bench smirked, "I'm you, you dolt!" Ana started, and the other her laughed, "I see you doubt me!" Ana nodded, and tried to fix her tunic. The woman on the bench was about to reach out to help her, when she stopped herself and leaned forward on her elbows, "Should I tell you my story?" Ana nodded, still working with her clothes. "Father... Father wasn't the highly noble man that you remember, Ana. Oh, he loved my mother – our mother? – sure enough, but instead of her insisting on the, ah, marriage, she gave herself up to him... and I was the result."
Ana glanced at her counterpart, and rolled her eyes, "And why don't I believe you?"
The other woman shrugged, "Because you grew up with a specific image in your head of what your parents were. You grew up the princess of your people. Me? As soon as I could crawl around she left me in the care of a Romulan commander and took off on her own."
Ana bit her lip, "Sounds like Mother, sure enough."
The other Ana smiled gently. "Yes...Mother was her own woman, someone that couldn't be tied down to anything... or anybody."
Ana nodded, agreeing with every word. "She left me before I was crawling. I was still in the crib that grandfather had made for me when I was born. I barely remember her face... her eyes were so sad, as though she couldn't bear the thought of leaving me..." she looked up at the girl on the bench, "us."
The other Ana nodded, "I know what you mean. I was a little older, she had the most beautiful green eyes, and the deepest black hair that you've ever seen."
Ana watched her, then tried to stand up. Her other self stood in response and helped her to her feet, "I heard what he did to you."
Ana glared at her sharply, "That's the other thing, how did you get tied up with Brant Williams?!"
Lise laughed, "I found him, out drifting through space in a little tub of a shuttle... he'd been knocked unconscious and I helped him adjust. I married him, but I couldn't give him children... the one thing he wanted most from life, and I couldn't do it for him. But then he caught wind of you being in our realm... you and your children. He knew that if he could just get hold of you, speak with you in some way, that perhaps you would be willing to help us with our own problems."
Ana shook her head, "There was a time when I would have considered it. But now..." she dropped her gaze, "Ana..."
The other girl held out her hand, "Call me Lise. Everyone else does."
Ana nodded, "Lise, how are my children?"
Lise nodded, "They're fine. I've have them kept under a tight watch, for their own protection. You'd be proud of them, they've escaped their guard at least four times, and I wouldn't be surprised if they did it again."
Ana smiled, "That's my children all right."
Lise walked her to the door, and had the guard drop the field. "Where are you taking me?" Lise looked at her, then beyond her to the guard and fried her phaser, fast as lightening. "We're going to the Eldarian priest on board. I'm going to do you a favor."
"As I said before, Tiberius Spock Kirk. I know more about the Silver Rose than you can possibly imagine. I am the Silver Rose." Ty raised his arm, a small throwing knife in his fist, when a hand wrapped around his wrist and a voice spoke, "Don't, Ty."
He glanced back to see his father giving him a fierce look. "She killed Mother!" he growled, ripping his arm into his own chest and glaring at his father, "She killed my mother! Your wife! I watched her do it! There is nothing wrong about me wanting to avenge her!" James swallowed hard, "No, there's nothing wrong with you wanting to. But there is something wrong with the actual doing." James pulled the knife from his son's grip, and held it in his hand, the sharp blade cutting into his skin, "Your mother was irreplaceable. A woman worth more than the entire store of coin and jewels on Eldaria, and because of that, I can't let you do this." James looked past his son to the woman he would have happily killed himself. "You said you were the Silver Rose. It was my understanding that Ana wasn't born in this time." the woman smiled, "She was...but not as Analise Vloomre. But as Analise Horramn, the Lady Morgan's maiden name."
James' eyes flickered with recognition, "I knew that. Ana's spoken of her mother many times...and always as the Lady Morgan. Never as her 'mother'." The woman waited, watching him closely. James kept talking, waiting for her to react to something, "You know... my wife once told me that she'd climbed the tree, the tall oak in the middle of the castle, all the way to the top, and that she could see over the roof of the castle." The woman's eyes glinted, but he continued, "She was only... ten, maybe eleven years old?" the woman shook her head...
-----
Moria looked at her sister, the pain fully coming to the surface, "I could have sworn... I was so sure..." Amanda gripped her shoulder, "I know, Ria. I thought so too." Lying on the table in front of them was the body of their mother, the scar given her so long ago by a madman, creasing the skin just below her right shoulder blade and extending down to her twelfth rib. It wasn't a deep cut, but it had bled plenty when she'd gotten it.
Bones looked at the two girls, now grim at the prospect of growing up orphans, and shook his head, "It was a good idea, girls. But as you can see..."
McCoy came in from another room, and stopped moving as he saw the two girls standing beside the elder Scotty and his older self. "What happened?" he asked, walking quickly forward. Moria glanced at him, then turned her attention back to her dead mother.
"Somethin' awful." Scotty said, "The Lady Ana...she's..." McCoy nodded, "I can see that." he moved to the table and did a fast examination himself, "Rigor's beginning to set in. Let's get her rolled back over..." both girls' hands fell on their mother, "NO!" they said in unison, making the men in the room jump slightly.
Amanda's face clouded as she fought tears, "I can tell you how she died, Doctor McCoy. She was stabbed, run through, MURDERED!" Her emotions got the better of her, and Amanda started crying again. Scotty went to her and hugged her tight as her tears soaked his shirt.
While on board their Enterprise, Scotty had been their grandfather figure, given them toys and candy and spoiled them as rotten as he could. He'd shown their brother the secrets to keeping a ship running and them the best hiding places in case something bad happened...or they were playing hide and seek with their parents. "There, there now girl. You come with me." Scotty pulled her from the med bay and Moria stood with her legs braced, glaring at the two doctors, "I was raised by Analise Vloomre Kirk, Princess of Eldaria and Captain James Tiberius Kirk, I have a twin sister who is the emotional one, a brother who is the impetuous one, the brave one, the strong one, while I am the smart one. I know that you can't bring someone back from the dead, but between the two of you...
-----
James stared at the woman, then whispered, "It never makes any sense, but I have to know there was a reason."
The woman in front of him nodded, "You once wished you were on a long sea voyage somewhere; not too much deck tennis, no frantic dancing – and no responsibility." James' breath caught, "What did you say?" She swallowed, the angry fires gone, replaced by a lump in her throat, "We were following a Romulan ship...similar to our present situation, only that one fired at us. Do you remember?" James's face showed no change, so she continued, "You were the consummate captain, worried about your crew, your ship... your family." her voice caught, "May I prove to you what I mean, and what I know you're thinking?" The stalwart captain nodded, and the woman took a step forward, her Romulan eyes softening, her pointed ears sticking out from beneath her loose hair. She grabbed his hand and put it on her chest, just above her heart, "Feel my heart, as it beats for thee. Another best come and another beat gone. My very breath is for you, my heart beats for none other. Feel this, my heart as it beats for thee."
Ty's eyes widened, "Father....that's..." James nodded, his eyes captured by the woman's, "The poem your mother always said to you kids when she was trying to get you to calm down." He brought his other hand up and used one finger to stroke the woman's cheek., "She looks a lot like your mother, don't you think?" Ty watched his father's face, the knife dangerously close to the woman's throat, as he continued to stare at her. "A lot like your mother."
The woman opened her mouth, "James, I am his mother."
----------
They were making their way back to the shuttle bay, where James had told the others to meet them when they ran into him. Brant was standing above the dead body of a Romulan soldier when she stopped moving, and gripped her sons arm, "Go on, Ty." James was about to fight when she pulled him towards Ty and shoved them both out of the way, "No, Jim. He was Klingon trained, you wouldn't stand a chance." He opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped him, "Don't argue with me, go! And keep Ty out of trouble."
Ty was frozen in place, unable to think straight. He'd caught glimpses of the man who'd captured them. Had heard his voice, but had thought it impossible.
"Tanas?" he hissed, and it caught the older man off guard. Ana glanced at her son, "What?" Brant starightened his shoulders, "I should have known that you'd recognize me at some point, boy." Ty took a deep breath, "You fihgt someone enough times, you tend to notice some things."
Brant snorted, "Obviously I've underestimated you, boy." Ty swallowed a growl, and took a protective step in front of his mother, "You'll stay away from her, Master." he spat out the last as though it left a fould taste in his mouth.
Ana gripped her sons arm and shoved, making him lose his footing and almost hit his father. "Go, Ty. Get out of here." He looked at her in shock, "Mother! This man is..."
"I've beaten him before, I will do it again." James gripped his shons shoulder and pulled his son down the hall as Ana shouted after them, "I'll meet you in the shuttle bay."
Brant grinned widely and stalked forward, his eyes creepy wild in the flashing red lights of the corridor. "I owe you a good fight after what you did to my girl." Ana smirked, "She did what I would have done, if our places had been reversed." Brant sneered and rolled his shoulder down, ready for the fight, "Really? That's not the Silver Rose I remember." Ana laughed, "There's a lot that can change in a hundred and fifteen years, Brant. We both got married, had children...well, I did anyway." Brant growled and charged, but she was ready for him. She dropped low and let him roll over her, kicking her leg up and bringing herself around so that she faced him again. "Nicely done, Analise." she didn't say anything, just waited for his next charge, sizing him up.
He'd learned some things, but so had she.
-----
Moria stared at her sister then removed the communicator from Amanda's hands and nearly shouted, "Don't you be joking, Ty. It's not very funny!"
Ty glanced at his father, "I'm not kidding Ria." The girls stared at each other, and couldn't think of anything to say. "Momma...Momma's... alive?" Amanda gasped, and shouted happily. She clapped her hands and danced around the room. "She's alive, Ria! Momma's alive!" she stopped moving, and clasped Moria's hands, talking into the communicator, "Dad, Ty, why aren't you coming over here? Why are you sitting around waiting for her?"
Ty looked at his father and drew a deep breath, "She's fighting Brant, Minna."
Moria sighed and put a hand over her eyes, "The man that captured us."
-----
Ana flipped over Brant's back and gripped the dagger she'd pulled from her boot, flipping it in the air and throwing it again, smiling as it bit into his hamstring. "Agh!" he growled and pulled it out. The blade was bloody and dripping as he tossed it aside and glared at her, "You always did know where to strike, Silver Rose."
Ana smirked and fell into a waiting stance, her right arm down to keep her balance and her left sliding down her own injured leg, feeling for the few cuts he'd gotten in earlier. Her hand came away red and sticky. Brant chuckled, and tore away the hem of his tunic, tying it around his thigh. Ana took several deep breaths, and reached behind her back and removed the phaser from her belt. Turning it on, she held it tight and pointed it at him, "Brant, don't try it." Brant stopped moving, dropping the poisoned knife she had known he was reaching for.
He looked up at her, and grinned, "Vloomre's have long memories, don't they?" Ana smirked, and said, "You forget, Brant. I'm a Kirk now."
-----
James clapped Ty on the shoulder and pointed to the doorway, "We'd better go see if she needs any help." Ty nodded and was about to led the way when Spock spoke up, "Jim, I don't think this is a good idea. This Brant was Klingon trained, just as Ana and Ty were. You really wouldn't stand that greatest of chances."
He shrugged, "Don't really care about that right now Spock."
-----
Ana was hurrying down a side hall when the shout came up, and she glanced to her side. Brant was coming towards her at a dead run. The hit she'd given him earlier having grazed his shoulder, and that small phaser only had a charge or two, she needed to conserve them as much as she could. Waiting until the last possible second, she rolled to the side, tripping him.
But, somehow, he was faster.
He went with the fall, rolling back onto his legs and bringing an arm out, his hand closing around her throat. Her eyes bugged as he lifted her from the floor, and slammed her against the wall, "You really should have learned something new in those hundred and fifteen years, Analise my dear." Ana struggled against his grip, swinging her legs wildly and choking out something, "What was that?" he asked, lowering her to is face level and raising an eyebrow, "I did." she coughed, and raised her left arm, bringing her hand down in a perfectly executed chop. "Like that." she squealed as she hit the floor when he dropped her. Gasping and coughing, she rubbed her neck and looked up. Brant was on the floor... well, his body was anyway.
James stood above her, a yan in his hand and blood dripping onto the floor. "What took you so long?" she rasped, getting to her knees. He gripped her upper arm, hauling her to her feet and wrapped his other arm around her waist, "Sorry, had to put the kids down for a nap." She chuckled, "And why don't I believe you?" he grinned. He chucked her chin, then brushed back a stray hair, "I almost thought I'd lost you, kid." she smiled, and stepped closer, "And what stopped you?" he took her hand and put it over his heart, "I knew you weren't gone...not completely." he half chuckled as his grip on her tightened, "Besides, we've got some unfinished business."
"Like going home?" she asked. He rolled his eyes and lowered his face, inches from her own, "Maybe."
::EPILOGUE::
Jim was sitting on a log in Yosamite National Park, eyeing the mountain in front of him carefully, thinking. Ana came over next to him, looking perfect in her jeans and t-shirt with hair braided down her back. "Well now, what's going through that mind of yours?" Jim shrugged, "Thinking." Ana nodded, "You know that's dangerous?"
He looked up at her, "What is? My thinking or what I'm thinking about?" She plopped herself onto the log and stretched her legs, "With you I dont' think I could ever tell the difference. But, if being your wife has taught me anything, I would have to guess what you're thinking about as opposed to your thinking at all." Jim chuckled and glanced at the stars, "What do you think he's doing right now?" she followed his gaze, and sighed, 'He's you isn't he? What would you be doing?' he chuckled, "Climbing a mountain?"