Title: Home (Multichapter fic with 35 parts)
Beta: un-beta'd D: D: D:
Warnings, Themes and Tropes, etc.: bondage, torture, prostitution, explicit sex, drug use
Summary: The Vulcans need a new home planet, so the Enterprise and her crew set out to find one for them.
"They'd come all the way for this? Which mad astronomer had sent them out here? Whose twisted idea had it been?"
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its characters.
– Home-Part 28 of 35 –
Jim opened his eyes blearily.
"Hey Bones," he said.
"Yeah hi to you too, kid. I really don't know why I bother putting you back together every time-but you just keep being brought in on a stretcher looking so god damn pathetic and broken."
"My jaw feels stiff."
"Yeah, no kidding. That's what having your jaw bone shattered will do to you."
"What's the situation down on Saketh?"
"Right now? How the hell should I know! I've been too busy patching you up. No, don't get up. Uhura's on her way, wanted to talk to you as soon as you came 'round. But no getting out of bed and running off, you hear me? You had a bad skull fracture."
"How long was I out for?"
"Not long, half an hour at most."
In an emergency like they were facing down on Saketh, half an hour was almost an eternity.
Uhura strode in through the sickbay doors with a PADD tucked neatly under her arm, which she handed to him the second she reached his bedside.
Jim rubbed at his eyes. "The words are blurry."
"Really? I think I've got something for that. Hang on a minute." Bones rummaged in one of the refrigerated drawers. "Ah, here it is."
Without further warning a cold hypo was pressed against his neck and some drugs injected into his system.
"Now I've got a sickbay to run. If you need me, I'll be in my office."
He watched Bones leave, then held the PADD up in front of his face again. The messages on the screen slowly came into focus; he scanned the first few paragraphs.
"Patel has done what?" he shouted, jabbing his index finger at the PADD.
Uhura raised her chin slightly and clasped her hands behind her back.
"He's accused Spock of collusion with the enemy. With these orders from headquarters," she stepped closer and pointed at a line on the PADD, "Spock's command codes have been frozen. Sir, we both know that this is all … politics. So Spock slept with a prostitute?"
Jim watched as she clenched her jaw and focused on his status monitor, rather than looking him in the eye.
"Contrary to what Captain Patel is claiming," she continued, "he didn't hide that fact, you were aware of it and you've submitted a report to the admirals. It's already been dealt with. And we both know he'd never tell anyone information about the mission. A quick call to headquarters is all it should take to clear up this 'misunderstanding'."
She spat out the last word.
Jim closed his eyes and dropped his hands, PADD inclusive, into his lap. He'd only skimmed the rest of the page-until Uhura had voiced it out loud he hadn't been sure exactly what Patel had been accusing Spock of, but now he knew: passing on information about Saketh to the prostitute. Well, he was pretty sure he hadn't interrupted the two of them having a nice 'chat'. But, when Vulcans married, they married telepathically, they shared minds. He felt sick to the stomach at the thought.
"Captain?"
She'd moved to stand closer to him and dropped down so that their eyes were now on one level. Uhura's gaze softened.
"You didn't report it," she whispered.
"No."
"I heard that you flipped out at him. Chekov told me everything."
Jim sighed. "There was a … reason."
Uhura was nodding, her large browns eyes radiating understanding.
"Spock," she said, "wouldn't act like that normally. The minute I heard what had happened I knew there must've been some reason behind it all and Chekov agreed. I'm glad you didn't report it."
He put his head in his hands. "But this mess would be easier to sort out if I had."
"It will take longer to sort out, but it will be okay in the end. Won't it?"
Jim wasn't sure. Spock had clearly never intended for this to happen, but if the Vulcan had only been less secretive, that whole episode might've been avoided in the first place.
"We need Patel to retract his accusations," he replied.
"Do you think you can persuade him?" She narrowed her eyes. "I got the impression this had little to do with Spock and more to do with him wanting the Excaliburto take control of the situation down on Saketh."
Jim's head shot up.
"What's been happening?"
"The pirates are holding the city. Patel has withdrawn most of the security teams from the planet, only leaving behind a few scouts near the two entrances. So far the pirates have stayed in the mountain."
"He withdrew the security teams? What the … ? Are we sure he isn't colluding with the enemy?"
Uhura coughed politely. "Who're you appointing to replace Spock for the time being?"
Jim pinched the bridge of his nose. "Inform Lieutenant-Commander Scott I'm promoting him to first officer until this mess is cleared up."
"Yes sir," she replied.
"Right, and now I've got to visit Patel and find out what the hell he thinks he's doing."
He swung his legs over the side of the bed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Uhura glance towards the doctor's office.
He grinned. "If you'd distract him for me?"
"Kirk, I swear-."
"I need Spock back-right now. Patel has got to drop those claims. He obviously thinks I'm too seriously wounded to command this mission-."
"You are."
"All the more reason to get Spock back. Look, we don't have any time to lose!"
She rolled her eyes. "I'll keep him busy."
He smiled and it hurt his jaw. Bones was the only one with the authority to keep him from beaming over to confront Patel.
"Thanks," he said as he jumped off the bed.
Immediately he had to steady himself on one of the stainless steel trolleys. Uhura raised her eyebrows.
"I'll be fine. Go." He waved her away.
Jim arrived on the bridge of the Excaliburout of breath; he had to lean heavily against the wall next to the turbo lift. Not the impression he'd wanted to create, but he'd had to hurry, so Bones wouldn't be able to catch up with him.
"We need to talk about the mission," he said.
Patel got up out of his chair. "Shouldn't you be in sickbay?"
The older captain crossed his arms in front of his chest and took stock of the younger one's physical state. Jim knew he still had some dried blood in his hair and his jaw was probably an angry red or a deep purple. But at least what he was wearing was clean, he thought mirthlessly.
"Nope. I'm here, so obviously the doctor released me."
"I'm sure he did. Do you always walk around barefoot on your ship in a thin medical gown?"
Jim smiled. "I was in a hurry."
They stared at each other from across the bridge. Someone coughed nervously.
"If you would follow me to the conference room," Patel said.
The second the door closed behind them, giving them privacy from the crew, Jim sat down heavily in a chair at the long conference table.
"What the fuck were you thinking filing that accusation against Spock? Without even consulting me!"
"I don't need your permission to do my duty," Patel said.
"Your duty? Oh please, we both know that this has nothing to do with Commander Spock. Don't drag him into this."
They stared at each other.
Patel smiled weakly. "I'm sure that the commander will quickly be found innocent after a preliminary inquest. What I think on the matter is not important though, it's not my place to make that judgment. In submitting the evidence I am simply following protocol-to the letter."
Jim studied his face. Yes, Patel wasn't lying-he believed Spock was innocent and if he judged that fake smile correctly the man even felt a twinge of guilt over the matter. But that wouldn't help his first officer when it came to the inquest; it would be a long, lengthy one, as the Vulcan wouldn't lie to save his ass. Patel couldn't have known, of course, but Jim balled his hands into fists. He didn't appreciate Patel trying to take control away from the Enterprise. He needed Spock on active duty, he was already feeling nauseous and a headache was just around the corner the minute the hypo Bones had given him wore off.
"Look, there's no need for this. It's not going to work anyway. I'm here, not stuck in sickbay, so retract your allegations against my first officer. We're going to plan our course of action against the pirates together, not you on your own."
He knew the minute he'd said it that he shouldn't have-Patel was already livid and playing by-the-book-dirty and that statement he'd just made was not going to improve matters. After all, he'd been the one who'd made the decision on the Heuygen's system, which should've been a joint one.
Across the table Patel was seething quietly.
"What we are going to do down on Saketh," Patel said, "is to wait 'til the pirates have to come out and negotiate for lack of food and water. Anything else is too risky.
"What if they damage the city? Have you been down there? It might be creepy as anything walking through those ruins, especially past those rows of skulls, but that's some of the only history the Vulcans have left. If we get down there and those pirates have smashed up everything … ."
Jim didn't think he needed to finish that sentence. He could see Patel chewing on the inside of his cheeks. Then the older man's face hardened.
"There's a whole planet full of ruins down there; this is just one city. It's not worth the risk."
Before Jim could protest Patel had reached for a PADD, which he activated and then handed over to him. Jim skimmed the information on it: Patel had already run his suggested plan of action by the admirals, who'd essentially agreed to it.
Jim felt his face flush red. It was time to leave.
"Ensign," Jim said, "beam me back over to the Enterprise."
"Yes sir."
"Enterpriseto Kirk."
Jim stopped short of getting up onto one of the transporter pads. He took out his communicator and opened the channel.
"Kirk here. What's up Mr. Scott?"
"It's Commander Spock, sir. A security team had escorted him to his quarters, but he broke out and just beamed himself down to the planet's surface. Doctor McCoy thinks the pressure of this mission has pushed him over the edge, like last time he was on Saketh. I'm preparing to send down a security team to retrieve him."
"No, I'll go down myself."
"Aye, you're the Cap'n."
"Send his beam down co-ordinates over to the Excalibur'stransporter room. Kirk out."
Jim turned to the ensign at the controls. "Hand me your phaser." He looked down at bare feet. "And your boots."
Spock was a fast runner and Jim was in no fit state to chase him through the woods.
"Spock, stop or I'll shoot," he shouted.
The Vulcan would easily be able to judge that he was far away, but maybe the threat would halt him. It did.
Jim stopped running and walked towards him slowly. His eyes went straight to Spock's belt and the phaser holstered there.
"Put your hands up where I can see them."
When he got to his renegade first officer he took his phaser off him.
"Jim, do you trust me?"
He didn't know what to say. This question couldn't have come at a worse time; on the one hand it broke his heart that Spock even felt the need to ask such a question, but on the other hand … Spock clearly didn't give a damn about him or he'd have told him that he'd married that woman.
"There is no time to waste," Spock said, "I must go to the Katric Ark."
"What? Spock! Wake up! Get a hold of yourself, this isn't you-you're being influenced by something that's gotten into your mind."
Last time had been bad enough with the storm water, now a horde of angry pirates occupied the place.
Spock let his arms fall back down to his side. "No, my mind is still my own. I must go there to stop the pirates. They are damaging the Katric Ark. Jim, I would not put my life in danger needlessly, but this is something I must do. If you run with me to edge of the wood, I will do my best to explain on the way."
Jim nodded and before he'd even lowered the phaser Spock had grabbed his upper arm, forcing Jim to run along with him.
"So," Jim panted, "convince me you're acting rationally."
"After you were beamed up to the ship I stayed behind on Saketh. I wanted to understand the telepathic force that was trying to get into my mind. So let it in."
They jumped over a log. Jim stumbled when they landed on the other side, but Spock steadied him with ease and continued his explanation.
"Ancient Katras, Vulcan souls." Spock's voice was clear and strong. "The material the Katric Ark was crafted out cannot have originated from his planet. It must have come from Vulcan. I believe the whole chamber is lined with the same polycrystalline mix of rocks and metals that made up the surface of Vulcan. The magnetization of this material is easily affected by our telepathy. And in turn the patterns Vulcans leave there can affect us."
"We tried to scan the chamber, we couldn't pick up anything in there. How do you know this? Did these 'souls' tell you?"
"They didn't talk to me, Captain, and I can't talk to them. I am too far away for that. But I could feel it in the pattern of the electric field emanating from the mountain."
A low lying branch hit Jim in the face, scratching his cheek, as Spock rushed along relentlessly. The edge of the wood was already in sight.
"And now you somehow sense that the pirates are doing something to the Ark?"
"The Katras are not disturbed, so I do not believe any stones harboring them have been destroyed by the pirates. But … something is changing."
He trusted Spock's telepathic abilities-his older counterpart was certainly skilled. If his first officer said there was a change in the pattern then who was he to question that?
"So what could they be doing?"
"I cannot say for sure, but … Jim, there is something here that feels like home."
They reached the edge of the woods. Between them and the main entrance to the mountain was large grassy field.
Spock stopped. "I think there must be some stones in the Ark, brought here by the ancient clans of Vulcan, that were patterned through extreme telepathic forces to act as beacons for each clan. They are home."
Jim reached out and took Spock's hand in his and squeezed it. "And there's a time when most Vulcan males must return home."
"Yes. The pirates must not be allowed to destroy those stones, and I believe they may have already damaged some of them. Do you understand now why I must go without delay?"
"I do. But you're not going on your own. I'm coming with you."
They ran out of the woods. Behind them Jim heard the cries of Captain Patel's sentries who must have been posted in the woods somewhere. He ignored them; he had no intention of obeying them and turning back however dizzy he might feel.
"You do have a plan, don't you?" Jim asked.
The entrance into the mountain was close. Spock stopped just before they reached it.
"I thought I would let myself be taken prisoner. They seem to have set up their main headquarters in the Katric Ark. Once there I can try to communicate with the ancient, pre-reform Katras. Ancient Vulcans tried to achieve immortality through committing their whole being to the Ark. Those Katras are more 'alive' than those of the Surakian era and I might be able to persuade them to aid me in driving out the pirates."
Jim looked around. If they stayed standing in this open field much longer they'd soon be discovered by the pirates. And as he realized that that was exactly what they were waiting for he felt his adrenaline levels starting to rise.
"Alright," Jim replied, "If you can get the pirates to panic for even a few minutes, then that might present the best chance for me to take down Kroth."
He agreed with Spock, they had to act now to prevent further damage to the beacon stones even though it was clear to him that this was a desperate attempt. But if they failed, Patel would still be able to end the occupation of the Ark his way.
"How will contacting these ancient Vulcans affect you?"
"I do not know. I am aware that I may risk mental scarring, especially without the correct preparation."
Then, unexpectedly, Spock leant in and kissed him gently on the lips. It was a tender kiss, not fueled by physical lust.
"Spock?" he asked softly and stepped closer to him, so that their bodies were touching.
Behind him, from the entrance, Jim could hear shouting. He didn't move and didn't turn towards the commotion. He reached out and took Spock's hand in his even as the pirates reached them and hit Jim between his shoulder blades with the butt of a plasma rifle.