Disclaimer: I don't own anything Star Trek it is all property of Gene Roddenberry, J.J. Abrams, Paramount, and whoever else owns rights to the franchise. I am not making any profits off of this so please don't sue me.
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Chapter 3
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Captain James T. Kirk to a long sip from the glass of ale he had just received from the bartender. He leaned against the counter as he drank, the liquid making his suddenly parched feeling throat. It was strange, ever since he had arrived at the small cocktail party that was being held now that negotiations were over, he'd been feeling odd. Even given the current state his body was in, he now also felt this strange tickle at the back of his throat and his ear had begun to ring on and off over these last few minutes. He just felt like he was being dragged into a cotton thick haze. He did his best to ignore the feeling and focus on the his surroundings. Though he had managed to get through the remaining talks with the Antarians he felt uneasy and rightly so for the one who had attacked him the night before was not present for the remaining meeting and was no where to be seen.
This had Jim feeling the gnawing edge of terror in the pit of his stomach.
He was afraid that the Antarian had fled back to the home planet, and yet he was also afraid that the satanic being was still on board the Star base, lurking in the shadows just waiting to pick him off again.
Realizing this, Jim looked down at the glass of ale he had just taken a sip from and felt another sharp twinge of fear in his gut. Not wanting to take another chance, Jim handed the glass off to a passing waitress and instead focused on walking about the receptions hall.
As he had expected, his senior staff was avoiding him, even Bones. They were all scattered about mingling with the delegates from the Antari system, leaving Jim all by himself. They were all so close and yet so far.
He could see where they all were, especially Spock.
His First Officer was in deep conversation with one of the Antarian elders. That Antarian had been so nice and thoughtful. Was he even aware of the barbaric deeds one of his own had inflicted on the Captain of Starfleet's Flagship.
Probably not. Ignorance was bliss it would seem, a bliss that Jim Kirk had been forcibly educated in not being at all true last night.
The young Captain gritted his teeth and bore it, the pain, the shame, the despair, the desolation, all with a charming smile and a facade of everything being right in his world when said world was not but a pile of ruin. As he walked about doing his best to avoid his crew but staying close by in an invisible veil of solitude imposed on him by the whole horrifying situation he found himself in.
From across the room Spock turned a moment from the conversation he had been having to survey the room. Everyone was mingling with one another, all save for one blond haired, pale blue eyed individual. Spock felt a wave of anger and hurt rise up inside of him despite his best efforts to staunch the flow of illogical emotions. But despite how he was feeling on the inside, Spock couldn't help but notice how unhealthily pale the Captain and grown, the beginnings of bags under his eyes, and the barely concealed look of fear that flitted across his handsome face every so often. Spock could see that the young human was on alert about something.
Perhaps he was nervous because the individual with whom he had had the entanglements that had led to the termination of his relationship with Spock was here in this very room.
When this thought entered Spock's mind, another wave of anger stronger than the first rose up inside Spock, along with a sense of deep betrayal. With his eye hardening at the sight of Jim Kirk, Spock turned away and went back into conversation with A'tal, the Antarian delegation's senior Ambassador.
Meanwhile back in the surveillance room...
Lt. Mirna Bansali heaved horribly into the waste bin she had managed to scramble to just as her last meal came violently back up and out. She spit a few times and then gasped as she finally stopped retching with everything her body had in it. With a small gasp that ended in a soft sob the young woman climbed to her feet and quickly regained her composure. Though what she had just finished seeing would've broken even the strongest of men, she had a job to do and a Captain who needed justice to be done on his behalf. Pausing to rinse out her mouth with some water from the bathroom, Bansali then sprung into immediate action.
" Computer, please give me the location of Captain James T. Kirk!" She ordered.
" Captain James T. Kirk is on board the station and attending a social function in the main reception hall." Answered the neutral female voice.
" Damn it, how am I gonna get in their it's supposed to be Enterprise senior personnel and Delegates only?" She asked herself.
She slammed her fist against the table top she was leaning over as she mulled over just what the hell she was gonna do about this.
Should she go to her superiors and report this? Should she force her way into the party and confront the Antarian delegation? What about her post, she was also in charge of watching who came and went about a good sized area of the base? What if the monster that did what she had seen to Kirk was still on board? What if he tried to make a run for it?
Then an idea hit her and she hurried to speak.
" Computer, is the USS Enterprise accessible?" She asked.
" Affirmative, the USS Enterprise is currently accessible with non-senior personnel all on board and on duty." Answered the computer.
" Great, divide and conquer it is then." Said Lt. Bansali softly as she set to work, pressing buttons furiously, downloading the revolting footage into a portable hand-held device. Once that was done the Lieutenant snatched up the devise and turned it on to make sure she had gotten it all, clenching her jaw in fury the young woman took a few moments to memorize the monster's face before she bolted about the room grabbing up her communicator and a phazer. Then she sprinted out of the video feed room and started running as fast as she could with one destination in mind.
The USS Enterprise.
Back at the cocktail party things were still in a good atmosphere. People were still mingling and enjoying themselves, all that is except for a certain Star ship captain. Jim sat by himself in a quiet corner, away from the voices of people who weren't him talking with each other, those who were absolutely fine. Sitting alone didn't really help him feel much better. In fact he was feeling worse than he had this morning. The strange feeling at the back of his throat had turned into a full on clawing sensation and his dress uniform was starting to feel itchy and hot against his skin. Along with that, his vision was starting to go in and out of focus every now and then. And to round things out, the injuries he had sustained from the night before were beginning to throb in time with his heartbeat.
Oh yes something was definitely wrong with him. His first thought was to seek out Bones but he quickly quashed it down. Bones, like the rest of his senior staff was staying as far away from him as possible. They obviously likened him to some kind of infectious disease. And why not, Kirk himself really didn't want to be himself at the moment. Coughing lightly and clearing his through Jim flagged down a passing waiter and asked for some water. The waiter returned with a glass of the clear liquid with some ice in it as well.
" Thanks." He said softly as he took the offered glass.
" Of course sir." Said the Waiter with a kind smile, which dimmed as he took in the young Captain's less them healthy appearance.
" May I get you anything else?" He asked.
" Nah, I'm good thank you though." Said Jim with a wane smile as he greedily drank the old water.
With a lingering look of concern the waiter left the Captain to his solitude amidst the crowd. Then after a few moment Captain Kirk quietly slipped away from the partly through a back entrance. He wanted full solitude, maybe then his head would stop swimming like it was on an acid trip.
Meanwhile...
Outside of the reception hall very close to the dock where the USS Enterprise was securely anchored, one of the turbo-lifts opened with a soft hiss and a blur of red rushed out before the door was even fully open. Thanking the stars for joining the track team back at the Academy Lt. Bansali ran down the long corridor that led to the spot where the star ship was joined to the star base. She all but left tread marks on the floor as she skidded to a half and pressed the button on the panel to get the hatch door open. It wouldn't move fast enough in Bansali's opinion as he bound through once the opening was big enough.
After that she was making fast work of the hallway with it in mind to get to the main bridge and find somebody, anybody be it a Commander or and ensign, even a yeoman, just somebody who could get through security and get the device and the horrifying truth it held within it to anyone from the Enterprises senior staff.
Bansali had just turned a corner in the corridor when the turbo lift that was within the wall suddenly opened and an unsuspecting curly hair individual stepped out, right into the running lieutenant's path.
" Ow!" Yelled Bansali while the young man she had plow right into shouted in a foreign language.
Bansali quickly recovered and took in the sight of the more or less boy she had collided with.
Curly hair and big green eyes.
" Hey you, state your name and rank for me this instant." Ordered Bansali.
" Vhy, are you going to have me reported, you are ze one who plowed intu me." Said the young man indignantly.
" I'm not going to report you but time is of the essence so please answer me." Said Bansali firmly.
" I am Pavel Chekov, I hold ze rank of Enseen." Answered Chekov.
" Well then Ensign Chekove, I am Lieutenant Mirna Bansali. Now that we have been properly introduced I have something of the utmost importance that needs to be done and fast. Come with me." Said Bansali before she seized Chekov by his wrist and proceeded to run back the way she came with the young man scrambling to keep up.
" Vhat do you mean, vhat iz going on here?" Asked Chekov, noticing for the first time how strong and agile this mysterious woman was.
The two of then headed back out of the hatch and into the Star base before Bansali finally stopped to catch her breath and answer her young and still clueless partner.
" Listen to me Chekov, I have found out about a most horrifying event that occured here on this Star Base last night, right under our noses. Kirk is your Captain yes?" She asked him, all the while squeezing his shoulders to the point of pain.
" Y-Yes ma'am. Cepten Kirk iz my cepten." Answered Chekov truthfully.
" Well then Ensign I say this to you know, you Captain's life is in grave danger and the proof is here in this recorder." Said Bansali as he held up the device.
" Vhat happened?" Asked Chekov feeling concern for Kirk even though he had sided with Spock and the others.
" Oh God." Whispered Bansali before she reigned in her emotions and thought about the objective.
" Chekov, I need you to get this to any one of your commanding officers, anyone who is a member of the Senior staff. Hell give this to the Captain if you find him. Now what I am about to say is gonna be hard for you to hear but I will not sugar coat it." Said Bansali as she gazed at Chekov with blazing amber eyes.
Chekov mutely nodded and waited to hear what it was.
" On that recorder is security footage from last night, from one of the conference rooms. It is footage of one of the Antarian Ambassadors forcing himself on Captain Kirk. Do you understand?" Said Bansali finally.
She watched as the boy's eyes grew wide in horror and disbelief as he began to shaking his head hard.
" No, no, no, no, no." He began to say before he trailed off into his mother language.
" HEY, SNAP OUT OF IT AND YES YOU HEARD ME RIGHT!" Screamed Bansali before she quieted down and hauled Chekov up by the front of his uniform and continued.
" One Antari bastard repeatedly raped Captain Kirk and though I am amazed that no one on board seems to have noticed the issue at hand is that there is a criminal on the loose and I intend to catch and bring him to justice. Do you understand?" Growled Bansali.
" Yes ma'am." Said Chekov shakily.
" Then Mr. Chekov I suggest you do as I have ordered of you and get this device to one of your commanding officer, inform them and everyone else of the situation and make sure that Captain Kirk gets medical treatment because I know full well that he must had suffered grave injuries from the assault. NOW MOVE!" Roared Bansali before she shoved Chekov a little ways down the corridor.
Chekov stumbled but recovered and held the device in a white knuckled grip as he turned to the red haired Lieutenant and spoke.
" Vhat about you ma'am, vhat are you going to do?" He asked.
" I'm gonna alert the entire base that there is a danger on board and to go into full lockdown, if that scaly raping son of a bitch is still on this base we are not gonna let him get away with what he had done, now go quickly!" Shouted Bansali.
Chekov nodded and then scampered away as fast as his legs could carry him.
Bansali watched him disappear down the corridor and prayed that he would be able to get through somehow. Then she focused on her own task and pulled out her communicator to relay the watered down version of the situation to those in command of the base. She informed them to lock down the place as discreetly as possible and start scanning for Antarian life signs were there should not be, for most of the Antarian Delegates were at the social gathering, all but a few would be elsewhere on the base.
Chekov ran and ran till he finally reached one of the Turbo-lifts. The young ensign push the button hard and couldn't stand still as he waited for the door to open. The mysterious Lieutenant's words of revelation were still crashing around inside the young man's head, it left him reeling and afraid.
For his Captain, Jim Kirk.
The beginnings of despair and guilt were just starting to tingle through him when Chekov shoved the feelings aside, he had orders to follow. Thankfully the lift door finally opened and he scrambled inside. Once the door shut behind him Chekov pressed the button for the deck where the main reception hall was located. It was going to be a bit of a lengthy ride up. Chekov breathed in deep and tried to remain calm while also willing the lift to go faster. Then he remembered the device he held in his hands. Swallowing thickly and with trembling fingers Chekov pressed the button the device that would turn it on.
There was a small beep and a flicker on the screen before the moving image came into view.
The moment the young man's eyes fell on the scene that was playing out. Chekov gasped and wrenched his eyes away. Recoiling and feeling the urge to vomit. With a small yell Chekov turned the damned device off and screwed his eyes shut as he felt back against the lift wall.
With a rattling breath and using all he had not to fall to pieces at the few second he had allowed himself to see Chekov whisper to words in Russian.
" Bozhe Moy."( Oh God.)
Then after several more agonizingly long moments the lift finally came to a smooth stop and the door opened. Regaining some of his composure Chekove bolted out of the lift and went barreling towards the doors to the reception hall. As expected security guards pounded on his before he could get to the doors. They were in the process of pulling him away when Chekov used his strong vocal capability.
" MEESTER SPOCK! MEESTER SPOCK! MEESTER SPOCK!" He yelled.
Sure enough his racket got the attention of the one being called.
Commander Spock stepped out of the hall and into the hallway looking impassive as ever where he stood and spoke.
" Yes Ensign Chekov?" He asked.
Chekov shrugged off the restraining hands of the guards and bound forward looking up at the taller Vulcan with pleading eyes.
" Meester Spock, ze cepten, vhere iz he?" Asked the Ensign.
" He is propably inside, hidden away in one of the corners of the hall." Answered Spock simply, though on the inside he really didn't know and really didn't care, really.
" Pleaze Meester Spock, ve must find him!" Urged Chekov.
" For what reason Mr. Chekov?" Asked Spock with the mildest hints of annoyance tinting his words.
" Something horrible happened to him last night, absolutely horrible!" Cried Chekov as his eyes welled with tears.
" What do you mean Ensign." Asked Spock as he took a step forward towards the distressed young man.
" Lieutenant...Ze Ceptain... Antarian... forced..."
Disjointed words were all he got as Chekov began to break.
" Get a hold of yourself Ensign and speck clearly. That is a direct order." Said Spcok sternly.
" Ve must find ze Cepten. He needs help." Said Chekov tearfully before he held out the device to the Vulcan.
Spock took the device and fluidly turned it on.
Chekov watched tearfully as the Vulcan actually gasped and his mouth fell open in clear shock. Then a look that could only be described as blood thirsty rage came over Spock's face. Chekov felt terror well up inside him regardless as dark almost black eyes gazed at him with fiery, murderous promise. Even though it was not directed at him at all, Chekov felt afraid.
Then without a single word Spock seized the young Russian by his shoulder and all but yanked him off his feet as he strode back into the reception hall.
They were met with the concerned and questioning gazes of all in the room, especially those of the Enterprise's senior staff.
" Spock, what's going on?" Asked Bones.
" Chekov, please explain the situation to all of us, in full detail." Growled Spock, handing Chekov the recording device while his eyes were rapidly searching the crowd for the one face he had mere hours ago vowed he never wanted to see.
With a rattling breath Chekov steadied his nerves and opened his mouth to speak.