This chapter is quite dark. It has significant violence and some language. Anyway it's a bit longer than the last few chapters, so enjoy.
Chasing Monsters
"Governor Kodos. We meet face to face." Jim sounds surprisingly normal. McCoy wonders how he does it – he is sure his voice would shake if he was meeting with his childhood nightmare. He almost wishes that instead of being in the observation room he could stand beside Jim, just so his friend knows he is there (always).
"James Tiberius Kirk. It's good to see you again." Kodos replies, also trying to sound normal. But even McCoy can tell that he is slightly shaken. So the kid was right – having Jim involved is going to be a blow to Kodos' overconfidence.
"That's not a mutual feeling, I assure you." Jim says, and McCoy can detect a slight tinge of anger in his voice (although only because he knows his best friend so well).
"I have to say I wasn't expecting you to be anywhere near me. I thought Starfleet would keep you away. It's not like they trust you." Kodos sneers, trying to take back control. McCoy glances at the Admirals, but they don't cringe. He supposes that they don't feel guilty over the decisions of their predecessors, and he doubts they've paid much attention to the matter of an old fugitive war criminal, apart from the continued organisation of the search. Beside the admirals Spock looks completely engrossed in the conversation – his face does not even flicker.
"You might be surprised to find that they left me in charge. I make quite a convincing argument." Kirk explains, smirking slightly.
"They wouldn't. I demand to see a lawyer about this. You are prejudiced against me," Kodos demands, glancing to the left at the wall McCoy, Spock and the Admirals are behind.
"You're not getting a lawyer. The thing is, nobody knows you're alive. So we don't really need to give you anything. You are officially dead. There's no point looking for assistance, because it isn't coming. But I'm gonna give you a shot. Justify what you did."
"Justify?" Kodos questions.
"I'd like you to explain to me why you did what you did. Justify it. Go on. You were always larking on about how you were doing things for the greater good. Persuade me you did the right thing." Kirk's voice is low and dangerous.
"The survival of the colony needed to be assured. I did what I did without choice. Without a reduction in population we all would have starved. I gave the half that would not have survived a quick death, much preferable to the slow starvation they would otherwise have endured. I do not regret my actions. I was not the selfish one."
"And torturing a child. How do you justify that?"
"You had the location of all of your little gang. A gang that were terrorising the colony. Your lot were stealing food, causing others to go hungry. You needed to be stopped. And you were hardly a child James. You'd killed people."
"You condemned 'my gang' to death; you can hardly blame us for fighting back. We were all just children. You could have just left us alone instead of hunting us down like we were prey or vermin. The guards I killed were trying to kill me; I acted in self-defence. Why should we have had to go hungry?"
"I assigned value to every member of the colony. The people in your gang were not high enough on the list to-"
"Yes, I remember your list," Kirk interrupts. "But I don't agree with your definition of value. Some of the Tarsus kids you didn't think had the right to live have done pretty well for themselves. Regardless, certain people aren't worth more than others."
"I-" Kodos started, but Kirk cuts him off.
"I've decided your justification sucks. Its rather dull and I've heard it before. So I think we should just get to business. The thing is, I don't like your deal much. So I've got a new one. You are going to tell me what the Klingon secret is, and how to stop your recordings, and I won't kill you. You can go off to a nice penal colony somewhere, with a touch of hard labour. That will satisfy me," Jim says, and he sounds so dispassionate that McCoy goes cold inside.
"You won't kill me. If you do then you won't get my secret and people will learn I am alive."
"I won't kill you until I have that information. By then, of course, you'll be yearning for death, begging for it. I'll give it to you, in the end; not that you gave it to me when I asked," Kirk says darkly. Then he reaches forward and grabs one of Kodos' fingers tightly. "I've never done this sort of thing before, because, to be honest, I have a moral objection to it. But for you I think I can make an exception. I've been on the other side of the table a few times, so I'm sure I can work out how to be effective." Then he twists on Kodos finger. There is a sickening crunch as it breaks, followed by Kodos' scream. Kirk doesn't flinch; there is no flicker of emotion on his face. McCoy does, though. A couple of the Admirals do as well. Even Spock blinks. The sudden application of violence is disconcerting. For the first time in his life, McCoy is frightened of Jim, frightened at what he might do. There is hardly a break before Kirk moves on to the next finger and breaks that one as well.
"Are you happy now?" McCoy snaps at the Admirals, over the screaming, not caring that that they are his superiors. Jim is going to lose himself if he isn't careful, and it's their fault for letting this happen.
"Maybe you're thinking that I'm going to run out of fingers." Jim whispers, and his voice makes even McCoy shiver. "But there are worse things than broken fingers. Trust me on that." Then he twists on the fingers he just broke, in such an expert way that McCoy just knows the same thing has been used on Jim at some point. Kodos screams and tries to pull away, but Jim is much stronger (he is no longer a child). McCoy feels ill, but doesn't want to leave. He doesn't want to leave Jim alone even if his friend cannot see him.
"Wait, please," Kodos pants, after Jim lets go.
"You got something you want to say?" Jim asks, staring coldly at Kodos.
"We can make a new deal… I can-" Kodos begins, but Kirk interrupts him by breaking his third finger.
"I already told you the deal," Jim sighs, "You should listen better." He presses down on the fingers again, and McCoy wants to put his fingers in his ears. "To be honest I'm hoping you hold out for a long while. I've got lots of ideas. I can be a very creative person." Kirk reaches forwards and bend the fourth and fifth fingers backwards at the same time, breaking them, before twisting them round.
"Stop! Stop!" Kodos sobs, but Jim doesn't relent.
"I'll stop when you tell me what I want to know," Kirk whispers, voice low.
"Alright! I set up a program to release the information if I didn't deactivate it in two weeks. Just stop!"
"How do you deactivate it?" Jim asks.
"There's a website, with a password that needs to be entered. The password is Lenore." Kodos speaks quickly, not wanting Kirk to lose patience.
"That's very old school," Kirk says, but without any warmth. He places a padd in front of Kodos. "Write down the address."
Kodos scribbles it quickly, with his good hand. On McCoy's left Admiral James takes out his padd and examines the address, before leaving the room to check it out. But McCoy is fairly certain that Kodos isn't lying – the man looks terrified. He isn't surprised – Jim is frightening him, and even he isn't sure what Kirk is capable of right now (he doubts Jim knows himself). Through the mirror Jim is eyeing up Kodos again.
"Now I'd like you to tell me what this 'Klingon secret' is. I don't really care, to be honest, but I'm trying to be thorough," Jim sighs, as though he really has no interest (even though his heart is pounding and he so wants the man just to tell him so all of this can just stop).
"Can we negotiate? I want-" Kodos begins, obviously trying to reassert control over the situation. Jim is having none of it. He reaches forwards and twists Kodos wrist, causing a sickening snap. Kodos screams and writhes, trying to pull away from Kirk and the pain.
"I don't care what you want. I thought that was very clear. Obviously you need reminding." Kirk says flatly. Kodos turns away from him, to the wall. Jim realises that the man is determined to keep what he sees as his most important piece of leverage to himself – things need to be stepped up. He stands up and walks around the table. Kodos still doesn't look at him. Without warning Jim lunges forwards and pulls Kodos' shoulder. Unable to move because of the way his hands are chained to the table, Kodos shrieks as his shoulder dislocates. Jim pulls on it in a way he knows is absolute agony (from first-hand experience a couple of months ago when he was kidnapped as captain).
"It feels like fire, doesn't it?" Kirk leans in and whispers in Kodos' ear menacingly. "Although I suppose you wouldn't know. Have you ever been burnt? Properly, I mean. You branded me, so I guess I should return the favour. This is going to be fun." Jim returns to his seat, and looks at Kodos, who is staring down at the floor, sobbing. "Look at me." He says softly. When Kodos doesn't respond Jim leans forward and yells. "I said look at me!"
The Executioner whimpers and looks up at Jim, who is making eye contact. Behind the wall, McCoy glances to his right at Admiral Komack and Archer, who both look slightly sickened but also slightly impressed. It's impossible not to be afraid of this Jim – he seems totally and completely in control of the situation. He is cold and ruthless, and just plain frightening.
"You know, I haven't even got any tools out yet. This is only just beginning." Jim's voice is low and sinister. "Hang on, there is something. I have my trusty knife. You never know when you might need it, right." Jim laughs, completely humourlessly. He takes the blade out, and eyes it. "I wonder if its sharp enough?" Without waiting for a response from Kodos, Jim runs the blade of the knife along his own thumb, burying the tip into his flesh. Blood drips down onto the table. His face is completely blank – there is no tightness or hint of pain in his features. The message is clear – if I can do this to myself, think about what I'm going to do to you. Kodos' expression is plain terrified as Jim pulls the knife out and looks back up a him. "I guess so. Do you really need two thumbs? I think you could manage with one…"
"I'll tell you. Please, just don't hurt me anymore!" Kodos says, looking completely broken. "There is somebody in Starfleet feeding information to the Klingons. Just minor things, they don't have a high position. All I have is a name."
"Write it down." Kirk commands, passing the padd back over. Once Kodos is done, Kirk stands up, slipping the knife back into his pocket. He walks over to the door, before pausing for a second. "If anything you have told me is a lie, I will come right back in here and start again. And everything that has happened to you so far will seem like a happy fucking memory. Are we clear?"
"Yes." Kodos says quickly, staring at the floor.
"Good to know." Jim snaps back, and leaves his childhood monster in pieces behind him.
In the observation room, McCoy puts his face in his hands.
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