Present Day, on board the Enterprise, Captain's Quarters
"Just shut up, Spock and don't even think about it!" McCoy's eyes flashed the same blue as the sky in the eye of a hurricane,"No one in this room is going to let you run off after this woman by yourself. Not ever and certainly not in your present condition," the doctor turned his head and pinned Jim with that steely stare, "Don't let him fool you. Just because he's on his feet doesn't mean he should be."
Kirk regarded his First Office, who was sitting in a chair on the other side of his desk. He looked as grace and cool as a marble statue in a church. If Spock was hurting, it was carefully banked beneath cold, clear control. Having met Spock's parents and some of his direct family members, Jim knew that Spock had inherited all the fey handsomeness of his Vulcan genetics; tall and lean with the whip-like strength of a greyhound and the same graceful economy of movement. Women would no doubt fall at his feet if Spock so much as snapped his fingers. At the moment, Spock seemed interested in only one woman and Jim couldn't say he disapproved.
The Vulcan had positioned himself so that his back was to the wall and he was facing McCoy. It was a defensive posture, whether Spock intended it to be or not. The doctor had ambushed Spock with a tranquilizer in the past; and Vulcans had long memories too.
At any rate, Kirk doubted that he and McCoy together could wrestle with Spock physically, regardless of his weakened condition; and he wouldn't put Spock in the position of openly defying a direct order.
"Leave him alone, Bones," Jim said softly, "Spock knows what he's doing."
But the level, hazel-eyed stare Kirk gave him asked the question- 'Do you Spock? Do you really know what you are doing?' Spock's answering gaze was as unreadable as night.
"But McCoy is right," Jim went on, "You aren't going anywhere alone."
A line of tension seemed to run out of Spock's shoulders, as if allowing himself the luxury of obedience this time. Whatever he was about to say was lost in the chime of the comm system.
"Kirk," the captain said, after flipping the toggle to open the channel.
"Uhura, Captain. I have a channel open for Mr. Spock, sir," she paused for a moment and her voice changed slightly from all-business to one laced with concern, "It's Ambassador Sarek."
If Spock had a reaction none of it showed in his faced or posture. He hesitated only briefly before instructing Uhura to patch it through. Jim turned the monitor to face the Vulcan and they all waited in an atmosphere suddenly charged and anxious.
"Father?" he said.
The image of Sarek of Vulcan shimmered onto the screen, imposing but with a quiet certainty one could fall into.
"Spock," the Ambassador replied by way of greeting.
"Where is Mother?" Spock asked.
"Why would you think I have contacted you about your mother?" Sarek asked.
"Since you personally have only contacted me twice in my life, and each time it was to tell me something had happened to my mother, the logical conclusion is that the pattern continues," Spock replied.
Sarek seemed to consider Spock's logic for a moment before inclining his head slightly.
"Your mother is in Seattle, with your maternal grandmother."
Kirk and McCoy shot each other startled looks, as if it had just occurred to them that Spock had human relatives. Spock's hands seemed to clench briefly around the arms the chair. Other than that he remained utterly still and quiet.
"Your cousin Stephen has been kidnapped," Sarek stated bluntly,"Your grandmother was injured when he was taken. She is recovering and your mother is with her."
"And my cousin?" Spock asked.
"He is being held, here on Vulcan," Sarek went on. "In the Ruskaraya ni'reh."
Kirk almost vaulted out of his chair to hit the comm unit on the wall. Keeping his voice low as to avoid interrupting the Ambassador, he ordered the Bridge to set course for Vulcan, all speed. Spock steepled his fingers, completing his own circuit, in an effort to remain in control.
"The kidnappers demands?" Spock asked.
"Is Captain Kirk with you? This concerns him as well."
Kirk moved around to stand by Spock. "I am here, Ambassador."
"Captain Kirk," Sarek inclined his head again, ever the diplomat, "It is unfortunate that our next meeting is under such circumstances."
"What can I do to help?" Kirk asked.
And Sarek began to tell them…..
Kirk was pacing.
"It has to be her," he said, emphatically, "Why else would the kidnapper request us? Why take your cousin, your relative, to begin with? Why an unarmed shuttlecraft from the Enterprise?"
"Jim, sit down. You're making me dizzy," Bones growled.
He didn't like it – this ransom demand – and unless he severely underestimated the crew they weren't going to like it either.
The kidnapper wanted Kirk and Spock, alone, unarmed and in communication silence, to land a shuttle two kilometers from the place the Vulcans called Ruskaraya Ni'reh, walk the rest of the distance and wait for further instructions. The Enterprise was to retreat to the far side of T'Khut and wait.
"I agree that it must be the Romulan commander," Spock said, his eyes fixed inward as he considered all the possibilities, "There are any number of reasons a kidnapper might request you and I, but considering that she must by this time know that her assassination attempt has failed, I find it to be a sound theory that it is indeed her."
"Can't you ever just say yes?" McCoy asked.
"I believe I just did," Spock replied.
"Don't start you two," Kirk ordered, glaring at them both.
Spock turned his attention back to his captain. McCoy went to pour himself a drink and got one for Jim while he was at it.
"What do you think she wants? A simple exchange?" Jim went on, "A single Federation hostage for two high-ranking Star Fleet officers against whom the Empire has a considerable vendetta?" He paused to take the drink from McCoy, his face sober in as he contemplated old memories.
"If she did manage to capture us, or execute us, and return to the Empire, it would do much to restore her former power," Spock mused. "Only her family connections to the Praetor kept her from being executed herself."
"How the hell does she expect to get off Vulcan after all this?" McCoy demanded, "Five thousand years of peace or not, I doubt the Vulcan High Council will just roll over and play dead about this."
"Nor are they likely to fire on an unarmed shuttle carrying the only son of Sarek," Spock said softly. He glanced at Jim, "and the neither will the Enterprise, not carrying both of us, not even under direct order."
Jim sat down finally, throwing himself into the chair as if it had caused him a personal affront. He reached for the glass McCoy had poured him.
"It would be quite a feat – capture and then escape with the thieves who stole the cloaking device," Jim rubbed the back of his neck where his muscles had knotted. He drew Spock's eyes to him again with a steady gaze of his own, "How well do you know your cousin, Spock? How well is he likely to stand up to this?"
Spock folded all but his first two fingers, those he pressed together tightly.
"I know Stephen only from the occasional visits to Earth my mother and I would make. He always seemed … impulsive, intelligent," Spock paused, remembering odd days spent following his cousin through the thick green pine forests of Western Washington, so different from Vulcan, so different from the people he knew on Vulcan. Spock was barely a year older, but out of his element and at the mercy of his impetuous relative. "He always seemed very …human."
"I like him already," McCoy grunted.
"He's not likely to be panicking then?" Jim asked.
"I have not seen Stephen in quite some time. I know he was working on a historical restoration of the government buildings on Rigel 7. The Rigelians are the only other vulcanoid race in the Federation. It would have been easy for the Commander to blend in with the native population, get to know Stephen and then abduct him," Spock mused, "The last time I saw him he was 22, and had a strong compulsion towards beautiful women."
"That sounds familiar," McCoy commented, tossing Jim a look.
Jim ignored him, still focused on Spock, "Tell me where we're going? What is the place Sarek mentioned? Rusk? Ruska…?"
"Ruskaraya ni'reh," Spock answered, "The Clinging Fire. It lies near the center of Vulcan's Forge."
Spock paused to let the nature of that sink in as well as it could with humans. The center of the Forge was an endless wasteland of smothering red sand dunes; shifting, dangerous, merciless sand dunes surrounded by a wasteland of rock and sand and gravel. No one went into the heart of the Forge, much less with an Earthling in tow. There was no water for hundreds of miles. The air was so hot and dry the red sky shimmered endlessly. At night T'Khut seemed so close one should be able to reach up and touch it.
"The Fire is an ancient volcanic cone, shaped by the winds to resemble a frozen flame. It is so named because it clings precariously to its place in the desert against all attempts by the climate to eradicate it."
"A volcanic cone?" Jim asked, "Like the Devil's Tower?"
Spock nodded, "The Clinging Fire is much older, and therefore much smaller. But it is still an imposing structure, with no caves or internal tunnels. I suspect we will find our captive and his host at the top."
Kirk rested his chin on his hand for a moment. "I've climbed the Devil's Tower. We should plan to climb this Fire of yours." He took another drink and asked,
"Any further opinion?"
"Opinion is a mute point. Star Fleet, indeed the Federation, has ordered us to go and so we shall. My cousin is a Federation citizen under enemy threat. We have no choice," Spock replied. He didn't add that only such peril to another would drive even he to enter Vulcan's Forge and take Jim with him.
McCoy suddenly leaned forward so that he was almost nose to nose with the Vulcan, bracing his clenched hands on the arm of Spock's chair.
"Well I have a choice!" he snapped, "You may be pushing that Vulcan body of yours to the limit, but some of its components are human, and you can't keep pushing those. I can declare you medically unfit for this."
McCoy was seething, his eyes flashing diamond bright, his jaw tense. Spock was ice to his fire.
"The kidnapper demanded both the Captain and myself. By refusing to allow me to accompany him, you may very well cost my cousin his life."
McCoy continued to glare at Spock, hoping to wear him down. It was like butting heads with granite.
"Bones," Jim said, his voice soft but his tone was thunder, "Let it go or you may one day have to explain to Amanda Grayson why you put her favorite nephew's life in danger."
McCoy straightened and rounded on Jim, "No I'm just going to have to explain to her why I let her only son put his life in danger."
The doctor swallowed the rest of his brandy in one straight gulp and stormed out of the Captain's cabin.
Spock's eyes rested on the door for a moment. Without looking at Jim he asked,
"Should I go after him?"
"No, he's just worried; and he's upset he doesn't get to go with us. He'll calm down."" Jim said, pausing to roll an appreciative bit of brandy around in his mouth before swallowing it. "I don't much like having my actions dictated by our adversary, Spock, but you're right. Stephen Grayson is a Federation citizen. McCoy's grousing aside, we have no choice. Are you up to it?"
It was no idle question. Spock nodded once and said, "The gates of Hell, Jim."
Kirk nodded, and lifted his glass in a toast, "Shall not prevail against them."