Chapter 6

Jim woke to phaser fire, screams and someone dragging him across the cold ground. His elbows were tingling obnoxiously and he felt suffocated by the cocoon of warmth that felt too good to be true.

"Get behind shelter!" McCoy's voice rang from over his head. Jim winced at the noise. "Goddamn it! This has to happen now! Cause of your stupid luck!"

"We're outnumbered!" Sulu called from his left. "We've got three phasers and my sword against 10 phasers. Any plans?"

"I believe that our options are limited at this point," Spock said from somewhere to his left. The rest of the conversation blurred out as a warm hand touched his forehead. His skin prickled against it but welcomed the heat all the same, bathing his mind in bath water before he was doused with ice chips. Jim's eyes opened, a shiver traveled down his spine and he looked at the person sitting above him. She was different than the other, younger and her eyes held a bitter flame to them. He recognized it as memories haunting someone to the core.

"You should wake up now, Captain," The woman said softly, her warm hands traveling to his burning elbows. His heart fluttered when he remembered his hands, the nerves damaged and making them clubs that couldn't feel. "It's ok. You can feel my hands."

Pain flared through his hands, through every pore in them and Jim gasped. The muscles flexed, blood pulsed rapidly and traveled up to his burning elbows before the tingling traveled down his arms and into his finger tips, soothing the pain. His hands still burned but he could feel them, the raw skin, cuts and bruises. Everything about them. Jim let out a grunt as the woman released his hands.

"You must help your crew now, Captain," She slid the phaser from her sleeve and into his hand. "This will only last for a few minutes then you will deteriorate quickly. Do you understand?"

Jim nodded, his body feeling slightly warmer and sat up. "Wh-what ha-happened?"

"They're surrendering to buy time," She pointed to McCoy, Sulu and Spock standing stoically in front of eleven phasers pointed at them. "You should know that it is not the leader's fault. He's an idiot who in some absurd way makes sense to some people. He's just a puppet. The military leader is the one who did all of this. He banished the scientists to the place 3 months ago. They're almost out of food. That is why we need your help. We have explained this to your second in command, Spock. He has offered us help but with Vardan showing up I believe that our time is limited now before he comes."

"Who's h-he?" Her eyes sparked dangerously and Jim looked at her questioningly.

"He's General Iago Caldwell, my father and someone who needs to be buried in an avalanche and die," She seethed.

"Damn," Jim pulled himself to his knees, exhaustion aching in his bones, letting her rage thin to a hazy mist. He peaked out from behind the pillar as he extracted his body from the blankets. He couldn't hear what they were saying but Spock, Sulu and McCoy were stalling perfectly. "D-did they leave b-behind a c-com?"

A man nodded and pointed at the bag next to him. Jim quickly rummaged in it pulling the com out. "Th-this is Kirk. Is any-anyone th-there?"

The radio crackled to life. "Uhura here. How are you up?"

"N-not important," Jim murmured glancing behind him and out of their hiding place. "We-we've got a problem."

"I swear that you're going to be confined to the ship once your back here! Everywhere you go! Honestly Kirk!"

"Ke-keep it do-down," Jim hissed. His hands were shaking again. "We ne-need b-back up. Vardan is he-here."

"Not the leader of-" She asked in disbelief.

"Ver-very same," Jim checked the phaser. "He's g-got Sp-spock, B-b'nes and Sulu at ph-phaser po-point plus all th-the exiles. Tell Sc-scotty and Che-chekov to get in ge-gear."

"I'm on it," Uhura said. "Jim. Don't do anything stupid."

"No pr-promises. Kirk out," Jim hung up and checked his phaser again. A blast sent Sulu to his knees holding his shoulder.

"Are you mad!?" McCoy grabbed him and held him up, glaring daggers at the men. Spock remained stoic but had taken a step towards them. Jim almost lurched out to help them.

"You should rest," The elder woman had appeared next to the younger, giving her a stern look of disapproving. "Not attempt an act of misplaced gallantry that could get you killed."

"I'm f-fine," Jim stuttered against the cold and slipped out to the other side of the wall. He was hidden from view and quickly snuck down so he was to the side of the standoff. Jim looked up at the ceiling, raising his phaser and aiming for one of the stalagmites. His hand waved around, almost uncontrollable. "Shit. I hope this works."

He pulled the trigger and watched the blast nail the ice just to the right of where he aimed. The desired affect still happened though, and he hid behind the pillar as the ice fell to the ground between his three crew members and Vardan's henchman.

McCoy, Spock and Sulu skidded over the wall farther towards where the exiles were cowering. McCoy was on Sulu's arm, wrapping part of his torn sleeve around it like ants on a picnic. Spock was the first to notice Jim. "Captain?"

"Hey Sp-sp-spock," The feeling in his hands was receding to an empty cold and he was loosing muscle control as his hands hardened into rock. "So your pl-plan was t-to sur-surrender? Hav-haven't you le-learned anything from me-me?"

"It was the logical option at the time," Jim rolled his eyes.

"Su-ure," He rubbed his arms as a shiver wracked his body. "Damn."

"I believe your illogical recovery is declining," Jim glared at his first officer.

"Some-sometimes I really ha-hate you," Jim ground out, trying to smile around his chattering teeth.

"The feeling is mutual, I believe is the term, Captain. However as a Vulcan I do not feel anger," Jim smirked.

"I've got bruises to prove you wrong," A shiver sent his arms wrapping around his body with new intensity.

"Do I want to know how you did it?" McCoy growled as he crawled over and checked Jim over. Jim shrugged and rubbed his arms faster.

"Plan?" Sulu asked, his arm in a make shift sling.

"We g-get them before th-they get anyone el-else," Jim stuttered out. "Ho-howw many di-did I g-get?"

Spock peaked over. "4 are incapacitated out of the 11. Vardan is one of them."

Jim grinned. "Go-good. Scotty's be-beaming down a security te-team a-asap."

He handed the phaser to Spock, his hand shaking uncontrollably. McCoy grabbed his hands and shoved his gloves onto them. "You better enjoy those."

"Th-thanks, B'nes," Jim rubbed his newly acquired gloves together. "You ok S-sulu?"

"I'll live," Sulu replied, holding his arm. "How are you sir?"

"Jus-just dan-dandy," They all looked up as the familiar swirling of light encompassed 6 human forms directly in front of them. Jim grinned. "Cav-cavalry is he-here."

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A/N: Thank you for reading! Keep up the feedback! Next Chapter will be up Wednesday.