Chapter 8

"Let me go!" The woman struggled helplessly against the two Hielo militants, her coats flaring around her body. "I don't want to see him!"

She was thrown to her knees in front of the General and glared up at him through her hair, her eyes burning with a green bitter flame. He smiled tiredly at her. "Desde."

"Father," She snarled. "What do you want?"

"Oh… Nothing really," Iago smiled. "Just administering my orders."

"Your orders?" She glanced around looking for the voice. It had come from the group of Star Fleet relief workers from the Enterprise. Her eyes searched the faces for the familiar form of the Captain. She schooled her expression to hide the satisfaction that he had not been captured.

"Are none of your concern," Iago nodded towards one of the men and they cracked the back of their phaser rifle into the head of the security officer who had spoken. "Commander Spock, take your position to heart and command your underlings."

"Oh shut up," Desde snarled and rolled her eyes. "Honestly. People of power do not only matter."

"You are very wrong my dear,"

"Don't my dear me," Desde snapped. "You don't even have the Captain."

"All in good time, Desde," She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Oh please. You've missed your chance," Iago grabbed her by the elbow and lifted her from the ground.

"You should show a bit more respect when speaking to me, Desdemona," He threatened. She glared at him, her mouth in a thin line of pain from his hold on her elbow.

"I think it's presumptuous of you to think I owe a monster like you any level of respect," She stated challengingly. The back of his hand came across her cheek and sent her sprawling to the floor. She looked up from the ice, her cheek red. A warm hand helped her to sit up again and she found herself looking into the brown eyes of Spock.

"Desdemona, you're a mere plaything among the superiors here. Do as you're told as I raised you to be," Desde looked at her purple faced father, her eyes still flaming with rage and bitterness.

"Sorry to burst your idea of me being the perfect little girl but I've grown up," She stood up and bowed her head lightly to Spock, slipping her hand from his. "I've gotten smarter and have also realized that you're a power obsessed idiot who needs to be thrown to the wolves of your own creation."

"Desdemona, I think you're unable to comprehend the ability I have," Her father advanced on her, his hand coming to her throat and grasping it. Desde choked against his hand. "I could crush you right here and no one would bat an eye. I have that much power my dear Desdemona."

He threw her back to the ground, yet again sliding into the group of Star Fleet officers. She glanced up at the childish, blue eyed and blond curl encircled face. "Are you alright?"

She nodded against the thick accent and heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm fine."

He helped her to sit up straight, her hand slipping from his with a meaningful glance. "I'm Chekov. Pavel Andreievich."

"Nice to meet you, Pavel," She smiled moving to stand. "I'm Desde."

Iago looked at his daughter icily before speaking to the two guards that had brought Desde in. "Bring Mystal in here."

"You don't need to do-" Desde glanced at Spock meaningfully. "That."

"Quiet, Desde," Iago snapped. "You've lost the right to speak."

"You can't,"

"But I will," Iago threatened.

"It is logical to assume that he plans on killing Mystral as an example," Spock whispered to Desde. She nodded in defeat. "She is the leader of the people here and thus an important piece to gaining the silence he wants. She is also an important bargaining chip with Star Fleet."

"More of a punishment to me but yeah," She whispered. They looked up as Mystral walked in elegantly ahead of the two men sent to get here. She glided to a halt in front of General Caldwell and bowed her head lightly.

"Yes Iago?" She said with disdain lacing her voice. Her face was still the serene smile that spoke of a grandmother speaking to a child of the virtue of the world. "I know you wanted to speak to me of great things that you have planned for the outcasts of my society. Perhaps even you wish to explain the ostentatious way we shall be put to death. So yes Iago please speak to me what you asked me to hear."

Desde flinched as a phaser was raised to Mystral's head from one of the men flanking her. Mystral didn't move away. She kept her gaze steadily on Iago's face. He glared menacingly at her.

"I brought you here to die, obviously," He said triumphantly. "Killing you has been my only goal since this whole thing started all those months ago. You are what threatens the regiment of authority on Hielo. With you gone, there is nothing left of what happened in that plant."

A com crackled to life. The man on the other side of Mystral reached inside his jacket, pulling out a Star Fleet communicator and flipping it open.

"He's got ten minutes," McCoy's voice snarled tiredly over the com. The man handed the com to Iago.

"It's for you," He said. Iago snatched the com from him.

"Who is this?" He snarled, the edge to his voice cutting through the air like butter.

"This? This is Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the USS Enterprise," They looked up at the voice that commanded the giant room, bouncing off the walls in a giant boom of power. "And I believe that you are holding my crew hostage."

"It is an honor to speak with a man-" Iago grinned with triumphant until he was interrupted.

"I'd like to get past the pleasantries because speaking to you is not one of them," Jim silenced him effortlessly.

"How dare you!" Iago's face was livid with rage.

"How dare I?" There was a smirk to Jim's voice that sent chills down the General's lackey's spines. "How dare you think that it is ok for you to take my men hostage? How dare you General Caldwell for insulting the Captain of the Federation's flagship by thinking we wouldn't uncover your idiotic plot?"

"You…. I'm going to-"

"Don't even bother," The man who had handed Iago the phaser had flipped his hood off, revealing his identity as Hikaru Sulu. He leveled his phaser at the General as the other hooded lackey flipped the jacket's hood off revealing Nyota Uhura's dark skin. She glared at Iago and turned her phaser to point at him. Two blasts hit the men sneaking up behind her. Spock and Chekov stood up phasers drawn and ready. Uhura attempted to hide her smile as Spock came over. The Security Team stood up as Desde opened her jacket and handed each of them a phaser.

"You had all of those in your coat?" Chekov asked wide eyed. Desde shrugged as she took one for herself and dropped the extra coat to the floor.

"She is a Hielon. It is illogical for Desde to wear heavy clothing in her natural climate," Spock reasoned, glancing at Nyota. Desde walked forward, her eyes cold and daring.

"How?" Iago sputtered.

"Simple," The officers looked up at the unusual husk to Jim's voice. He sounded tired beyond his years. Weary and dead in a way that actually tightened the muscles in their body. "Your daughter seems to hate your guts."

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A/N: I won't be updating for a while. SO i'm expecting some reviews! Thanks for reading!