Chapter Four

Delta Vega/Hoth

Spock was not surprised to find the boy asleep on the ice, considering the commotion he'd heard a moment ago. Peering out of the cave, he saw a one-man fighter-craft of a kind he had only seen but rarely. A little co-pilot droid sat under the wing, whistling pitifully. Spock smiled and beckoned to the machine, "Come inside, small thing. I think your master is in here." The droid trundled in and stopped beside the boy, whistling and chirping softly, almost tenderly. Spock just picked the boy up and carried him further into the cave. Despite all appearances, he knew this was Jim Kirk.

When Jim woke up again, he thought for a brief moment he was back on Hoth. He fought to sit up, looking around wildly.

"Luke!" It was a whisper of a name. Squeezing his eyes shut, Jim leaned forward and put his arms on his knees, "Ugh!"

"Well, that didn't change at all." A friendly, warm voice he didn't recognize startled Jim. He turned his head and stared across a small fire at the elderly Vulcan sitting on the other side. Jim frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"You're James T. Kirk, if I'm not mistaken."

"How do you know my name?"

"I have been and always shall be your friend."

"That wasn't my question, old man. I've had a hell of a weird experience, I'm not even sure it was real or not." Jim rubbed his forehead, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"I am Spock. Your friend."

"Huh. The only Spock I know marooned me here." Jim rested his chin on his knees, "At least, I think he marooned me here. He did something, kicked me off the Enterprise for mutiny. They're probably a long way from here."

"You are not the captain?" the old man seemed puzzled, if not disappointed.

"Uh, no. You are. Captain Pike's a hostage, he left you in charge."

"Then we must get you back as soon as possible."

"They're so far out of the system it wouldn't even be worth it!" Jim covered his face, and for some really weird reason missed his brother. What was Luke doing right now?

"What are you thinking?"

"I have a brother."

"Sam?"

"No." Jim shook his head, "Not Sam." He sighed, "God, my head hurts. I've been all these places and met all these people, and I'm not even sure if they're real or not." He remembered the AT-AT's, the drakoulias and the wampa, spending a night with Luke Skywalker on the ice of Hoth, fixing up the old Millenium Falcon with Han Solo, that suicide run that had actually worked, escaping to Dagobah, meeting Yoda, and leaving Luke behind to come home and save the world. Spock, it had to be Spock, showed Jim exactly where he'd come from and where Nero and the Romulans had come from, and why they had done all of the awful things already executed.

"Jim?"

"Hmm?"

"We need to get you back to the Enterprise. Come on, son." The elderly Spock, who was nothing like Spock, got Jim off the ice and they set off for the distant Starfleet outpost. Somehow, Jim found himself back on the Enterprise. He had to provoke Spock into compromising himself, and wished he didn't have to resort to violence to do it. Jim wished there was some quiet, peaceful way to get Spock to hand over the Enterprise, wished it was as simple as asking.

On the Enterprise…

When the security officers returned to the bridge leading Jim Kirk and a stranger, Spock was utterly dumbfounded. Kirk was as cocky and brash as ever, but Spock could see that something had changed. There was a different air about him, a different light in his eye. Kirk looked him in the eye and it was all Spock could do to not look away.

"We're going the wrong way and you know it, Captain." So much for confrontation. Kirk shook his head, "But, you're the captain. Who am I to challenge your decisions?" It was the last thing Spock had expected him to say.

"I do not understand. How did you get back to the Enterprise?"

"That's my little secret, Captain. Forgive me if I prefer to keep it to myself."

"Would somebody explain to me what the hell is going on here?" Doctor McCoy snapped.

"It's fine, Bones, everything's fine." There was an odd tone to Kirk's voice, he raised one hand in a calming gesture, but Spock didn't miss the loss of focus in the CMO's eyes. Kirk had done something to him.

"Well, considering you haven't killed each other…yet, I guess it's not all bad."

"Commander?"

"Yes, sir?"

"What…"

"Don't ask." Kirk raised his hand, just a twitch of his fingers, and Spock fell silent. He wanted to ask…but something kept him from asking. What was Kirk doing?

"Permission to speak freely, Captain?"

"Yes."

"If you want my advice, you probably don't, then turn this ship around. We can't do any good running to the fleet in the Laurentian System, we both know that. If we turn around now, we can at least try to engage the Narada. How many worlds have to be destroyed before we stop them?" Kirk stepped a little closer, Spock stiffened but did not back away, "You want to know something, Spock? For all the shit I give you, the loss of your home-world hit hard. I heard them, you know?"

"Heard…them?"

"I heard your people. Thousands of voices, maybe billions, all crying out at once, and then nothing. Just silence, dead silence." Kirk shook his head, "Dead space, an empty hole in the universe. It doesn't make sense, I know, but don't think I take the loss of Vulcan and her people for granted." Spock was dumbfounded.

"What are you?"

"I'm not sure yet. I haven't really had time to figure it out." Kirk smiled, but it was a sad, rueful smile. Spock turned from him.

"Mr. Sulu?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Bring us out of warp and alter our course for Earth."

"Sir?"

"Do it."

"Yes, Captain." So, they got turned around. It was then that Spock realized something he hadn't noticed before. Kirk was out of uniform, instead he was wearing a bright orange flight-suit. It was nothing he had ever seen worn by Federation pilots, but it did look familiar.

"Oh, Spock?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you mind seeing about a change of uniform for Scotty? I think he could probably use some dry clothes." Kirk smiled at the sodden stranger, who introduced himself as Montgomery Scott. Spock had someone find Scott dry clothes, preferably a proper uniform, and quarters. Kirk refused the same offer, he was just fine, but thank you. When he sat down in the command chair, Spock didn't try to kick him out of it again.

"Captain, what the hell is going on?"

"I'm not certain, Doctor." Spock frowned, "I am puzzled as to how Commander Kirk returned to this ship when I specifically recall marooning him on Delta Vega. Which, in hindsight, may not have been the smart course of action."

"Didn't I just tell you that a while ago? Good God, man!"

"Bones, Spock, knock it off." Kirk snapped from the command chair, startling them both, "We've got bigger problems to worry about, personal issues can wait." That was new, for both of them. Spock shared a startled look with McCoy. This was entirely new for them, and Spock had a theory.

"Mr. Kirk, you have the bridge."

"Aye, Captain." Kirk's tone was surprisingly sincere. Spock turned at the lift doors and looked at the outlandishly-dressed First Officer, and almost smiled.

"I'm not the Captain anymore, Mr. Kirk, you are." He stuck around long enough to enjoy the baffled look on Kirk's face and went to his quarters to do some research. He typed "Jedi Knights" into the search-field. What he got back was really quite fascinating, and it made so much more sense when he thought of everything Kirk had done just recently.

"Hmm. Skywalker?" He researched the family and came up with something else far more interesting. There were supposedly three surviving children of Anakin Skywalker and his wife Padme Amidala, neither of whom was alive at this precise time, but the children were quite well. The three children were a daughter and two sons: James, the eldest and first-born son, and the twins, Luke and Leia. The twins had been separated at birth and given to different families. James had been two at the time of the twins' birth, it was unlikely he remembered very much. Luke and Leia had been given to families within the boundaries of the then-new Galactic Empire, while James had been given to a family outside of the Empire and had grown up with the surname Kirk. His foster-parents were refugee Jedi, and his foster-mother had long ago abandoned the open practices of her people. But that didn't stop her from training Jim when she felt there was something for him to learn. When George Kirk had died, one of the best Knights had perished. This had left James fatherless twice. Once by the death of his biological father, and once by the death of his foster-father. It made Spock sad to think that Kirk really didn't have a family. It was unlikely he knew anything about his two surviving siblings, his twin brother. That explained hearing voices in his head, and other things as well.

Spock was staring at the screen when the door-chime sounded. He looked over his shoulder, wondering who would have come looking for him.

"Enter." The door opened and Kirk stepped in. He hadn't changed out of his flight-suit, Spock noticed. He got up slowly, watching Kirk move, "Captain."

"She's not dead."

"Excuse me?"

"Your mother. She's not dead." Kirk looked him straight in the eye, and Spock forgot how to breathe.

"Do you know where she is?"

"I'm not entirely certain of her precise location, but I'm pretty sure she's safe where she is right now. I know the people she's with, they'll look after her." Kirk folded his hands behind his back and smiled, "I guess you know what I am."

"You have a fascinating family-history."

"My biological father and my foster-father are both dead."

"I am very sorry."

"Nah. It's alright. I've got family left." Kirk shrugged and rocked on his heels, "I can get your mom back after we handle the Romulans if you want me to."

"But how?"

"We'll have to stop back at Delta Vega, I left something behind that can get me where I need to go." Kirk's eyes, lightening-flash blue, were bright, and Spock couldn't say no. If there was the tiniest possibility his mother had survived, and was safe, he would owe Kirk a great deal.