Frustration
by Starsinger
Ever noticed how the captains of starships always get picked on by the aliens to do something ridiculous? Kris is about to wonder about this. Don't own them.
Jim sighed as he struggled to walk with the help of the parallel bars. Weeks of working with Amber and others had strengthened the muscles in his back and legs to the point that he was walking with a lot of help. He started on the bars today and walking had never seemed so difficult in his life. He reached the end and slowly turned around. Amber didn't question his intent and just watched him work hard. He reached the point where he started, where his wheelchair waited, and collapsed into it.
"Good work, Jim," Amber told him. "This will get easier every day." Amber patted him on the shoulder, "He's all yours, Doctor."
Jim glanced up, expecting to see McCoy, "Dr. Marcus!" He was genuinely surprised, "It's nice to see you. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Captain. I've come to kidnap you. It's Hikaru's birthday and I've been given permission to take you back to the Enterprise for a couple of hours for his party."
Jim's smile was wide and genuine. "Is Brad going to be there?"
"He's the one who planned it. I don't mind waiting for you to shower, then we'll grab a shuttle."
The helpful part of standing, even with help, was he was now able to pull his own pants up while standing, Jim decided. Zippers and buttons were still beyond him, but he had pants he could easily pull on with one standing. Carol watched as he propped his feet up on the bed while he tied his shoes. She watched him pull a shirt over his head. He grinned at Carol and said, "Shall we go?"
Carol laughed, Kirk found he liked that laugh. It was cheerful, in spite of everything that she'd been through with her father. They caught a shuttle up to the Enterprise where Scotty greeted them. "It's good to see ye outta bed, Jim."
"It's good to be out of bed, Scotty," Kirk said with a grin. "I'm looking forward to not having to crane my neck up to see everyone."
"Och, Captain, I hear ye're already walking with help. Ye'll be up here orderin' us around in no time." Scotty talked all the way to the forward lounge where the party was being held.
Sulu's and every crew member present's face lit up as they saw their beloved Captain come in the door. "Uncle Jim! Uncle Jim! You came!" Kirk's eyes lit up as Bones' daughter, Joanna, a force of nature in her own right, flew away from her father to give him a hug and sit in his lap. "You're no longer in bed."
Everyone laughed, "That's right, Joanna, and I'm no longer constantly falling asleep."
"Why can't you walk?" she asked in a small voice.
"Well, remember how I was very ill," her little face trembled as she nodded, "Well, that made me very weak. My muscles aren't working the way they used to. I have to teach them how to do it again."
"Okay, but you'll walk again?" she asked.
"Yes, Joanna, I'll walk again," he gave the little girl a hug before Bones stole her away from him. He rolled over to where Brad and Hikaru stood having an animated conversation about stellar cartography.
"Captain! It's good to see you up here again!" Hikaru said. Brad's arm was securely wrapped around Sulu's shoulders.
"Good to be seen, good to be seen. May I steal the Admiral away from you?" Quick assent was given.
Archer deposited himself in a chair, "No, Jim, I haven't heard anything since they radioed saying that an alien fleet had appeared at the edge of the solar system."
Jim's lips compressed, "John, I feel so helpless. Those are my people out there."
"They're my people too, Jim. They're my people too."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kris hit the bridge just before Spock and Sarek did, "Have you identified the ships yet, Ensign?" she asked the helmsman.
"No, sir, wait, going through the archives the Bajorans sent us, they resemble newer models of Cardassian vessels. They're attack vessels, and headed straight for Bajor. I'd say they're invading."
Silence reined as everyone considered what was about to happen. "Contact the First Minister, tell him," an abrupt flash of light interrupted her as Sarek disappeared. Then one started to envelop her, "Dammit, why does this always happen to me!" she managed to get out before she too disappeared.
Liz stood and sighed as she took the command console, "Because you're the Captain, Captain." This elicited grim chuckles from around the room. "Helm find them on Bajor. A human and a Vulcan shouldn't be that difficult."
"Sir, the ships are beginning to fire on the planet below!" Liz closed her eyes, knowing that she could do nothing but helplessly watch the carnage below.
Kris flinched as mortar and stone rained down on the street below. She looked over and saw Ambassador Sarek heading south. She ran after him, unlike many women, she chose to wear pants as well as the tunic and command shirt and was soon keeping pace with the Vulcan who was more hampered by his desert robes. "Nice day for a run, eh Ambassador?" she joked grimly. She stopped long enough to pull a child from under a fallen beam and hand him to his mother.
Sarek looked in grim appreciation of the joke. They both stopped in front of what Kris thought was the temple. It, miraculously, wasn't touched. As they started toward the temple a strange man with glowing red eyes stepped in front. "You cannot help them! We will win, and the emissary will die before he's even born!" the maniacal laughter chilled Kris to the very bone. The man lifted a phaser at both of them before another Bajoran clubbed him with a tree branch, knocking him out cold. "Pah Wraiths, I thought they were just legend." Kris and Sarek looked at him, confused, "Come, Grandmother is expecting you."
They followed him into the temple, it was getting harder and harder to remain upright as the ground shook under their feet. They managed to stumble in under the rain of more stonework as Kai Ulvana stood waiting for them. "Come, quickly, we have no time. You must take the Orb of Prophecy from this place, from Bajor."
Sarek stepped forward, "Madam, I don't understand."
"The orbs have great power, as you know. One day they will save us all, but we need at least this one off-planet, some place safe. Take it to the one who will still be around in a different form in a hundred years. They will keep it safe." Kris and Sarek walked over to the box as the door burst open and the strange man barged in.
"You will not have it! It is ours!" he exulted before stabbing the Kai to death. He turned the knife on her grandson before everything again, disappeared in a bright flash of light.
"I'm sorry, Guldarth, I don't know where she is, much less Ambassador Sarek. I…" the conversation trailed off as another flash of light appeared on the bridge and three individuals appeared on the bridge, Kris, Sarek, and the young man introduced as Ulvana's grandson. Sarek appeared to be holding a very large box. All three turned to watch the lop-sided battle as a civilization died. Ship after ship continued to fire on the planet below. They watched helplessly as millions died.
"Captain," Uhura broke the silence. "We're getting a transmission. We're being ordered to leave the solar system and never return."
"Are they Cardassians?" Kris whispered.
"Yes, sir," Uhura whispered.
"Send to Starfleet Command what happened here. Tell them to keep an eye out on Kirk, the assassins are likely to appear normal, except for their eyes. Helm, inform the Metark that we're headed for, Ambassador, where are we headed?" Kris looked exhausted.
"Trill," Sarek replied. "What is your name?" he asked the young man.
"Ulvana Sergat," he whispered. With a start Kris realized that their surname must be their first name.
"I'll take you down to the deck where we're staying, my office quarters should be more than adequate, and I really need to put this down somewhere."
Kris joined them in the turbolift, no one said a word. She left them on their deck before heading to sickbay where she broke down and wept. An entire culture beautiful and thriving, driven back to the stone age by uncaring and unfeeling aliens and there wasn't anything they could do. Shirley did what she could by mending her broken shoulder, but there was no mending a broken heart. They arrived at Trill and told the commission to guard the orb and Dax with their lives. They were confused, but took the warnings to heart.
As they approached Earth they received a garbled transmission about yet another assassination attempt on Jim, stopped by a young science officer with a billy club. He never even got to where the party was under way for Sulu and his friends.