Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek

It was a fairly uneventful trip, for the most part. Jim checked in with Archer once a day, but didn't get to talk to any of his friends amongst his own command crew until they were a few hours out from Klingon space, three days later.

Carol was looking incredibly displeased about something, when the screen cleared to show her along with Jim's entire command crew – minus Giotto but including Scotty, who had just returned from Riverside.

Jim frowned. "What's going on?" he asked, sitting up in his seat and wearing an expression that clearly told them he expected answers.

Spock shifted slightly, and nodded as Uhura shot him a questioning glance. She sighed, and typed something on the PADD in her hands.

"I just sent you an article that came out this morning," she informed him. "You'll probably get it soon, but…" she hesitated briefly, and then sighed. "It's not exactly pretty, Jim. Someone at the hangar the day you left got a picture of you and Carol kissing, and apparently that's headline news."

"It's disgusting," McCoy was more direct in his anger. "They're portraying her as the greedy daughter of a disgraced Admiral using the Federation's hero to pull herself out of the hole her father dug when he committed treason."

Jim let out a long sigh, and then looked around at the others who were still standing silent in the background. "Can you guys give us a few minutes?"

Obediently, they all filed out of the room, leaving Carol alone in front of the computer. As soon as the door closed behind McCoy, she wilted slightly and rubbed a hand across her face.

Jim's gaze narrowed once they were alone. "Has Jon done anything?"

Carol grimaced, her hands clenching into fists. "He apologized for my name being dragged through the mud, and the fact that everyone knows who my father was. I used my mother's surname for a reason, I'm not even sure how they found out in the first place." She sighed, some of her ire dripping away. "He wasn't exactly thrilled to have to deal with this, especially since he's only really known about our relationship for a few weeks, but he's on our side. He contacted the media outlet, but they didn't directly print anything false, just slanderous. It doesn't come out and say anything untrue, but it draws the reader into making disgraceful assumptions. We talked a couple hours ago, and he said that he's been in touch with the Starfleet PR team, as well as a few of Starfleet's lawyers, to determine whether they need to worry about backlash or legal issues. He doesn't think so, but the team is in place, and he wants to talk to you before they release a statement." She bit her lip. "I think he wants to make sure all our stories are straight, before saying anything on the record." She paused briefly. "He did say we should have told him earlier, and then maybe all of this could have been avoided, but I think he also understands why we didn't. He didn't seem too upset when we went to Admiral Pike's wedding as a couple. Maybe because that event wasn't anything official, so he could pretend that it wasn't breaking any rules."

Jim shrugged. Not much could be helped about that. They had made decisions based on what was best for them at the time, and barring access to red matter and a black hole, there was no way to change the past.

"We're not really," he reminded her. "Breaking any rules. We've done everything we can to keep a professional relationship that isn't clouded by our personal feelings. Maybe we should have told the Admiralty earlier, but we didn't want your father to find out, and we didn't want them to make a big deal out of it until we knew it would last. And we've been together for years, it clearly isn't affecting our professional duties." Carol nodded slightly, looking a little better.

Jim offered her a reassuring smile. "How are you, really?" he asked softly, his expression pained and understanding. He wished he could be there to comfort her in person.

Carol looked up, her eyes clearly showing her hurt and anger. "I hate having my life ripped to shreds like this," she said heatedly. "It's our life, it shouldn't be on display for the universe to see."

Jim nodded in agreement. "I know. Just remember, whatever they say, it's not true. It doesn't change how I see you, and it doesn't change how I feel."

Carol smiled weakly. "I know. Thank you, Jim. I know better than to listen to this slander, but it still hurts."

"We'll have to release a statement, but I'm sure it'll die down soon." Jim glanced down at his watch. "I should probably get going, we'll be at Qo'nos soon. I'll talk to you again once we're on our way back, all right?"

Carol nodded quickly. "I love you, Jim. Please be careful."

Jim smiled. "Love you, too."

He signed off, and noted the new mail that had arrived while he had been talking to Carol. Opening the attachment, his mood steadily soured as he read through the article Uhura had sent. Carol was right, they hadn't outright said anything concrete, but they had dropped enough suggestions to make sure the reader would only come to one conclusion. It read more like gossip from a trashy celebrity magazine, than an article fit for the front page of a respected news outlet. He was considering contacting Jon immediately, when his door chimed, and he called out a distracted "Come in," figuring it was for the best that he had some time to calm down before he did or said something he might regret.

Chris entered the room, and immediately noted the fury hidden behind the younger man's blue eyes. "What's going on?" he asked immediately, taking a seat on Jim's bed. These quarters weren't quite as fancy as the ones Jim had on the Enterprise. Here, he was a guest, not the Captain, and thus his quarters reflected that, with a simple bed, desk, and computer, and nothing else in the small and sparsely furnished room.

Jim grit his teeth and gestured for Chris to read the article that was still displayed on his computer screen.

The Admiral moved over to do so, and the next few minutes were quiet, until Chris finished reading.

"I'm sure Jon's already on damage control," he said calmly, and was reassured when Jim nodded, though he still looked angry. Chris sighed. "It's not pretty, and I know you and Carol must be upset, but it's just words. Not words that belong on the front page, of course, but you and your friends know that it's not true."

Jim grimaced. "I hate having my life splashed across media outlets from one side of the universe to the other," he muttered, slumping down in his seat. "And I hate that Carol had to get dragged into this, just because I'm her boyfriend."

Chris returned to his seat on the bed, and looked at the Captain sympathetically. "I know," he said simply. "I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you, and for Carol. I don't like that you have to deal with this either, but the sad fact of the matter is, you are a public figure. Your father made the Kirk name something to remember, and you've only added to that with your own actions – Nero, Harrison, everything you've done as the youngest Captain in Starfleet history. People take an interest, and sadly, that includes personal matters in addition to professional actions. But this will blow over eventually, and once Starfleet makes a statement refuting this slander, the hype will die down."

Jim nodded slightly. "Yeah. Carol said Jon's waiting to talk to me before he says anything. I probably should have told him years ago."

Chris shrugged. "He didn't seem too upset when he found out at the wedding. But that was as a friend. As a Starfleet Admiral, he's now dealing with the fallout of you keeping that information private, and I can imagine he's a little irked. But he'll get over it, and no matter how much extra work it makes for him, I'm sure he understands why you did it."

Jim sighed. "It's not that we didn't talk about it. We really were planning on making it official with the Admiralty before we shipped out for our next five-year mission, and Spock's been doing Carol's reviews ever since we got together. But as soon as we told people, Carol's father would have known, and she didn't want that. He spent her entire career trying to keep her off a ship and in a lab, and she didn't want to give him any possible leverage to make it easier."

Chris nodded in understanding. "I do get it, Jim. We can't change the past, and we'll deal with whatever comes next together." Jim smiled slightly, grateful for the support, and Chris stood up with a groan, working the kinks out of his neck. "We'll be arriving above Qo'nos within the half hour. Shay wants you to be ready. She thinks it'll be best if you're the one to initiate all contact with the Klingons, so let's get to the Bridge."

Jim stood up immediately, and followed Chris out of the room.

XXX

When they arrived above Qo'nos, the entire crew was on edge, though their professionalism hid their emotions well enough. A quick conversation with K'Temoc, and Jim was giving Chris and Shay one last promise that he would be fine, before he headed down to the shuttle bay.

There were three Klingons waiting for him when he landed on the planet's surface. Jim recognized K'Temoc, but the other two were strangers.

Neither Klingon introduced himself, but K'Temoc greeted Jim with cordial aplomb, shaking his hand briefly, before leading him away from the shuttle and towards a small door at the far end of the bay where he had landed.

"We have assembled the leaders and are ready to pass judgement on the criminal Harrison," K'Temoc informed the Captain. "I will introduce you to the Clan chiefs before we begin."

Jim nodded slightly. "The Federation is grateful to you and your people for allowing us to witness the judgement."

K'Temoc simply inclined his head stoically, as they reached a large ornate door. The Klingon pushed the door open, and Jim had to remind himself not to falter as he was greeted with the sight of a large and impressive room, filled with Klingons, all attention focused on him.

K'Temoc led Jim up the empty path that the Klingons had left as they filled in the sides of the room. At the front were a dozen stern-faced Klingons, expressions ranging from curious to apathetic to downright disgusted.

No one spoke until Jim was standing in front of the clan leaders. K'Temoc bowed slightly to the chiefs. "Elders, I present Captain James Kirk of the Federation."

Jim didn't want to show any disrespect, but at the same time, he wasn't a Klingon, so he wasn't necessarily required to bow to the authority of the chiefs. As a compromise, he inclined his head respectfully.

A chief on the far left was the first to speak. "Welcome to our homeland, Captain Kirk. I am Chief Garazha. On behalf of my Clan, I offer my gratitude to you for your leniency in allowing Captain K'Temoc safe passage to the Neutral Zone upon your first meeting. We know that you were not required to do so."

Jim glanced at K'Temoc, but the Klingon didn't give him any indication of how he should respond, so Jim turned back to the leaders. Making a split second decision, he decided that using the Klingons own language might win him a few bonus points. "We have been enemies for far too long," he replied, noting with some amusement the way the Klingons all around him shifted in surprise at hearing their own language fall so easily from his lips. And he knew his accent was nearly perfect, Hoshi had made damn sure of that. K'Temoc managed to hide his small grin at the shock of his people, but not before Jim saw it and showed a small smirk of his own in return.

Returning his attention to the leaders, he continued, "I know our histories; there is much hate there. But everything has to change eventually. No one can live in the past forever."

Garazha observed him carefully for a moment, before he grinned, an odd expression on a Klingon. "I like your honesty, Captain Kirk. We are a proud race; the Federation does not often acknowledge us as anything more than barbarians. K'Temoc has convinced me that you may be different."

Jim shrugged lightly. "The discord goes both ways," he admitted. "Klingons have harmed their share of Federation citizens, but we have never failed to give as good as we got."

Some Klingons shifted restlessly, upset at the implied criticism. A few leaders glared at the young Captain.

Jim sighed ruefully. "I'm not saying we'll all become friends, but if you're willing to adjust some of your views, maybe we are as well."

Some of the leaders grumbled unhappily, but didn't speak up.

One of the leaders on the right leaned forward, expression full of hate. "I don't like Federation swine," he growled, "But I dislike Romulan filth even more. We have a common enemy in the Romulan Empire right now, so while we might not want to ally with you pigs, we do recognize our vulnerability."

Jim nodded graciously. "We can live with mutual nonaggression. Even allowing my presence here today for this sentencing shows my superiors that there is fire under the smoke. Perhaps it is possible that an accord can be reached."

A few of the leaders nodded, and Garazha looked over at several guards waiting by a side door. "Now that the pleasantries have been taken care of, let's get this over with. Bring out the criminal."

XXX

It would be a stretch to call the next ten minutes a trial. The Klingons had already made their decision about Harrison, who had been dragged in front of the leaders, wearing a simple shirt and pants made from the rough material they gave to all prisoners. He was chained at the ankles and the wrists, and the two Klingon guards who escorted him never once let go.

After ten minutes, it was no surprise to Jim when the leaders sentenced Harrison to death for his crimes.

Garazha, after a brief moment of hesitation, turned to the Starfleet representative. "Do you wish to say anything before we conclude?"

Jim was surprised to be given such courtesy. He had assumed he was just here as a witness. He didn't expect any considerations like this, but he nodded slightly in gratitude, and stepped forward.

Harrison observed him impassively, and Jim kept his own expression neutral. When he spoke, he tried not to let his own anger show. He needed to keep himself calm. "I recognized the man who agreed to help stop Marcus, the man who was willing to do what was necessary to save a lot of people. I know what it's like, to be lost, to just want a way out however you can get it. I know what it's like, to not want to be a puppet." Jim took a deep breath and let it out slowly, seeing Harrison's eyes narrow, the only sign of emotion the augmented human had shown since being brought into the room.

Jim grit his teeth. "You had a chance. I offered you a way out, and you chose revenge. You chose to satisfy your own needs ahead of what was right. I'm here to represent the eighty-nine Federation citizens that you killed in your attacks on Earth. I hope, for your sake, that it was worth it." He stepped back, nodding his thanks at the Clan leaders.

Harrison still didn't speak, and a Klingon moved in, silently, a long blade flashing in his hands. One swift stroke, and Harrison's head disconnected from the rest of his body. Two more Klingons moved in, and began to clean up the mess.

The surrounding group remained quiet as the body was moved.

When the doors closed behind the Klingons who had removed Harrison's body – to burn it, K'Temoc had informed Jim a few days earlier, as was custom for Klingon executions – Garazha spoke. "It is done. Justice has been brought, the victims can rest."

Jim nodded slightly. He didn't really believe that so much, but these weren't his customs. The way he saw it, justice was more a thing for the survivors, the ones who had lost, not the ones who had been killed. A way to have closure and hopefully let the past go. The dead were dead. They didn't care anymore.

The crowd of Klingons began dispersing, as Garazha spoke again. "Captain Kirk, will you join us for a banquet this evening? We toast to the remembered dead. I will personally guarantee your safety."

Jim knew that not all Klingons were thrilled with having a Starfleet officer on their planet, but as the invited guest of the Clan leaders, they wouldn't do much more than grumble. He smiled courteously. "I thank you for the offer. Please allow me to contact my ship first, to report on the situation and let them know I will be delayed returning."

Garazha nodded regally, and Jim pulled out his communicator, calling Chris. The Admiral picked up quickly, and was relieved to know that it was done, and that Jim was unharmed. When Jim informed him of the offer to stay and dine, he seemed less than thrilled.

"Are you sure, Jim?" the older man hedged, sounding worried. "That doctor of yours will kill me if I let you overdo things."

Jim rolled his eyes, smiling fondly. "McCoy will kill me worse. Don't worry, Chris. I'm fine. I'll be back on the Yorktown in a few hours."

He hung up and put the communicator away. "I thank you again, Chief Garazha. I would be honored to join you for a meal."

They began to move towards the exit, Jim flanked on both sides by Garazha and K'Temoc, seemingly warning everyone else to remain on their best behavior. Guards fell into step in front of and behind the group. Seeing K'Temoc receiving such consideration from his Clan chief was surprising for Jim, who knew that there had been a period of time where K'Temoc's Clan had fallen out of favor with the rest of the leaders. Considering the courtesies he was being shown, and the fact that K'Temoc appeared to have risen in status, showed Jim that things had most likely changed for the better.

"What did he mean, when he worried over upsetting a doctor?" K'Temoc asked curiously, looking over at the Captain he actually thought he might call a friend.

Jim sighed resignedly. "I sort of only just got out of the hospital a few days before you called me," he admitted. "The whole mess with Harrison, it wasn't pretty. Long story short, he shot me while making his escape, and I guess it wasn't exactly a minor wound. My Chief Medical Officer was not thrilled with me making this trip, and he flat-out refused to let me even consider beaming down to the surface, which is why I had to come by shuttle."

Garazha and K'Temoc seemed to share a significant look over Jim's head, before Garazha pursed his lips. "We will not be offended if you must decline our offer to dine, Captain. If you are indeed recuperating from a grievous wound, we do not wish to prolong your recovery."

Jim shook his head quickly. "Thank you for the consideration, but I'm fine," he assured them. "My friends have a habit of worrying too much. I am honored that you invited me to join you."

Garazha nodded slowly, and said no more, as they entered the banquet hall. He steered the Captain to a seat at the same table as the rest of the Clan Chiefs, while K'Temoc took his place at another table, with several others wearing the Klingon uniform that signified their rank as Captain.

Jim found himself drawn into conversation with several of the Chiefs, who actually appeared to be doing their best to include him. They definitely appreciated not having to stick to Standard, and quickly asked for an explanation of how a human could speak their language so well.

Jim grimaced, but managed an appreciative smile. "One of Starfleet's best linguists taught me when I was a teenager. She was very talented, and I was very eager to learn."

It was late by the time the meal was finished, and Jim was very ready to go back to the Yorktown and sleep for a day or a week. Still, he maintained professionalism as he thanked the Klingons once more for their inclusion of a Starfleet representative, and for inviting him to dine with them afterwards, before he headed back to his shuttle.

XXX

The trip back was as uneventful as the one out. Everyone on the Yorktown was relieved to leave Klingon space, and even more relieved to be back on the other side of the Neutral Zone, in Federation Space once more.

Jim went over his report with Chris and Shay, and they were happy to hear that everything had gone according to plan. From the sound of it, Jim had done a lot to bridge the hostility between the Klingons and the Federation.

Jim talked with his friends back on Earth, and with Carol and Jon, hearing about the continued press concerning his and Carol's relationship.

Jon had given a statement, saying simply that Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Wallace had made every step to ensure objectivity on the job, and they had the full support of the Admiralty.

Privately, he gave Jim a small dressing down over not making it official before all this mess and saving them all the headache, but he did understand why they hadn't done it.

From what Jim's friends had told him, several members of the crew were also being hounded for information and exclusive scoops, but from what Spock said, no one had actually given the press anything. Jim's crew would follow him to the edge of the universe without hesitation, without even needing to be asked. They had kept his relationship a secret for years, and it didn't matter what the press tried to offer them now, they weren't about to sell him or Carol out.

When the Yorktown finally returned to Earth, Chris barely let Jim stay on duty long enough to give his report to Archer and three other Admirals, before he cut in and demanded they let the Captain return to his apartment to rest. After all, even with everything that had happened lately, it still hadn't been that long since Jim had gotten out of the hospital.

The other Admirals grumbled, but Archer agreed, and let Chris steer Jim out of the large room and across the campus to the Officers residence buildings.

He didn't waste any time in ordering Jim to take at least twelve hours to sleep before he even thought about checking in with Scotty and the progress on the Enterprise, like Chris knew Jim was eager to do. When the Captain protested, Chris got firm. "You want me to tell McCoy about all that 'resting' you did on the trip back?" he asked archly. Jim grimaced, looking away, and Chris nodded knowingly. "If I check the logs I'm sure I can get an exact number for how many hours you spent helping Higgins out in Engineering when you should have been sleeping."

Jim rolled his eyes and sat on the couch. Chris sat beside him with a small sigh. "Jim, I know Higgins was happy to have your help, and I'm sure he got plenty of ideas for questionably legal upgrades over the last few days, but you need to remember that you just got out of the hospital. Take the time to rest, Jim. You've earned it."

Jim shrugged, but didn't argue anymore and headed for the bedroom. "Completely legal," he called back through the open door. Chris could hear him changing into more comfortable clothes. "Higgins would never go for half the things we did to the Enterprise over the last few years." That was definitely a smile in the younger man's voice, and Chris felt himself responding in kind.

"I'm not going to ask," he replied, injecting a world-weary tone to his voice, just so Jim would know how much he had to put up with.

Jim poked his head out of the bedroom, now completely changed into sweatpants, though his chest was bare. "That's probably for the best," he grinned cheekily. "You should go do something not involving watching me sleep. And if you happen to run across anyone looking to check in on me for my own good, please tell them to shove it up their ass. I'm not planning on doing anything other than sleeping for the next eight hours at least, I don't need a babysitter."

Chris could see the amusement in Jim's gaze, but he also knew that the Captain was serious, so he nodded and stood up. "I'll let McCoy know. I'm sure they've all heard that we're back by now, but the fact that they're not here already probably means they think you're still giving your report."

Jim shrugged. "I'm sure the memo went out as soon as we docked. I'll see them all when I wake up."

Chris nodded again, and waited until the bedroom door closed behind Jim before he made for the apartment's exit.

Somehow he wasn't surprised to see Jim's command crew heading for the building right as he stepped outside. He shook his head as they drew closer. "He's asleep or will be soon," the Admiral informed them. "He asked me to tell anyone who wants to go check on him for his own good, to shove it up their asses." He saw McCoy's glower, Uhura's small smirk of amusement, and the way Sulu rolled his eyes, and continued, "He's going to sleep for the next eight hours at least, and he'll find you when he wakes up."

None of them looked particularly pleased, but most started to wander away under the Admiral's stern gaze. Sure Jim needed watching sometimes or he'd go do something stupid like not look after his own injuries properly or design an entirely new starship. But he also respected Jim, and the Captain had asked for some space so he would honor that.

After a minute, it was just Carol and McCoy standing there with Chris. The Doctor frowned. "How is he, really."

Chris sighed and rubbed a hand across his face wearily. "He's tired." The Admiral shrugged weakly. "I think he's still feeling some pain, but the man's pain threshold is so high it can be hard to tell sometimes. But he's not any worse than when we left, he just needs some rest."

McCoy's frown didn't disappear, but he nodded sharply and walked away. Carol pursed her lips once he was gone. "Are you going to keep me out too?" she asked, a dangerous lilt to her voice that told Chris just how successful he would be if he tried.

Chris rolled his eyes and stepped aside, leaving a clear path to the door. "I know better than that," he assured the young woman. "Besides, don't you basically live here? I can't very well keep you out of your own apartment."

Carol blushed lightly, but didn't reply beyond a simple smile as she passed him, heading inside. They hadn't really discussed moving in together yet, but Carol was sure they would get around to it eventually. It wasn't like they weren't thinking about it, and Carol had barely stepped foot inside her own apartment in weeks.

XXX

With no other obligations, the Enterprise crew settled in for shore leave. Most of the crew took off for a couple of months, after Scotty and Jim set a timeline that would have the ship fixed up and ready to depart in at least three months, likely four.

The command crew mostly stuck around San Francisco; McCoy and Joanna took a few trips out to Georgia to see McCoy's mother, sometimes taking April along. Uhura and Spock went to visit Uhura's family for a week. But for the most part, they stayed at headquarters, working when they needed to and enjoying the vacation when they didn't.

Jim and Scotty were definitely the busiest, making multiple trips to the shipyard at Riverside, working with the design team to upgrade and install the Enterprise's new warp core. Jim wasn't thrilled with the many trips to his childhood hometown, but he was excited to work on some new ideas with his ship.

After three months, the Enterprise was fixed enough that it was able to leave dry dock, and they sent it back up to Starbase One, the base in orbit above Earth, to finish the final upgrades and installations, before the ship and her crew would head out once more.

Jim sent out a final notice to all his crew, informing them of their impending departure in four weeks, and then buckled down with Scotty, making sure they would have everything done on time.

The duo were on the ship above the planet, discussing their timeline and working out some of the details in the schedule, when Jim's comm. chimed with an incoming message.

It was Jon. Something was clearly wrong, Jim thought, as the Admiral informed him that his immediate presence was being requested.

Scotty frowned when Jim hung up. "Sounds important," the Engineer commented.

Jim bit his lip as he nodded a reply. "I should go find out what's going on. Everything seems on schedule for now, we can finish this up later."

He quickly made his way to the transporter room, wondering what the hell had Jon so concerned.

XXX

Jon was alone in his office when Jim arrived, and looked up, relieved, as the Captain knocked lightly on the doorframe. "Jim, come on in, close the door behind you."

Jim did so, and then furrowed his brow when Jon gestured for him to pull a seat over to his side of the desk. "What's going on?" he asked, complying with the odd request.

Jon sighed and typed in a few commands to his computer. "I got an encrypted call from Klingon space a short while ago. That Klingon friend of yours wouldn't tell me what's going on, just demanded that I bring you in so that he could talk to you directly."

Jim pursed his lips in thought as Jon connected the call that had come in roughly fifteen minutes earlier.

The screen blurred a moment, and then cleared to show K'Temoc sitting behind a desk in what looked to be an office on a ship. The Klingon attempted a smile, but it came off as strained to the two Starfleet officials.

Jim leaned forward slightly. "K'Temoc, Admiral Archer said you needed to speak with us?"

K'Temoc inclined his head slightly. "I apologize for the subterfuge. However, we recently came across something rather… disturbing, and I thought you might want to know about it."

Jon shifted impatiently. "What is it?" he asked brusquely. It was a strange day indeed, when he was sharing information with Klingons, and they were thinking about Starfleet's feelings on situations that they came across. Just what was so serious that the Klingons actually wanted to get them involved?

K'Temoc grimaced. "My crew and I recently intercepted an unknown ship making for a secluded sector of one of our controlled planets. It appeared to be attempting to flee or hide, and when we boarded, we found only one man."

Jim frowned. "What does that have to do with us?"

An expression that seemed almost… concerned… flashed across the Klingon's face. "When we searched the man's ship, we found some rather concerning documents. The man appears to have been collecting information on you, Jim."

The only outward expression of shock that the Captain showed was a slight raising of his eyebrows. "Seriously?"

K'Temoc nodded and held up several PADDs. "Information on your Starfleet career, details from when you attended the Academy, your academic experiences," he lowered the PADDs and leaned forward, interested. "Is it true that you designed the warp core that Starfleet uses in their Constellation Class ships?"

Jim grimaced. "Maybe not the time," he retorted, glancing over at Jon who was looking significantly more alarmed. Reading the situation from a warrior's standpoint, Jim knew that if the Klingons ever wanted to get information on how to sabotage Starfleet's ships, they would now know that they could gain a significant advantage by going after him. But now wasn't the moment to be thinking about that. They apparently had a stalker to deal with first.

K'Temoc immediately nodded contritely. "I apologize, you are correct of course. I was simply impressed. I can respect the work and effort that must have gone into that design. But back to the matter at hand. In addition to academic and professional, if this information is all about you then there are older documents as well, from your childhood. We also found many photos. It appears to go back years, if all of these are of you."

He flicked through a few images on the PADD, and came to a stop at one, holding it up to the screen to show the two Starfleet officers.

Jim stood up quickly, leaning forward to view the image more closely. "That's me," he confirmed grimly, looking back at Jon. "I remember that trip. I was traveling through Europe for a few months, right after…" he trailed off, but Jon understood without the complete sentence. "I was fourteen."

K'Temoc was also looking concerned now, flicking through a few more images. "Many of these appear to have been taken during your teen years, though there are some that seem to have come from later, when you were attending Starfleet Academy. Only a few candid shots from after your received your Captaincy, but there are many official photos on here as well. From news articles and the like. Most appear to have been taken from a distance, without your knowledge."

"Has this man given you a name?" Jon asked, trying not to show his fury at the gross violation of privacy, or his worry at what this man wanted with Jim.

K'Temoc nodded. "He called himself Karidian. I am uncertain if it is real but it is all he would give us." He picked up another PADD. "Here is the photo we took. Do you recognize him?"

He turned the PADD around to show the two men on the other end of the call.

Jon shook his head in confusion, not recognizing the man in the photo – he was glaring at the screen, his brown eyes glittering with malice or disdain. His gray hair was balding on top, but – perhaps in defiance of this fact – he wore it long, down to his shoulders.

"I don't recognize him," Jon said softly. "Jim?"

There was no response. Jon looked up, confused. Jim was still standing, his gaze fixed on the image in front of him, but he didn't appear to be completely aware of anything around him.

He also didn't appear to be breathing.

Jon quickly stood up as well, focusing on the Captain, concern clouting everything else. "Jim? What's wrong?"

Jim blinked slowly, his expression flashing briefly with something like pain or fear, before it schooled back to a blank façade. Suddenly, a shuddering ripple worked its way down his spine, and he collapsed back into his seat.

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