Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek.
Author's Note: The response you all gave me for the last chapter- THANK YOU! I'm glad the twist was so unexpected. *insert evil laugh*. No, really, Lenore has a small purpose in one of my future stories, so we'll see what happens to her in this one as we continue. Anyways, just a few more chapters. Thank you for the support with this story- couldn't have done it without great readers!
Chapter 19
Daughter.
Daughter that's not his daughter.
She's been Kodos' daughter for twelve years.
No, that's not right.
Jim scrunched his face in concentration, numbness of both body and mind seeping into all corners.
What did Kodos say?
Lenore is not his daughter.
He said she was...
No.
Jim did not believe him. She had similar curly, red hair, true, but she couldn't be one of the children he...
That hair...her eyes...her confusion.
I had rescued...Lenore?
And Kodos, the damn monster, he took her as his own daughter?
That can't be true.
No. That was...entirely too cruel, too depraved...
It isn't true. He's a master at manipulation...
"You disgusting son of a bitch."
Jim couldn't have been more shocked at the words. Memphis spoke them.
A rush of adrenaline coursed through Spock's body and he easily accosted the guards outside the door. Positioning himself in the basement, his body suddenly and unfortunately demanded rest. His nerves adjusted to the current temperature with tingling pain. From his position, Spock observed Kodos without being detected.
In true Kirkian fashion, Jim bought himself- and Spock- a few minutes when he questioned Kodos about Lenore.
Spock heard Kodos announce Lenore's true identity with theatrical flair and observed Jim's distress. Spock found himself almost clenching his teeth while he fought the illogical urge to rush over and comfort Jim.
Spock's blood warmed at his inspired anger, but without McCoy's medical expertise and flurry of hypos, their situation remained dire.
Jim suffered enough injuries to prevent him from walking out on his own. Kevin hardly looked better with his broken body. Lenore fainted, off the chair and directly into the arms of Memphis. Memphis' hold on Lenore tightened as he stared at her, ignoring Kodos' orders to set her down.
Spock could not carry both Jim and Kevin. Now that Memphis was no longer a prisoner, Spock was disturbed that Memphis held Lenore. He could not be trusted to bring Lenore to the other ship. Then again, Spock had not expected Memphis' vocal reaction towards Kodos, either. Where would Memphis take the girl? What did he want with her?
Uhura and Sulu's thirty minutes had ended. Lenore's fainting distracted Kodos. Memphis was otherwise occupied with the girl in his arms.
His captain was in agony, the kind that would rip the heart of a human to shreds. Kodos multiplied Jim's guilt a thousand times over by revealing Lenore's true identity.
I will uphold my vow.
It fueled his actions now.
Memphis, distracted with Lenore, had become an unknown variable. Even so, Spock calculated the likelihood the time was appropriate to interceded at 82%. Jim needed medical attention immediately.
Emerging from his hiding place, Spock stepped into the flickering light surrounding Kodos, Memphis, and their prisoners. Spock aimed his phaser at Kodos.
Lenore was resting in Memphis' arms?
What?
She must've passed out. And Memphis, came to her rescue? Memphis looked tentative, not as harsh.
Jim regarded the pair with his hazy vision. He thought Memphis had grown to care for Lenore. It made sense now why he did. And Memphis looked just as shocked at the truth.
Jim heard a familiar voice as a blur of blue approached, but he could not focus on anything other than the red-head's face. She was young enough. She looked peaceful. How could that be so? Peaceful? A life with that monster?
As she lay passed out, her quietness mimicked what Jim remembered from that other life.
It had to be her. Lenore. The tiny whimpering she had made in the town square on Tarsus had saved her life and alerted Jim. She was the girl rescued, under all those bodies, as he and Tom were running for their lives. Lenore had been crying but was unhurt. Her wildly curly hair...red...an acute expression of abandonment upon her face.
I brought her back with me. Kept her safe. I rescued her.
What went wrong?
What was her life with Kodos like? Had he tucked her in at night, as a doting father? Given her beloved toys? Hugged her? Showcased her as his own? Allowed her to call him Father, all while sequestering away the awful truth? Had he played with her mind even beyond the heinous act of brainwashing her?
Oh, God, what damage had been done to her, that she did not even remember?
Jim retched, again and again.
She'd been used like a puppet by him.
His failure.
It had climaxed to a point he could not handle. It was too much.
"Captain!"
Jim felt like he'd never be well again. He shouldn't be well ever again. It was his fault. Memphis had been ill, sick, upset. A damn kid. Memphis wasn't to blame. Kodos was to blame, also. Not just Jim.
He spewed out in front of him again, even as someone encircled his waist with an arm.
Spock.
Spock was there in the commotion surrounding Jim.
I knew you'd come. They'll be safe now.
"'evin," he mumbled. Get Kevin out of here. "'nore."
"Jim," said Spock. "I am releasing your hands. You will have to bring them down slowly."
"No...'em...first." Jim would not forgive himself if those two would not get out of here alive.
"Captain, Kevin is capable of walking on his own."
"And Kevin refuses to leave without you," Kevin's voice rang out.
Jim tossed his lips up, hoping wherever Kevin was, the young man could see Jim's reaction. "Stubborn..."
"Not as much as you, but I try." Kevin replied with a small laugh. "We are leaving together, Captain Kirk."
"'gether," Jim reiterated. He liked the sound of that, but something nagged in his mind. A warning.
"Jim, your hands..."
Jim faltered in Spock's instructions when his arms flailed about. He had no control but the first officer picked him up effortlessly before Jim pressed any weight upon his feet.
"Knewyalovme," Jim slurred as his head lulled back over Spock's arm. He smiled when Spock's eyebrow lifted up. It comforted Jim. They were going home. "Be...careful..."
"Captain?"
"They're...'fter..." What really did they want? Jim was going to say the coordinates, but the more he thought about it, nothing made sense. Anyone in their right mind would know the coordinates Jim saw more than a decade ago on Riley's PADD were null. Void.
But Kodos was not in his right mind.
Jim's breathing became difficult as he tried to think of who else needed something from him. Again, it nagged, and he remembered something he experienced earlier- looking at the PADD in engineering and then in the shuttlecraft. Before he could process anything quickly enough to warn Spock, all became dark.
Jim was no burden in Spock's arms. However, the captains' burdens invariably felt like his own as he tucked the captain closer to his chest inside his unzipped coat much like that puppy he and Uhura found alone that stormy night on leave. Only, it was not water sliding off fur and soaking his shirt but Jim's blood spilling from naked skin. To Spock's great relief, the captain lost consciousness as he mumbled a half-sentence.
Spock would lead them out of the Green Gate, Jim Kirk in his arms, Kevin limping beside him, and Memphis dazed, holding Lenore.
Spock would do that, but it never happened.
It had been too simple. Spock knew it as Kodos maintained that feline smile and had not resisted at all when Spock cuffed him. Was it lack of concern or pure madness? Either way, Spock watched the door with bated breath as their party of six made headway.
They did not have to relish the suspense for very long. When the group was five seconds from escaping the basement, three men materialized behind them. Spock barely had time to question from whence they came. Instead, he registered their phasers were aimed at Kevin and himself. One man, dressed in a uniform that varied from those of his companions, latched his focus on Kodos immediately.
Spock would not forget the look of pure fear on Kodos's face as unparalleled fury spewed forth from the newcomer's lips. The torturer...fearful. Grimly, he wished Jim was awake to see such an ironic revelation.
"Goddammit, are you that stupid? You almost killed Kirk. Son of a bitch. You didn't even get the information, did you, before he passed out and you got caught yourself?"
"He..no. This was part of your plan...I just..." Kodos stammered, paling by the second.
Who is this man, belittling the Executioner with mere words?
"You're a fool, Kodos," the other man spoke sharply. "Who has kept you alive all this time?"
"Agent Sloan...as you... can see... Kirk is ready..."
"Ready my ass. You wasted the time we had left and endangered the life of the man we need alive, all for your petty purposes. Too late for apologies. I kept you alive longer than I wanted to," raged Sloan. "Give my regards to my brother."
"No! I..."
The agent fired his phaser. Kodos gasped his last breath and slumped to the floor, dead.
Sloan solemnly turned to Spock. "I've been wanting to do that for years but it just never felt right to do so, yet."
Wanting? For years?
Sloan gave a short laugh and ran a hand through his graying hair. Then he sighed. "Anyways, whew. Glad that's over. The timing was a bit off though, wasn't it? Sorry about that."
The agent directed his phaser then at Spock. It seemed to Spock they had escaped the hands of one lunatic to only be delivered into those of another.