Klingon Chapter 3

by Starsinger

Yes, people, Pike is alive in this universe. I like him too much. I love AUs, so many different potentials running rampant. Don't own any of them.

Azetbur turned to the sound of approaching footsteps, she was not familiar with this man, but the cane said it was one person: Admiral Christopher Pike. She nodded her head in greeting as he approached the bed, "Can you save the Federation at least once without getting seriously hurt?"

Hey! You were the one who was injured the first time! Remember the Narada? Jim typed.

"I didn't get myself killed," Pike said softly. "So, he's going to live?" he asked McCoy.

"Oh, yes, in spite of himself, he will live, and be doing it in here for the next few weeks. Can't let him off the machines until that lung is healed," McCoy replied. Kirk glared at him and was promptly ignored.

"No, I'm leaving the command of the Enterprise to Captain Spock, Jim. Komack just wanted visual proof that you weren't dead from someone not in your crew. Chancellor, we need to talk, logistics is all, but the President doesn't want to mess this up." McCoy watched as both of them left Sickbay. He turned back to find Kirk had fallen asleep.

The Enterprise took a month to get home. The Klingons weren't going to sign anything until Kirk was there, and no one wanted him doing that in his bed. So, they took their time. They made their slow, leisurely way back to Earth, occasionally stopping to observe something scientifically interesting or new as it took their fancy.

Kirk's incapacitation didn't mean he wasn't working. Just as sly as Admiral Archer, McCoy put Kirk to work. Yeoman Rand had weeks of unsigned reports that Kirk needed to catch up on, and those required just his fingers on his right hand and his eyes. There were journals in Engineering and Physics that he wanted to catch up on, not to mention a few articles in computer sciences.

Spock came down and discussed a few of the anomalies they encountered with him. Scotty came over and they discussed some of the articles, and Chekov, well, he came in and was his cute, adorable self. Chris came in to discuss what the ships in Jim's fleet were up to. The USS Joshua was still in orbit around Khitomer while the USS Gagarin had been asked to keep an eye on the conditions on Qo'noS. Klingons predilection toward sneering at scientists had left them without the few they had produced to do it themselves. The Enterprise was also escorted on occasion by different Federation and Klingon ships that just happened to be in the area. They'd meet up, travel together for a while, and then just go their separate ways.

It was so much at odds with the years of war that they had all endured that they were still in shock when they arrived at Earth to discover three Warbirds parked in orbit. While Kirk was well enough to attend the signing, McCoy made him stay in a wheelchair, in full dress uniform, his Fleet Captain insignia proudly gleaming in the artificial light.

Azetbur stood, speaking in Federation Standard, "We gather here today in hopes of a brighter future, and a better tomorrow. I have learned a lot about Starfleet and the Federation in the six weeks since Praxis exploded, and the two weeks since Khitomer. A man once thought a bitter enemy, has become a trusted friend. He showed true honor by wanting only peace," the Chancellor nodded at Kirk, who nodded back. "What's coming will not be easy. We have years of mistrust and hatred to put behind all of us, but with the stroke of this pen, I open the border to all who wish to cross peacefully. We still have a lot of work ahead of us as Starfleet joins in the efforts to find a new homeworld for us, but I expect that we can do this together." She signed the document and walked over to Kirk, "As for you, Captain, this medal is the Medal of Kahless, our first and only Emperor. It is the highest we can award to a warrior. You are a warrior, Captain Kirk, just not of the Klingon variety." She pinned it to his uniform, "Qapla!" she announced as her fellow Klingons joined in the cry.

"What does that mean again?" Jim asked.

Uhura leaned forward, "Kris said that it meant, translated literally, success."

And thus we end this narrative of this story.