At 0500 the following morning, Starfleet Academy received the news that cadet Jim Kirk and yesterdays mysterious visitor had been confirmed as two of the Tarsus nine. Earth's media were ecstatic when word leaked out – no one knew by whom, but then again no one ever does – that one of Kodos' child soldiers had been wrongly mistaken as one of his victims.
A solitary figure collapsed into a seat at a relatively deserted cafe. Every few seconds he would whip his head around and check his rear for signs of danger, so far there had been none. The boy had recently run away from his foster home with no intention of returning. He was exhausted from the constant running and hiding, but if it meant he was free then he would happily endure it. His eyes began to droop as the effects of fatigue began to kick in and his head slowly made it's decent towards the table.
In national and planetary news, the identities of two survivors from the Tarsus IV massacre were uncovered yesterday afternoon at the galaxy-renowned Starfleet Academy. One of them was discovered to have been a child mercenary working for Kodos throughout his duration as a tyrant. His name is being kept classified by Starfleet security and at the present time, only a handful have been given access to this information.
The boy eyes snapped open and he turned his head towards the source of the news report.
The second survivor is Jim Kirk whom of yesterday attended Starfleet Academy. Jim Kirk is the son of Starfleet Officer George Kirk, who is renowned for sacrificing his life and saving over 800 people in the process. The anonymous survivor was escorted from Starfleet Security early this morning and will stand trial for his crimes later in the week...
A photo of Jim Kirk replaced the reporter's face – although his voice continued to tell the news – and the small boy squinted at the screen. He scrutinized the piercing blue eyes, seeming to search for a memory forgotten long ago. His lips parted slightly and his eyes bulged from their sockets. He stood abruptly, upsetting the chair he had been sitting on and ran out of the cafe.
Kirk sat alone on the apex of a hill, completely ignoring the sun that had begun to set behind him. He was mentally exhausted from all the interrogation that had resurfaced his traumatic memories. In the end though, all that really mattered was that Mitchell had been rightly condemned for the acts of atrocity he had committed as a child.
He glanced behind him as the burning sensation of the sun on his back was dispelled by a shadow. A boy stood close-by, his face solemn as he stared straight ahead. His face looked 12 years old but his eyes were older then anyone Kirk knew. Rather than leave for a more solitary area, Kirk stayed where he was. The stranger seemed to remind him of a long forgotten friend and he didn't bombard Kirk with questions like his previous visitors.
'I've never understood why people insist on watching the sun sink below the horizon,' he commented, 'it's so much more breathtaking to watch the moon rise into existence.'
Strange thing for a boy to say thought Kirk, although he shared the stranger's opinion. None of them moved from their positions atop the hill.
'When I was a child, I had a friend I looked up to. I loved him like a brother and he cared for me like a father,' said the boy.
As miserable as he was, Kirk felt the need to reply so as not to appear rude.
'Where is your friend now?' he asked, making a pretense of interest when in fact he no longer cared about anything anymore.
'Last I heard he migrated to Earth,' the stranger mused, 'but he never left my heart. He was the most selfless human being I've ever known. Saved my soul and saved my life - I wish I could have told him that,' he finished sadly.
Kirk stayed silent, unsure of what to say and saddened by the boy's heartfelt words.
'J.T,' the stranger said softly.
Kirk froze. He stared fiercely at the horizon, filled with sorrow and an overwhelming urge to cry at hearing the name he had used on Tarsus IV. The boy moved forward and slowly sat on the grass beside Kirk. He continued to stare into the horizon as the pair sat in silence. Kirk frowned slightly as he tried to remember the faces of his boys.
'Kevin?' he guessed.
Kevin Riley nodded.
'You've grown so much,' Kirk murmured.
A small smile lit up Kevin's features.
'Yes, I've been eating a great deal more than what I did back when we were kids,' he joked.
In spite of himself Kirk laughed – laughed at the absurdity of the last 24 hours and laughed from the happiness at finding a long lost friend. He laughed until the tears began to flow and then he was sobbing. Crying for the friends he had lost on that terrible planet, crying the tears he had never allowed himself to shed since. He felt Kevin embrace him and he hugged his friend until the tears stopped flowing.
'I meant what I said earlier,' Kevin told him, 'every single word.'
Kirk smiled at his friend. They were temporarily thrown into darkness as the sun finally set and the pair fell silent as they watched the moon rise into existence.
Sorry It's not that long, but hey - less is more right?... or the other way around, I can't remember.
Still deciding whether or not to add another chapter - This chapter sounds unfinished but I'm not sure what I'd write about if I do make another chapter. I was thinking about writing what happens to Kirk when he returns to Starfleet Academy but I'm not sure if someone would want to do that if they're as distraught as Kirk. Should I or should I not?Suggestions?
