Kirk plodded towards the academy cafeteria. He had forgotten to eat last night after the disturbing confrontation with the broken cadet. Since he'd consumed alcohol, his mouth felt stale and his brain struggled to keep up with his actions. Hopefully food would cure that, after all; breakfast was supposedly the most important meal of the day, wasn't it? Walking into the building where the cafeteria resided, he couldn't help notice the obviously indiscreet stares that followed him. Cadets huddled in their usual small groups, most moving some stationary. They whispered cryptically and snuck glances at him when he passed. Confused, Kirk continued his slow pursuit for food whilst his brain sluggishly wondered why they were treating him like a disease – there was the usual attention but no bodies being hurled in his direction. Then he recollected a hazy memory from last night; his pseudonym had been connected to him. Frustrated, Kirk loathed the media – why couldn't they just leave him alone? It's called personal privacy! … And a wonderfully fat paycheck for whoever ratted me out Kirk irritatingly admitted.

'Kirk!'

Oh, right, here come the bodies thought Kirk jadedly. He turned around… or maybe not… Bones was walking as briskly as he could towards Kirk sans running. When he reached him he noted the stares of the surrounding cadets and looked curiously at Kirk. When he didn't move his gaze, Kirk snapped his head towards Bones.

'What?' he demanded frustratingly.

Bones shrugged sympathetically at Kirk.

'Sorry,' he apologized.

Kirk looked sideways at his friend and sighed.

'Let it out Bones, I know you saw the news,' he grumbled.

Bones glanced at their surroundings eyeing the watching cadets.

'I'll wait till we get our food,' he said, remembering the tendency for gossip to spread to the media.

Kirk nodded and the pair stayed silent until they'd each gotten their meals and were seated at a table in an isolated part of the cafeteria – although Kirk's recent reputation seemed to do that regardless. Kirk stared at his food and pushed it around with his utensil; mentally, he knew he should eat but he couldn't bring himself to do it physically.

'So… is it true?' Bones enquired, sweeping his eyes around the room to watch for prying ears.

Kirk nodded.

'Depends what channel you choose but more or less of what the media says is the truth,' he said glumly.

Bones nodded slowly, digesting the information.

'What do you think about the protestors then?' he said, through a mouthful of cereal.

'I'm thinking of helping them…' Kirk said carefully, 'but I don't know whether or not to trust them. I mean, Starfleet's pretty much my life now but I'm not entirely sure they told the public the truth.'

Bones head snapped up and he gagged momentarily on his breakfast.

'What!?' he exclaimed though a fit of coughs, 'you really think Kodos is still alive?' Bones hissed, glancing mechanically around the cafeteria again.

Kirk scrunched up his face thoughtfully and fiddled with his spoon.

'I'm not saying I think he's alive, but I'm not saying he's not either…' Kirk trailed off when he caught sight of Bones perplexed face and hurried to amend his statement.

'What I meant to say, is that he might be alive. I never really saw or body anything and the media is telling the truth when they said Starfleet never released any solid evidence…unless you count the charcoal body,' he said.

Bones huffed and stared down at his cereal.

'When I met you in your dorm after… you know…' he gestured sympathetically, 'I told you not to base your worth on reputation and you told me that an old friend had told you something similar.'

Kirk nodded in confirmation and looked expectantly at Bones.

'Was that friend someone from Tarsus? You know, one of your… boys?' he asked.

Kirk smiled fondly.

'Yes.'

Bones looked carefully at Kirk.

'Do you know how he's coping with the news?' he asked softly, 'You should go see him, you're probably the only person he can confide in.'

Kirk sighed.

'I want to Bones, I want to so badly but I'm practically under house arrest now that the media knows who I was. If I go see him they might find out who he was too and I could never do that to him,' he said sadly.

Bones hesitated and opened to his mouth to reply but was interrupted by his communicator.

*Beep-beep-beep-beep*

He flipped it open.

Bones! Is Kirk with you?

Kirk jerked his head towards the communicator. He looked quizzically at Bones who merely shrugged, his face as baffled as Kirk's.

'Uhura,' he acknowledged, 'Yeah he's here, what's wrong?'

Turn on your padd, check the news.

Obediently, Bones complied.

'Which one?' he asked, turning on his padd.

Any, it doesn't matter.

And with that, she ended the call. Kirk leaned over, curious to see what Uhura wanted his to see. Bones opened the news; a reporter appeared on his padd screen and began talking.

... Has them appearing to have undermined Starfleet's proclamations. According to their latest source, section fifteen of the report was falsified. Further evidence suggests that the former governor of Tarsus IV, known as 'Kodos' instead fled to Earth and has remained there till this day. Opposing groups argue against this information, accusing the protestors of conspiracy and have stated that Kodos wouldn't be foolish enough to 'hide in enemy territory' if he is indeed, alive...

Kirk's jaw dropped to the bottom of the closest black hole, his mind reeling as he tried to comprehend what he had just heard.

'Another one,' he jabbed his finger sideways in front of the padd screen, 'change the reporter, see if anyone is saying anything different.'

Bones shook his head to bring himself out of the shocked state he had sunken into. Hastily he gestured across the screen; men, women and alien reporters flashed across the screen just long enough for the pair to hear snippets of their reports.

...The executioner, which was given...

...Responsible for the murder of...

...Families are outraged at Starfleet...

...From the Symmetrists whom had...

...The question everyone is asking...

'Stop!' Kirk unconsciously reached out towards Bones wrists as his friend flicked between news channels.

'What, here?' Bones asked, indicating to a female newsreader.

Kirk waved his hand a negative gesture.

'No, no go back – to the about the Symmetrists,' he said.

Bones changed the screen back to the previous newsreader.

...According to latest reports, the Symmetrists were responsible for the escape of Kodos the Executioner. Now, protestors are claiming that the Symmetrists were also behind the 'fake' death of Kodos. They have hypothesized that the Symmetrists burnt a random body beyond recognition and made it out to be Kodos' by leaving it at his house...

*Beep-beep-beep-beep*

Kirk jerked in his seat and hastily pulled out his communicator.

'Kirk here,' he said, glancing at Bones as his friend quickly killed the audio on his padd.

Kirk, it's Pike. I need you to get to Vice Admiral Tullsey's office as soon as you can.

Bones raised his eyebrow at Kirk. Kirk shrugged, he was clueless too.

'Yes Sir...' Kirk said cautiously.

Pike must have heard the wariness in his voice because he replied briefly before ending the call.

Don't worry kid, I'll meet you there as soon as I can and unfortunately there's little left that's still secret.

Kirk sighed resignedly as he closed his communicator. Pike was right, his secrets had been exposed and there was barely anything that the academy's midshipmen commandant could accuse him of. Bones put away his padd and turned to Kirk.

'I guess you've got to go then,' he told him.

Kirk sighed in exasperation and nodded glumly.

'I'll see you next class… hopefully,' he said, getting up off his chair.

Bones frowned.

'I wouldn't be so sure…' he said.

Kirk rolled his eyes and slapped his friend on the shoulder.

'Cheer up Bones, you can't walk around with a frown on your face forever,' he said with fake cheerfulness.

Walking out of the cafeteria he headed for the office buildings, screwing his eyes against the glaring sun as he left the shade of the cafeteria building. Deep down, he knew Bones was right; he should check on Riley to make sure he was ok – especially with the newest headline. A cold, dark feeling had clouded his stomach ever since Uhura had called Bones. After all those years of safety, physically anyway – Kirk's worst demon had just been resurrected.


Kirk waited outside Vice Admiral Tullsey's office, he fidgeted and repetitively shifted his weight from foot to foot. Turning his head to check the corridor, his shoulders slumped in disappointment when he found it empty. He had been standing there for the past half hour, unwilling to enter without Pike. Hearing footsteps, he twisted his head towards the sound and breathed out a sigh of relief as he caught a glimpse of gold. Christopher Pike slowed his pace as he came level to where Kirk was standing.

'Were you refused entry?' he inquired, one eyebrow raised.

Kirk smiled sheepishly.

'No, I just didn't want to go in there alone,' he admitted.

Pike nodded, he knew how Kirk must have been feeling especially with the recent events that had surfaced. Pike was one of the rare few that knew of Kirk's pseudonym before it had been splashed across the media for all the planets to see. He motioned to the door and they stepped through into the waiting room. Shortly after, the commandant's adjutant – Lieutenant Commander Judy Renfield – entered the room and addressed its occupants.

'You may see the admiral now,' she announced indicating to the door she had entered by.

Pike stood and nodded his thanks to the commandant's adjutant before striding confidentially towards the door, Kirk hurried to follow him. Entering the office, Kirk stood to attention and saluted the commandant.

'At ease cadet,' Tullsey told him before turning his attention to Pike.

'Captain,' he said.

Pike inclined his head in acknowledgment.

'Have a seat,' Tullsey motioned to two empty chairs.

After the group had seated, Tullsey leaned forwards in his chair and rested his arms on the table, palms clasped in front of him. He turned at looked at Kirk.

'Only a small number including Captain Pike and myself already know the information I am about to tell you – pause – I'll be blunt with you cadet; as you well may know, there is recent talk that the former governor of Tarsus IV is currently alive. After the events of the massacre, Starfleet announced Kodos' death and – if he isn't – had no knowledge that they were telling false information to the public. As Starfleet feels responsible for allowing the events on Tarsus IV go unchecked, a precautionary mission is underway to confirm whether Kodos really has taken refuge on Earth or if it is just another media scam. There are few who know the identity of those who can recognize Kodos by appearance but Starfleet wishes not to involve them in this investigation for fear that the media will do it's usual damage.'

Kirk could see where this was going but out of respect for his commandants rank he stayed silent and continued to listen to Tullsey.

'Captain Pike and myself have been asked to convince you to take part in this mission – should you choose to. We're not asking you to get your hands dirty, only to accompany us on our mission to identify Kodos so that we may capture, trial and condemn him.'

Kirk chewed his lip as he contemplated over the pros and cons should he get involved. He turned to Pike with a deliberate message in his expression. What should I do? Pike saw the look and nodded surreptitiously at Kirk.

'Admiral, if I could please have a word with cadet Kirk?' he asked.

Tullsey nodded his consent and left the room. No doubt we'll be monitored thought Pike as he watched the admiral leave. The door shut and Pike turned his attention to the cadet seated beside him.

'I want him gone… but I don't think I'll be able to keep it together if I see him,' Kirk mumbled to his lap.

Pike tilted his head questioningly.

'Keep it together?' he said.

Kirk sighed.

'When I saw Mitchell in the hallway, I almost lost it… I almost killed him,' he admitted, 'I let my anger get the better of me.'

Pike nodded to himself – he had read the report of that incident.

'What made you stop?' asked Pike.

Kirk finally looked up.

'I saw his face… it was like their faces – my boys – looking back at me. He had their fear, their sadness… right before he killed them,' Kirk spat out the last sentence.

'Then remember them,' Pike said simply, 'Keep them in here,' he placed his hand over his heart.

Kirk's face morphed from sadness into determination, he looked Pike in the eye and nodded.

'I'll do it,' he said.