She wore a plain, black, simple flight suit, and plain gold studs in in the plethora of piercings on her ears. Without her crown to hold them back, the short pieces of her hair fell loosely, framing her emaciated face. But her eyes stood out bright as ever. She didn't look so scary anymore. The commanding Zezian officer surveyed her. It was impossible to believe that this girl had caused them so much trouble...he shivered when he looked at her wings. He noticed that her heir, the dark haired one, was not there. He had heard that Lena passed the Queenship over to her a mere half hour ago.
The former Virosa Queen was surrounded by members of the Enterprise's crew. The Captain seemed to be holding her hand. The Zezian officer didn't want to think about what the Vaa had in store for her. He had lost two sons and a nephew in this war. He wanted to go home. He, personally, had nothing against the Virosa - he could actually see why they hated the Zezians so much. As a young man he had purchased a Winged Daughter for himself. He had tried to be kind to her; she had been the most lovely creature he had ever come across. But her beauty faded quickly and she died within a few months. He would have been loath to admit it, but he mourned her, and cursed himself for what he had done. He never purchased another one.
This girl's sacrifice was going to end the war; the Vaa would be satiated. He could go home to his family - his men would live to see their sons grow up. It was finally over.
Lena and Jim stood together on the podium overlooking the hanger. There was a Zezian ship sitting patiently at the end and the 100 Zezians lining the path on either side. They had tucked eight pods into her wings, completely invisible to the eye. All she would have to do was give her wings an abrupt shake and they would burst. They had decided she should do it as she boarded the Zezian ship...she couldn't show weakness before then, lest they suspect. They weren't exactly filling the Vaa's terms, but it was close enough. With Lena dead, the Vaa would have no excuse to continue the war.
The Zezian officer approached them, staring at Lena curiously.
"Time to go", he said. "The Vaa's ship is currently in orbit."
Lena nodded serenely, "I didn't realize he was coming all the way here…"
"He has stayed primarily right outside of Virosa space...but...he wished to collect you personally."
"I should be honored I guess…"
The Zezian officer didn't know what to say.
Lena continued, "We are relaying this throughout our Empire...and yours as well. The Zezian prisoners will be released in 15 minutes. The Enterprise will depart immediately following this exchange, and go directly to warp. Your ambassadors are to make contact with Queen Suria once all Zezian occupied ships have left Virosa space to establish an ongoing, peaceful relationship. This is to be the end."
The Zezian offer stared at her, and was reminded of the beautiful girl who had died because of him years ago. Lena was so calm...just as she had been. On her deathbed she told him he was forgiven. He had brushed it off, but her words came back to him now. He understood. This girl was going to die, for her people, for the Enterprise's crew, and in small part, for the Zezians…Unable to stop himself the Zezian offer dropped to his knees and whispered, "Thank you."
She touched his shoulder...the hand that had killed so many of his people. "You're welcome", she said.
Taking a deep breath Lena turned to Jim, and put her hand on his chest. Under his shirt she felt her betrothal pendant. They were still not technically betrothed, and she had made him promise to take it off upon her death, but asked him to keep it with him, maybe one day give it to his child, if he ever had one. She touched the one around her own neck, Veelia's. She had forgotten to take it off. Lena had meant to send it to Veelia's mother, but the poor woman died from grief an hour after hearing of her daughter's demise. She pulled it from her neck and handed to Jim...he would take care of it...he loved Veelia too.
She looked into his beautiful, bright blue eyes one final time, and deeply inhaled his scent. "I love you…" she said softly.
"I love you", he answered her. "I will love you, and remember you, forever."
Lena smiled, "You better."
He laughed, and a tear fell from his eyes. He leaned down to kiss her. Her soft lips grazed his gently. They broke it and he brushed the hair from her face as she caught the tear rolling down his cheek.
"I am ready", Lena said.
Jim watched her descend the platform. She didn't fly...she couldn't risk setting the pods off early, and her wings had sustained massive injuries from the fire. As she walked along the pathway he saw the Zezians' eyes follow her...a few kneeled when she passed, just like the officer had done. She did it. She saved the Virosa, she had found a way to win. Jim felt a warm hand slip into his own and hold it tightly. Uhura - Nyota - stood beside him. He felt Spock put a hand on his shoulder.
"Spock…" he said, "This is so bad."
Nyota said, "I feel like I'm dying…"
Jim shook his head, "I've died before...this is worse."
"I know, Jim", Spock whispered in his ear.
He saw her near the Zezian ship, the one that would take her to the Vaa. Right before she stepped onto it she turned back and locked eyes with him. She smiled slightly, and Jim nodded. She jerked her wings, startling the officer walking with her. He put his hand on his weapon, worried she was going to attack, but she just walked tranquilly onto the shuttle. The door closed.
Spock and Nyota led Jim back onto the Enterprise. He was silent. Neither could imagine what he was going though. Spock separated from their party and went to the bridge, while Nyota brought Jim into his bedroom, and sat him on the bed. He was staring into space, not really seeing. Holding back her own tears she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial of pills - the same that Bones had given to Chekov.
"Here", she said to him.
"I don't want to sleep", he said upon seeing them.
Nyota hugged him tightly, "OK...do you want me to stay with you?"
"It's alright…Spock probably needs you on the bridge…"
"OK", she said, and got up to leave, "Jim...I'm so sorry."
He nodded and watched her go.
Lying back on his bed he twirled Lena's pendant in his fingers. They really were amazing. He could never understand why it made him feel so connected to her before. As he toyed with it vivid memories of Lena came rushing back to him, jumbled together; her panicked face he jumped off a cliff, making love to her in an escape pod, watching her get adorably drunk off of scotch, and kissing him sloppily as the sun rose on a beach. But, most striking of all, was the moment she solidified herself as the love of his life; her cocky grin, taking his hand and pulling him unexpectedly off a balcony. His heart never stood a chance.
Nyota returned to the bridge to find Spock in the Captain's chair preparing to go warp. Scotty had patched up the ship so that they could remain at warp for a few weeks, taking them far far away from the all of this. She took her place at her station, and watched the backside of her fiancé's head. He wanted this to be over.
Suddenly her com lit up. Her heart started to race.
"Captain", she said, "we're being hailed...it's the Zezians."
Spock turned to her, "Ignore it, Lieutenant. Mr. Scott, are you prepared to get us to warp?"
"Yes, Captain", Scotty's voice rang out over the com.
"Spock…" Nyota said. "They're messaging us…They are threatening to follow us if we engage."
"Mr. Scott, is the warp 7 functional?"
"No, Captain."
Spock closed his eyes. He had a strong feeling he knew what this was about. But the treaty had technically been honored. "On screen."
Spock was stunned to find himself face to face with the Vaa. What he wouldn't have given to have jumped through the hail screen to snap his scrawny neck as Veelia had once done on the Enterprise's bridge.
"Where is the Captain?!" the Vaa spat.
"I am acting Captain of this vessel."
"You're not the one I want. Where is that damn treaty breaker?"
Spock could feel his rage bubbling to the surface, "The treaty was not broken. Therefore I am uncertain as to who you are referring to."
"He's referring to me, Spock." Jim had returned to the bridge. He locked eyes with the Vaa. Apparently he had been listening in from his quarters.
"You…" the Vaa breathed dangerously, "You sent me a DEAD GIRL!"
Jim flinched at the word "dead" but didn't back away. "I sent you a living girl. What happened to her after your men took her is no longer part of the treaty. You KNOW this…"
"That little bitch stowed poison in her wings! She was dead before she even got to me!"
"Not. My. Problem." Jim said.
"That is not what I wanted!"
"Then maybe you should have written an obligatory torture clause in there somewhere! You wanted her alive. She was alive when we handed her over...if your people couldn't stop the poison that is your loss! This is OVER!"
The Vaa screamed at him in frustration. When he calmed he said, darkly, "They are quite magnificent, are they not? I should know...I have had ten myself. You know… my spies told me of your affair. Those little cunts treated their males so poorly some of them betrayed their own people; fed me information. They said she was OBSESSED with you. I admit, my respect for you increased tremendously; I thought you had actually managed to tame one. But then...when I saw you two on the podium, and I saw you pathetically weeping, I realized that she had tamed YOU."
Jim turned to Spock, "Can we fire on this mother fucker?"
Spock shook his head, "It would violate the treaty...we would be destroyed."
Jim looked back at the Vaa, "You're lucky I can't transport onto your bridge."
The Vaa laughed at him, "I'll tell you what, Captain...Since you love her so desperately, I will give you a gift. I have no use for a rotting corpse on my ship. She's all yours...enjoy…"
The bridge stood in abject horror as Lena's body materialized on the bridge. The smell of rotting flesh hit them in an intense wave. Two of the bridge officers actually vomited.
Jim stood frozen. It was worse than he could have ever imagined. He wings had stiffened and wrapped her up in a ball of rotting feathers. The exposed skin from where her feathers had burnt off was falling off in pieces. There was no blood, she was decaying too quickly. The smell reeked. Jim dropped to his knees, unable to breathe. Nothing in his whole life could have prepared him for this.
"Well...it seems I get to torture someone after all", the Vaa said smugly.
Nyota stood up and grabbed the com from Spock, who seemed to have gone into shock, "Fuck you!" she yelled at the Vaa, and cut off the hail. "Mr. Scott, get us to warp NOW!"
The Enterprise jumped. Nyota dropped and com and turned to Carol, and said. "We should get her out of here…" Carol nodded and went to a small to the briefing room attached to the bridge to fetch a tarp. Nyota went over to Jim, who was still staring at Lena, she thought he was actually going to die.
"Jim, come on...you don't need to see this…" She couldn't get him to budge though, "Spock, help me." He didn't move either.
Carol came back with a tarp and made to cover Lena. It was so strange. She had once been so jealous of the beautiful princess, but she now knew why Jim loved her so. She had been so brave, so strong, so like him. She remembered how they had taken the bridge of the warship together, how Lena had inspired bravery in Carol by merely existing. Impulsively she moved her wing slightly to see her face, one last time. She touched Lena's skin.
It was still warm.
"GET BONES!" Carol screamed.