The Champion of Themyscira: Act I

WARNING. HULL BREACH. PRIMARY SYSTEMS OFFLINE.

Water. There was water rushing into the hull.

The red alert klaxons were still sounding, but they didn't really register. As a true Starfleet officer, Jim pulled himself up from his slumped position against the console, ignoring the way his head spun and his stomach whirled. He'd pride himself on his stalwart constitution once he found a way out of this.

Jim looked down at the console, then blinked a few times to clear his vision. Had he managed to keep the thrusters online? Judging from the way the shuttle's viewport was perilously close to a coral reef of some kind, that would have to be enough of a confirmation. The shuttle was at least near the surface of the water… relatively.

He forced his heavy limbs to cooperate long enough to try to get up. That was when his leg protested quite vividly. His ankle was pinned between the now wrecked helm console and the floor. "Oh, great…" He breathed, scrambling for his phaser. He'd have to cut the console to get his foot free, and the water level was rising. He could hear the Galileo groaning under the strain. As the water rushed into the backend of the ship, it was buckling and threatening to pull the shuttle down into the ocean. Without good scans of the planet's surface, he had no idea if that was 100 fathoms or 10,000. He didn't really want to find out.

The Galileo shuddered, and water that had begun to pool at his trapped foot rushed back towards the transporter. The metal screeched as he managed to fire his phaser and melt the console. He pulled his foot free and the sharp stab of pain actually helped clear his head more.

It couldn't have happened a second later, either. As soon as he stood, something broke along the top of the hull and water pummelled him from above. Swept up into the torrent of salt water, Jim was carried to the back of the ship and slammed into the transporter pad. He saw the helm chair pop free of its welding a fraction of a second too late, and he cried out as it slammed into him, pinning him against the bulkhead.

Water rushed ever higher, even as he tried to push the chair off of him. He knew it was a longshot. The water was too fast, it was too heavy, he'd had to try when the water finally leveled out. But, if he waited for that, he'd drown.

His breathing hitched, and Jim gulped one last breath of air before the water rushed over his head. He was so focused in his machinations, he almost missed the shadow above him. It wasn't until the light shifted above him again when he looked up.

The shuttle door opened and the water filled every available pocket of air left. The shuttle shifted again and the chair hit Jim in the stomach, forcing the air out of his mouth. I am not gonna drown… He told himself, even as he gulped for air and found water instead. Starship captains don't die in the sea…

The pressure was lifted off his chest and he was firmly gripped in a pair of arms that somehow still felt gentle. Go figure… He thought as a beautiful face framed by black hair whirling in the water entered his view. Rescued by the natives…And then he saw nothing.

"Kaneís den échei érthei poté apó tin atmósfaira."

"Aftó den simaínei óti eínai adýnato. Faínetai anthrópinos. Échei mia stolí."

A man's voice. Far away… or maybe that was the concussion talking.

"Tha boroúse na eínai stratiotikós."

"Í aníkei sto League, adelfí. Den boroúme na ypothésoume óti aftó simaínei vlávi.."

A woman's voice. It sounded clearer. He couldn't place the accent, but, it felt vaguely familiar. And there was a sort of huskiness to it that coaxed him out of unconsciousness in the nicest way.

"He's waking up… " Was that Standard he was hearing? He could hear the way the same voices rolled over the words just like whatever tongue they'd had before. Was his universal translator still working? He was pretty sure his communicator had been damaged in the crash...

"Do not think I have not seen the same as you, Diana. That is not - "

"Thank you, Menalippe. But, that is not necessary."

Well, he was conscious. That second woman's voice had been deeper, harsher. World-weary. He recognized that tone. And it certainly made him want to pay attention. When he finally tried to open his eyes, he was assaulted by light and immediately squeezed them shut again.

"Oooh…." He groaned as he managed to force his eyes open again. He ignored the blistering headache and tried to focus on what was around him. He was prone on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Beneath him felt like cool stone. But, above him…. Above him was a masterpiece.

The ceiling was a crystalline structure, casting rainbow colors in one spot, then another. The crystals seemed to form a large pyramid structure. As the crystals grew larger, they dulled in color enough so that it provided a real ceiling to the great hall, not just a kaleidoscope. It reminded him of a cathedral with its stained glass windows. And something else...

Jim sat up slowly and turned his attention to what - and who - was around him.

Mostly women, he noticed.

Not all, but mostly.

He couldn't say for certain if they were human, but they certainly looked like it. The women were clad in what looked to be ancient Greek or Roman garb. Banded leather armor and deep burgundy cloaks that clasped over one shoulder, and several of them held spears. He noticed quivers of arrows, short swords. If it hadn't been for the unique architecture, he would have assumed he'd been transported back in time.

"Ooo….kay…" He breathed as he took stock of his surroundings and tried to get to his feet. He found he was stuck on the floor, however, as his foot was now bandaged and in a distinctly modern-looking foot cast.

"Who are you?" The man from before, one of the few men he had heard. After Jim took a second to evaluate the handful of men in the room, he realized they were dressed similarly to the women. But, the one who was speaking to him had something he recognized. It had been a long time since he'd seen it. Hell, probably his academy days taking Pre-Federation history. But, the insignia on his cloak clasp was an icon. Triangular in shape. A house crest…

"Are you a Kryptonian?" Jim asked, utterly perplexed by his situation. Krypton had been destroyed centuries before humanity had reached the stars. But, there had been a few of them that came to earth in the 20th century. Before the Eugenics Wars. "Are those Kryptonian crystals? Was that how you built this place?" Had he found a colony?

"I asked first, son." The man had a chiseled jaw and more salt than pepper in his black hair. He was definitely in the latter half of his life, but by no means did he show it. He was built like the broad side of a barn, as his mom used to say. Of course, anyone calling Jim Kirk "son" was going to have an uphill battle with him, and it took everything in him not to visibly bristle.

Instead, he used it as an opportunity to re-establish his footing. "My name is James Tiberius Kirk. I'm the captain of… of the Enterprise." He couldn't guarantee that they had warp technology, especially after what he thought he heard. "My ship ran aground in your ocean and… and I thought I was drowning."

"You are no merchant sailor." The woman - Menalippe, based on the context clues and her voice - stepped closer to him. The tight pleat of her braid only drew her features to be more severe as she stared him down. "Do not lie to us. How did you come to be here?"

"I…" Jim stalled. Prime directive. Dammit. "I can't tell you that."

"Then, explain what manner of vessel brought you here."

"I…"

"You cannot tell us that, either." That voice. The one that had pulled him from the darkness. It matched the face he'd seen in the water just before going out. Jim's jaw went a bit slack. He was pretty sure he was staring at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

And Jim Kirk had seen a lot of beautiful women.

Unfortunately, she looked anything but thrilled to see him. At the moment, she sounded bored, or maybe resigned. She was clad in gold-tinted leather with an eagle cut into the chest. Her dark hair cascaded over the fur of her cloak collar, and upon her forehead was a diadem with a starburst in the somehow both seemed regal and wise, but still young and fierce. He felt like he'd seen her in a dream somewhere before, but couldn't place it. Instead, he tried to think of the tongue-lashing he'd get from Bones if he ended up nearly getting killed because he flirted with some sort of warrior woman the wrong way.

"You're right. I… can't." Jim cleared his throat and tried to get to his feet again. It took some doing, but he was able to get his good foot under him and push back up so he was barely putting pressure on his bad foot. "My people have strict rules about what we share with other cultures."

"I plucked you from the sea." The warrior woman said, stepping down from the golden shell throne behind her. The crowd had already given way to her a bit, but now that she was approaching Kirk, they parted for an even wider berth. "I know that your ship came from space. We saw it breach the barrier. So… James Tiberius Kirk. It is in your best interest to tell me the truth. I could compel you to, if necessary, but I do not think it is."

Jim kept eye contact with her, even though he felt like it was almost disrespectful to. He didn't want to offend an entire planet on his first day, but if he was being honest, he couldn't pull his eyes away. "I've been trained to resist torture, so I wouldn't recommend it. A man of my profession has to have a strong constitution."

The woman smiled as she circled around him. There was an element of sadness to it. He found himself wishing he knew what he'd said. "The Amazons do not torture."

"The Amazons…" He repeated after her, rolling the word around for a moment.

She nodded and returned to her position at the stairs. He knew a display of authority when he saw one. But, she'd come down to his level as well… Maybe she was more curious than angry? He couldn't really tell.

Jim took another look around, then back to her. "Where exactly am I? Who are you? How do you speak Standard?"

The woman stood a bit straighter, her expression level and somehow both youthful and wise beyond years. "You are on Themyscira, James Kirk. And I am Diana, Daughter of Hippolyta. And I am Queen of the Amazons."

The pronouncement seemed to carry real weight. Not just for the others in the room, but it gave Jim goosebumps. Not that he'd ever admit it, but she just conveyed gravitas that gave him pause. He wasn't intimidated, per se…. But definitely fascinated.

And she was a queen. So, he was speaking to the leader of this group. He knew how to do that. "Well, then, your highness… thank you for what you did. I would probably have died if you hadn't arrived." He glanced down at his uniform and momentarily lamented that his first interaction with their leader was after she'd dragged him out of his shuttle with a ripped uniform. Maybe if he could get back to the Galileo, he could find the sealed compartments with his emergency uniform. "I would like to start over, if I may."

Diana, Queen of the Amazons, rose an eyebrow at him. "Very well."

Clearing his throat and standing as straight as he could, given the injury, he met her eyes and smiled. This part was easy. "Your Majesty, I am Captain James T. Kirk. I am the captain of the Enterprise, and while I cannot tell your people great detail about how I arrived, I would be very curious to learn more about your culture, your people, and your technology. We follow a prime directive that dictates we cannot interfere with the development of any other species or culture unless they have met a certain technological evolution. But, what I can tell you, I will do so freely."

"And where are you from?" Diana pressed. "You are not of this planet."

No harm in at least mentioning where he was from. Jim knew most aliens heard it and dismissed it. And if a culture that called themselves the Amazons had heard of Earth, well… "No, ma'am. I'm from a place called Earth. Little town in Iowa."

"Iowa." That was the man that had given him the staredown before. "So, you're an American?"

"Technically, sure, but we're more unified. I don't really talk about being an American so much as a member of a larger, global community."

For some reason, that brought a very warm smile to the older man's face. He glanced back at the queen, then motioned to the people behind Kirk. "Senators, if you don't mind, the Queen and I would like a few minutes alone with our friend from Man's world."

Jim didn't bother to hide his relief when the chamber cleared. Now, it was just Kirk, Diana, and the big guy. "You are from earth." He said.

"In another life, yes. Kansas."

Immediately, Jim's curiosity got the better of him. "I don't understand. How are you here?"

"It is a story for another time." Diana made her way down off of the dias. "Kal and I must know what you know about the barrier, Captain Kirk." There was a way she kept saying his name, as if she needed to commit it to memory for some reason.

Kirk furrowed his brow. "I don't know that I can tell you anything of use. Even if you're using Kryptonian crystal technology - which I have not forgotten, by the way - " He pointed to Kal's insignia on his chest. "It may not make any sense to you."

"Just because we dress like an older Earth culture doesn't mean we're in the dark ages." Kal replied. Now that he wasn't playing the tough guy, he'd relaxed considerably. There was a warmth to him, an openness that felt almost infectious.

"The subspace communications field we detected." Jim grinned. "Spock was right. You're practically at warp. You want to travel in space."

"We've thought about it, but most of the Themyscirans don't want to leave."

The grin faded. "So, what? You created the barrier and you want to know how I got through it to seal it back up?"

Diana nodded solemnly. "It was the only protection this place has. And now, it may be gone. We lost the technology when a number of our scientists died."

"If I can get back to my ship, we might be able to repair the damage." Jim knew it was a longshot, and most certainly a report he would not want to have to justify, but, it would be worth it if these people wanted to be left alone.

"That is impossible." She said. "No vessel can leave the planet. I don't have that level of trust in the gods anymore." Her gaze lingered on Jim for maybe a moment too long. She was searching for something, but he couldn't tell what. And then she turned to leave. "I leave you to Kal's care. You are welcome here as long as you wish to be. Perhaps we'll find a solution after rest and a meal."

Kirk watched her go, but there was something about the way she walked. She was too fast, it was almost like she was running from him. "Your Majesty." He called. She paused, and he took it as his opportunity to speak. "I can't thank you enough. I mean that. I'll do everything I can for you. And your people."

He had hoped for more than a curt nod before she continued her stride, but it wasn't the first time he'd struck out at building bridges with other cultures. Instead, he turned to Kal and tried to at least make inroads where he could. "So… Kansas, huh? Metropolis or Topeka?"

It was him.

And yet it was not him.

Those eyes were his, the face was his, the voice was his. The smile was his.

But, that was not Captain Steve Trevor.

Diana took a deep breath as she watched the sun begin to set. Its hues had changed from the familiar yellow to the darker oranges a century ago. But, still. It had been a century of this place in idyllic form. She and Kal were sure that they could make the best of the circumstance. They could leave Earth behind. Even as the sun turned red and he began to age, he had convinced her that while they had not planned to leave Man's world, perhaps it was in good hands.

And then the world she left behind had come crashing into this world bearing the face of the last man to pull Diana from Themyscira. Seeing his face had felt as though Hades himself gripped her heart and held it tight: At once cold as the River Styx and as painful as the talons of the Furies.

"Gods, you are cruel…" She whispered to no one in particular. She half-heartedly hoped that her father and siblings could hear her. Somehow. Across time and space.

It had taken time to integrate the refugees and families of men and women who wished to live on Themyscira after what had been fondly referred to as the Golden Age of Heroes. Now, they all continued the traditions of her mother and their forebearers. Each man and woman that had come to Themyscira did so swearing to uphold the principles of the Amazons. Many of them had turned to the gods that Diana knew to be fickle, cruel and unkind. It had been a blessing to think them dead. For a time. But, when she knew the truth, she had never felt more alone.

Perhaps one of them was punishing her now. It was no hyperbole. It could be a trick. It would not be the first time that someone had used her memories of Steve against her. But… it would be the most cruel. To have such a cruel reflection arrive after so long…

"The wounds that take the longest to heal are the ones that are reopened in each new battle." The voice that pulled Diana from her reverie knew the depth of her pain.

Diana turned to face Menalippe. The older Amazon had come to join her on the balcony overlooking the capital city. The company was appreciated, but meant that Diana needed it. Even if she didn't think so. "I take it you have not killed our guest."

Menalippe didn't bother to smile. Diana expected it was two-fold: she didn't appreciate the joke and she was more worried about her queen. "He is not your Captain Trevor, Diana. I know how it feels to see someone you love taken from you. And to see them everywhere you go. I know it's tempting."

"I know it's not him," Diana breathed, a bit more harshly than she intended. When she realized how she sounded, she huffed and reached up to unclasp the cloak that had once belonged to her mother. In a moment, the woman was at her side, gently taking it from her to hang. "You don't need to do that."

"Diana, you are the Queen of the Amazons. You deserve attention. And you deserve respect."

"I never wanted this." For a moment, in the quiet of the royal chambers, Diana let her guard down. She slowly sank onto one of the lounges, her hands subconsciously running along the gauntlets on her forearms. It was as if she hoped the answers would come from them. In the past, they had. Her godhood had eventually shown itself through her bracelets. That fateful day on the field, sparring against her aunt Antiope, the greatest Amazon warrior they had ever seen. Menalippe beside her, helping her lover up….

Diana's mind slipped further into the memory. She could feel the salt on her skin, Antiope's blood on her hands as she tried to impart last words of wisdom to Diana.

Go… Diana… go…

"He says he has a ship. That he thinks he could restore the shield on the planet." She wanted to think of something other than what 'he' looked like. "He is a captain of some sort of starship. He is the product of the world Kal and I left behind."

"But, he looks like your captain. And so it hurts all the more." Menalippe took a seat beside her and reached out, taking her hand. She squeezed it comfortingly. "You have loved these people as your mother would have. As I have. As Antiope had. But, you do not let yourself love. Not anymore."

"I am not of man's world," The woman once called godkiller muttered. "I will not age. They will. Even Kal has aged. In the last hundred years, I have had to face that I will be surrounded by the ashes of my people." When her companion opened her mouth to interrupt, she pressed on. "And it may be that my people blossom as a forest, spreading over every inch of this planet, thriving. But, there will come a day when I will no longer hear your voice but in the corners of my mind. Just like my mother…" Diana's voice caught, and she could feel the sting of tears in her eyes. "Just like so many others I have already lost. This is how I shall love now. I shall be the queen my mother wanted."

Menalippe sighed. She clearly was not satisfied with the response. She rose, standing before Diana so she could rest her hands on either sides of her face. It was a gesture that her mother had done so many times before. The wounds that reopen do not heal...she had to agree with her oldest friend.

"Your mother would not have wanted you to close off your heart. She did the same to you. She hid you from Ares, fearful of the unknown. She was proud that you rose to meet adversity. You do not have to be queen in this way. Just, be careful that you do not fall into the depths of memory."

With that, she left and Diana was left alone in her chambers.

Slowly, she stood and made her way to the mirror of polished metal near the wardrobe. It had been some time since she had truly taken a moment to look at herself.

She wore the garb of her mother. She spoke as her mother would have in the Senate. She wore the diadem of Antiope but carried it like the diadem of Hippolyta.

But, she would never be her mother.

Diana had never felt more alive than when she wore a different armor. But, that armor had been locked in a trunk and would never be seen again.

This was a new age.

This age had men who travelled space and crashed upon her planet.

This age held no wonder.

It did not need Wonder Woman. It did not need Diana Prince.

And no ghost from her past could change that.