AN: I don't own Star Trek... I wish I did though, Chris Pine, Karl Urban and John Cho would be mine! LOL.

2246

Jamison

Her head hurt. Truthfully, everything hurt but Jamison Teresa Kirk was NOT about to go there. Kodos the Executioner was pure evil and in an effort to assert his power over her, he allowed some of him men free reign on her body. They were greatly disappointed when she didn't fight, didn't scream and ultimately didn't care. It wasn't the first time that she was touched by men that way, that honor goes to Frank, her mom's husband. She didn't know what made her sadder or angrier, that a grown man forced himself on a 10 year old or that her mother thought she was just causing trouble. Winona's reaction didn't really surprise her though, her mother has always blinded herself to her youngest child. Jamie figured it was penance for surviving the attack that her father got himself killed in.

If she was being honest with herself, and she usually is, Jamie was just annoyed, it wasn't her fault that her father was George Kirk, nor was it her fault that she was brilliant and pretty. Her mother knew that George choose her, Kodos knew he couldn't beat her, and Frank knew he couldn't control her and that was why they all were beneath her. No matter what they did, or didn't do, she wasn't easily broken and in a way she had them all to thank for her resilience. She knew that as long as her "kids" were safe, Kodos and his men could do what they wanted, she was sure that the message she sent out, the message that Percy died for, that Tommy got hurt for and that she was being tortured for had made it to the fleet. She knew that the codes Hoshi gave her, while old, would still work at gaining Starfleet's attention. All Jamie had to do was wait.

Christopher

He couldn't believe it when he heard the reports, Tarsus IV was supposed to be the next step in humanity's expansion into the stars, now it was just a giant mess. If the intel package that Starfleet intercepted was to be believed, the colony on Tarsus IV suffered a major crop failure and instead of sending out a comm. for help, Governor Kodos killed half the colonists. Four thousand people dead and with the shortage of food and horrific conditions mentioned, it was likely that more people would die before any ships could get there. The USS Aldrin was on it's way, as were some other ships but even at their top speed, it would still take two more days.

Two days of waiting, two days of people starving and dying. Chris couldn't imagine the horrors that were sure to await them and at this point he really didn't want to. As first officer, Lieutenant Commander Pike knew what needed to be done, but as a man Chris was lost. He even thought for a moment that maybe he should ask his dad for advice, Chief Charlie Pike was on the ship somewhere. Captain Kamnach made it clear that they weren't allowed to interact while on duty but at the moment Chris didn't really care, he needed to talk to the one person that wouldn't judge his thoughts or feelings. "Computer, locate Transporter Chief Pike."

Charles

"What can I do for ya, sir?" was out of his mouth almost as soon as Chris stepped into the room. Charlie had to admit that it was an odd feeling at times to be outranked by your son, but damn if he wasn't as proud as can be. His boy was the first officer on a starship, and sure to be a commander one day at the rate he was going. Charlie had turned his attention to the young man he loved and respected.

"We're both off duty, pop. You don't HAVE to call me sir… but I think you know that." Chris replied with a small smile. "You got a few minutes for your son, old man?"

"I always have a few minutes for you, Chris. This Tarsus business is getting to you, isn't it?" All the younger man could do was nod, his dad had figured him out without Chris having to say much of anything.

"I don't like it. We put this colony out here and nobody noticed that the communiqués stopped months ago, that the people just disappeared. I got to see some of the information that was intercepted, Kodos slaughtered those people and Starfleet put him in charge. It's just bad, all the way around." Charlie saw a look cross Chris' features that he has never seen before. It was a mix of despair and disgust. "No matter what the next few days hold, there are going to be a lot of people hurt by Kodos' actions and I can't help but think of them, especially the children."

Charlie understood where his son's thoughts were taking him. For all the good that Starfleet does there are just some things that they can't change. The damage done by a megalomaniac like Thaddeus Kodos was one of those things.

"You want to know what I think, son?" Charlie asked. He didn't wait for a reply as he continued, it was rhetorical, "The people on that colony are going to need us to be strong for them. They are going to need our strength until they can find their own again. Nothing we can imagine will even come close to what they went through and all we can do is be there for them. Especially the children." Chris smiled at his dad, this was exactly why he talked to him, he just got it. Father and son talked for a few more minutes before Charlie excused himself to go on duty. "Wouldn't want to get in trouble with the boss," he joked as he went to make his exit. He got to the door and turned to Chris, "I love you, son."

Chris smiled, "I love you too, dad. Have a good shift." The elder Pike smiled as he made his way through the ship. His boy was going to make a great captain one day.

47 Hours Later

Chris

Chris couldn't believe his eyes, this place was like the worst parts of hell. Making his way through the governmental building, he was sick. There was a mass grave outside, no doubt an effort to deter anyone from attempting to fight Kodos' reign. What had bothered him most were the small bodies, the ones that were sure to be children. He wasn't going to think about it, couldn't think about it, he had a job to do. Entering what was sure to be the governor's office, Chris ordered Lieutenant Parker to retrieve all the information he could from Kodos' terminal. The man himself was dead, thank whatever deity you like, but Starfleet would want the gritty details and Kodos was just the kind of guy to keep track of everything he did.

"Sir, I think this is a door." Ensign Jones was one of the redshirts on this away team, she was small but tough and Chris could see the makings of a good officer in her. She found what appeared to be another way out of the room. Chris ordered the other redshirt, Ensign Yu, to stay with Parker while he took Jones and Nurse O'Neil, their medical officer, through the door and into what appeared to be a jail of some sort.

Jamie

She heard the door to Kodos' office open, but wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. She had heard the raised voices a few hours ago and at this point she didn't know who would be coming this way. Jamie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If it was Kodos or his men, she would be in for another round of whatever torture they could come up with. If it wasn't Kodos, she didn't know what she was in for.

Opening her eyes, Jamie almost cried. The people she heard were Starfleet officers. One was a science officer, medical if she had to guess; the next was a redshirt, security probably; and then there was someone from command, she couldn't guess what his function was, just that he was a Lieutenant Commander judging by the stripes on his sleeves. He was looking in the room across from Jamie when she made an involuntary noise. He turned, taking in as much of the room as he could through the door until his eyes locked with hers. Safe. She could almost taste the safety rolling off of this man. She felt like everything would be alright for the first time in her thirteen years of life. Winona, Frank, Kodos and his men could kiss her ass, Jamie knew in her heart, all the way down to her bones, that she would finally be okay. The man pushed open the door and let out a quiet swear as he assessed more of her body. Jamie was nude with various injuries and fluids all over her body.

Somehow, she managed a lopsided smile, "What took you so long, commander?"

Chris

He honestly didn't know what to say to the girl but he knew that there was something about her that drew him in, he just had to figure out what. That would have to wait since he still had to get her out of here.

"Sorry about that kid. We got here as fast as we could," he said to her quietly. Taking in her nudity, Chris opted to take off his gold shirt before freeing her from the chain that attached her to the wall. Chris pulled the command gold over her head once she was free, earning a small 'thanks' from the girl. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Christopher Pike from the USS Aldrin. I'm gonna get you out of here." He said by way of introduction while helping her out of the room. Whatever happened to her, he was glad the Kodos was dead because he really wanted to kill him, and he told the girl as much.

"Won't hear me complain, he was an asshole who thought he knew best. We warned him about the crops months ago, me and Tommy, but Kodos didn't listen. Dumbass. I'm Jamie, by the way." As they made their way into the hallway, they were met by Jones who reported finding more bodies, O'Neil had better luck, if you could call it that. She had found a boy who was about the same size as Jamie. "Tommy, what did he do to you?" Jamie asked quietly as she made her way over to the boy and wrapped her arms around him.

"Nothing near as bad as he did to you, Jamie. My eye is done but I'll be fine. It's the others I'm worried about."

"What others?" Chris asked the teens.

Jamie took a breath before she answered, "When Kodos started killing people a few of us were with Hoshi Sato. You know Communications officer on the NX-01 Enterprise, Hoshi Sato. Anyway, she gave us her emergency kit, all the food in her house and her Starfleet codes then she told us to get away from the main colony. She told me to survive… no matter what. Kodos' men killed her after we left. I can't believe I just watched from behind that stupid bush." Tommy squeezed her hand to bring her back to the more pressing topic. "Me, Tommy, Percy, Cody and Ella made our way to the caves outside the colony. We are the only ones who ever go out there, so we knew that even if they went looking for us they wouldn't know where to look. Letting everyone die didn't sit well with me, so me and Percy went to the courtyard while Kodos was telling everyone that he was about to kill them. We grabbed as many kids as we could, and ran for it in the confusion. They're in the caves." Chris made a move for his communicator when Jamie stopped him, "You'll never get close, if the traps don't kill you, Cody will. Your only chance at saving my kids lies with me. And they are running out of time."

Chris looked her in the eyes for the second time today but this time it clicked. The color of her irises, the defiance, the authority and the knowledge they held all reminded him of a man long dead, a hero with a daughter who would be about the same age as Jamie. As realization dawned on him, the look in her eyes stopped him from saying anything about the girl's parentage. There were other children that needed to be saved. A conversation about George Kirk's daughter being this far from earth would have to wait.