Jim shifted from one foot to another, waiting impatiently for Xverjabdene's signal. They were on the outskirts of town, a secret 're con mission' to asses Kodos' standing, how the remaining population were doing, find any additional survivors or supplies.

Things back at HQ weren't going so well. Military training could only come so far and many of the remaining personnel were getting despondent. Arguments erupted in the halls. Hidden xenophobia drawing the few non-Human crew apart. Abbey, for all he was a nice guy, was pretty hopeless when it came to dealing with insubordination and Xverjabdene was taking the brunt of his responsibilities.

People were afraid, tired, hungry and temperatures were quickly reaching boiling point.

Which was the main reason Jim and Xverjabdene were out, in the dreary cold, trying to find anything to bring back and lift everyone's spirits. It didn't matter that they'd gotten the least sleep out of anyone. Or that they were dividing their rations to keep the kids fed. Or that they'd allocated a separate sleeping area for the six of them. Six, which just last night, had become seven. Damherns had finally given up appearances and joined them. She'd even given them permission to use her first name. Jim did, with pleasure.

Nidiss was a great addition to their little family. As an Orion and Starfleet member, she was more than willing to protect her 'precious little babies' while he or Xverjabdene were unavailable. Jim hoped they didn't need such extreme measures however, there was talk. Jim's instincts told him not to leave them alone. So, he didn't. If Tarsus had taught him anything, it was to listen to his gut.

Xverjabdene's head popped through the bushes to his right beckoning him to follow. He did without question. She was probably the only person he'd served under who he trusted. If she told him to run weaponless into a fire fight, he would.

He kept his eyes on her hairline. The few dark curls which escaped her tight bun catching his attention. Her hair was almost black but had a blue sheen to it. Actually, all her features did. Silver eyes with the slightest touch of blue. Pale skin with a tint of blue. He'd never noticed. Maybe he'd ask when the cavalry arrived and they didn't have to think survival.

The stopped with the river to their left and the town to their right. Light frost still covered the ground, breaking under their 'fleet issue boots. Jim's toes curled as he tried to keep as warm as possible. He didn't need another lecture from Phil. He knew the dangers of venturing out here. Frankly, staying put seemed the more dangerous option. They needed supplies, last week. Another day or so and their food would run out. There was barely any fire wood. Jim didn't have time to be worried about freezing his toes off when they'd all be freezing in a few nights.

"This way, follow quick. Voices ahead." Xverjabdene said, turning toward the town and skirting some of the larger trees. They stayed close to the bases, darting between cover and always scanning their surroundings. Jim's ears may not have been as naturally sensitive as Xverjabdene's however, years of training with his mother made him pretty sharp. For a Human.

It was this which saved them as Jim sprinted forward a dragged Xverjabdene against his body. They leaned against a tree, his breathing clouding just in front of them as the adrenalin pumped through his system. A few feet away, someone swore under their breath. There was only one voice. Survivor, townsperson or guard?

Jim chanced a look. Single guard. One weapon on the ground beside him. Another strapped across his back. Without really thinking about it, Jim darted forward. He moved quickly, silently until he was directly behind the man.

It wasn't hard to swipe the phaser on the ground. When he'd retrieved it, Xverjabdene came out from her hiding spot. Above the guy.

She dropped to the ground in front of him with barely a sound. The guy's eyes went wide. She struck him, once in the throat and once over the heart. She moved with deadly precision, swiping the phaser from his back and shooting him with it. His corpse fell to the ground with a thump.

"Teach me." Jim whispered in awe. That had to be the coolest thing he'd ever seen. Well, not the dead guy bit. That would be riding on his conscience for a while.

"That was already set on kill right?" Jim asked. Xverjabdene raised an eyebrow and nodded. Okay good. Now they really needed to hurry up and never mention this again.

"Walk in my shadow." She finally said, moving North-East again.

Jim followed without comment. Slightly shaken by the bloodshed even though he didn't want to be. His actions had caused death before. He didn't regret them. Not when so many lives were at risk. This was just the same. If the guard was alive, he'd kill them, tell Kodos about the 'fleet presence. He was probably out here looking for people like Zayra, Thomas and David. If they'd stunned him, he would have died from the cold. It was the best option. Maybe if he told himself that enough, he'd start to believe it.

By the time they reached the town, the sun was already high in the sky.

On their way, they'd come across another group of Kodos' men and this time, Jim had dispatched them. Mostly because they'd literally walked right on them. Xverjabdene was several feet ahead of him by that point. Alone and outnumbered, with weapons pressed against her, she'd had little choice but to wait for Jim to come up with a plan. One wrong move and she'd have been shot to pieces.

Luckily or unluckily, depending on your point of view, the guards weren't exactly disciplined. They'd decided the pretty alien was about what they'd been missing and proceeded to undress her. Jim had taken the opportunity to shoot them down from his vantage point in the tree behind their tents. While they were scrambling to find him, Xverjabdene had shaken free of her bonds, grabbed the guy who'd been touching her and broke his spine.

Jim was officially over feeling guilty. What happens in a war zone, stays in a war zone. As a 'fleet officer he would get into other situations resulting in the loss of lives. It was time to grow up.

Xverjabdene motioned for him to stop. Crouched in the shadow of a seemingly abandoned house, they waited. Something in the place next door stirred. A woman's voice could be heard, singing to herself. Her silhouette moved from in front of the curtains and Jim could vaguely hear the click of her shoes on hardwood floors. It seemed that Kodos' chosen were living relatively well.

A silent message passed between them before Jim was up and running. Behind him, he could faintly hear Xverjabdene heading under the house rather than exposing herself by running around. Jim reached the steps and, with a quick glance at the street, jumped up them and onto the porch. The door was resting slightly open. A small crack by one of it's hinges. Someone had already forced their way inside.

Cautiously, Jim entered the dark hallway. The small amount of light coming from the doorway highlighted the swirls of dust motes he'd kicked up. Clearly, this place had been abandoned for more than a week. The air was stale and breathing it was difficult. Distantly, he wondered who had lived there. Why Kodos seemed to find them more of a threat than the others.

Keeping his footfalls light, Jim walked into the kitchen and quietly searched through the cupboards. Anything wooden, he stashed in the lightweight backpack handing off his shoulder. He moved to the pantry. Rotten food, insects that looked suspiciously like cockroaches and mouldy bread greeted him. Gingerly, he pushed the insects out of the way feeling nervous as they walked over his arm.

"Nothing to worry about. They're just insects. They're just insects. Not poisonous ones. Just insects." He muttered to himself. Since the time Stonn had covered him in sandworms, Jim wasn't particularly good with things wiggling around on him. Plus, cockroaches were gross. And he was mildly allergic to them.

Finally, Jim's hand hit something hard and cool. Exactly what he'd been looking for. He picked out each can, checked their seals and placed them carefully in the bag. Once he was finished, he moved into the lounge and swiped the few books scattered around the room. Impulsively, he opened them and read the little messages scribbled across the first page. Sam Hannings. He glanced around the room once more and stuffed them into the bag. At the very least, they could use them as fuel. Hopefully he could keep them.

In the hall, Xverjabdene was waiting, full bag slung over her back. Jim slid his other arm through the available strap and gave her two thumbs up. Together, they crossed the room and hefted open one of the large kitchen windows. There was less chance of being spotted if they escaped straight into the forest.

"Christ, it's been anarchy since you left!" Phil groused as they climbed up to the tunnel entrance. He'd met them in the forest ten minutes ago and hadn't stopped complaining since.

"We bought back two emergency medical kits. And wood for the fires. And food." Jim hedged, knowing the doctor was about to blow a casket.

"Since you've been gone, the Engineers decided they'd rather stay away from everyone else, Medical is going crazy trying to make sure no one's gonna die and don't even get me started on Science. Those little kids and Nidiss have half barricaded themselves in to that hole you call home and I've got three men down from Orion pheromones." Phil threw up his hands in exasperation. It had barely been a week before everyone started forming factions.

What concerned him most however, was Nidiss' use of her pheromones. She was on powerful suppressants and shouldn't even be able to use them, let alone knock people out. He'd read the alien student manual, knew that even extremely stressful situations shouldn't affect the suppressant.

Jim exchanged a quick glance with Xverjabdene before they split up. She walked with Phil to deposit the supplies while he jogged to where Nidiss and the kids were. If his suspicions were correct, heads were going to roll.

The bag thwacked against his back in time with his footfalls. Sweat, from the long journey, the anxiety, the sneaking and climbing and shuffling around, dropped into his eyes, blurring his vision. It didn't matter. He kept going. By now, Jim knew these caves like the back of his hand. Having a crazy powerful brain had never been so useful.

He skidded to a halt before a large pile of rocks. They almost completely blocked the path. He had to squeeze his way through, contorting his spine in several odd angles before finally popping out the other side. Nidiss and the kids had spread the three blankets on the floor and were currently curled in the centre. At his entrance, a blue eye opened and watched him. A few seconds later the ball of limbs moved, Kevin and Zayra pushing their way out of the huddle and running over to him.

They stopped just short of him. Evening the playing field a little, Jim crouched down and opened his arms. He was immediately knocked off his feet by two small bodies.

Jim laughed and held them close, cherishing this small happiness.

A hand settled on his head, Xverjabdene evidently made the journey with little trouble.

"He will come, brother." She whispered and carefully picked up both children. They giggled at having her attention, still a little shy. Jim didn't know how she could tell he was worried when he hadn't even known it himself. Of course Spock would come. He just didn't know if he'd given him enough to get the council to cooperate. If they weren't rescued soon, he didn't know what would happen. He just knew that the building tension had to go somewhere. And it was already directed towards their motley family.

Sitting against the wall, Jim just took the time to watch Nidiss and Xverjabdene interact with their charges. Nidiss was a natural, she'd pretty much become a mother to everyone, including Jim. She'd said it was something about Orion instincts and he'd left it at that. Xverjabdene was something else though. She was like a sehlat with her cubs. Gentle and fierce at once.

As he watched, silver eyes softened and she threw Kevin in the air. He squealed, grabbing David's attention. Quick as a flash, the toddler was standing at her feet, arms outstretched in a universal 'my turn'. She laughed, more a huff of air than anything, before sending Kevin back to Jim and throwing up the younger child.

"You're beautiful/cherished." Jim sighed, knowing she could hear him over the squabbling children. When she smiled, it lit up the entire room.

We're almost done with Tarsus! I'm not sure if I like this chapter. I don't know. I feel a little apathetic about it...

Also, my lazy 'guest' reader should log in. Just saying.