Torin froze at the sound of many things hissing. Many creatures hissing. He acutely felt the weight of the phaser at his hip and slowly reach down for it. He felt more secure holding it, but knew he had to be careful with his shots if it came down to it. Once he fired, he'd give himself away. He crept carefully until he saw a soft glow coming from around a bend. He put away his flashlight.

Sidling along the wall he held the phaser ready. Carefully, upon reaching the door, he leaned over just until he could see inside.

That's where they all are.

In the large cavernous room at least a dozen creatures sat facing the same direction.

What the hell are you all doing?

He leaned over just a little more and his stomach fell into his feet. He took a deep breath and leaned against the wall out of view as his mind raced. Nia was in there. He was certain it was her laying on that stone. Was she alive? His hands shook with rage as he imagined going in and shooting them all.

No. Think logically and make a plan.

He went over everything he'd seen in the room. There were a dozen creatures who knew how to fight. He had the element of surprise, but they were all focused on Nia and the apparent leader at the front of the room. He couldn't just waltz in and steal her away. He needed a distraction. His mind went to the small flames hanging in the lamps on the ceiling. If he had something flammable…

He looked around and noticed other doorways in the small cul-de-sac -like space. It was worth investigating.

The first doorway led deeper into the mountain. The second seemed to be a holding cell of some sort that had various chains and restraints. He nearly walked away when he heard a groan that made him jump. Slumped in a dark corner was a humanoid figure. The last doorway gave him hope. There were computers and panels and various containers around the room. It looked almost like an engineering space. Walking over, Torin saw it was indeed a human. After another paranoid glance at the doorway he kneeled in front of the man and gently shook his leg. The man jumped and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Please! I-" He stopped immediately when he saw Torin. "Thank god! Please, you have to get me out of here. These things are monsters!" The man whispered.

"How? Is there a key?"

"Yes, but those monsters have it. You could just shoot the chains," the man offered.

"I cannot do that. It will give away my location. Then we will both be dead." The man groaned and pulled at the cuffs that held his wrists.

"Well, there's an engineering room next door. It's why they grabbed me. They make me fix their shit. Could be a laser cutter in there," he croaked. It felt good to have a plan, and it was as good as anything else he could have come up with, so Torin stood to investigate the room next door. He made a mental note to ask the man what the creatures were doing.

In the next room, hard plastic containers littered the room among different hardware and screens. Luck happened to be on Torin's side as he found the laster cutter in the first box.

"What are these creatures doing?" Torin asked quietly as he began to cut carefully through the metal cuffs. It was a slow process since the laser cutter wasn't as strong as he'd hoped.

"Fuck if I know. My survey team came here to take some samples." He clenched his fists as he paused and looked towards the open entryway again. It was hard to not feel as though a creature would find them at any moment.

"I think…I think they're worshipping some deity. I don't really know or understand. I thought they were previously uncontacted, but when they captured my team they took our things to a storage or experiment room with a bunch of other tech. My guess is they've been grabbing anyone who comes. They sacrifice people. I've been kept alive only because I can work and fix the tech." A bead of sweat ran down his forehead and Torin paused to look at him.

"We have to hurry. I have a plan to distract them and-"

"Get me the fuck out first, then we can talk." The man hissed. "Those assholes can mess with your mind."

"What do-"

"Get. Me. Out."

With a clenched jaw, Torin continued carefully cutting away the metal until at last he was freed. The man sighed in relief and stood immediately while rubbing his wrists.

"Okay, so which way did you come from?" Torin pointed towards the left. The man began walking that way.

"Wait," Torin reached out to stop him. "My wife is in the room to the right, I need to retrieve her. If I could find some accelerant, I can cause a fire with one of the lamps on the ceiling. It should distract them long enough to grab her. The man looked at Torin as though he'd grown another head.

"If she's already in there, you can't save her. I'm sorry. They have her mind."

"What do you mean." Torin asked. When the man didn't reply, he asked again with a growing desperation.

"They can control her mind. They're sort of like Vulcans with their ability to enter minds. They just…" he grimaced "use it for…evil." Torin felt lightheaded. He had to try.

"Fine. Leave." He turned walked towards the door. A strange chittering chant had begun in the room beyond and Torin felt his desperation fade to numbness. He would do whatever was necessary to save her or die trying.

"Wait, fine! There might be something we can do." The man glanced nervously at the door again. "But we have to hurry."

It was by their luck or the creatures negligence that they made it this far, but Torin sent a silent thanks to the universe as he bent to cut the cable in the engineering room. He wasn't sure what all the machinery was, but Bill assured him that cutting this would raise hell and cause enough of a distraction he could slip out the smaller side door, loop back, and grab Nia. Bill stood ready at the other entrance, closer to the back of the large room, where the creatures knelt with their backs to him. Torin hoped the man would make it out like he claimed he could.

Using his knife, he sawed through the thick cords with a pounding heart as he listened closely for any approaching steps. He couldn't cast out his mental shields as a means of early detection since the creatures also likely had this capability. It raised a lot of questions that he might not never know the answer to. Finally, his knife broke through. Immediately, he was cast into darkness. Not wanting to waste any time, Torin quickly felt along the wall until he found the entrance. He walked as quickly as he could, not wanting to turn on his light and attract any attention in the pitch black. He heard yowls and growls from the nearby room where the creatures gathered under the watchful eye of the horrific engraving. He walked a little faster, stumbling a little as his foot caught a rock. Then, the growls turned to angry howls just as he approached the doorway. Flickering flamed licked at the creatures and consumed the cushions they sat on, while some flailed on the ground as their skin sizzled and popped. The Orion Whiskey had been extremely flammable as Bill had assured him it would. With their attention occupied, he knew this would be his only chance.

Torin darted out, staying close to the wall in the shadows, as he ran to Nia. She was fine, but unfortunately unconscious. He began to grab hold of her when a hiss and a sharp sting on his cheek made him back up. His cheek felt hot and a quick touch made him realize he'd been cut. Immediately to his left was one the oily creatures, teeth bared in a snarl. It tensed and prepared to lunge at him again and force him back, creating space to place itself between him and Nia. Torin knew he couldn't let that happen. With very little time to choose or think, he grabbed the phaser from his side and fired. The creature yowled, joining in with the others that lay dying on the flaming floor. Bill and the sruviving creatures were nowhere to be seen.

Sufficiently wounded, it hissed and jumped away, keeping an eye on him. Torin took aim, knowing he couldn't afford to let the creature live to stalk him and Nia through the labyrinthian tunnels in the mountain. It went against Vulcan ideals to kill, but it was logical and necessary to take the life of this creature, lest it kill them first. It was a matter of survival. He would meditate heavily later on why this seemed to be getting easier.

Sensing his intent, the creature began running away. Torin fired and the creature hissed again, but made it to the far doorway and escaped. Torin wasted no time in holstering the phaser and scooping Nia up into his arms.

He could feels the immense energy his body was using in trying to regulate his body temperature as he carried Nia up and down the uneven tunnels. He'd managed to fasten the flashlight to his holster since the power still seemed to be out. He hoped Bill was okay.

He paused a moment to catch his breath and look around. He was fairly certain he knew where he was. Just beyond this next turn was the long hallway where he made his first decision to go right. They were so close. And, apparently, he'd used all the good fortune the universe had to offer him as a growl sounded not-distant-enough from the way he came. It likely caught his scent. Torin rounded the corner and began running as best as he could down the long hallway. Above him, the light flickered back on. They were much dimmer, but they were on. Somehow, they'd either fixed it, or had a backup generator.

Behind him, he heard another growl, closer, and the sound of claws on stone floor. The scratching click of the claws grew faster and louder, and Torin knew he'd have to make a stand. What he didn't expect was for the creature he attempted to kill come jumping down 10 feet in front of him from some high, hidden alcove. He nearly fell as he tried to stop quickly with Nia in his arms. Black ooze dribbled down from the phaser wound, and it limped heavily as it stalked towards him, rising to two legs and towering over him. It let out hiss, cutting short into a wet, chest-rattling wheeze. It was nearly dead, but killing the one who injured it seemed to be the only thing keeping it alive.

Multiple scenarios ran through his mind now that he was sandwiched between two creatures. The one behind him likely at full health and strength. If he could quickly take out the injured one in front of him, he could probably take on the other creature.

Without warning, the creature lunged at him, not moving as quickly as it normally could, and Torin dropped Nia's feet to pull out the phaser as he hugged her close and supported her as much as he could with his other arm. He nearly dropped her, but managed it and fired two shots in rapid succession. The first did nothing as it continued barreling towards him, lumbering wildly as it leaned forward and threw it's body weight into the sprint, knowing this was it's final moment. The second shot clipped it's side and made it yowl. But neither shot dropped it and the creature tackled Torin to the ground, raising a claw to gouge his face. As he fell, Torin dropped the phaser and reached instead for the knife. Tightness in his chest and his quick breath made him feel lightheaded as he was momentarily back in the mountains during his Pon Farr, fighting for his life for the first time. Gritting his teeth, he managed to only catch a glancing scrape on his face while his shoulder took the brunt of the attack. The creature hissed in satisfaction as it dug into his shoulder, putting it's whole body into the attack. He could hear things tearing and ripping as he let out a yell. His right hand and arm were completely numb now and he had to go by pressure. He felt his hand touch something hard and oblong, and hoped it was the knife.

Bright spots danced in his vision as the creature ripped it's claw out and licked Torin's blood from it. It reached back, preparing to go for his throat now, and Torin struck up as hard as he could with the knife, landing it in the upper midsection. Black blood once again poured over Torin and the creature screeched, bringing the claw down again. As Torin prepared himself to dodge, the creature changed course. Torin could hear the crack and tear of flesh, ligaments, and bone, but he couldn't place why the sharp pain in his shoulder didn't increase. Then, the creature went limp and fell on him.

With great difficulty, he lifted the creature and rolled it off him. Then, it was clear what had happened. As he sat up and pushed the creature further away, it's claw came lose from Nia's side.

His heart nearly stopped as he saw the growing spread of green on her clothes. He reached immediately for her neck to check her pulse. Feeling the faint beat was the only thing that got him to breathe again. He pulled off her outer robe and began to wrap it around the wound, tying the sleeves tight against it to stop the bleeding.

Getting his left arm under her upper body was the easy part. He had no tactile feeling in his right arm and hand and attempting to lift nearly made him sick with pain. The front of his shirt was quickly getting soaked.

A soft clicking caught his attention and he realized he'd been careless again. The other creature had now arrived. It didn't hiss and growl at him, but stood watching him. With neither phaser nor knife within reach, they were sitting ducks and Nia was quickly losing time. Torin took a deep breath and used all the mental fortitude he could muster as he tried to lift Nia again. He ignored the screaming pain that tore through his shoulder and focused on his breathing and the creature. Standing with her in his arms now, trembling with exertion, the creature still made no move towards him. It seemed to give a silent snarl, showing the rows of sharp teeth, before backing away.

Extremely confused, but thankful, Torin walked sideways through the tunnel, slow at first and anxious to keep the creature in his line of sight. But he continued walking and he wasn't attacked, he began to walk faster. He could just barely walk forward with Nia in his arms.

He counted and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. He did breathing exercises he hadn't had to do since he was a child. He went slower than he would have liked, but he never stopped. Nia was growing more pale and he still couldn't feel her through the bond.

Seeing natural light begin to seep into the tunnel was surreal and caught him guard; enough so that his arm finally gave out and he had gently set Nia down with one arm.

"No," Torin whispered, still shaking and breathing hard. "I'm too close to stop now." He reached out and felt for her pulse again. As the seconds ticked by with nothing, he began to feel dizzy. He tried to take controlled breaths as he adjusting his hand and felt for a pulse on the other side of her neck. Nothing. Growing desperate now, he removed the outer robe he'd used a bandage and pressed his ear to her right side, just under the ribs near her wound, and listened.

Sitting up now and refusing to accept this new development, he stared at her. He couldn't see her chest rising and falling. She was pale and warm still, but she wasn't breathing. The outer robe he'd used as a bandage was now drenched in blood and Torin realized the creature must have hit her heart or some other major artery judging from the location of the wound.

He nearly let his emotions take him then, when he remembered the katra Stone in his pocket. He grabbed it, feeling it's weight in his palm for a moment, before taking Nia's hand and pressing the stone into it. He gently closed her hand around it and held it, not entirely sure how it was supposed to work. Closing his eyes, he tried to reach out through the bond again to thread any lingering essence of her into the katra Stone. But he couldn't feel her. Whatever the wretched creatures had done to her mind had blocked him. And he hadn't protected her. She'd been alone and scared. They'd violated her mind.

His eyes burned and he felt his breath catch.

Deep breaths.

He grew more lightheaded and dizzy and Torin couldn't tell if it was grief, shock from his injury, or just flat out exhaustion from pushing himself too hard. Keeping hold of her hand with his left, he scooted to lean against the wall; his right arm lay useless and unfeeling in his lap. He closed his eyes and waited for some response from the stone, the bond, anything. Or maybe he just waited for his injury to take him. He thoughts were muddy and unclear now as he lost consciousness.

A/N: sorry for the long delay! Life and stuff has been chaos. On the bright side, I only have 4 more classes and I'm done with school for good! I have every intention of finishing this story. I'm too close to give up now. Thanks again to all who have continued to read and support the story, it really means a lot and keeps me going.