Copyright 1991 by Laurie D. Haynes and LoneStar Trek No reprints without their permission. Alt.startrek.creative archiving and ASCA archiving okay. No other archiving or linking without the permission of the author. No copyright infringement on Paramount or other holders of Star Trek licenses intended. The Abduction By Laurie D. Haynes As the Enterprise docked at the starbase, Kirk admitted to himself he was looking forward he was looking forward to shoreleave. McCoy, standing beside the command chair, echoed the captain's thoughts aloud. "Damn well about time they let us have shore leave," the doctor grumped. "I've been tellin' headquarters for months they were overworking this crew." Kirk smiled and replied, "Oh, well, you know how it is, Bones. Frankly, if we didn't need repairs on the ship, I doubt we'd be getting any R&R. Kirk looked up at Spock, standing on his right, and asked, "You going to come with us, Spock? They've got a place here called The Starjammers Saloon. This bar is absolutely notorious! Their customers come from all over the galaxy." McCoy chuckled and remarked, "Sounds like my kind of place, but I doubt if we could persuade our green-skinned friend. It's probably too notorious for Vulcans." Spock cocked an eyebrow and answered Kirk, "It would seem unavoidable I accompany you, Captain. Otherwise, the good doctor will never let me hear the end of it." * * * * * * * * Kirk, Spock and Mccoy filed into the crowded saloon and found a table. Sitting down, they looked around. The ceiling, floor and concave walls were made of transparent aluminum, allowing a panoramic view of the stars. It gave the patrons the illusion of sitting out in space. A few tables away, Kirk saw Uhura, Chekov and Sulu sitting near he stage. As the captain watched, he saw Uhura walk up to the anti-grav stage and wave at the laser organ player, a husky red-bearded human. She appeared to know him, because Kirk heard her call out to him. "Rocko! You old slime devil! What have you been up to?" Uhura asked. "Well, if it isn't the lovely Nyota!" replied Rocko with delight. The two lowered their voices and Kirk could no longer hear them over the din of the crowd. Rocko took the stage control module from his pocket, pressed a button, and the stage gently lowered to the floor. Uhura joined the band on stage. She nodded to the Orion on the emotion synthesizer and the Andorian on percussion guitar, winked at Rocko, and the band began to play Kirk elbowed McCoy to cease his arguing with Spock. He pointed to the stage and all three were fascinated to see their communications officer there. She sang: "Two moons were full, our last night together, "They were trysting lovers in that rare alignment. "We made love I thought would last forever. "A beautiful affair, ended by your new assignment. CHORUS "Star rover, you stole my heart. How can I compete with a thousand planets? "Your starship is the rival that keeps us apart, "You're traveling far from me and I cannot stand it. "Star rover, he called himself, and he confessed, "That his first love was the stars, "And his ship was his mistress. "While I had never even been further than Mars. CHORUS "I received his stargram almost too late, " 'Are you still afraid of leaving Sol's embrace? " 'If you've lost your fear, then I'm willing to wait, " 'On this lonely planet 'til you get to this place.' CHORUS "He's waiting for me on Altair Four, "If I catch a starship, moving faster than light, "I'll soon be beaming to his door, "Once we're together, the future will be bright." The audience cheered wildly as Uhura's clear soprano faded artfully away at the end of the song, and they begged for more. Uhura, however, thanked them and the musicians, gave Rocko a hug, then returned to her seat. At a table between Kirk's and Uhura's, a Romulan remarked loudly to his companions, "I have heard ptantha screams that sounded more melodious than that human female." The Romulan made a great show of looking the Starfleet lieutenant up and down. He added, "I believe she might make a serviceable bed slave, however." Kirk's eyebrows drew together and McCoy growled, "Why that ...." The captain put his hand on McCoy's arm as the doctor started to rise. Kirk saw Chekov turn to the offending Romulan, anger clear on the young Russian's face. Chekov snapped, "Shut up, Cossack! You aren't fit to kiss her shoes." The Romulan laughed and answered, "'Her shoes do not interest me, Human, only her mating ability." At these words, Chekov launched himself at the Romulan's throat. Uhura and Sulu tried to break up the two fighters, but only made the situation worse. The other Romulans joined in and soon, there was a wild free-for-all involving several tables of spacers, with everyone else crowding around to watch. Kirk, Spock and McCoy tried to press through the crowd to intervene. They saw Chekov's Romulan opponent pull a hidden knife and slash at the Russian, laying open his arm. McCoy became adamant, then, shouting, "Let me through! I'm a doctor, let me through!" The crowd parted for McCoy, but immediately closed the gap behind him, while the Romulans faded back into the crowd. Kirk and Spock became separated from another in the confusion. The captain, trying to get through the crowd, felt something press against his back. A second later, he heard the distinctive his of a hypo. Kirk would have fallen unconscious to the floor, but for the strange hands that caught him and carried him from the bar. Spock, seeing McCoy had the situation under control, looked around the bar for Kirk, but couldn't find him. Perplexed, he moved through the crowd, searching for his captain. The Vulcan left the saloon and extended his search into the rest of the starbase. He entered a deserted hallway. Hearing soft footsteps behind him, he turned, thinking perhaps it was Kirk. Instead, he saw a Romulan standing a few feet away. Before Spock could say anything, the Romulan drew a phaser and shot him. * * * * * * * * * Much later, Spock awoke in a strange place, quite pleased to discover he was still alive. He was in a small, dimly-lit room with gray metal walls and hardly even the basic furnishings. His acute hearing picked up the faint crackling of a force field barring the door. The Vulcan scanned the room and realized he wasn't alone when he saw a figure in gold and black lying motionless in the corner. Spock quickly scrambled over to the figure and confirmed it was James Kirk. The first officer felt Kirk's pulse and assured himself his friend was alive. He checked the human over. The captain had no obvious external injuries, but Spock was unable to rouse him. Having no other recourse, the Vulcan sat down to wait, hoping his friend wasn't severely injured. About a half-hour later, Kirk awoke, groaning and holding his head in both hands. "Are you all right, Jim?" "Ooh, yeah. But I've got a king-sized headache that's letting me know I'm still alive -- I think. If I'd had anything to drink, I'd think it was a hangover. Somebody injected me with something. Where are we, anyway?" Kirk inquired, looking around him and noting every detail of the room. "I believe Romulans have abducted us, Captain, and we are aboard one of their ships at this time. It would be illogical to assume the ship is still at the starbase." "But why?" Kirk asked, leaning back against the wall. "Surely they realize Starfleet is going to be looking for us." "I must point out there were ships at that starbase from all over the galaxy. It will be extremely difficult to find us." "You're right, of course," Kirk replied. "Since they didn't kill us outright, I would assume we're more useful to them alive. We can expect some questions on Starfleet, and since we have no intention of answering such questions, I would say we definitely have a bit of a dilemma. What are our odds of escaping?" "Approximately 994.86 to one." "I had to ask," Kirk groaned. He moved closer to Spock and whispered, "Look, I imagine the Romulans have devised some pretty effective interrogation tools. If we could somehow feed them some false information that would hold up to a verifier scan ..." Spock thought for a moment before replying softly, "I believe I can plant such information in our minds that would hold up to a verifier scan and at the same time, block the true facts." Kirk nodded. "Okay, sounds good. Go for it." To cover his activity in case they were being observed, Spock spoke to Kirk in a normal voice, "I believe I can block your pain, Jim, if you will allow a mind meld." "Well, okay," Kirk agreed. "My head does hurt pretty bad." Spock placed his fingers on the human's face and entered the meld. He read the captain's mental message -- to be believable they would have to act as if the Romulans had forced the information out of them. The Vulcan concurred, then set up barriers to the truth and planted the false information in the captain's mind. He then did the same thing in his own mind." * * * * * * * * * Finally, the Romulans came. They took Kirk to what was obviously an interrogation room, furnished only with a single chair. His captors put electro-restraints on him and forced him to sit. The translator implant in Kirk's arm interpreted their questions for him. When he refused to answer, they activated the current in the restraints and Kirk's entire nervous system caught fire. Knowing the Romulans would see crying out as weakness, Kirk bit through his lip. What seemed an eternity to the human was actually only a few minutes. He nearly passed out, but his interrogators slapped him awake. The doors of the interrogation room swished open. A new Romulan walked in, escorting Spock who was bound like Kirk, and consulted with the guards for a moment before turning to the two Starfleet officers. "You are aboard the Stalker. I am S'Ryll, commander of this ship. I understand you are refusing to cooperate." Kirk shrugged. Spock gave no response. S'Ryll stared down at Kirk, who met his gaze evenly. "You are fortunate we do not have a mind sifter. Our Klingon allies have been somewhat reluctant to share that technology with us. However, as you have seen, we are not without other resources. Every time you refuse to answer our questions, we will increase the duration of the restraints' current. Now, will you cooperate?" Kirk chuckled and shook his head, answering, "You're a fool to think we would." The Romulan commander coolly backhanded Kirk, knocking him halfway across the room. The guards then delivered a few solid kicks to the ribs of the semi-conscious prisoner, delivering him into darkness. Spock struggled uselessly against his own restraints, but succeeded only in activating the current. Finally, the Vulcan slumped helplessly, barely hiding his frustration at not being able to help his friend. S'Ryll ordered Kirk removed from the room and began interrogating Spock. When he still didn't get any answers, even after giving the Vulcan a dozen shocks from the electro- restraints, the Romulan commander swore and had the guards take Spock to a cell. * * * * * * * * * Kirk regained consciousness in a pitch black, soundless room. He wondered how long he'd been out. He called out, "Spock, are you in here? Are you all right?" There was no reply. Kirk got up, thinking he would try to search the room by feel. A sharp pain in his chest was his reward and he immediately had to sit back down. Feeling thirsty and very much alone, he experimentally shouted again to see if anyone would come. "Hey, guard! How about some water?" The silence and darkness continued. * * * * * * * * * Kirk was almost glad to see his captors when they finally returned for him. At least it was a respite from the oppressive darkness. The guards grabbed him by the arms and dragged him back to the interrogation room. Spock was there, in restraints. To anyone but Kirk, he might have seemed unfazed, but Kirk recognized the signs of stress and pain in the Vulcan's eyes. "Well, Captain Kirk, are you prepared to tell us the number and location of all your Federation starships? What are your command override passwords?" Kirk sighed, "I don't know where all our ships are. I don't even know where the Enterprise is. As for the passwords, forget it, they've changed them by now." S'Ryll glared at the Enterprise captain, then signaled for activation of the current in the restraints. Once again, Kirk writhed in endless agony. After the guard shut off the current, Kirk collapsed. Barely conscious, and twitching uncontrollably, he gasped for a breath that would only bring searing pain. Spock's calm expression belied the inner turmoil he felt at witnessing Kirk's torment. The Romulan commander turned to Spock. "Your captain cannot withstand much more questioning without serious damage. Logically, to preserve both your lives, you should tell us what we want to know." Spock seemed to think for a moment, then replied, "What you say is true. Very well, I will give you the information you desire, rather than see my captain injured further or killed. Remove the electro-restraints from him and I will cooperate." The Romulan commander smiled in satisfaction and signaled to the guards to release Kirk, who was lying, exhausted and in pain, on the floor. S'Ryll said to Spock, "Understand, now, we will conduct a verifier scan. If we determine you are lying, we will kill you both." At this exchange, Kirk pleaded with the Vulcan, "No, Spock, don't do it. You know they'll kill us both anyway." "That is not necessarily so, Captain," said S'Ryll. "We will want to check Commander Spock's information if it holds up to verifier scan and that will take time. If we determine you are lying, then we will kill you both." Spock addressed Kirk, "I must cooperate, Captain, we have no choice." "No, Spock, don't! You can't do this! You took an oath!" Kirk managed to rise to his feet, but a savage blow from a guard knocked him to the floor. Kirk laid there, barely conscious and unable to move. He heard Spock began to rattle off the requested information, then the voices and his surroundings faded away. * * * * * * * * * Later, Kirk sat in a lighted cell with Spock. The captain remained silent, bracing his sore ribs with his arm. S'Ryll came to the cell and informed them, "We shall shortly be transferring the two of you to a prison planetoid. If you follow the rules, you will survive. Otherwise, they will kill you." Kirk remained apart from Spock and did not speak to him. The guards soon returned, put restraints on both prisoners and took them to the transporter room where they beamed down to the planetoid. The Romulan prison commandant and three guards were waiting for them. Kirk experienced a bout of severe dizziness as he materialized, and stumbled a bit. Spock moved toward him and Kirk gratefully leaned against the Vulcan's shoulder. The commandant gave his "welcoming" speech. "I am Commandant S'Ryll," he said. "The rules here are simple. Do what we tell you and do not cause trouble." He pointed through a window to the yard beyond it. "Those large metal boxes out there are reserved for those committing offenses. While the first offense receives only two days in the punishment box without food or water, the second offense merits a flogging and four days in the box. The third offense results in death. We expect you to work at whatever task we assign you. Most prisoners work in the mine here, gathering the ore we export. You will now clean up, and our doctor will examine you." The guards escorted the two Enterprise officers to the showers, removed the restraints and ordered them to strip and wash. The guards then disposed of the soiled, torn uniforms. Kirk struggled to keep his temper under control as the guards dragged them out of the shower and shoved them into an adjoining room. The room consisted of a bare metal table and an obviously force- sealed cabinet with various medical instruments, all of which were technically far below those in sickbay on the Enterprise. A raven-haired Romulan woman walked in and dismissed the guards from the room. Kirk could hear them take up position just outside the door. The woman reached into a pocket of her smock and pulled out a medi-scanner, which she first ran over the bruised area on Kirk's chest. "You have two broken ribs, Human," she pronounced, and ran the scanner over the rest of his body, "and a concussion. Souvenirs, I gather, of your recent hosts. You will need bed rest and them light duty." She taped up Kirk's ribs and put a cushioned brace around them. "I need an assistant," she said to Kirk. "Have you any medical training?" Kirk answered, "I'm no doctor, but I have some basic first aid training." He couldn't help but notice her exotic beauty and struggled to keep his physical reaction under control. "I'm Jim Kirk and this is Spock," he said. "Your name is ...?" "Dr. T'Kara," she replied. "Spock will have to go to the mines. He is medically fit." Spock nodded but said nothing. T'Kara gave Kirk a pair of hospital pajamas to put on and Spock dressed in the rough gray coveralls and flimsy black boots that the prison had provided for him. The doctor opened the door and called the guards in, and they led Spock away. T'Kara showed Kirk through another door which opened onto a small ward, which was currently empty of patients. She pointed out a bed to him and he gratefully laid down on it. Kirk felt guilty for a moment at his relative comfort while his friend labored in the mines. But fatigue soon overcame guilt and he was soon asleep. * * * * * * * * * * Kirk awoke the next morning when the doctor came round to check on him. He sat up, feeling rested, as she ran the scanner over him. "Do you get many patients in here?" Kirk inquired. "Why do you want to know?" T'Kara asked, looking at him suspiciously. Kirk spread his hands. "I was just curious. I have an inquiring mind." T'Kara pocketed her medi-scanner and sighed, "Actually, yes. Mining accidents are common, and after they punish the rule- breakers, they expect me to repair them." "Wonderful place you have here," Kirk commented sarcastically, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. He thought for a moment, then looked her in the eye, saying, "Can I ask you another question?" T'Kara scowled and replied, "I suppose." "Why did you decide to come here?" Kirk asked. "You don't seem to approve of the place." He tried out his best grin on her, hoping to put her at ease. T'Kara's stern expression did not change and Kirk had just about decided his charm wasn't going to work on her, when she replied, "It is not for me to approve or disapprove." Kirk pressed on, "So you did choose to come here? You're not a prisoner?" "I am not officially a prisoner, but I was given no choice of assignments and they will not allow me to leave," she told him, tearing her gaze away from his. "What crime did you and the Vulcan commit?" she asked. Kirk's hazel eyes darkened in anger. "None. Spock and I were on shore leave when we were Shanghaied." "Shanghaied?" Kirk grinned. "It means 'kidnapped.' The word originates from the name of a major city on Earth, my home planet. In ancient times, privateers sometimes abducted men to be sailors on ships bound by sea for the eastern lands." T'Kara pulled up a chair and sat down. "You are from the Federation," she said. "Were you spying?" "No! My ship was in the starbase for repairs. I was having a drink with my chief medical officer and my first officer, Spock. A fight broke out and we became separated. Somebody drugged me and the next thing I knew I was aboard a Romulan ship." T'Kara put her hand to the chin and asked, "You are the commander of a Starfleet ship?" "Yes, the Enterprise." Recognition dawned in her eyes. "Captain James Kirk of the starship Enterprise. I have heard of you. You were responsible for stealing the secret of our cloaking device. Yet, you say you were not spying when you were captured at the starbase." Kirk rubbed the back of his neck and looked away for a moment. "I see your point. But I did tell you the truth," said the captain. He didn't know why it was important to him that she believe him, but it was. He dismissed it as a tactical move. <> it occurred to him. Any further conversation was halted when the guards entered, carrying an old Romulan man. They deposited him on a bunk, then left. Kirk followed the doctor over to the man's bunk. Kirk winced at the sight of the man's lacerated back. T'Kara quickly examined the prisoner. "He is in shock and extremely dehydrated," she said, and pointed to a cabinet. "Get some ointment and bandages while I set up an IV." Kirk fetched the supplies and bathed the patient's back before helping T'Kara apply the ointment and bandage him. The whole time they worked, the doctor never said a word. But the fire Kirk saw in her eyes said it all. When they finished, Kirk covered the man with a blanket and commented, "Poor devil. I wonder what he did to warrant this." "He probably tried to escape again," she replied, her voice full of frustration. "He's been here long enough to know no one ever escapes from here." "No one?" Kirk asked with interest. "No one I know of," T'Kara answered, looking Kirk in the eyes. * * * * * * * * * * Spock labored in the stale air of the mine with a low-powered laser saw, cutting ore from the rock walls. It was extremely hot, even for a Vulcan, and the men's sweat glued the dust to their skin. Every three hours, a guard brought water around, and each prisoner received one cup. The Vulcan paused for a moment to wipe the sweat dripping into his eyes, and noted there was one phaser rifle-armed Romulan guard for every 30 prisoners. The guards rode null-grav scooters and moved up and down the line of working men. As a guard drew near, Spock turned back to his work. But the Vulcan stopped when, from deep down in the mine, he felt a slow vibration that grew into a rumble, then into a roar. Tons of debris rained from the mine ceiling upon the workers in the inner section, crushing many and sealing off the others from the mine entrance. A siren wailed mournfully and the unharmed prisoners ran with laser saw to the huge mound of debris. They began the laborious process of digging out any possible survivors. T'Kara and Kirk arrived, carrying emergency medical supplies, and the captain, relieved to see Spock unharmed, fell alongside his first officer, digging and carrying rubble. Kirk ignored, then forgot about the pain in his ribs as he worked to save the endangered workers. The guards provided no assistance. Before long, they found three men. T'Kara examined them and shook her head. "They're dead," she pronounced. "From what I can tell, they must have died instantly when the mine caved in on them." The rescue workers continued their search, quiet as death until they found a worker trapped in a small pocket. Everyone held their breath as the doctor checked the motionless body. "He's alive, just unconscious," she said. "He is badly hurt, though. Kirk, help me take him to the infirmary." The human assisted the doctor, then returned to the rescue efforts. Kirk could sense the change in morale of the rescue workers now they had found a survivor. Before long, someone shouted, "I've found something!" Everyone shifted to the small hole the miner had found. They enlarged it and pulled up 11 more men, the last of those unaccounted for. Two were dead and two more, seriously injured. The rest were shaken up and suffering from various minor injuries, as well as lack of fresh air. As Kirk and Spock provided first aid to the rescued workers and others took the seriously injured to T'Kara, the commandant's voice blared over the speaker. "I am halting work for the day," he said. "Return to your barracks. Repeat, I order you to return to your barracks." Spock and Kirk looked at one another. Kirk voiced both their feelings as he reached out and squeezed the Vulcan's shoulder, "I hate being separated, but we'd better do as they say. Keep looking for a way out. There's no way we're staying here." Spock agreed, "I am definitely ready to return to the Enterprise." Kirk turned and began walking back to the infirmary. He threw a reassuring grin over his shoulder at Spock, who stood watching him go. Kirk arrived in time to help T'Kara in surgery. They worked side-by-side for several hours. It wasn't until T'Kara was sealing up the incision on the last patient that she realized the captain was struggling to stay on his feet. She shook her head and ordered him, "Get to bed, Kirk. I thank you for your help, but we are finished, now. You are not fully recovered, yet, and you are exhausted." "I'm fine," Kirk protested. "Either do as I say or I will sedate you and put you to bed myself." Kirk laughed wearily, "Okay, okay, I'm going." He undressed and slipped between the covers of his bunk. Despite his fatigue, he lay awake, trying to think of a way out of their predicament. His reverie was interrupted as T'Kara came and stood beside his bed. "You should be sleeping," she admonished him. "I will in a minute," Kirk replied. "I can rarely go right to sleep." He looked up at her appraisingly. "You're tired, too. Sit down a minute and talk to me." T'Kara sighed and sat down at the foot of the bed. "What do you wish to talk about?" Kirk said, "You don't have much in the way of medical supplies. Don't you get regular shipments?" T'Kara answered, "We never have enough. We are supposed to receive supplies every 10 days when the freighter picks up the ore shipments. Most of the time, I never get all the supplies I requested. I suspect the freighter captain keeps them to sell." Kirk nodded slowly, then asked, "Are these shipments beamed down or brought in directly?" The Romulan doctor frowned. "You certainly ask a large number of questions. The shipments are beamed down. They are also heavily guarded. You had best forget any notions of escape," she warned. "The consequences are quite severe if you're caught." Kirk sat up and looked into her eyes. "I have always been free. I will not be otherwise -- even if escaping endangers my life. I've committed no crime and I'm determined to get back to my ship." Anger sparked in the black Romulan eyes. "Then you are a dead man," she said. "You need not worry I will inform on you, but I will not take part in helping you get yourself killed. Do not try to involve me." T'Kara rose and started to leave. Kirk caught her by the wrist and she did not pull free. "T'Kara, if you care about people, then you are already involved, and I can tell you care very much about people." Kirk tugged on her hand and she sat back down beside him. He reached out and caressed her cheek. Impulsively, he slid his hand behind her head and drew her unresisting down into a gentle kiss. He released her and smoothed her hair away from her face. "I care about people, too," he said. "We have that in common." The Romulan doctor stood and moved away from the human. She appeared embarrassed. "I have to check my patients," she said, avoiding his penetrating gaze. Kirk smiled but did not press her further. As she walked away he snuggled down into his pillow. He was astonished upon examining his feelings to find he was intensely attracted to T'kara. <> With that thought, he drifted off to sleep. * * * * * * * * * * Kirk and Spock met in the mess hall for breakfast and were able to compare notes. The captain told his first officer of the ore shipments. "T'Kara says the next shipment is in three days. That's bound to be our best opportunity for escape," Kirk whispered. The Vulcan nodded in agreement and said, "The guards in the mine seem particularly overconfident, although the prisoners certainly outnumber them." Their conversation was interrupted by a particularly large Tellarite and his Romulan companion. "You two are new here," growled the Tellarite. "I am Dalav. I am the chief here." Kirk took a bite of his breakfast, then replied, "Could've fooled me. I thought the commandant was in charge here." Beady black eyes glared at Kirk. "Among the prisoners, I am chief and get what I want. S'Toron and I are still hungry. Hand over your food," said the Tellarite. Kirk sighed, then answered, "I'm afraid that won't be possible. As you may have noticed, we're still eating it, so buzz off." "What?" asked the Tellarite, blinking in surprise at the refusal. "Go away," Kirk translated. "You're annoying us and we would prefer not to have any trouble." "Well, you've got it anyway," snarled Dalav. He took a swing at Kirk while S'Toron grabbed Spock. The human ducked, kicked his chair out of the way and buried his fist in his attacker's substantial belly. Kirk's porcine opponent was strong, but slow. Kirk easily blocked the next punch and struck the gasping Tellarite in the snout, knocking him to the floor. Looking around, the captain saw Spock finishing off the Romulan. The guards rushed in and surrounded the four. "What is happening here?" demanded the guards loudly. "These fellows fell down and hurt themselves," Kirk answered. "Isn't that right, gentlemen?" Spock eyed his Romulan attacker meaningfully. S'Toron promptly nodded in agreement. But Dalav squealed, "The human attacked me for no reason!" S'Toron nodded at that statement, too. Spock countered, "That is untrue. The Tellarite attempted to strike my captain, who then defended himself." The guards shrugged and hauled all four men to the commandant's office. The commandant put up a hand as Kirk started to explain what happened. "I have little interest in anything you might say," S'Ryll stated. "You know the rules." He turned to the sergeant of the guard and waved a hand at Spock and Kirk. "Take these two to the boxes. Lock them up for two days." S'Ryll frowned at the Tellarite and his Romulan cohort. "This is the second offense for Dalav and S'Toron. Assemble al the prisoners in the yard and give them 10 lashes each. Then it's four days in the box for them," ordered the commandant. The guards followed their orders. Once the rest of the prisoners had gathered, they tied the Tellarite and his crony to posts and began whipping them viciously. Kirk felt sorry for them a bit, though he knew none of them would be in trouble if Dalav had gone along with Kirk's explanation. Afterward, the guards threw all four offenders into the punishment boxes. The only light in the box shone through a small slit in the door. Kirk wished Spock had at least been placed next to him, but they were not even allowed that tiny comfort. As the temperature rose, the captain could hear the moans of the Tellarite in the box next door. * * * * * * * * * * The heat was becoming unbearable. Kirk was sweating furiously. By the time the light from the door faded away, his mouth felt like cotton. It was well past dark before the box cooled down enough to bring relief from the heat. The box was too small to allow him to lie down. Kirk dozed, but never really rested. All too soon, the glow through the slit announced the arrival of the second day of torture. By late afternoon, Kirk was no longer sweating. He drifted in and out of consciousness. At times, he dreamed he was back aboard the Enterprise, only to awake to the reality of his agony. Thirst was a monster unto itself. In delirium, his mind cried out, <> Kirk felt a weak response to his mental cry. He felt Spock's pain and regret at not being able to come to his aid. <> Kirk took comfort in the response. <> The captain fell unconscious. Much later, he felt hands dragging from the box -- then nothing. * * * * * * * * * When Kirk finally awoke, he found himself in the infirmary, lying in bed and hooked up to an old style IV. T'Kara was sponging down his body. He blinked a couple of times and croaked, "Spock? Where's Spock?" Kirk tried to sit up, but the doctor pushed him down. "Here, Captain," came the reply from off to his right." Kirk turned his head and saw his friend in the next bed over. Spock was sitting up and sipping a glass of water. "I am pleased to see you awake, Captain. We've been waiting 9.67 hours for you to regain consciousness." The human looked up at the doctor, who nodded in confirmation. "You were suffering from severe heat stroke. You are still dehydrated. Would you like some water?" She lifted his head and pressed a glass of cool water to his lips. Kirk drank all she would allow, then sank back on the bed in exhaustion. Now that his throat wasn't so dry, it was easier for Kirk to talk, "Are you all right, Spock?" The Vulcan nodded, "I am recovering quickly. Vulcans are better able to tolerate heat and lack of water than humans. Dr. T'Kara is releasing me in the morning." Kirk turned back to T'Kara and asked, "And me?" The doctor's voice was angry as she replied tersely,"Two more days, minimum." She pulled the covers up over his naked body and turned to leave. Kirk reached out and grabbed hold of her medical smock. "Is it my imagination or are you mad at me?" T'Kara replied, "I told you it was useless to try to escape, yet you attempted to do so, regardless of my warning. Next time, and I suspect you will make another attempt, you will not survive." Kirk sighed. "T'Kara, we didn't try to escape. Two other prisoners forced us into a fight." Her expression softened only slightly and she shrugged. "But I'll be honest with you," he said. "We DO intend to get out of here. I think I speak for Spock, too, when I say it's well worth the risk of our lives to gain our freedom." T'Kara removed his hand from her smock. Her own hand lingered a moment on his, then she shook her head sadly, turned and left. Kirk turned to Spock, who cocked an eyebrow at him. "Jim, are you certain it is wise to discuss our escape plans with the doctor?" "I haven't 'discussed' them -- exactly. I just asked some questions." Spock lay back on his bed and glanced over at Kirk. "She seems most concerned over your welfare," said the Vulcan. Kirk shrugged and replied, "We've been getting to know one another. She's not like the rest of them around here." "I see," replied Spock in a tone that said, "Here we go again." Kirk repressed a grin and added, "She's a useful ally. I thought she might be able to help us." "Indeed? You have a definite talent for making friends -- particularly with females." The lights went out in the room. Kirk yawned. "I guess we ought to get some more rest. We're going to need it. Good night, Spock." "Good night, Jim." * * * * * * * * * Two days later, the doctor released Kirk. Spock had returned to the mines the previous day. The commandant also assigned Kirk to the mines, saying, "If you're fit enough to fight, you're fit enough to work in the mines." The human labored alongside the Vulcan. As they worked, they watched the guards. At break time, Kirk, breathing hard and sweating profusely, sat down against the wall, "Spock, I don't think I can take much more of this heat. The air's pretty thin, too." The Vulcan eyed his friend worriedly. Kirk closed his eyes and whispered, "You're right about the guards -- they do seem overconfident." "Yes, Captain. And there is only one guard for every 30 prisoners." "Yeah and just two guards between us and the mine entrance. A well-placed laser saw in the scooter's circuitry ought to bring it down." Spock agreed and added, "It is reasonable to assume the saw would damage the guard, as well." "Are you suggesting we resort to violence, Mr. Spock?" Kirk teased. "It would seem we have little choice, Captain." The human nodded. "Surely there's some form of off-planet transportation, even it's just a near-orbital craft. If it's not on the premises, it must be close by." "Your plan is reasonable Captain. I suggest we distract the guard. Perhaps a fight is in order?" "Not with me! The last time I did that, I highly regretted it," Kirk returned, only half-joking and remembering the battle the two had fought on Vulcan at Spock's "wedding." From the pained look in Spock's eyes, Kirk knew Spock had still not forgiven himself for that incident. Their reverie was broken by the guards' shouts of, "End of break!" Getting to his feet, Spock said, "I had in mind my neighbor, there." He indicated the Romulan working a few feet from him. "The guard I will leave to you." "Okay," said Kirk, "let's go for it. With any luck, the others will get into the thick of it with us." Spock walked over and addressed the Romulan next to him, "Excuse me, sir, but would you mind moving further away from me? Your stench is quite overwhelming." "What did you say?" growled the Romulan in reply. Kirk interpreted helpfully, "He said, 'Get out of here, you stink!'" At that, the Romulan tackled Spock and the two of them rolled over and over in the dirt, trading blows. Kirk shouted for a guard, "Come quick! There's a fight going on!" The nearest guard zoomed over on his scooter, landed it next to the combatants. The other guards, confident their associate could handle himself with this rather common incident, redirected their interest to their own charges. "You two break it up! Now!" said the guard, pointing his phaser rifle at the two fighting prisoners. Kirk moved up behind the guard, whose attention was on Spock and his opponent, and clubbed him over the head with his laser saw. The guard collapsed to the ground and the human snatched up the phaser rifle and fired it at the guard nearest to the entrance. The other prisoners cheered and began to mob the other guards. Spock disentangled himself from his opponent and joined Kirk, who shot down another guard headed toward them at top speed from deeper in the mine. The captain climbed aboard the first guard's scooter and Spock took the second scooter and rifle. They took off for the exit. Behind them, the mine erupted in a riot as the prisoners took out the rest of the guards. Kirk and Spock flew out of the mine and across the prison yard, firing at any guards they encountered. As they passed by the infirmary on the way to the main gate, T'Kara ran out, apparently drawn by the commotion. Kirk stopped for a moment and pulled her onto his scooter. "It's going crazy here," he said. "It isn't safe. You'd better come with us." The doctor put her arms around Kirk's waist as they followed Spock to the gate. It took the Vulcan a few seconds to turn off the force field on the gate, and the three of them left the prison camp. When they were well out of sight at the camp, Kirk called to Spock, "Hold up a minute." He looked over his shoulder at T'Kara. "Do you know where the shuttle base is on this planetoid?" Kirk asked. "No, as far as I know there isn't one," she replied to his dismay. * * * * * * * * * * After nearly two hours of fruitless searching, the captain signaled his first officer to halt. "Spock, if there's a shuttle, it isn't anywhere around here. Let's go back and get some supplies so we can hold out 'til the next freighter comes around. The prisoners probably have the prison staff under siege." The three returned to the camp, first skirting the perimeter to see if any prison personnel were in charge of the camp. From a distance, they could see the prison commandant and the few surviving guards. The prisoners had bound them to the flogging post in the yard and were whipping them mercilessly. From what Kirk could see, the commandant and his men were dying. Many dead bodies were strewn about the yard -- prisoners and guards alike, although decidedly more of the former. The captain decided it was safe for them to re-enter the compound. As they cruised in on the anti-grav sleds they saw a huge mob of prisoners gathered together listening to one of the own speaking. T'Kara identified the Romulan speaker as S'Tran. Kirk and Spock parked the sleds and went to listen. "We've taken over the camp," said S'Tran. "Now, we must find transport off the planetoid. Surely the commandant had a personal craft. Does anyone know where he kept it?" No one answered. After a minute, Kirk pushed his way to the front and spoke up, "S'Tran, we've just spent two hours looking for a shuttle. Dr. T'Kara doesn't think there ever was one. I've got an idea for getting us off this piece of rock, but I need help." S'Tran looked dubious. "You are the human who enabled us to break free. We are grateful, but ... Who are you?" the Romulan asked. "Capt. James T. Kirk of the Federation starship Enterprise." Kirk heard the crowd begin to whisper among themselves. First one, then another, shouted to S'Tran, "Let us hear the human! Let Kirk speak!" S'Tran motioned for Kirk to come up beside him. The captain could not help noticing that the Romulan leader did not seem too pleased. Ignoring S'Tran, Kirk shouted to the band of escapees, "All right, we've taken the first step to freedom!" At these words, the prisoners began cheering again, then quieted down to listen to him. "How many of you want off this damned planetoid as much as I do?" Kirk asked, shouting to be heard. The answering roar was deafening. "It's unanimous, then. We're going to try to escape. I've got a plan," Kirk said, then explained what he had in mind. "For now, get rid of the dead bodies lying around. If you haven't already, free Dalav and S'Toron from the punishment boxes. If we're going to make it to freedom, we're all going to have to cooperate. My first officer, Mr. Spock, and I will talk to each of you and determine your skills. We'll assign you accordingly. No one will work in the mines. Before we leave, we'll destroy the mines along with the punishment boxes." The men applauded again, their elation plain. S'Tran's expression was one of resentment. He turned to Kirk and said, "Very well, Human, you have assumed leadership. But don't make any mistakes." Kirk's eyes met the Romulan's as he replied, "I won't." S'Tran strode away and Spock joined his captain. Rather amused at the turn of events, Kirk turned to the Vulcan. "Well, looks like I've got a new command for the time being," he said. The human and the Vulcan interviewed the former prisoners, The majority were traders, mostly Romulan with a few other species thrown in. Some of the Romulans, like S'Tran, were military men who had crossed a superior officer or a rival. Some of the escapees, like the Tellarite, were mercenaries who had been captured by the Romulans. * * * * * * * * * * Within another day, everything was running as smoothly as could be expected. Kirk, Spock and S'Tran had to break up several fights over property formerly belonging to the guards and the commandant. Kirk ordered the "booty" split up as evenly as possible. Dalav was caught stealing from one of the former prisoners and Kirk barely managed to keep the others from killing him. Instead, they locked him in a holding cell for new prisoners. As agreed upon, all non-mining personnel resumed their former duties, with miners assigned as helpers. After the evening meal, Kirk and T'Kara took a stroll. He took her hand in his own as they walked. "Have you decided what you're going to do?" he asked. "You're a fine doctor and we can always use good doctors in Starfleet. We would welcome and appreciate you." She smiled as he squeezed her hand. "The idea of living in the Federation interests me, but I hardly think your Starfleet would trust a Romulan defector. Besides, I would not feel comfortable in a military setting, under the circumstances. Perhaps there is another alternative." Kirk thought for a moment before replying, "Spock's father, Sarek, teaches at the Vulcan Science Academy. I think you'd fit right in. I'm sure Spock would speak to the academy on your behalf." T'Kara shook her head dubiously. "I'm not sure," she said. "Vulcans and Romulans are quite different, despite their common heritage." Kirk chuckled and replied, "You've got a point, there." By majority agreement, the prisoners had voted to give the commandant's quarters to T'Kara. There were few prisoners whom the doctor had not helped at some point. She and Kirk entered the quarters, which were decorated with martial tapestries and deep-piled carpets. The dwelling consisted of three rooms -- a sitting room, a bedroom with a huge bed, and a large bathroom with both sonic and water showers, as well as a whirlpool bath. Obviously, a large part of the prison funds had gone into furnishing the commandant's quarters. Kirk poured two glasses of Romulan ale from the commandant's private stock. He and T'Kara sat down on a comfortable sofa and sipped on the ale. Kirk talked for a long time about the Enterprise, and T'Kara told him of her life. "I had such dreams," she confessed. "I always wanted to be a doctor. I was assigned to a warship. The work was interesting and quite challenging. "The first officer was a problem for me, though. He wanted me, but I did not want him. Once he became captain by murdering his commander, I was placed in a position of either giving into S'Ryll or losing my place aboard the ship. I refused him and he had me reassigned here." Kirk's eyes glinted with anger at the mention of the man's name. "I've had dealings with S'Ryll, myself," Kirk said. "He's the one who kidnapped Spock and me." He drained the last bit of ale from his glass and moved closer to T'Kara. He cupped her cheek with his hand and T'Kara put her own hand over his. Kirk rose and drew her to her feet. Nuzzling her neck, he murmured, "I'm going to miss you. I hope you choose Vulcan." She moaned as he kissed her ear, but managed to answer, "I will think about it. I will miss you, too," T'Kara pulled his head up and kissed him earnestly. Kirk took her by the hand and led her into the bathroom. He started the water in the whirlpool bath. He turned from adjusting the temperature and looked at her questioningly. T'Kara reached out and unfastened his coveralls. He stepped out of them and pulled her to him, kissing her hard. Kirk undressed her slowly, kissing and caressing the flesh he exposed. Together they entered the scented water and Kirk continued where he had left off. Afterwards, they lay side by side for while in the bath, their eyes closed as they luxuriated in the bubbling water. But when T'Kara began soaping him down, it wasn't long before Kirk was wanting her again. He rose from the tub and stretched his hand out to her. After drying one another off, he put his arm around her and guided her to the big bed. Kirk sat down and pulled her down beside him. He kissed her hard, bearing her down amongst the pillows. * * * * * * * * * * Kirk woke early the next morning, but let T'Kara sleep. Propping his head on his hand, he leaned on his elbow and watched her sleeping. Her beauty moved him. T'Kara's long, dark hair spread out over her pillow and her face was both innocent and wordly at the same time. Kirk traced her features with his forefinger, then kissed her and got up to dress. The captain visited the communications room. The young Romulan manning the communications board had once been a sub- commander in the Romulan fleet. "Any word yet, S'Tran," Kirk asked. "No, Kirk," the Romulan replied, exhaling heavily. "This plan of yours is very risky. Understand, Captain," S'Tran said, looking Kirk in the eye, "if this does not work, I will assume leadership." Kirk returned the look unwaveringly and answered, "You can try." After a moment, he sighed and said, "Damn it, S"Tran, if we don't work together, we'll get nowhere." The Romulan inclined his head, and replied, "I have conceded that point -- for now." "You have your instructions, S'Tran. Make sure the rest of them understand theirs. Anybody going off on their own will jeopardize everyone's chances, not just their own." "Everyone is prepared, Kirk." "Good." Kirk left for the mess hall to get breakfast. He met Spock there and they went over their plans and chances for success. The human returned to the commandant's quarters, carrying some breakfast to T'Kara. They talked as she ate. "Are you sure your plan will work?" she asked worriedly. "There are risks in just about everything one does, but yes, I believe it will. We have the proverbial element of surprise," he said. The door signal buzzed. Kirk walked over to it and the door slid open. S'Tran stood there. "I thought I might find you here, Kirk," said S'Tran. Kirk noted the disapproval on S'Tran's face. The Romulan continued, "I've had contact from the freighter. The commander insists on speaking to the commandant." Kirk nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. Send for S'Ban -- he's the mimic you told me about, right? Get Spock, too, I'll be along in a minute." S'Tran hesitated for a moment and appeared to want to make a comment, then decided against it. He left without another word. Kirk kissed T'Kara quickly and told her before leaving, "Wish us luck." Once in the communications room, Kirk and Spock stood by as S'Ban, mimicking the commandant's voice perfectly, spoke with the freighter commander. "Yes, Commander, the ore will be ready to beam up in 15 minutes," S'Ban said, and gave the coordinates. The first attack group gathered at the proscribed site. The 10 armed men, led by Kirk, climbed into two huge crates. Spock and the other attack groups stood by. As he settled into the crate, Kirk grinned up at his first officer and remarked, "This is a regular Trojan Horse." Spock raised an eyebrow and replied, "I fail to see what a four-legged, hoofed Earth mammal has to do with an assault on a space-going freighter, Captain." Kirk laughed and retorted, "You know exactly what I'm talking about, so don't pull that on me." Spock merely raised his other eyebrow and Kirk thought he saw a hint of a smile on the placid Vulcan face. The freighter beamed the crates aboard into the cargo hold. As soon as the attack team materialized in the freighter's hold, they kicked down the flimsy walls of the crate. "Phasers on stun," Kirk commanded, and they moved quickly to the nearby transporter room, firing on all the crew members in the area. "Okay, the captain ordered. "Tie these people up and beam them down to the planetoid." As soon as the bound crewmen materialized on the planetoid, Spock knew that was the signal. As they dragged the crewmen from the beam-down site, the Vulcan ordered, "All attack parties, be ready for beam-up in five minutes. Be prepared for immediate confrontation." Once the rest of the escapees were aboard the ship, Spock gave them the ship's layout he had obtained from the ship's computer. "Good job, Spock," said Kirk, beaming. "I want you to take an attack group to engineering. S'Tran, you lead your group and take security. Those of you in my group, come with me, we're headed for the bridge." The freighter crewmen, though taken by surprise, did not give up easily and managed to kill three of their attackers. Eventually, thanks to their greater numbers and weapons, Kirk and his me managed to gain complete control of the ship. Spock personally beamed up T'Kara and her medical supplies before transporting the ship's crew down to the barracks of the prison camp. Kirk relaxed somewhat in the command chair and ordered, "Helmsman, take us out of orbit. Destination: the Neutral Zone." He turned to Spock, standing beside him, and said, "I think a name change is in order for this ship." He spoke louder, addressing the bridge crew, "Anybody have any suggestions for this ship's name?" After a few minutes, the helmsman spoke up, "How about 'Freebird,' sir?" Kirk smiled and nodded slowly, "That's good. S'Tran, put me on shipwide." S'Tran looked questioningly at the human, but complied. "Crew, this is the captain," announced Kirk. "We've done well to get this far, but we've got a long way to go before we're safe. As suggested by our helmsman, we've renamed this ship. We now fly the Freebird." A little over two hours out from the planetoid, the engineer called Kirk on the bridge, "Captain, the engines are in rather poor condition. I doubt seriously they will last long enough to get us to Federation territory. If I had the proper parts, I could make the repairs in a reasonable amount of time." Kirk pounded his fist on the arm of his chair. "Wonderful! One step forward, two steps back. Any idea where we can get those parts? We can't exactly waltz into a Romulan repair dock and ask for help." The engineer replied, "Sir, there is a ship's graveyard on an asteroid not far from here. As I recall, only a handful of men operate it." Kirk said, "Okay, get with Mr. Spock and pick some men for a landing party. Give the navigator the coordinates. We've come too far to allow ourselves to fail just because of some bad engine parts." * * * * * * * * * * Spock and the landing party beamed down to a spot not far from the parts yard, yet out of sight of the watchmen. "We should have approximately 1.04 hours before dark," said Spock to his team. "We will wait until then, when we have more cover." Kirk decided to take advantage of the waiting time to go and visit T'Kara, who was still setting up her sickbay on Deck 3. Being a small ship, the freighter had no turbolift, but instead, one spiral staircase between all three decks. Kirk descended the stairs and as he neared Deck 3, the same Tellarite he'd had problems with before blocked his way. Apparently, someone had freed the mercenary and beamed him aboard. <> Kirk thought, <> Kirk heard footsteps scrambling down the stairs behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and recognized the Tellarite Romulan cohort, S'Toron. Kirk said, "I thought you'd learned your lesson last time around, Dalav. You should be grateful I broke you out of that prison and kept the others from killing you when you stole from them." The Tellarite scowled and answered, "Shut up, Human. It was your fault they flogged us and threw us in the punishment boxes. However, I appreciate you providing us with this ship. We'll give you a fine funeral. Grab him!" Dalav called to his companion. At those words, Kirk dove into his porcine accoster, knocking the breath out of the Tellarite. Dalav still managed to hold onto the human long enough to keep him from escaping. S'Toron seized the captain from behind and held him tightly. Dalav got up from the floor, grinning nastily as he drew a 6- inch dagger from his belt and advanced on the captain. The instant before the knife would have rammed into his gut, Kirk twisted in his captor's grip and the dagger plunged into his side, instead. Enraged by the burning pain, Kirk kicked Dalav in the groin. Then he quickly stomped on the Romulan's foot, forcing him to lose his hold. Kirk flipped S'Toron over his shoulder and on top of the Tellarite, writhing on the floor. While the two of them were stunned, Kirk grabbed both of them by their hair and rammed their skulls several times on the metal staircase, until they both were obviously unconscious. Kirk rose wearily, the rush of adrenaline draining out of him. He leaned against the wall and took a look at his wound. It was bleeding heavily. Kirk began to stagger down the hall, guiding himself along the wall for support. He was losing strength as rapidly as he continued to lose blood. The last few steps to Sickbay were more like a hundred kilometers. Finally, after reaching Sickbay, he stumbled in the door when it opened. Kirk propped himself against the door after it closed behind him. He called weakly for T'Kara. The doctor came into the waiting area, shocked to see Kirk sliding slowly to the floor, unsuccessfully trying to stem the flow of blood by holding his hand against the wound in his side. "Jim!" shouted T'Kara. She dashed into the treatment room and snatched up a pressure bandage. Returning, she knelt beside him, holding the bandage against the wound. "What happened?" she asked. "Dalav ... and S'Toron ... jumped me." His hands bloody, Kirk grabbed her arm as he felt himself losing consciousness. "Get Spock back up here," he whispered. His eyes pleaded for help as he struggled futilely against the encroaching darkness. * * * * * ** * * * * On the asteroid below, waiting for the night cycle, Spock suddenly felt something was wrong. In his mind, he felt he could hear Jim Kirk calling to him. The Vulcan opened his communicator and signaled the ship. "Spock to Freebird. Come in, Captain Kirk." S'Tran marveled at the Vulcan's timing and answered, "This is the Freebird, Commander Spock. The captain is unable to respond. The Tellarite, Dalav, and his accomplice attacked Captain Kirk and severely injured him. I was just about to call you. Dr. T'Kara has requested that you beam back aboard." Spock transported back to the Freebird, leaving the engineer in charge of the mission. After calling the bridge and talking to S'Tran, Spock's first stop was Sickbay to check on his friend. T'Kara was still in surgery with Kirk. Spock paced restlessly. As he waited, S'Tran called him and told him the engineer and his team had successfully taken the needed parts. S'Tran told of taking Dalav and S'Toron into custody. Finally, T'Kara came out. Seeing Spock, she led him to Kirk, now lying in a bio-bed in the operating room-intensive care unit. Spock looked down at his friend, lying pale and motionless and hooked up to life support. Spock clasped his hands tightly behind his back and schooled his face to show none of the emotions railing beneath the surface. T'Kara tucked a blanket around the still form of Kirk. "He's in deep shock," she said. "The lacerations to the liver were not severe, but he lost a great deal of blood." The Vulcan worriedly noted the low vital signs on the overhead monitor. "You gave him a transfusion, I assume," Spock said. T'Kara shook her head, her eyes full of concern and helplessness. "That's the problem. I have no human blood to give him. This sickbay stocks only Romulan blood and there are no other humans aboard," said the doctor. "Can he survive?" asked Spock. "If I could replace the blood he's lost, there would not be too great a problem, but ..." "Move aside, and I will do what I can for him." The Vulcan placed his fingers on Kirk's face and entered into a meld with the human. Spock's mind reached deep into Kirk's brain, tying into the autonomic functions. He commanded the captain's body to increase blood production. Before withdrawing from Kirk's mind, Spock took some of his friend's pain into himself." Spock ended the meld and stepped back from Kirk. His knees buckled and he collapsed. He felt T'Kara catch him before he hit the floor, and then there was nothing. * * * * * * * * * * When next he opened his eyes, Spock found himself in bed. He looked around and saw T'Kara, bending over Kirk who was lying in the next bed over. "How is he?" Spock immediately asked. T'Kara turned to the Vulcan and replied, "A bit stronger. The shock is receding. How do you feel?" "I am well, Doctor," Spock said, getting out of bed. She ran a scanner on him and agreed. "The meld must have been extremely draining," she commented. "Yes, such a meld requires a great deal of energy," Spock acknowledged. "You might have died," T'Kara admonished. "He would have died if I had not made the attempt." "Jim is very important to you, is he not, Spock?" Spock looked her in the eye for a long time before answering, "He is my captain and my friend." T'Kara nodded as she replied, "He is becoming very important to me, as well." Kirk groaned at that moment and struggled to open his eyes. Succeeding, he saw T'Kara and Spock standing beside him. Kirk tried to speak but his mouth was too dry. T'Kara picked up a cup of ice near the bed and spooned a bit into Kirk's mouth. He worked the ice around in his mouth. The melted water trickled down his dry throat and he swallowed gratefully. He managed to speak weakly, "Report, Spock." "The raid on the ship's graveyard was quite successful, Captain. We obtained what we needed and the engineer is installing the parts," said the Vulcan, then paused. "The two who attacked you are dead. S'Tran took them into custody and had them executed as traitors. He and the crew felt Dalav and S'Toron were jeopardizing the chances for freedom of the rest of the crew. This crew believes in you, Jim. They really believe you're going to get them to the Federation. They are quite upset about the attack on you." Kirk smiled slightly. "I'll go up there in a little while and reassure them," Kirk said. "You'll go no such thing," said T'Kara firmly. "You're staying put." "For now," Kirk mumbled and drifted into sleep. * * * * * * * * * * * As soon as Spock appeared on the bridge to take command, the bridge crew assaulted him with queries on the captain's condition. S'Tran shook his head in exasperation, then asked the Vulcan, "Everyone keeps calling up her wanting to know about Captain Kirk. What should I tell them?" Spock smiled inwardly. "Tell them the captain is alive. He is very weak, but will recover. And ... he is gratified by their concern." The Vulcan observed the reaction of S'Tran and the others to his words. Through his dealings with Romulans over the years, Spock had come to know them as ruthless and cunning. In the past few days, he had discovered they could be honorable and loyal -- even compassionate. Perhaps these "distant" cousins were more like his own people than any of them realized. * * * * * * * * * * After another two days of confinement in Sickbay, Kirk was still weak, but very bored, too. He heard voices from the adjoining examining room. Kirk eased out of the bed and made his way to the door of his room. He looked into the examining room and saw T'Kara setting a Romulan crew member's broken arm. Kirk noted the admiring look in the Romulan's eyes as the doctor affixed a plasticast to the arm. "You are very efficient, Doctor," the crewman remarked. "And gentle. And ..." He gazed boldly up at her. "Beautiful." "Thank you S'Kor," T'Kara replied unemotionally. "You may return to duty, now, but no strenuous activity," she cautioned him. S'Kor sighed at the obvious rebuff and left the Sickbay. Kirk stood swaying at the door of the examining room. "You really made an impression on that young man," he remarked, his eyes twinkling. T'Kara turned and caught sight of Kirk. She went to him, seeing how unsteady he was on his feet. Her words remained light, "Jealousy unbecomes you, Jim." Kirk laughed and let her help him back to bed. He teased, "How do I know you're not going to drop me in favor of some pointed ears?" "Well ..." she replied, pretending to consider. "I'm crushed!" he joked. Grabbing a pillow, he threw it at her. T'Kara caught it and took it back to him, stuffing it under his head. He pulled her down onto the bed with him. "Careful, Jim," she cautioned seriously. "I'm not sure you're up to this." "Oh, I'm definitely up to it," he retorted, glancing down at himself. "Here, I'll prove it to you." Kirk engaged her lips in a passionate kiss. At that moment, Spock walked into Sickbay and interrupted them. Standing with his hands behind his back, he cleared his throat and remarked dryly, "I see you are recovering quite nicely, Captain. Interesting therapy, Doctor." Kirk glanced up, but did not release T'Kara, blushing greenly. She pulled away from him and sat up, rearranging her tunic. "Lovely timing, Spock," Kirk growled, as T'Kara got up off the bed. "Thank you, Captain. I stopped by to inform you we should arrive at the Neutral Zone by this time tomorrow." "Good," Kirk said, propping himself on an elbow. "The sooner we're out of Romulan territory, the better I'll feel." "I see, Captain. And I assume the doctor's treatment is aimed toward making you 'feel better?'" Spock asked, laughter dancing in his dark eyes. "T'Kara was helping me exercise to regain my strength," Kirk replied with a grin. T'Kara, standing beside the bed, was obviously beginning to feel uncomfortable with the conversation, Kirk noted. "Indeed!" commented the Vulcan. "That is correct, Mr. Spock," the doctor supplied. "I suggest you return to the bridge and allow the captain to rest." "I am feeling kind of tired," Kirk added, wiping the grin off his face. "Very well, Captain. Have a good rest. Carry on, Doctor, your patient is making a remarkable recovery." Spock just stood there, making no move to leave. "Spock ..." Kirk said warningly. The Vulcan's mouth twitched slightly and he left Sickbay. "Now, where were we?" Kirk asked, reaching for T'Kara. "You were about to rest," said the doctor. "Only if you rest with me," Kirk replied, grinning. "I'm serious, Jim. You are in no condition for this," T'Kara said reprovingly. "But T'Kara," Kirk pleaded. "I need ..." She cut him off, "You need sleep." "Oh c'mon, I can't go to sleep like this." The doctor's eyes twinkled. "Well, I think I know just the thing to relieve your problem." Kirk's hopes were renewed. "Oh?" he said with extreme interest. "Why don't you show me?" T'Kara bent down and kissed him, reaching into the pocket of her smock at the same time. She pulled out the item she was looking for and pressed it to Kirk's arm, injecting him with the contents of the hypospray. Kirk protested, "T'Kara! How could you?" His eyelids drooped and he was quickly asleep. T'Kara smiled down at him. Bending down, she kissed Kirk lightly, then covered him with a warm blanket. Dimming the lights in the room first, she left. * * * * * * * * * * Late the next morning, a rested Kirk resumed command of the ship, despite T'Kara's protests. Six hours passed and they were nearing the Neutral Zone. Spock picked up a ship on the sensors. "It's a Romulan warship, Captain," said Spock. "They're hailing us," S'Tran reported. "I'm putting it on audio, now." The voice of the Romulan commander reverberated through the bridge, demanding, "Identify yourself! Why are you headed for the Neutral Zone? Activate your visuals. I wish to see to whom I am talking." Kirk motioned for the audio to be muted, then said, "Take my seat, Spock, and tell them we're on a highly classified mission for the Praetor." Kirk got up and moved out of visual range of the viewscreen. S'Tran activated the viewscreen and the image of Spock's and Kirk's original abductor, S'Ryll, filled the screen. "Uh-oh," murmured Kirk, and Spock immediately put his hand to his forehead, trying to shield his features. Spock repeated what Kirk had told him to say. "I have heard of no such mission," S'Ryll responded with suspicion. He seemed to study Spock for a moment, then added, "Have we not met before?" Kirk signaled to S'Tran to cut their video transmission and he complied. "What is wrong with your transmission?" asked S'Ryll. Spock replied, "My apologies, Commander. We have been having difficulties with our communications system lately. I'm sure I would remember if we had met before. As I said, the mission we ar on is highly classified. I suggest you check with headquarters." S'Ryll did not sound happy. "As you well know, a message from this distance will take time to get a response," said the Romulan commander. 'You will remain here until I confirm your story." Spock answered, "I'm sorry, Commander, but that is impossible. "We have a schedule to keep." Kirk signaled to S'Tran to cut the communication, and took the command seat back from Spock. "Let's get out of here, helmsman, while he's thinking about things," said Kirk. "Hopefully, he won't follow us into the Neutral Zone, but just in case, you'd better put full power to our rear shields. Full speed ahead. Now!" The Freebird accelerated toward the Zone. After a couple of minutes, the Stalker followed them. The Romulan warship hailed them, "I remember you now, Vulcan," came the voice of S'Ryll. "I must assume Kirk is with you. Surrender the ship or we will destroy you. You cannot escape." "We'll see about that," muttered Kirk. A few minutes later, the Romulan bird of prey opened fire. The Freebird shook under the onslaught, but continued on. "Captain, I do not believe they will stop at the Neutral Zone," Spock said. "I know," replied Kirk grimly. "Spock, what's the range of the phasers on this ship?" The Vulcan consulted the computer and answered, "Only 20 kilometers, sir." "Damn, that's just a fraction of the range of that warship's guns!" Kirk noted. Once again, the Freebird shuddered as Romulans scored another hit. "Target phasers," the captain ordered. "Fire on that warship if she gets into range. Take evasive action in the meantime." Kirk got up from his command seat and stood next to the helmsman, watching the image of the warship on the viewscreen. The Stalker fired a photon torpedo, striking the Freebird and jarring her violently. Kirk was thrown hard into the control console. With a gasp, he fell to his knees, clutching his side. The helmsman started to help him, but Kirk waved him back to his station. Suddenly, Spock was there, helping his friend to his feet. As the Vulcan assisted the captain into his command chair, he noticed the blood seeping through the human's shirt. Spock tore off a piece of the stained shirt, folded it up and applied pressure to the reopened wound. "Jim, hold onto the pressure pad," Spock instructed. "S'Tran, call Dr. T'Kara to the bridge at once." Kirk put his hand over the pad. "Thanks, Spock. How are our shields holding up?" "They're badly depleted, Captain. They're at 30 percent and will soon fail." The Freebird took another hit and Kirk grimaced in pain as the ship once again shook violently. T'Kara arrived, medi-kit in hand. She shook her head when she saw the blood soaking through Kirk's improvised bandage. "I want you down in Sickbay, now!" she insisted. Kirk shook his head and replied, "I'm staying right where I am. Do what you can, I can't leave the bridge, now." T'Kara looked to Spock for support. "Captain, ..." the Vulcan began. "Forget it, Spock." The first officer shrugged his shoulders and returned his attention to the scanners. T'Kara sealed the wound as best she could and gave Kirk an injection for pain. "This should work temporarily, Jim. I do wish you wouldn't be so stubborn, though." Kirk squeezed her hand and said, "I'll be all right, but thank you for your concern. You'd better get back to Sickbay. I'm sure you'll have plenty of casualties down there to worry about. You don't need to stay up here and pamper me." T'Kara returned the hand squeeze, then left the bridge. "Question, Spock," said Kirk, "will we make it out of the Neutral Zone before our shields give way?" The first officer made some rapid calculations and replied, "Negative, Captain. At the present rate of fire, they will fail about 4.68 minutes before reaching the Neutral Zone." Kirk thought for a moment, then remembered a ploy that had worked for him before. "Stop the engines," he commanded. "Cut power to everything but life support, weapons and shields. We're going to play a little game." S'Tran spoke up, "Captain, I do not think this is the time for games. We should flee as fast as we can, and if we cannot escape them, we should ram them." Kirk returned, "And what makes you think we wouldn't get blasted to pieces attempting either one? This is our only chance, S'Tran. I know what I'm doing." "You'd better," S'Tran muttered. "What was that, Mr. S'Tran?" Kirk asked ominously. "Nothing, sir," S'Tran replied, backing down. The Freebird cut her engines and began to drift -- apparently dead in space. Her running lights winked out. The Stalker drew to within 15 kilometers of the freighter and circled it like a shark closing in for the kill. As the warship scanned the freighter, even the Freebird's shield clicked off. Kirk waited until S'Ryll was apparently convinced the Freebird was completely disabled. As soon as the Stalker lowered her shield, Kirk ordered, "All right! Raise shield and fire all phasers, now!" The Freebird opened fire and continued firing on the unshielded warship until it blew up. The close proximity of the exploding warship overcame the Freebird's already weakened shields and damaged the little freighter even more. On the bridge, Captain Kirk asked for damage and casualty reports. After all the shaking around, Kirk was feeling as damaged as the freighter. He glanced over at Spock, who studied him with open concern. S'Tran began spouting out information. "Engineering reports we've lost warp drive and suffered some minor structural damage, but they're effecting repairs, now. Medical section reports no fatalities, but several serious injuries. Dr. T'Kara says she wants you down there, now, Captain." "Tell her I'll be down in a little while," Kirk replied. "Helm, continue on impulse power and get us on out of the Neutral Zone." Thirty minutes later as they exited the zone, Spock picked up another ship on his scanners. "Is it a warship, Spock? More Romulans?" Kirk asked. "Negative, Captain, it is a Constitution Class starship. They've raised their shields and are rapidly approaching." "And here we are in a Romulan ship," Kirk said glumly. "Better open a hailing frequency, S'Tran, before we find ourselves under attack again." "Message coming in, Captain, I'm putting it on the viewscreen." The looming face of a certain Scottish engineer filled the screen. "Enterprise to Romulan freighter," said the engineer in a rich burr. "Retreat across the zone or we will fire." S'Tran opened up a frequency to respond. Kirk grinned and said to Scott, "I really don't want to do that. You wouldn't believe what we went through to get out of there." "Captain Kirk! It's verra good to see you, sir! But whatever are ya doin' in that Romulan bucket of bolts?" "It's hardly the Enterprise, Scotty, but watch how you talk about our ship," Kirk joked. "It did get us home, after all. You know, I hardly expected to encounter the Enterprise right after coming out of the Romulan Neutral Zone." Scott replied, "Well, we deduced Romulans had kidnapped the two of ya. Witnesses in the Starjammers Saloon said they saw ya drunk, leaving in the company of a Vulcan. Only thing is, this 'Vulcan' didnae match Mr. Spock's description and wasnae wearin' a Starfleet uniform. Starfleet granted our request to patrol the Neutral Zone. A little while ago, we picked up a skirmish inside the Zone, so we headed over to check it out." Kirk nodded. "I see. Well done, Mr. Scott. Our transporter is a bit banged up. Standby to beam Mr. Spock and me aboard. We'll be bringing a guest, as well, a Dr. T'Kara. We have some casualties, so have McCoy send a couple of his assistants over to fill in for her." "Aye, Captain," said the engineer. "Anytime you're ready." Kirk turned to S'Tran and told him, "I've got something to say to the crew. Put this on shipwide." S'Tran complied. "This is Captain Kirk. In a few minutes, Mr. Spock and I will be returning to the Enterprise. You've been a fine crew and I'm proud of you. Until you can choose a new captain, I'm putting S'Tran in charge." Kirk grinned at the look on the communications officer's face. He continued, "Choose well, my friends, and not on the basis of popularity, but ability. This freighter now belongs to all of you, and all of you will profit in its operation. I will arrange for merchant papers for you and a new ship registry. We will tow you to Starbase 12 and Starfleet will repair your ship. I wish you all well." Kirk tried to rise from the command seat and found he couldn't. Now that all the excitement had died down, he realized his side was throbbing. He felt weak and dizzy. He called Spock over to help him and he rose to his feet. "Mr. S'Tran, call Dr. T'Kara and have here meet us in the transporter room. You have the con." Kirk left the bridge under his own power, accompanied by Spock. They met T'Kara in the transporter room. The doctor immediately scolded Kirk, "You were supposed to report to Sickbay. I see you are bleeding again." "I was busy," the captain replied. He spoke into a hand-held communicator, "Energize, Mr. Scott." The three of them materialized aboard the Enterprise. Scott and McCoy met them and shook Kirk's hand. "Bones, Scotty, this is Dr. T'Kara." They greeted her warmly. Taking in Kirk's torn, bloody shirt and obvious exhaustion, McCoy sighed, "Okay, Jim, what have you done to yourself this time?" He ran a mediscanner over Kirk, who was swaying on his feet. "Half-healed broken ribs, a hole in your side -- you definitely have not been takin' care of yourself," McCoy commented dryly. T'Kara agreed, "That's exactly what I have been telling him, but he refused to listen to me." "That's nothin' new," replied McCoy. "He never listens to me, either. C'mon, Jim, and I'll patch you up." "Okay, Bones," Kirk sighed wearily. "T'Kara, come along and we'll show your our medical unit." Escorted by the two doctors, as well as Spock, Kirk walked unsteadily toward the transporter room door. Having been alerted by the transporter chief, med-techs arrived with a null-grav stretcher just about the time Kirk's strength gave out. McCoy and T'Kara eased him onto the stretcher as his consciousness fled. * * * * * * * * * * Kirk awoke in the Enterprise Sickbay. His eyes focused and he recognized the two doctors and Spock standing near his bed. "I'm glad to see you're still here, T'Kara," Kirk said. "Spock, have you made inquiries for her about joining the Vulcan Science Academy?" Spock nodded and replied, "Yes, sir. I sent a message to my father and received his reply a short time ago. They have a position open on the medical staff and are willing to hold it for Dr. T'Kara. We should arrive at Starbase 12 in four solar days. Arrangements can be made at that time for the doctor to obtain transport to Vulcan." "Very good, Spock." T'Kara spoke up, "I appreciate the offer, but I do not think I could feel comfortable working on Vulcan. The Freebird will need a medical officer. I would rather stay with them. Do you understand, Jim?" Kirk sat up gingerly with McCoy's help and leaned back on the pillows propped up behind him. "Yeah, but I don't mind telling you I'm disappointed," Kirk said. "I won't be able to see you as much." T'Kara said, "We could arrange for leave together, sometimes." Kirk brightened and said, "Maybe we could take that leave right away. How much longer do you intend to keep me prisoner, Bones?" "Don't start that with me, Jim. I want you here until we get to Starbase. Four days." "Make it two and you've got a deal." McCoy just shook his head in exasperation and T'Kara smiled. "Three days, Jim-boy, and then ... I guess you'll be due some medical leave." Kirk grinned. "Thanks, Bones. "Okay, then it's all set. T'Kara, I know this little planet ..." Kirk looked up to see Spock and McCoy listening with interest. "If you two gentlemen would excuse us," he said, "I'd like to have a word with T'Kara." McCoy and Spock acquiesced and left the room, making sure the door closed behind them. "So, is it a date? Can you spare some time to spend with a wounded hero?" Kirk quipped. "Count on it," she replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She bent down and kissed him slipping her hand under the sheet and running it down his bare chest.