1. Chapter 1

Author's note:

I am not a Trekkie. I have not seen all of the classic Star Trek movies, nor have I seen all of the Star Trek TV shows. But JJ Abrams has sucked me into his Star Trek world and I love it. As such, I will probably make mistakes and miss a lot of small details that will have ardent fans screaming, and for that I apologize. All I ask is that you please overlook such errors for the sake of the story. I don't own any of the Star Trek characters, and this is definitely not to be considered canon in any universe. Please just read, and if you'd like leave a review!

Thanks! ~Max

James Kirk raised his eyebrows questioningly at his First Officer, furtively pointing towards his dinner plate before leaning slightly towards him and quietly whispering, "Spock, what is this?"

Commander Spock regarded his Captain, dressed in full formal Starfleet uniform and currently seated beside him at a formal diplomatic dinner. Despite the impeccable formality and personal restraint Kirk had outwardly displayed all evening, Spock knew his commanding officer was writhing inside. Although he loved the challenge of diplomacy and finding a workable solution for all involved, Kirk hated the formality and stuffiness of it. He had expressed his displeasure with the plodding institution of modern diplomacy many times, insisting universal problems could be solved much quicker if all parties were given the freedom to simply converse and make decisions around a table at the local pub.

Kirk had now moved on to pushing the unknown object around on his plate, determined to eat the offensive item to prevent offending their hosts if need be, but he was obviously having trouble with its slimy green texture.

"I mean, is it even edible?" he repeated softly, desperately trying to glean some helpful information from Spock.

"Captain," he offered, leaning slightly towards the man on his right. "I do believe that is considered a garnish and it is not anticipated that guests would consume it."

Instant relief flashed through the Captain's brilliant blue eyes. He nodded briefly at Spock, silently thanking him for the information, before putting down his fork and returning his focus to the speaker at the front of the room.

The speaker's thirty-five minute speech during dinner had droned on about thirty minutes too long, in Kirk's estimation. Although obviously passionate about the peace that all present had been tirelessly working to attain, his speech far too often referred to the political agenda of his own minority party. No one from his own planet's majority party, much less the government of any other planet, would give his words more than a passing consideration. Yet, it was required that all be heard during the summit, no matter how fruitless their efforts.

Such was diplomacy.

The speaker finally wrapped up his closing comments fifteen minutes later, effectively closing the summit sessions for the day. Kirk clapped as enthusiastically as anyone else, thankful to be complete with his required duties. In reality, he was ready to jump out of his skin and was itching for the simplicity of fresh air.

Despite his attitude, which Spock was very well aware of, Kirk fulfilled his role as Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise at these functions with all of the dignity, honor, and respect of his predecessor, Captain Christopher Pike. Spock was sure that even two years ago he would not have been as successful in these endeavors, but his Captain had matured and graciously accepted much more responsibility since the death of his mentor, as well as his own subsequent death and rebirth because of Kahn.

Indeed, his experience with death had changed him. Although he remained headstrong and impulsive, he was also brilliant and inquisitive and had since learned how to better temper the two extremes. Patience and mediation, never his strong suits, had now become useful tools, and his brash outbursts were now usually tempered by thoughtful wisdom.

He had also unknowingly formed an unbreakable bond with his crew. Dying to ensure their survival effectively endeared him to each and every one of them, all of whom would now die for him if necessary. Indeed, as word spread of his heroism, no one now thought of James Kirk with the same opinions developed during his early Academy days.

So it did not surprise Spock at all when Kirk made time for a young diplomat who approached them just as they were leaving the banquet hall. With relative freedom in his sights and fresh air at the tip of his nose, Kirk gladly turned and re-entered the facility at the young man's request to discuss Starfleet's policy on trade embargoes. He was empathetic, courteous, and gave the young man his full and undivided attention for the entire hour of their discussion.

When the young man finally rose to leave, he thanked the Captain profusely for his time and thoughts on the subject. Kirk merely smiled his brilliant trademark smile and nodded, saying, "That's what we do."

The walkway to their quarters was dimly lit as they walked together in silence. Kirk displayed a slight weariness about him that was somewhat concerning to Spock, but logic told him the Captain would only insist he was fine so there was no point in discussing it. The two often had long periods of companionable silence, however Kirk had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the entire ten day summit thus far. As such, it surprised Spock when he suddenly stopped in the middle of the pathway and tilted his chin to look up at the stars.

"She's up there somewhere, Spock."

Perplexed as to whom Kirk could be referring to, he could only answer, "Who is up there, Captain?"

"The Enterprise. I miss her." Kirk could feel Spock's quizzical look trained upon him, and he finally broke his gaze with the stars to meet that of his First Officer.

"Think about it, Spock, that ship has been our home for the last year. We've been on this rock of a planet for a week and a half now and…" he hesitated, debating whether his friend would understand. "I guess I'm just a little homesick. And I miss the rest of my family."

Spock gauged Kirk carefully, taking in his weary countenance and overwhelming desire for the summit to finally be over, and the logical pieces began to finally fit together. He had been so agitated because this is not where he belonged and not where he wanted to be. He belonged on the Enterprise, and it belonged in space. He had given his life for that ship and his crew, for his home and his family, and now he had been away from both for far too long.

"Nevermind," Kirk brushed it off with a wave of his hand and began walking again. "I didn't think you would understand, and it's silly, really."

"No, quite the contrary, Captain." At that Kirk stopped and turned back to face Spock. "I do understand. Despite knowing that Earth still exists as my technical home world, I have considered my home for the last year to be the U.S.S. Enterprise, and will thus consider it my home for the next four years as well. And I have deeply missed the company of Lieutenant Uhura while we have been on this planet. I have therefore surmised that I, too, am slightly unwell outside of the normal routine of my home."

Kirk's face broke into an enormous grin as he dropped his gaze and shook his head. "Spock, I love you man."

This clearly made Spock uncomfortable which, he suspected, was Kirk's intention.

"Captain...I, too, carry you in very high regard."

Another large grin broke from the Captain's face. "Well, at least tomorrow is the last day of the summit. If a war doesn't break out we can be back on the Enterprise in time for dinner."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I re-worked this chapter, only slightly, towards the end. I didn't like the way it read, so hopefully this is a bit better!

"Good morning, Captain Kirk, Commander Spock," Lieutenant Hana Bishop from the Republic of Cambron greeted them cheerfully as he and Spock entered the banquet room.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Bishop," Kirk replied, his eyes scrolling through the room searching for her charge. "And where might Princess Krianna be this morning?"

Bishop discretely pointed to the Princess having a heated discussion with the last speaker from the prior evening. The man's face was becoming redder and redder the longer their discussion continued, and the Princess' security detail stuck tightly to her side.

"Looks like she's not winning any friends," Kirk commented dryly.

"No," Bishop agreed, "although she would not want Dr. Nyev as a friend. He is a cold, callused bigot that would invoke marshal law on our world before he would agree to hold peaceful elections in which all races could participate."

"Wow, Lieutenant. Now tell me how you really feel?" Kirk queried.

Bishop met his gaze with a defiant lift of her chin. "Cambron has an excellent leader in King Hassou. If the rebels would desist with this tireless campaign of terrorism our world would be a much more peaceful place. That is why it is so important for Princess Krianna to be returned safely home. With his daughter by his side and with the support of her followers, King Hassou will have the support he needs to end this rebellion once and for all."

Kirk raised his hands in a placating gesture, noting the fire in Bishop's eyes when she spoke of her home world. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I didn't mean to upset you."

He moved in a bit closer, extending his hand to touch her arm gently and leaning in to speak in a low voice only she could hear. "I understand the situation on Cambron. That's why we are here. As brash as these rebels are, they have yet to attack a Federation-sponsored event."

Fire and anger were instantly replaced by gratitude in the young lieutenant's eyes. "Thank you, Captain. And I apologize for speaking out of turn. It was unnecessary, unproductive, and unprofessional."

Kirk nodded his head gently. "No apologies necessary, Lieutenant. The passion and action of people like us is what gets things accomplished." He winked at her, silently endorsing her beliefs, her passion, and her methods in one shot as he gallantly walked away.

"Captain, I am confused as to why you inquired about Lieutenant Bishop's opinion when you did not desire to hear it?"

Kirk rolled his eyes. "It was a joke, Spock."

"I do not think she found it humorous."

"I would agree with you there," he replied, his eyes finding Lieutenant Bishop at the front of the room as part of the Princess' security detail.

He studied her, thoughtful for a moment. She was beautiful by Earth standards, although the difference between Cambronese and humans were virtually indistinguishable. Cambronese had long bodies, making them slightly taller than an average human, and they had unique patterns of iridescent circles on their foreheads and on the backs of their hands and necks that were barely noticeable unless in the proper light. Otherwise, as Dr. McCoy had so bluntly stated, "_in the dark you'd never know they're not human._"

The lieutenant had long golden blonde hair, not uncommon for a Cambron, but her eyes were what troubled him. They were a deep shade of jade green, which he had yet to see in another Cambron. The effect on him had been immediate from the first moment they met, and when they blazed as they had moments before he wondered if she had any idea how striking she was.

He was extremely proud of himself for resisting the temptation to act like the young, immature Jim Kirk of two years ago. No flirting or thinly veiled references, no screwing around whenever he had the chance. Instead, he buried those fleeting feelings down deep and was the consummate Captain. There was no time for that anyway, given the parameters of their 5-year mission.

Spock and Kirk found their table and seated themselves just as the first speaker began. Kirk sought her position out again, wondering to himself why it was so important that he knew where she was during the conference. Rationally, he supposed it was because she and the Princess and the rest of the Cambron security detail were technically under the protective umbrella of his command and the Federation, but deep down he knew he just felt better knowing where she and the Princess were at all times.

He and Spock had kept tabs on the Princess and her detail throughout the entirety of their visit. Despite the boredom and monotony of the daily speaking sessions, Kirk couldn't help but feel that this would be an optimal location for a myriad of attacks, for an assorted variety of reasons. There were far too many high-powered players to rule that out. The Captain had discussed it at length with his First Officer during the first few days of the summit, and Spock agreed that his logic had some merit. As such, they had both been on high alert ever since.

Kirk had also decided days ago that nothing diplomatic would be accomplished at this particular summit. He had held out hope for the first few days, praying that somehow the various sides and interest groups could somehow come to terms with their differences. However, those hopes were dashed as every speaker continued to shout blame and bring problems, rather than offer constructive solutions.

He checked his watch. 10:45.

They'd been here for over two hours already. A little over an hour more and they'd be home free. But as the time for the summit to draw to a close grew more and more near, Kirk couldn't help but be apprehensive. His gut had officially kicked into overdrive and was churning.

Spock, carefully watching his Captain, had noticed his increasing anxiousness all morning. Finally, after returning from a short break before the last speaker, he addressed it.

"Captain," he started in a low voice. "I cannot help but notice your increased apprehensiveness as the summit nears its conclusion."

Kirk shook his head as he scanned the room, now nearly full of representatives again after the break. "Spock, I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Based on what?"

"Based on the fact that there is someone out there who wants to kill every single person in this room. Tensions are on high alert all over this sector of space, and nothing has happened here. Nothing! After almost two weeks? With all of these people together in one place? You'd think a bar fight or something would break out. It's just been way too quiet."

"I cannot say that your logic is sound, as I have no basis for the use of digestive tract analysis of diplomatic situations..."

Kirk scoffed at this. "Spock, even the most reserved guy will get worked up when he has to sit next to his enemy for almost two weeks and put on a happy face and pretend to get along. I mean, look at these guys," he indicated, pointing to a small contingent of young diplomats to his right who were shooting daggers at the current speaker. "It's like a powder keg in here."

Spock paused for a moment, observing the angry faces on the men to his right. "The tension in this room is increasing at a palpable level. Combined with the historical success rate of your gut in particular, I think we would be wise to remain on high alert."

Another bright smile from his Captain. "Why thank you, Spock. I had no idea you cared so much."

Spock's quizzical look was abruptly cut off when the last speaker began yelling defensively from the podium. Kirk had not met the man personally, and only knew he was a Cambron because of the style of tunic he wore; dark green, with braided gold accents around the sleeves and hemlines. Kirk tried to tune in over the growing cacophony in the audience to hear what the speaker was saying, but as the speaker shouted louder, more and more people in the crowd began to stand and shake their fists, angrily waving and yelling. This effort appeared to be spearheaded by the red-faced men to their right, now visibly moving out of their seats towards the speaker.

"Spock..." Kirk began, slowly standing from behind their table.

"Yes, Captain. I believe you were correct in your assessment of the situation."

"Right," Kirk agreed, already moving out of his seat. "Let's help the Princess' security detail get her out of here now."

The two men began to walk up the left side of the banquet hall, while Kirk tried unsuccessfully to hail Lieutenant Bishop on her comm. Shouts and fist waving was quickly escalating into shoving and punches, and Kirk was almost to the Princess when the first shots rang out.

Stunned, Kirk looked forward to see the Cambron ambassador fall to his knees, a large red stain on the front of his tunic growing larger every second before he finally fell to the floor. At once the banquet hall erupted into complete chaos, weapons fire and fists flying everywhere.

"Spock!" Kirk yelled, but his officer was well out of earshot given the chaos, and they were instantly separated and crushed against the flow of people evacuating the hall. As he fought to keep his momentum propelling him forward, he could see Lieutenant Bishop fixed at the Princess' side desperately trying to get access to a safe exit. A small group of Cambron security soldiers were inching closer to the women, but Kirk's momentary relief at the coming assistance quickly turned to horror as they blocked the exit and aimed their weapons at the Princess.

Without a second thought Kirk reached for his weapon and started firing, the pressing crowd dispersing somewhat around the Starfleet Captain who now had an active phaser. One soldier was hit immediately, but the remaining five maintained their trajectory. Lieutenant Bishop threw the heavy banquet table over on its side to provide some semblance of cover, but the soldiers' weapons repeatedly blast into the hard surface of the table, at one point splintering it next to where her head had just been. The cover would not hold up against this barrage for long, but Bishop helped their predicament by catching one of the soldiers in the chest with a blast from her weapon.

Kirk quickly hit two more soldiers with phaser blasts, and followed Bishop's approach to using the conference furniture as cover from fire. Spock shot one more guard as he ducked behind the table next to him.

"I thought those guards were part of her security detail!" Kirk yelled, relieved to see his First Officer next to him again.

"They were. It appears their loyalties have changed."

"Yeah, no kidding!" he yelled again. Cautiously he peeked out from the side of the table to see the final remaining soldier intent on his target, and quickly realized there was no good angle for either he or Spock to get a good shot.

"Dammit," he swore again, realizing he was left with no other choice than to physically charge the soldier and hope for the best. Without thinking he launched himself around the table, but at the last minute the soldier must have sensed Kirk's presence. He turned, striking out with his weapon and hitting Kirk squarely in the stomach. The Captain rallied quickly, punching the soldier twice in the face and putting his knee into the man's stomach, but another blow from his weapon, this time to Kirk's face, put him on the ground.

Spock had taken advantage of the opportunity while the soldier was distracted with Kirk to finally reach the women. He was still attempting to get them to safety when Kirk hit the ground. When the soldier's weapon moved to fire upon him, Spock only needed one well-aimed shot to both protect his Captain and open up a clear path to an exit.

Kirk staggered to his feet, his bloody nose and rapidly swelling eye grimacing a silent thanks as he joined with Spock. "We gotta go, NOW," he insisted, grabbing the Princess' arm rather roughly and jerking his head towards the remaining Cambron soldiers and angry-looking men rapidly approaching from the far side of the hall.

"This way, quickly!" Bishop hissed, kicking the exit door open as the men hustled the Princess through. The Princess put her cloak hood up, eyes wide with fear as the four of them fled the chaos of the banquet hall and ran quickly down the nearest alleyway, away from the sounds of weapons fire, anger, and fear.

"Princess, Commander Spock and I will deliver you home safely. You have my word," Kirk spoke softly as they continued to jog.

Relief flashed through her eyes, while a whispered, "Thank you, Captain," passed from her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The foursome cautiously ducked in and out of the shadows and relative protection of the primitive buildings and dwellings bordering the city, careful to stay on the inside perimeter edges near the massive forest. The natural air outside the climate controlled building was oppressive and stifling in the noonday sun, and Kirk had long since shed his formal uniform jacket in favor of the simple black short-sleeved undershirt. Lieutenant Bishop, as well, had partially unzipped her green Cambronese uniform and now had the arms tied around her waist, her white tank top offering a slightly cooler option.

The peace summit and associated lodgings had been provided in the large modern sector of the city; however, the majority of this planet's beings and infrastructure were still considered decidedly un-modern, as evidenced by the lack of technology barely half a mile away. Creatures that Kirk could only assume were equivalent to Earth's farm animals gave them curious stares as they quietly passed by the small earthen huts and land plots, until the landscape eventually returned to a more modern blend of paved pathways and constructed buildings

Spock was unfazed by the heat, but as Kirk wiped his arm over his brow for the umpteenth time he noticed the Princess, too, also seemed to be wilting slightly, dragged down by her heavy green Cambronese gown. Instinctively he slowed to match his gait with hers, and supported her forearm with his strong hand as they continued to trudge down the small dirt path.

"We're almost to your transport shuttle, Princess," he promised, jaw determinedly set. Her flushed face turned to meet his, bright shining eyes grateful at his offer of strength when hers was so obviously beginning to fail.

"Again, thank you, Captain, Commander. We would most certainly have perished had you not intervened."

Kirk chanced a sideways glance at Bishop. The mass of carefully braided and wound hair on the back of her head was somewhat loose now, flyaway hairs matted to her face and neck, sweat glistening on her brow and dripping down her arms. The heat was obviously affecting her as well, but unlike the Princess in her heavy gown, Bishop looked ready for flight or fight at any moment, eyes bright with awareness and muscles taut with expectation.

"Approximately 300 meters remaining," Spock interrupted his quiet evaluation from his position at the head of the expedition. Lieutenant Bishop's weapon remained at the ready position, and Kirk noticed her finger tense slightly on the trigger as Spock spoke.

When they had drawn closer to the landing platform, Spock suddenly turned and faced his Captain. "Lieutenant Bishop and I will assess the situation from a closer vantage point. Princess, if you are agreeable, please go to the shade of the forest to remain out of sight while we are gone."

She nodded, mutely, and Kirk was prepared to grumble at Spock's obvious attempt to leave him behind when the Princess stumbled and would have fallen without his strong arms to catch her.

"All you all right, Princess?"

"Yes," she forced out, her face red and pinched. He guided her to the relative shade of the forest, making sure they were protected from the sight of any wandering eyes before gently depositing her on an overturned tree stump.

"You'll have a few minutes to rest before they get back," he offered, finally extracting his strong grip from her arm. He gauged her warily, taking in her disheveled appearance, and the way she looked so small, exhausted and frightened sitting there, which only proved to exacerbate the protective instincts already in overdrive.

"Your Highness," he began, crouching down on one knee in front of her, "do you know who was responsible for the attack today?"

"No," she shook her head, frustrated. "I've been trying to narrow it down in my mind and there are just too many individuals that could be responsible."

He nodded. "I'm sure. But your own guards turned against you."

A brief fire returned to her eyes, replacing the defeat found there only moments ago. "Yes, I am aware of that, Captain. And there are incalculable ways to sway the loyalties of the royal guard, the least of which is money."

"So what would sway them the most?" he queried.

She was thoughtful for a moment and just had opened her mouth to form a reply when Spock and Lieutenant Bishop returned.

"We need to formulate a Plan B," Bishop stated flatly, face drawn with an emotion Kirk couldn't read. "Too many Cambronese soldiers around the shuttle, and Commander Spock deduced there was no successful way to get through."

"She is minimizing the threat, Captain, I assure you. No less than twenty soldiers were visible surrounding just the landing platform where the shuttle now resides," Spock added.

"Well then, I guess you and the Princess will have to return to the Enterprise on our shuttle," he indicated, pointing slightly to the northwest.

Kirk stood to hail the Enterprise before Spock could form an argument. "Kirk to Enterprise. Mr. Scott, are you there?"

After only a brief pause the Scottsman's questioning voice came through the comm. "Cap'n?"

"Is it possible to transport two of us off of this planet? I mean, I know there's a magnetic field that interferes somewhat with that, but there has to be a way."

"Aye, Cap'n, but I cannae transport you from where ye're at," Scotty replied, scanning their current location. "Too much magnetic interference from the planet."

"Right. Look into our options, Scotty. Find a way to make it work and I'll get back to you." He flipped off the comm and regarded the three expectant faces. "Let's go. We can have you two," he pointed to Spock and the Princess, "on the shuttle and in the atmosphere within twenty minutes."

Spock did not look happy about the arrangement, but followed his Captain's orders and they resumed their journey. Indeed, fifteen minutes passed as they trekked to the northwest, this time staying within the very edge of the forest to avoid any more contact with enemy forces.

"There it is, and it looks unpatrolled," Kirk observed, visually scanning the area around their shuttle. He again grasped his comm to hail his Chief Engineer. "Scotty, please tell me you've got good news."

"Aye, Cap'n. But you're gonna have to make it through the forest to the coast, two kilometers to the north. The ocean water is extremely cold and has an extremely high concentration of salt. The salinity is approximately 10.9%, which should somewhat alleviate the effects of the magnetic gravity from the planet in order to use the transporter effectively."

"SHOULD alleviate? That doesn't sound very optimistic," Kirk replied exchanging wary glances with Bishop.

"Captain, if it is any assistance I agree with Mr. Scott's analysis. If the concentration of sodium in the ocean waters is greater than 10%, I would estimate a 78.4% chance of success," Spock offered helpfully.

"Great," he muttered under his breath. "Well, those are better odds than I usually get."

Scotty broke in again. "Cap'n, from scanning your current location I can also see that two other lifeforms are approaching, and quickly."

"Thanks, Scotty. Spock and the Princess will be on their way to the Enterprise in the shuttle shortly. Standby and Lieutenant Bishop and I will let you know when we get to the coast. Kirk out."

Spock turned him aside when he was finished, casting a quick glance at the two women behind him and speaking quickly. "Might I suggest, Captain, that I accompany Lt. Bishop to the beach and you escort the Princess back to the Enterprise."

Kirk's brow furrowed. "Why would you suggest that?"

"As you are the Captain, the sooner you can return to safety to command the ship the better."

The corner of Kirk's mouth twinged upward in a small smile as he regarded his First Officer. Spock would never admit to being overprotective of his Captain. However, he would admit, if pressed, that he never wanted to see his friend come to harm again after the incident with Kahn, and he would do everything in his power to keep him safe and protect his well-being. Unfortunately for Spock, the Captain felt the same way about his officer.

"I appreciate that, Spock, but we don't have time to argue. It's only logical, as we need to develop a diplomatic course of action to resolve this situation, determine who was responsible for the attack, and return them safely home as soon as possible," he jerked his head at the Princess and the Lieutenant. "The sooner you can return to the Enterprise with the Princess and get started on that, the better."

Spock's eyes narrowed, almost imperceptibly, and a very pregnant pause followed. "Captain, your logic is sound."

"Well, what do you know," Kirk offered with a brilliant smile as he gave Spock a firm slap on the back. "There's a first time for everything. Now you and the Princess get on that shuttle. Bishop and I will hang here and make sure you get off okay."

"Captain," he started. "Take care."

"You too, Spock. We'll see you soon. Now get out of here."

Spock motioned for the Princess to join him as Kirk and Bishop took their places in the shadows of the forest edge to provide protection if needed. The lower door to the shuttle began to open as they crouched next to the landing platform, and when it was fully open Spock and the Princess sprinted into the shuttle.

"Next time I come to a foreign planet, remind me to bring a bigger shuttle," Kirk grumbled under his breath, not necessarily intending for the Lieutenant to hear.

"That was very impressive, Captain," Bishop stated wryly, eyes not meeting his but instead scanning the horizon.

"What?" he asked, secretly knowing where the conversation was headed.

"Getting both the Princess and your First Officer out of harm's way in one swoop. Well done," she offered sincerely.

"Well, if it had been a three-seater you would have been on it too," he offered with a cocky smirk.

She finally met his gaze with a steely one of her own. "Don't be so sure," she stated flatly.

The shuttle door had closed and Kirk could hear the engines and thrusters begin to power up. He was searching for the right words to respond to Bishop's comment when phaser fire erupted from the far side of the platform.


	4. Chapter 4

Kirk heard the shuttle engines and thrusters come completely online as the two Cambronese soldiers took protective positions on the far side of the platform. Lieutenant Bishop was the first to return fire, although both of them quickly realized their position would not allow them to actually hit their targets. Instead, they could only try valiantly to provide enough protective cover fire to give Spock and the Princess adequate time to get the shuttle off of the ground.

The thrusters began to lift off, just as one of the soldiers placed a well aimed shot at the rear of the craft. Sparks flew as the shot destroyed an electrical component, and Kirk quickly deduced that a mere blanket of cover from the ground would not last. Heedless of the danger, he made a spot decision to charge the solders. If nothing else it would be a decent enough distraction to buy Spock a few more precious moments to get airborne.

Lieutenant Bishop must have seen the reflexive twitch of his muscles and made the same decision, for as he tore through the protective undergrowth into the open clearing he could hear and feel her directly behind him. The pair tore through the grassy field, their phaser fire repeatedly slamming into the concrete edge of the landing pad currently used as a makeshift bunker by the soldiers. One dared to raise his head above the concrete to assess their oncoming position and was immediately rewarded by a direct blast to the face from Bishop's weapon, the impact cleanly knocking him off of his feet.

The swirl of air from the shuttle's thrusters eventually reduced the accuracy of their aim as they continued to pound their way towards the remaining soldier. Their shots began to skew far and wide while increased dust and debris flew around them, momentarily forcing them both to cover their faces protectively. Seeing a moment of advantage, the second soldier eased his way out from the far side of the pad and tried to flank them from the right. Kirk caught the movement out of the corner of his periphery and with two quick blasts to the chest the man was down.

The air around them calmed somewhat as the shuttle continued to rise. Kirk watched for a few moments more to ensure that Spock had indeed safely cleared the surface of the planet before turning back to Bishop.

"We've got about a two kilometer hike to the beach," he declared stonily. "Let's get out of here before any more of your associates show up. The rest of them will have seen that shuttle leave which makes us sitting ducks here."

Bishop took in his flaming blue eyes and the angry countenance of his face as she followed him back into the safety of the forest. "Captain Kirk, I realize you're upset about all this, and I'm sorry," she began.

"Upset?" he roared, turning again to face her, almost nose-to-nose. His voice had dropped dangerously low. "Your planet's little coup d'état almost got my first officer and I killed. It almost got you and your princess killed! Why the hell shouldn't I be upset?" Then, as an afterthought occurred to him, his eyes narrowed. "Why aren't YOU more upset?"

"Because I didn't know that was going to happen either!" she thundered back, incensed at his accusation and rising to shove him squarely in the chest to put a distance buffer between them. His intrusion on her space while he barked at her in anger made her extremely uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry it happened," she barked, her green eyes fiery with suppressed turmoil and anger. "I'm sorry you and Commander Spock were put in harm's way, and I appreciate everything you've done to help us. But I lost a lot of friends today too and now I know I can't trust any of them that are left. Krianna is safe now with Commander Spock, but I'm on my own and it's a very long way home."

At that she turned her back to him and began forging a path in the general direction of the beach, leaving him behind. Her emotional outburst had calmed his anger somewhat, getting at least some confirmation that she hadn't been a part of the whole messy ordeal, but it now offered more questions than answers.

"How could you not know what was happening?" he asked in strained, albeit a much calmer voice when he caught up with her. He only heard a resigned sigh and almost missed the way her shoulders drooped slightly, and only for a brief moment, before she fully drew herself back up. She pushed aside a large tree branch, letting it swing back to ungracefully hit Kirk in the face.

"Thanks, for that," he cursed, pushing the branch away and finally drawing alongside her steady gait.

"You're welcome," she offered with just a hint of a smile. Yet the emotional outburst had already calmed and her steely outer facade had now dropped fully back into place. Her eyes were currently preoccupied performing a continual survey of their surroundings as they walked, ever alert for signs of an ambush.

"If someone was planning an attack to kill the Princess I would be the last one to know," she offered quietly, with just a hint of her previous fire. "My loyalties have always, and will forever be, to her crown only and to that of her kingdom."

Kirk nodded his head in acknowledgement, offering only a token, "I figured as much." They walked in uncomfortable silence for quite some time, making fairly good time as they traversed through the underbrush, until he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is it?" she whispered. He held his finger up to his lips, indicating she should be silent in order to hear. It only took a second for him to realize he had heard exactly what he thought he heard; footsteps crunching through the underbrush behind them.

"Scotty," he whispered into his comm, waving at Bishop to take cover as he did the same.

A brief pause, followed by, "Cap'n?"

"Can you scan the area around our current location? We've got company behind us and we need to know how many."

"Right, give me a second..."

Kirk's hand was sweating on his comm, the crunching getting closer by the second.

"Looks like two to the south, and two to the southwest, maybe 50 meters away."

"Thanks, Scotty," Kirk cut off any potential response by shutting off the comm. He waggled two fingers at Bishop, pointing to the south, and another two at the southwest. She nodded, understanding his meaning, and readied her weapon.

Within minutes, the first two Cambronese soldiers came into view. Kirk glanced at Bishop, whose jaw was set with determination. At this point he could easily read the look on her usually stoic face: it didn't matter now what uniform they were wearing. Kirk and Spock were her only allies; all others were assumed to be enemies.

The soldiers passed by, allowing Kirk and Bishop to leave their hiding places and sneak up from the rear to attack. Their luck finally ran out, however, when Bishop's boot ground into a particularly crunchy piece of undergrowth and both patrols spun around and raised their weapons at the pair.

Kirk grabbed the soldier's gun, pushing it into the air as it was fired. He kneed the man's stomach, then wrenched the gun out of his hands and slammed it into his face rendering him unconscious. Bishop had a bit more trouble, taking a blow to the face before finally felling her opponent with a kick to the groin followed by a phaser blast to the chest.

"The other two will have heard that," Kirk surmised. "We'd better get out of here." She nodded her agreement and the two resumed their trek at a quicker pace, pointing in a more northeasterly direction to stay ahead of and avoid the other two patrols. They continued for several minutes, still not in visual range of the beach, before Kirk finally turned his communicator back on to ask for another distance estimate.

"...there, Cap'n? Please answer me!" came Scotty's frantic voice over the device. The hairs on the back of Kirk's neck began to stand up and the sound of the other man's distraught voice.

"Scotty! What's..."

"They're right behind you, Cap'n! A full patrol! You're gonna have to make a run for..."

Scotty's sentence was cut off as phaser blasts suddenly fired in all directions, exploding the surrounding foilage. Kirk had turned to run with Bishop when her usually commanding voice screamed out, "Captain!" and he suddenly felt her body plow into him, tackling him broadside.

"Argh!" she yelled painfully, landing roughly on top of him as they rolled behind a large tree. She gasped for breath, eyes opening and closing quickly and blinking back tears even as she scrambled off of him and took a defensive stance to return fire.

"Bishop!" he yelled over the phaser fire, taking in the gaping, bleeding wound in her upper arm as he too returned fire. Her left arm now hung, limp and useless at her side, blood streaming down her elbow and fingertips to pool into the grass below.

"How far away from the beach are we?" she yelled painfully, blinking her eyes again in an attempt to see clearly through the colorful fog of shock.

"Scotty, how much further?" Kirk demanded into his comm.

"Cap'n, the beach is no more than thirty meters ahead. But you're gonna have to completely submerge for me to be able to transport you both, and you're gonna have to make a large target."

"What?" he roared, unable to hear his engineer over the constant volley of phaser fire.

"You're gonna have to make one big target for me to beam up, not two, so get real close and get all the way under the water!"

Kirk looked at Bishop, her sweaty face becoming more pale by the minute. "Allright, Scotty, we're gonna make a run for it. Keep on our position and the second we hit that water beam us the hell outta here or we're gonna have more holes in us than even Bones can plug."

"Aye, Cap'n."

"You ready?" he asked the stoic woman beside him, noting the crimson pool was becoming scarily deeper by the second.

She nodded in return. "I count five soldiers, two to my right and three on your left. If we come out firing and keep firing we should have a good chance to make it."

"Okay, let's do it."

They both rose to their feet behind the protection of the tree, and after a silent count they backed away and began firing behind them as they broke through the remaining edge of the forest. Blasts tore through the trees and shrubs all around them, but none found their mark. Kirk silently thanked the Cambron military system for not training their soldiers to be better marksman. He turned to quickly pull off a few more lasting phaser blasts to ward off their pursuers and by then the beach was in range.

Bishop's arms and legs were pumping beside him, somehow keeping up with his frenetic running pace despite her wound. "Bishop!" he yelled, hoping to caution her for what he knew was coming. "This is gonna hurt like hell!"

"I know!" she yelled back as they hit the freezing cold water. She had already thought about how the mixed blessing of higher salinity would ultimately take them back to the safety of the Enterprise, and had tried to prepare for the assault of fresh pain that would come when her wound filled with the same salt water. She was unprepared, however, for the searing, mind numbing shock that filled her eyes with tears and effectively knocked the wind out of her when she submerged. Desperate to breathe, her body reacted involuntarily and shot back to the surface to drink in precious gasps of air.

"NOW, Scotty!" Kirk yelled into his comm, his head bobbing momentarily on the surface next to hers as phaser fire began to rain down upon the water. He grabbed her around the waist with one arm and around the shoulders with the other before dragging them both under the surface again. He held her tightly to him, the merciless piercing pain in her left arm causing her to return the gesture with equal strength with her right. She could feel the swirling lights of the transporter begin to wrap around them as she desperately dug her hands into the fabric of Kirk's shirt. Pulling his chest closer to her face to muffle her silent screams of agony, the waves of anguish were finally too much to bear. As the lights grew brighter and brighter, her mind became more and more hazy until finally all was black.

Kirk could feel the moment Bishop lost consciousness. He gripped her tightly, not wanting her body to kick her back to the surface, and felt her agony as she frantically clung to him for dear life. She unceremoniously buried her face into his chest, silently suffering an agony he could only imagine. He felt the gentle tug of the transporter just as her body went completely slack, her hands and arms terrifyingly relinquishing their death grip hold on his shirt and torso. For a few moments he was suspended, alone in time and space, and could only clutch her limp body even closer to comfort them both.

After what seemed like an eternity, he felt the familiar push as gravity deposited him unceremoniously on top of Bishop on the transport pad with a loud 'thud'. He was still clinging tightly to her limp body as he regained his bearings.

Spock had been waiting for them in the transport room since Mr. Scott had briefly lost contact, and quickly moved to assist his Captain, still unsure whether or not he had been wounded. "Jim!" he exclaimed, alarmed at the quantity of blood quickly pooling on the transport pad.

Kirk's wild eyes scanned the room. He knew Spock would be there, knew he would have had knowledge of their situation and been tracking their every move and communication. Right now, though, that's not who he needed.

"Bones!" he began to yell. "Where's Bones? Bishop's hurt!"

Untangling his limbs from hers, Kirk desperately tried to lift her, only to find he suddenly lacked the strength. "Let me assist, Captain," Spock offered, deftly lifting Bishop into his arms as McCoy burst into the transport room.

"What happened?" the doctor demanded, quickly assessing both Kirk and Bishop and the blood on both of them before waving Spock ahead with her to the sick bay.

Kirk's teeth suddenly started chattering, and he felt extremely weak. He tried his best to walk, but he began to weave and was unsteady on his feet, his legs finally giving out from under him. "Bones...what...?" he began, but the older man cut him off as he put one of Kirk's arms around his shoulder to assist him.

"Extremely high levels of sodium plus freezing water plus magnetically charged atmosphere equals one a hell of a transport ride," McCoy offered. "You'll both be feeling this for a few days, Jim."

"Bishop," Kirk managed to mumble, barely aware of the brightness of the hallway as they passed. "Bones...she's shot."

"Yes Jim, I know," the doctor replied, mouth set in a firm line.

"No...no, she's shot...I mean she got shot, not me..." McCoy regarded his Captain warily, momentarily wondering if perhaps Kirk was allergic to salt water. At his friend's continued look of confusion Kirk finally stopped dead in the hallway and put his hand directly on McCoy's chest to gather his bearings and attempt to form a coherent sentence.

"Bishop got shot. Instead of me. Pushed me outta the way. Woulda killed me. Woulda got me right here," he removed his hand from Bones' chest to form a fist and pounded it against his own sternum. "Make sure she's okay first."

McCoy's eyebrow rose at his friend's revelation as well as the implied order from his Captain. "She'll be fine, and I'll take good care of her," he promised.

Kirk nodded wearily, knowing she would be in the best and most capable hands, and as he was carefully deposited onto a biobed he finally closed his eyes.

************Please review!*******************I would like to know your thoughts on the story thus far!*********


	5. Chapter 5

His head hurt.

A lot.

Further internal observation of the rest of his body was not much of an improvement, as his entire body felt as though he had just slept off a three-night bender and had awoken with the worst hangover in the history of the world. All of his muscles ached, and the chronic pounding behind his eyes made him want to return to the relief of sleep.

_Wake up. Someone needs you._

His subconscious mind had prompted the stirring of his body, eventually forcing him from sleep at the nagging feeling that he was needed; that someone was counting on him to return to consciousness though he couldn't remember who or why.

With great effort he commanded his eyelids to open, wincing at the colors that burst into his field of vision. Thankfully the room was dim, and his hands rubbed across his eyes and face in an attempt to focus. Bones was staring at him intently.

"Good! You're finally awake," the doctor grumbled, rising quickly to run a scan over the Captain's head and bring his biobed to more of an upright sitting position. "You've been sleeping longer than a grizzly bear in hibernation."

"What the hell happened," Kirk asked in a croaked voice, disoriented and confused. He was thankful for the small cup of water Bones thrust into his hands and drained it quickly. "How long have I been out?"

"Almost twelve hours. When Mr. Scott transported you off of the planet, you had to be submerged in the water to alleviate the effects of the planet's magnetic field. But Mr. Scott and the computer also had to distinguish between the salt water and your flesh, and as a result a lot of the fluid from your body was lost during the transport resulting in severe dehydration." McCoy paused only a moment to reach out and quickly activate a hypospray into the Captain's neck.

"Oww," the younger man groused. "What was that for?"

"Do you want your headache to go away or not?" he asked. "Don't be such an infant, Jim. I had to wait until you woke up to give you a painkiller. Your hydration levels are back up to normal, but you may feel a bit sluggish for the next day or so."

Indeed, his headache was already beginning to dissipate and McCoy noticed the instant change in his demeanor as the block of pain was removed. Kirk's face had turned pensive as he rubbed his neck, his mind finally able to sort through the assortment of scattered memories and now racing to catch up and reconcile with current events.

_Phaser fire...Freezing cold water...Body warmth...Strong hands digging into his shirt...Transport lights...Alone...Spock...Blood...Bones..._

"Bishop!" he exclaimed, his mind recalling her motionless, bleeding form as the doctor had hovered over her in the medical bay. His frantic eyes shot up to find McCoy's, who had anticipated the question.

"She's fine, Jim," he soothed. "Was touch and go for a little while there, but I only have one more regenerative treatment and I can begin weaning her off of the sedation."

Kirk exhaled a loud breath of relief, his memories momentarily returning to the force with which her body had plowed into his, and the subsequent pool of blood on the ground dripping from her useless arm. "I want to see her."

"I figured as much," McCoy grumbled. "Now that you're awake and your vitals are normal I'm releasing you, but for the love of pete get cleaned up first." He motioned to the crisp, clean gold shirt on top of the pile of clean clothes and the small shower nearby and wrinkled his nose. "You stink."

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A freshly showered and somewhat refreshed Captain Kirk strode next to the doctor as they crossed into the adjoining section of the medical bay. The lights were dimmed here also, and Kirk guessed it must be well into the gamma shift as they quietly crossed to the far side of the room.

Bones turned to put a hand on his Captain's chest before proceeding. "The Princess has been here with her since you beamed onboard. Any chance you have to get her to return to her quarters and get some good rest would be advised. Damn woman's gonna start a planetary war trying to negotiate peace with sleep deprivation..." he grumbled.

They stepped around the curtain and Kirk could indeed see the lines of fatigue on the Princess' face, despite being relaxed in sleep. She had positioned herself in a reclining chair, although he knew from firsthand experience how uncomfortable they were for prolonged periods of time. At some point she had been covered with a blanket as she slumbered, and he could only guess that Bones was responsible for that small act of comfort. The doctor's gruff outward exterior belied the truly compassionate and caring man that he really was.

Finally his gaze swept over Bishop. She was resting peacefully at the moment, although as Bones had said it was mostly due to the sedation at this point. The medical gown was pulled down slightly from the neck, covering her chest but completely exposing her left arm and shoulder until it tucked neatly under her left side. Her upper left arm was completely covered and wrapped with a thick white bandage, and her cheek still bore the large bruise from the Cambronese soldier's weapon as they had fought. Her face was pale, and the dark shadows and deep crevices under her eyes were glaring evidence of the recent trauma. Indeed, it was readily apparent that she was not simply sleeping.

"She'll be okay, right? I mean, completely back to normal?" Kirk whispered as he glanced at the doctor anxiously.

"Yeah, she should get all of her motor functions back with no problem."

The Captain chewed on his thumb for a moment, again pensive as he regarded her still form. "She saved my life, Bones."

"So you said."

Several long moments passed as Kirk continued to gaze at Bishop, his brilliant mind churning and processing through information. Finally he pulled his eyes away from her to rest fully on the doctor, and McCoy was not at all surprised at the intensity reflected within the shimmering pools of blue. Righteous anger and an overwhelming lust for justice had taken hold of the Captain, his normal protective nature enhanced by the gratitude of Bishop's sacrifice and the knowledge that it should have been him.

Kirk's jaw clenched with resolution before turning away and stating in a low voice, "I need to talk to Spock."

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"Captain, our options at this moment are limited," Spock reiterated, quickly becoming weary at the constant pacing of his Captain as they spoke. "Until the Princess can contact her supporters and attempt to..."

"Dammit, Spock," he swore, momentarily ceased his pacing to grip the back of one of the conference room chairs, knuckles whitening with the force. "How are we supposed to know who her supporters even are? When we get to Naihoon how are we going to know it won't be another ambush?"

Spock was quiet for a moment. "I cannot answer those questions with any degree of accuracy, Captain."

Soft footsteps entered the room as they spoke, and before they could turn to address the interruption the Princess' voice rang clear through the room.

"My supporters on Naihoon are above reproach, Captain Kirk, I assure you. We will not be ambushed."

Kirk observed the woman carefully, noting the tired lines on her face were more defined without the softness of sleep. Her royal Cambronese gown had long been discarded in favor of the standard issue Starfleet black shirt and pants, and the dark colors only served to accentuate the woman's slight petite build and weary countenance.

"Your highness," Kirk nodded his head respectfully. "Forgive me, but how can you be so certain? Did you have any idea your own soldiers would turn against you until they actually did it?"

"Those soldiers," she began in a low voice, "were not of my charge. They were sent from my home planet of Cambron to provide protection for the ambassadors, not for me. The people of Naihoon and those that have gathered to support our cause have long awaited the day for our forces to be joined together with King Hassou's."

Spock gauged her warily. "Logic would indicate, however, that there is a much greater chance for betrayal now that there is ample evidence of an ongoing plot against you."

The Princess swallowed, visibly absorbing the First Officer's words. "I agree, Commander Spock. However this is our only viable option and we have to risk it. We must travel to Naihoon to regroup. If our forces fail or if I am killed, the outcome would be the same."

She paused for a moment. "I appreciate all of your efforts thus far, but also recognize this is not your battle and certainly not your war. There is also a small system near Naihoon that we can be taken to. I can contact my Captain of the Guard from there for retrieval and you will have fulfilled your promise, Captain."

Kirk glanced at his First Officer for only a brief moment before he spoke without hesitation. "I gave my promise that we would get you safely _home_," he emphasized the word. "To me, that means we will escort you under our protection until we have reached Cambron."

Spock's eyebrows rose slightly, indiscernible for someone who did not know the Vulcan as well as his Captain. Kirk could only guardedly meet Spock's eyes before adding, "We'll just need to make a few detours on the way."


	6. Chapter 6

Hi all!

Sorry, this chapter is kind of long, but it had to be in order to keep the flow going. Please read and review and let me know what you think! We're just getting started with the good stuff - plenty more to come but reviews are definitely appreciated!

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"Dr. McCoy to the Bridge."

"Yeah, Bones," Kirk replied, sitting up slightly in his Captain's chair.

"I thought you would be interested to know that Lieutenant Bishop is awake."

"Thanks, I'll be right down," the Captain nodded, before turning to Sulu. With the exception of the junior Communications officer working diligently behind them, the two men were alone on the bridge. Kirk had served a full day at the helm of his ship, working straight through from the end of one gamma shift to the beginning of the next. He was anxious to be back after losing so many days from the peace summit and the medical bay, but Bones' warning about feeling sluggish now seemed to be a huge understatement. The term 'dead on his feet' took on a new meaning as he tiredly rose from the chair.

"Approximately 18 hours until we reach Naihoon, is that correct, Sulu?"

"Yes, sir," he replied.

"Good. Let me know if anything changes."

Kirk made his way through the quiet and empty corridors until he reached the medical bay. The doors whooshed open, and as he turned into the adjoining section he could hear Bones' deep voice resonating through the otherwise empty area.

"...but you may still feel pretty woozy for the next day or two."

Bishop was sitting upright on the biobed, left arm now sporting only a small surface bandage under the black Starfleet issue t-shirt. Her face reflected the weariness of a traumatic injury, but she had regained some color and her eyes were bright and alert. Kirk suspected that the good doctor had probably taken his time before summoning the Captain, and that it was well after she had regained consciousness.

Kirk's movement caught Bishop's eye. "Captain," she exclaimed with a small smile. "It is good to see you in one piece."

He returned her small smile and slightly bowed his head. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here and I definitely wouldn't be in one piece." His words seemed to make her uncomfortable, for she dropped her eyes and didn't want to meet his gaze.

"Lieutenant Bishop," he stated firmly, in his most Captain-like voice. Her eyes jumped back to meet his, and he hoped the softness and gratitude he wanted to convey were adequately communicated when he simply said, "Thank you."

Her green eyes eased somewhat at his gracious words, and she dipped her head in a silent nod of acceptance. "You're welcome, Captain."

"Jim. Please call me Jim," he stated softly. "How're you feeling?"

She eased her arm up and down, then side to side. "Well, other than feeling like I need to sleep for another day, I feel pretty good," she smiled. "Dr. McCoy has healed me up nicely, I think."

Bones grumbled, turning to leave her bedside. "You need to get some more rest, so don't think you're taking off any time soon," he warned over his shoulder. The sound of his footsteps grew quieter, until it was just the two of them alone. Kirk surprised her by pulling a small chair over to her bedside and lowering his weary body into it.

"And how are you feeling, Captain?" she queried, ignoring his earlier request and assessing his fatigued stature and red-rimmed eyes. "You look most exhausted."

A small laugh escaped his lips, at both her inquiry as well as her disregard for his attempt at casualness. "I am exhausted. I feel like I could sleep for a whole day as well. But I can't do that quite yet," he prefaced before turning back to his serious 'Captain' tone. "I have some questions and I think you're the only one that will answer them."

Instantly her face became guarded, and perhaps a bit wary. "I will do my best, Captain."

"Jim," he insisted. "I am not your Captain. To you I'm just Jim."

"I will do my best...Jim," she whispered his name as if it were a foreign language, and he relished the way her voice caressed it when she spoke. He held her gaze, swimming in the depths of her emerald eyes for a moment longer than was necessary. Her eyes flashed in response, and with the brief flicker he thought perhaps he saw his unchaste thoughts reflected there.

Blinking several times to collect himself, he forged ahead with the initial reason he had come to the medical bay in the first place. He was here not only to reassure himself she was healing well, but also for information currently missing from their understanding of the situation at hand.

"Tell me about the Princess," he queried.

Her eyes crinkled, and he could not discern whether it was in confusion or annoyance. "I'm not sure what you would like to know," she offered guardedly.

"Tell me about how this whole mess got started. Why isn't she on her home world? What happened to her father? Why are all of these different nations trying to jeopardize her attempts at peace? If my crew and I are to be in the middle of all of this I have a right to know the full story here," he said lowly.

Bishop's guarded stance relaxed somewhat as she understood more about the source of Kirk's confusion. He was responsible for hundreds of lives aboard this ship, not just the two hitchhikers he had so recently acquired, and he had proven himself to be a very honorable and trustworthy man thus far. He had also proven to be quite intelligent, if not brilliant, so of course he would want more information in order to piece together the full puzzle. His physical demeanor was open and friendly, but his electric blue eyes held a barely restrained yet obviously evident determination that she found both perplexing and exhilarating.

"Why haven't you asked her these questions yourself?" she wondered out loud.

"I tried," he admitted. "She said you were the best person to ask about the whole situation, although I'm not sure exactly why," he acknowledged his confusion regarding the Princess' response. She sighed a deep, long-winded sigh that made her appear ten years older, then sat in silence for several long moments before eventually reconciling herself to open up to the handsome Captain.

"The Princess' life has not been easy," she began softly, her voice just above a whisper and her eyes taking on a shadowed, faraway look. "Her Uncle, then King Maslon of Cambron, was brutally murdered by the palace guards along with his sister, who was her mother."

A pregnant pause followed before she slowly continued. "The Princess saw everything. Her mother had hidden her in a wardrobe to protect her when they heard the guards coming. There was a crack in the door and she saw everything."

She paused again, her haunted eyes unable to meet Kirk's sympathetic gaze. Instead they focused on a nonexistent spot at the foot of the biobed. "The Princess and her mother were not supposed to be there that day, in her Uncle's quarters, but the King doted on his niece and had inquired about allowing her to begin fencing lessons. They were there discussing it when the guards arrived as part of the planned revolt."

"After, her father arranged for her to be taken away to safety in order to protect her. The former King had no living heirs, and her father didn't know whether he would become king by default or if a bloody civil war would break out. A revolt did occur, but they managed to subdue it through the formation of a relatively democratic council and the total amount of blood lost was relatively minor; or so says the history books," she ended sharply, her voice belying her incensed feelings on the importance of the blood that was indeed spilled that first day.

Bishop paused for a moment, licking her lips, and Kirk instinctively handed her the small cup of water on the bedside table. She took a few small sips before continuing, her eyes beginning to regain their normal focus. The break seemed to help her distance herself from the horrible atrocity she was describing, and when she continued her voice was again clear and authoritative.

"King Hassou has effectively ruled Cambron for the past 18 years. During that time, the influence and power of his kingdom has expanded exponentially, as he is a brilliant and forward thinking-man. All of the planets within our system look to him for protection, guidance, and especially commerce. However, some of the stronger members of the democratic Council are tired of still being accountable to a King. They feel they could control the entire system just as well without him, and have found an opportunity to 'expose' him as a despotic King simply trying to maintain his rule."

Kirk interjected at this point, "You mean through the weaponization initiative?"

She nodded. "The Council wants to develop a means to 'protect' the planet, and the other planets in the system, by developing a massive weaponization system. I truly believe this is a falsehood, because the system would simply give them a means to attack and absorb many of the smaller planets that are not as modernized as Cambron whom we have decades of outstanding trade relations with due to their overabundance of natural resources."

He nodded with her, the pieces beginning to fall into place. "I see. So once the Council has this system under their control under the guise of protection, they easily dispose of the King and systematically begin pillaging the surrounding planets of their natural resources, and potentially expanding their rule into other systems as well."

"Yes," she continued. "The King has tried to form a quasi-Federation of the various planets within our system so that they would ultimately be of one body under one rule. The biggest problem with his plan is that the other planets do not want to be ruled by him or his council, and the council itself will not release their hold on power. That's where the Princess comes in."

Bishop sat down the water cup she was still holding, the luminosity in her eyes beginning to dance from the overhead lights of the Medical Bay as she spoke. "It would be a much better solution for each of the planets in the system to have their own individualized government, with a democratically elected body of representatives who would meet, with equal votes, as part of a new system-wide Congress. Many of the government officials on each planet have expressed approval of this idea, and if the King can rally his remaining supporters together with those of ours, they would far outnumber our opponents and a peaceful changing of the guard can occur."

Kirk was impressed. "That sounds...very reasonable," he offered. "But what if the King does not want to give up his power on Cambron?"

She was taken aback at his suggestion. "Why would he be opposed? His entire reign has been an attempt to keep peace within the system and allow it to prosper. He is not a power monger, and is open to anything that will avert war."

The Captain hoped she was right, but was not completely convinced. "Has the Princess contacted the King? What will happen if his supporters are not nearly as numerous as you anticipate?"

The long pause that followed gave Kirk part of the answer he was hoping against. "We have not contacted King Hassou, as we cannot in any way reveal our plans to our opponents. We do have very good intelligence that numerous supporters for both the King and the Princess are still holding out hope for an alternative to mass weaponization or all out war." She briefly paused again, "but if the unforeseen happens, I would say an all out civil war across the entire system is imminent."

Kirk rubbed his lower lip with his thumb, thoughtful for a moment. "So how does the Princess factor into all of this? I mean, sure that's a great plan she's developed, but I would think the Congress could try to form itself without her. Why is her physical presence so important for all of this?"

Bishop's chin jutted out ever so defiantly as her eyes continued to blaze. "The Princess is the niece of former King Maslon. As such, she is the only blood relative of the former monarch, under whose family peace reigned throughout the entire system for centuries. King Hassou has performed valiantly in his position, however the Princess is truly part of the royal dynasty and needs to rise up to once again unite the system. The people need her to be alive and healthy in order to truly believe the Congress has a fighting chance with her support."

"That's a lot of pressure to put on such tiny shoulders," Kirk offered with a low whistle.

Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "Believe me, she is up to the challenge," she affirmed darkly.

"Of that I have no doubt, especially with you by her side," he agreed. "And just how exactly did you get involved in all of this?"

Bishop was momentarily taken aback, and had to take a moment to collect herself. Now it was the Captain's turn to slightly narrow his eyes, wondering about the reason for the young woman's change in demeanor. She had been eagerly leaning forward in the small bed, eyes blazing with fiery passion as she discussed the impending crisis on her home planet. But now she was reserved, calm, and seemed to be struggling to realign a protective mask that she had easily dropped with him only minutes before.

"We were six years old when her father sent her away," Bishop began, measuring her words carefully. "I, too, lost my mother at a very young age, and had previously grown up as a guest in the royal palace alongside the Princess. My father had been a trusted advisor to King Maslon and became her guardian, taking us both away from Cambron to a system far away for protection. He ultimately became the father the Princess never had, and provided education and training for both of us as equals."

"The Princess and I were very near the same age, and so of course we became each other's friend and confidant. Our education and training spanned a multitude of various disciplines and subjects. I excelled at the physical subjects, history, and military tactics, and the Princess was much more level-headed and calm, excelling in philosophy and diplomacy. We really do a good job of complimenting each other," she finished lamely.

"I don't know about that," Kirk began, eyes dancing as he leaned forward in his chair to rest his arm softly on the bed next to her hip. "You seem to also have a pretty good knowledge base regarding diplomacy as well. I think maybe you're selling yourself a bit short."

She gave him a soft knowing smile, her eyes crinkling slightly. "Yes, Jim. We are indeed both very well rounded."

The Captain laughed out loud at this before daring to gently reach out with his fingers and stroke the knuckle of her thumb. He became serious once again as his mind focused on the haunted shadows that had so recently crossed her beautiful face. "I'm sorry about losing your Mother," he offered tenderly, brilliant sapphire eyes meeting jade green as he impulsively made the decision to lay himself bare at her bedside.

"I never knew my father, he died on the day of my birth. He gave his own life to save my mother and I...and...well..." he blew out a breath as his fingers continued to caress her thumb. "I don't think it's something I'll ever truly get over," he admitted, overpowering grief and loss momentarily causing a hitch in his breath.

The corners of her eyes were moist when her fingers fully intertwined with his, his thumb instantly drawn to the iridescent pattern on the back of her hand. It shimmered under his gentle caress, its delicate color smooth under the pad of his thumb. "Then I know," she whispered, almost not trusting herself to speak, "that you understand me in a way that very few others can."

The intimacy of the moment overwhelmed Kirk. No one else truly knew how deeply the sacrifice of his father had permeated every pore of his very existence. And now, after knowing her for only a relatively short period of time, he was oddly comfortable baring his deepest stored emotions to the beautiful woman sitting before him. Their fingers were still tangled, and through the simple contact he could feel the physical magnetism of their forged bond pulling him closer to her. As he slightly rose from his chair, he could see approval and permission reflected in her eyes, mixed with a heady dose of desire as he carefully leaned towards her.

His eyes were focused on her lips, desperately wanting to close the distance quickly and cover them with his own but fighting to take it slow and gentle. Her lips parted ever so slightly, preparing to receive him, and he could feel her warm breath on his cheek as his bottom lip barely brushed against hers.

"Lieutenant Bishop, I just need to..." Bones' weighty voice broke off suddenly, the two of them jerking away from each other in startled surprise. So focused on their close physicality, they hadn't heard the doctor's incoming footsteps until it was too late. Bones noticed though, appraising Bishop's bright pink cheeks and Kirk's glazed and embarrassed expression. Combined with their close proximity he was quickly able to put two and two together.

"Dammit man, I just got her put back together! What do you think you're doing?" he thundered at his Captain.

"Bones, it's not what you think..."

"Get out of here!" the doctor ordered, pushing him towards the door of the medical bay and firmly inserting himself between the two.

"Bones!" Jim exclaimed. "Settle down!"

"I will NOT settle down! She needs to be resting, not wrestling a greased pig. And yes, you're the greased pig, Jim," he asserted as he poked the younger man in the chest. Noting the dark circles under Kirk's eyes as well, his voice abruptly lowered to a more reasonable volume before adding, "Now get out of here and go get some rest yourself. I just got you patched up too and we'll be to Naihoon in less than a day. For God's sake I don't need you two back in here together" he gestured dramatically.

Kirk looked helplessly over McCoy's shoulder at Bishop, whom he thought was even more beautiful with her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. He briefly met her gaze, his normal self-assuredness completely failing him, until he was rewarded with the smoldering remains of their intimate moment reflected in the emerald depths. Her burning stare told him that although embarrassed at the interruption, she was disappointed at the interruption as well.

He gave her a dazzling smile, buoyed by the residual fire in her expression. "We'll finish up with that pig later then," he called out, before the doctor ungracefully pushed him the rest of the way through the door.

"Toddlers and infants," Mccoy muttered under his breath.


	7. Chapter 7

Jim awoke with a start, body lurching into consciousness suddenly and unexpectedly as his head jerked up from his pillow. The display next to the bed indicated he had been asleep for over fourteen hours straight, which also meant they were nearing Naihoon. Wearily he rolled over onto his back, and for a brief moment he flopped his arm over his eyes and debated going back to sleep for just a few more minutes.

Nothing in particular had caused him to awaken. In fact, the gentle hum of the ship's engines always served as somewhat of a lullaby to Jim, easily the most soothing and comforting sensation he had ever encountered. The Captain's mind was not easily disengaged, methodically churning and computing long after his weary body had settled in for rest, which often prevented him from relaxing enough to actually complete a quality sleep cycle. In rare times of calm and serenity, however, the mellow purring of the Enterprise's engines were enough to soothe his brain functions into tranquility similar to a mother rocking a newborn.

Several minutes passed, however, and despite the familiar comfort of the ship he quickly decided that he would be unable to shut his brain off again anytime soon. Indeed, it had already begun processing their impending arrival at Naihoon and all of the associated tasks for the landing party. It was still with some reluctance, though, that he finally pushed himself up from his warm cocoon and crossed to the small adjoining bathroom.

After a quick shower he felt much more human, and although the weariness had not completely left his body the quality sleep had definitely allowed for an improvement. Returning back to the video screen he hailed his First Officer.

"Captain. You look well rested," the Vulcan observed from the viewscreen, noting the dark circles and weary lines under his Captain's eyes were much less noticeable.

"Yeah," Kirk agreed. "I do feel better. We should be nearing Naihoon so let's regroup in the Bridge conference room to finalize our plans for contacting the planet."

"Yes, Captain. I will summon the others."

Kirk grabbed an apple off of the tray in his quarters before emerging into the bright hallway, hungrily chomping into it as he walked. As he waited a moment for the turbolift to take him to the Bridge, he briefly wondered if Bishop had been able to rest as well as he had. His question was answered when the doors opened to reveal none other than Bishop herself in the lift.

"Captain," she smiled as the door closed behind him, and her eyes brightened at his refreshed appearance as he moved to stand next to her in the lift. He quickly appraised her with a sidelong glance, relieved to note only a small scar was now visible under the sleeve of her black Starfleet tee shirt, and that she too looked well rested and somewhat revitalized. Her still damp hair was once again pulled back in a neat side braid, cascading from one temple to just below the opposite ear before the remaining braid spilled down her shoulder almost to her breast.

"Lieutenant," he mirrored her formal address. "I see we are back to formalities again," he teased.

She ducked her head, almost imperceptibly, before turning her head slightly to meet his smiling eyes with her own. "Yes, _Jim_," she emphasized his name with a slight lilt. She smelled of sunshine and flowers, and for a long moment he simply stared into her eyes, unsure of exactly what he was seeing reflected there.

The lift door whooshed open again this time revealing Spock, who caught the end of the silent exchange before Kirk was able to tear his eyes away. The Vulcan's brow furrowed only slightly, and he made a silent note to discuss the matter with the Captain at a more conducive time, and possibly after more substantial evidence had been collected.

"Spock," Kirk greeted, moving to stand slightly closer to Bishop as the other man entered the lift and stood in front of them.

"Captain," he nodded graciously, turning his back to the pair when the doors again closed.

Kirk's eyes never left the back of Spock's head, but his hand hung loosely at his side as he stood. His fingers were sufficiently close to Bishop's to make gentle contact when he moved, using a twitch in his pinky to cleverly graze the side of hers. She responded by lightly intertwining her pinky finger with his for only a fleeting moment, giving a tender squeeze before quickly removing the contact and moving slightly away, both hands clasped together in front of her.

Spock, to his credit, witnessed the entire exchange despite not actually seeing any of it. Along with the waves of intensity and barely controlled emotion emanating from the Captain and the Lieutenant, which was more than sufficient to make him feel uncomfortable, both of their physiological indicators had suddenly and exponentially spiked. The subtle sound of movement behind him indicated they were shifting slightly away from each other as they neared their destination in a misguided effort to be more discreet, however Spock was already certain his earlier observation had positively received more merit.

Thankfully for the Vulcan the lift finally stopped, doors opening onto the Bridge. Spock and Kirk both stepped aside to let Bishop exit first, and as Kirk exited Spock fell into step beside him.

"Captain," he began directly, with only a slight hesitation in his voice. "May I have a word?"

Kirk quickly glanced into the conference room. Seeing that the Princess and the head of the security detail were not yet on the bridge he nodded affirmation. Spock led them to a fairly private corner of the bridge before turning to face his Captain.

"What is it, Spock?" Jim questioned warily, curious as to what could possibly be making his First Officer look this uncomfortable.

"It is in regards to Lieutenant Bishop."

Jim's heart instantly began pounding in his chest. "Why? What's the matter?" he inquired, wondering if something else had happened while he'd been resting.

"I have observed several recent personal interactions you have shared with the Lieutenant, and it is obvious that you desire to develop more than a professional relationship with her."

Kirk's face flushed, ever so slightly, now understanding where Spock's awkwardness was coming from.

"Spock, it's not like that," he offered, trying to feign indifference. "She was seriously wounded while saving my life and I'm just really glad she's okay."

Spock's eyebrow lifted slightly, obviously not believing the Captain was being completely forthcoming.

"What?" Kirk replied hotly, they accusatory eyebrow still giving him an uneasy stare and making him uncomfortable under its scrutiny.

"Captain, I say that it is obvious because recent experiences of close proximity to Lieutenant Bishop have resulted in increased heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature measurements in you both. This is typically a physiological indicator of a psychological or emotional desire."

"Wait...what? You noticed this in both of us?" he smiled slightly. "So in your estimation, would you say that Lieutenant Bishop appeared to be having the same reaction to me that I was having to her?"

Spock was clearly embarrassed by this line of questioning, but remained unnerved in his original mission to discuss it with the Captain. He looked at Jim's bright blue eyes, the mischievous excitement lurking just below the surface with confirmed knowledge that Bishop had displayed similar physiological indicators of their proximity just as he had. In the space of no more than thirty seconds, Spock had unintentionally given his Captain the means and reinforcement to be effectively reduced back to a first year Academy cadet, recklessly and undiplomatically pursuing the female within his sights.

Determined to irrevocably make his intended, and probably not very well-received point, he lowered his voice and leaned in slightly.

"Be careful, Jim."

Kirk's eyes, dazzling and roguish only a moment before, instantly snapped back, becoming apprehensive and guarded as he observed his First Officer's dark and resolute expression. "Why do you say that?"

Spock had not adequately prepared for this, but earnestly forged ahead. "Lieutenant Bishop's life is not her own. Do not forget that she is committed and passionate about her duty to her planet. Indeed, it has already claimed her life one way or another; she will either die serving her home world or will serve it for the entirety of her life. Such is the duty of a soldier."

Kirk silently absorbed his words, and for a moment Spock genuinely wished he had not been the one to cause the forlorn expression on his friend's face. After a fleeting moment of transition, he quickly righted himself and activated what only Dr. McCoy described as 'Charming Jim Mode', forcing a smile before giving Spock a quick slap on his upper arm.

"I told you. It's not like that at all," Kirk offered somewhat unconvincingly. "There is absolutely nothing to be worried about, Commander. We will drop the Princess and the Lieutenant at Cambron and our duty will be fulfilled, simple and easy. Nothing more to it than that," he finished, the indifferent tone in his words not fully reaching his eyes as he turned back towards the conference room

"Indeed, Captain," Spock agreed, knowing nothing was ever that simple where Jim Kirk was concerned, especially if his emotions were involved.

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The landing party was heavily armed as they prepared to transport down to the surface of Naihoon. Kirk and Spock were taking no chances of another ambush, and as such both men, Bishop, and the three members of the security detail had all doubled up with weapons. It was also decided the Princess would remain aboard the Enterprise, which was still safely hidden behind a small neighboring moon, until her safety could be confirmed on the planet. No amount of insistence from her stating the Captain of the Guard was above reproach would remove Kirk's wariness, or his standing order that she stay safely aboard.

Bishop, for her part, understood the Captain's hesitancy where the Princess' safety was concerned, but was confused as to why he suddenly seemed to be avoiding her. Ever since they had smiled and teased each other in the elevator several hours before, the Captain seemed to be doing his best to forget her very existence. She supposed that meant the end of their little flirting game, and now that it was over she could return to being just a soldier just as he had so obviously resumed being a Captain. Honestly, she felt more comfortable as a soldier than as the subject of masculine attention. But she also admitted to herself it was nice, if only briefly, to hold the attention of such a handsome and fascinating man as James T. Kirk.

She would definitely miss that smile and those brilliant blue eyes.

Restoring her earlier train of thought, she stretched out her left arm, rotating her shoulder the full range of motion to test the newly healed skin and muscle one last time as they took their places on the transport pad. Dr. McCoy definitely did good work; she didn't even feel a twinge. She could feel someone's eyes, probably the Captain's, watching her as she lowered her arm and stepped into place, but her only response was to slightly stick out her chin defiantly and ready her weapon in front of her. At this point she would never admit to agreeing with him, but she, too, felt somewhat apprehensive about this meeting and was thankful he had also insisted on extra firepower.

"Are we ready, Mr. Scott?" Kirk questioned.

"Aye, Cap'n," the Scotsman replied.

"Energize."

The swirling white lights gently began to pull, and Bishop closed her eyes lest she remember the previous harrowing trip she took on the same ride. Before she could even open them, she felt the warm tropical ocean breeze and could smell the fragrant plumeria in the air. The white lights eventually gave way to bright sunshine, which felt glorious on her arms and face, and she finally opened them to see the lush green vegetation completely surrounding them as far as the eye could see. She turned slowly to her right to regain her bearings and knew immediately where they were.

"The signaling beacon is this way," she pointed up towards a small rise and began walking, waving for the men to follow suit.

"Lieutenant Bishop," Commander Spock began, following in step behind her, "this planet is certainly very fruitful in regards to vegetation. Is it mostly a wet tropical climate?"

"It is very diverse depending where you are. From here to the east the mountains extend up to a very temperate, then alpine cold climate, but if you travel to the west," she pointed slightly behind them, "you'll come to the ocean where the majority of the population lives. That's where Captain Tellek will be traveling from once we activate the beacon."

"Kinda reminds me of Hawaii," Kirk offered, mostly to Spock as he took in the tropical foliage.

"And the beacon is approximately half a mile away?" Spock questioned again.

"Yes, right at the top of that small ridge," Bishop stopped to point, and Kirk could see a small clearing, somewhat elevated from their current position. The sunshine was dazzling in the sky, though not hot as it caressed his skin thanks to a temperate trade wind. He had to blink slightly to better see the clearing, and he fervently hoped there was nothing on the planet he was allergic to.

They hiked up in elevation through the sweet smelling tropical grass for several minutes, attempting to stay within the relative shelter of the tree line as much as possible before arriving at the beacon. Without hesitation, Bishop walked over to a large boulder and knelt on the ground in front of it. She smoothed out the grass, digging her finger slightly under the front edge of the rock, before finding a catch and flicking a small, hand-sized door open.

Inside the door was a petite white touchpad, on which Bishop placed only her thumb. The pad lit up, flickered, flashed orange, then a bright white. Satisfied, she closed the small door and returned to her feet.

"I've activated the beacon. Captain Tellek should be here within the hour."

Spock was immensely curious about what he'd just seen, as was Kirk. The Captain, though, was valiantly trying to maintain a minimum safe distance. He had performed admirably in the past several hours while they had planned aboard the Enterprise, and had effectively managed to avoid any further one-on-one interaction with the striking Lieutenant. Spock's words remained in his head, unshakeable, and had prevented him from saying anything to her since their encounter in the turbo lift. He hadn't even commented when she was obviously testing out Bones' handiwork on her arm right before they had transported down, though his mind had been screaming to ask if she was really okay.

Kirk knew his sudden emotional withdrawal from his interactions with her was sure to leave her confused, but Spock was right, as always. No good could come out of this for either of them, and after a few more days he would probably never see her again, though the thought of that made Kirk's stomach clench with apprehension. He was certain the less interaction they had with each other the better, but he was having a hard time remembering why as he watched the sunlight dance through her blonde braid.

"Tell me, Lieutenant Bishop, how is it that you can activate the beacon without the Princess?" Spock queried, asking the question both men were thinking.

Bishop's eyes flashed darkly, her mouth set in a grim line. "The Princess and I grew up here together on this planet with my father after she fled Cambron. As we grew older, it was apparent we would need a method of signaling our supporters when we returned. There is a mechanism similar to this on Cambron, and we initially authorized either of us to activate it in case of emergency."

Kirk was carefully observing their surroundings to avoid seeing the residual emotional fire in Bishop's eyes. He had seen it before the previous evening when she told him about her past, and he was sure his resolve would crumble if he observed it again, so he instead assessed the physical limitations of the area. They would have to wait almost an hour for Tellek to arrive, and he couldn't help but feel like they were sitting ducks in the middle of the clearing. There was not ample protective cover anywhere near, but he did see a thick thatch of trees just to his left. If he could keep in contact with Scotty to be warned of approaching visitors, they might just have time to be transported back to the Enterprise if everything went to hell.

"Let's move over to that section of tree growth while we wait," Kirk ordered. "It will provide some semblance of protection if we need it."

For the first time in hours he dared to look directly at Bishop. "If we've walked right into an ambush at least this may give us somewhat of a fighting chance."

Her stony green soldier eyes only looked at him for a brief moment as she simply said, "Fine."

The six of them quickly took cover behind the small patch of trees, and Kirk was only somewhat dismayed when Bishop plopped down next to him behind the tree directly to his left. He cleared his throat before hailing Scotty onboard the Enterprise.

"Yes, Cap'n?"

"Mr. Scott, can you let us know when our hosts start heading our way?" he queried.

"Aye, Cap'n. I've got a good lock on your position as well, so if everything goes in da shitter we can get ya right back up."

He chuckled in spite of himself. "Thanks, Scotty. Kirk out."

They didn't have long to wait. Moreover, Kirk could sense Bishop's surprise when Scotty's voice rang out, albeit somewhat quieter than usual, only twenty minutes later.

"Cap'n!" his voice was almost as whisper. Eerily, Kirk was beginning to get an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu and every hair on the back of his neck was standing on end again. The last time they had been in this position they had very nearly been killed and he was definitely not eager to repeat it.

"Yeah, Scotty."

"I show seven different heat signatures approaching your position."

Kirk swallowed. Seven? That was a hell of a welcoming party. His eyes flickered to Bishop, and saw the uncertainty reflected there as she continued to peer into the clearing.

"Standby, Mr. Scott."

"Captain," Spock offered from his right. "The fact that there are seven individuals approaching may be an indicator of additional protective forces, rather than a threat as I believe you currently perceiving."

Kirk threw a glance at his First Officer. "Yeah, well, I've always been a firm believer in the 'walk softly and carry a big stick' theory." At Spock's perplexed expression he continued.

"Spock, it means don't go looking for trouble, but when it finds you you'd better be the one with the big stick."

"I see," he admitted, then was thoughtful for a long moment. "In that case, I am glad we have two." He reached into both of his holsters and retrieved his two weapons, readying them for their arriving visitors.

That drew a grin from the Captain. "Exactly." He raised his head slightly to address the three men on the security detail to Spock's right. "Do not fire unless we are fired upon or are threatened. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Captain," they intoned.

He ducked back behind the relative shelter of the trees, and chanced one more look at Bishop. "You absolutely sure we can trust these guys?" he asked lowly.

Her jaw clenched, then her face turned to boldly and unabashedly look him square in the eye. "I'm as sure about them as I am about you."

"That bad, huh?" he muttered to himself, settling in to wait for the impending arrival.

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	8. Chapter 8

Jim's world view was not pessimistic. His Chief Medical Officer aboard the Enterprise typically monopolized the allotted quota of humorous fatalism, while Kirk's natural stalwart idealism balanced the equilibrium between the two. However, as their small group watched Captain Tellek and his men emerge into the clearing, he could hear McCoy's doomsday voice in his head as clear as if the man were crouched next to him.

_We are in BIG trouble._

Tellek was at least a foot taller than Kirk and easily a hundred pounds heavier; all muscle, by the looks of it. His black long-sleeved jacket was tight around his shoulders and biceps, and Kirk could easily see the athletic build and rippling muscles throughout his entire body. He was tall, even for a Cambronese, but Jim had never seen an individual from Cambron with the sheer physical prowess that this man possessed. The six men following him were only slightly shorter but equally built, and Kirk knew if they had indeed been ambushed they would not fare well in hand-to-hand combat. Not to mention each of the seven men were holding large, menacing firearms in both of their hands.

"Captain," Spock's low whisper came from his right. "It appears we are outsized and outgunned."

"Thank you, Commander Obvious," Kirk snipped, nervously glancing at Bishop. As completely unsure of the situation as he was, she looked just as equally calm and collected. She was studying Tellek with discerning eyes, quickly appraising the situation, and finally yelled out to the large Captain.

"Captain Tellek, this is Lieutenant Bishop. I'm coming out."

Kirk's head snapped back to see her begin to rise from behind the tree. "You're what?" he panicked, rising with her.

Her green eyes blazed as she met his gaze. "Trust me," she intoned, holstering her weapon and raising her hands in a diplomatic gesture of surrender before moving from behind the tree.

"It's the big guys holding the weapons I don't trust," he mumbled, before turning to Spock and his security team. "Cover her. You see so much as a flinch of a finger on a trigger you take them out," he ordered severely.

Kirk watched Tellek carefully as Bishop approached him, scrutinizing every movement and expression on the other man's face. Though he was ready to intervene with his weapon at a moment's notice, the fatalistic voice was back again, this time reminding him Bishop would be long gone by the time they could do anything to help her. Ultimately, he knew the success of this meeting came down to her unyielding faith in the Captain's loyalty, and for her sake Kirk prayed it was well founded.

Kirk could now hear Lieutenant Bishop's low murmur. She was speaking to Tellek as she approached him, but Jim was unable to hear what was being said. He threw a quick glance at Spock, hoping his First Officer was having better luck with his exceptional Vulcan hearing, but Spock seemed to anticipate his question and just shook his head slowly in response.

Tellek lowered his weapon as Bishop emerged into the clearing, and with a slow deliberate motion of his hand the other men followed suit. Kirk let out a relieved whoosh of air, easing back from the tree somewhat and blinking his eyes in relief. He felt Spock relax slightly beside him, even as Tellek's men continued to survey their surroundings. They now appeared to be unconcerned about the threat of Bishop or the rest of their party, but were ever vigilant nonetheless.

The two were still deep in conversation, and for several minutes Kirk wondered if he should still be concerned about her safety. But he remained still and silent, trusting that she was fully capable to handle the situation. After what felt like an eternity she finally turned back and motioned for them to join her in the clearing. Kirk could feel Tellek's men tense slightly when the five of them emerged from the shadows of the trees still holding their weapons, and as a show of good faith he slowly and deliberately placed his back in the holster. He heard Spock and the others do the same, following his lead, and saw Bishop's face visibly relax as they approached.

"Captain Tellek, this is Captain Kirk and Commander Spock of the U.S.S. Enterprise," she indicated to the Starfleet officers. "It is only because of them that the Princess and I are still alive after the attack at the Summit."

Captain Tellek crossed his left arm over his heart and bowed slightly towards the two men, the fabric of his jacket straining even further over his muscled bicep. "Then we are forever in your debt," his deep voice resonated. "Thank you for your heroic acts to protect our leader."

Kirk and Spock returned the bow with one of their own, acknowledging the man's show of respect. "It was our pleasure," Jim took the lead. "The Federation is a peacekeeping armada that does not tolerate acts of terrorism."

He smiled slightly, motioning to his left towards Bishop as he continued. "Lieutenant Bishop was quite heroic in her own right, though," he stated gratefully, puzzled as her eyes suddenly widened and darted to Tellek.

The large Captain tilted his head slightly, his dark brown eyes regarding first Bishop and then Kirk somewhat guardedly. "Of that I have no doubt, but how so?"

Bishop's eyes were examining the ground very closely, and for a brief moment Jim wondered if perhaps she did not want him to share her previous actions in saving his life. Sensing his hesitation, she looked up to meet his gaze. Ice blue eyes met green, and in that brief moment he could see the resolve settle in her countenance as she boldly raised her head and stuck out her chin defiantly.

"Just before we were able to beam back aboard the Enterprise, Captain Kirk was very nearly killed by an enemy blast," she said simply. "I made sure that he was not."

If Tellek was surprised by her words he showed no indication on his stoic face. He fixed his gaze on her for a long uncomfortable moment, in what looked to Jim like disappointment and resignation. Her fiery green eyes narrowed, silently daring Tellek to publicly reproach her in front of the two men he had just declared his indebtedness to.

Slowly the larger man redressed and turned back to face Kirk. A pregnant pause followed as Tellek reevaluated the handsome Captain before him, noting the earnestness and character emanating from his bright blue eyes. Bishop had obviously found the man worthy enough to risk her life for; that was enough for him.

"Indeed. If Lieutenant Bishop has determined your life to be worthy of sacrificing her own, thus do I," he offered, bowing again to show his respect. Kirk turned to look at Spock, slightly bewildered at this turn of events, but his First Officer was still closely observing Bishop and Tellek.

"Thank you, Captain," Jim offered, slightly bowing again, "but I'm sure that will not be necessary." He shot a furtive glance at Bishop who seemed to now be completely avoiding further eye contact with him.

"Come, we must begin our trek back if we are to reach our destination before nightfall," Tellek extended his arm back the way they had come, indicating they should follow him. Tellek's men took the lead, silently turning to lead the party with Bishop and Tellek following and the Enterprise crew bringing up the rear.

Tellek continued to talk over his shoulder as they walked. "We will rest this evening and send word to the other supporters on Naihoon. After Ambassador Benion arrives tomorrow we can regroup and travel to Cambron."

"Ambassador Benion?" Spock queried. He did not miss the quick glance that Tellek shot Bishop before she resolutely answered, "Ambassador Benion is my father."

_Odd_, the Vulcan thought to himself, _just as many of the other aspects of Tellek and Bishop's interactions with each other have been._

Kirk's ears had focused on a completely different aspect of what Tellek had just said. "Rest? You mean stay here on Naihoon overnight?"

"Yes, Captain Kirk. The Princess will be perfectly safe within our compound."

"I disagree. There's nowhere safer for her to be right now than where she is aboard the Enterprise," he asserted, his voice verbally challenging Tellek to disagree with him.

Tellek stopped mid-stride, slowly turning to fully face Kirk. He towered over the Starfleet Captain but to his surprise the smaller man did not look the least bit intimidated. In fact, he looked stubbornly fierce and resilient, blue eyes blazing like the authoritative Captain he was, hands clenched into fists at his side. Kirk could not nearly match the physical strength and stature of Tellek, but he was taking an unyielding and commanding stance to ensure the safety of the Princess regardless of the immediate physical disparity before him. That, at least, he could respect, and his brown eyes softened only slightly at the determination and fortitude displayed by the blue-eyed human.

Bishop interrupted, seeing the imminent standoff between the two imposing Captains and not wanting to eventually witness Kirk being pummeled by her trusted friend. "Captain Tellek," she began, placing her relatively small hand on his chest as a visual barrier between them. "I believe Captain Kirk's primary concern is that a mole or spy may infiltrate your trusted circle and compromise the safety of the Princess." She looked at Kirk, silently begging him to keep his ego in check and focus on the principle concern.

Tellek regarded Bishop, then Kirk, his posture relaxing somewhat. "Given the recent experience you have had with traitors trying to harm the Princess whom were once pledged to protect her, I can understand that you would be somewhat...hesitant...to trust anyone else with her safety."

Kirk also relaxed his stature at Tellek's admission of understanding, his eyes cooling for the moment and his hands unclenching from their position. "For some reason I sense a big 'but' coming," he said acerbically.

"Yes," Tellek nodded. "But only because those men who turned on her did not bear this mark," Tellek thrust his left arm in front of Kirk's face, pulling his sleeve up and exposing the underside of his wrist. There, tattooed in dark green ink, was an intricately woven symbol strongly resembling an infinity sign. Within the two spheres of the symbol were two gradient triangles, pointing in opposite directions, with another two triangles in a perpendicular pattern outside of the spheres, not unlike the directional arrows of a compass.

"This symbol is willingly taken by all who are prepared to die in the service and protection of the Princess and her kingdom in order to see it rightly restored for democratic justice," Tellek's fervor dropped his voice down and placed his face directly in front of Kirk's as he continued. "No one would dare take this mark unless they are bound by their own life to protect the life of the Princess and the pursuit of democracy. Those of us that bear the mark are detested, ostracized by our families and loved ones, and effectively dead to our former lives."

Tellek pulled his sleeve back down over his wrist. "And that is just those of us that managed to escape Cambron with our lives," he finished. "Persecution will always follow this mark so long as the King or his Council remains in power. No one would take the mark without consequences, and no one is trusted without it."

Jim chanced a glance at Bishop, her hand still firmly around Tellek's waist in an attempt to maintain distance between them, her eyes shiny after his impassioned speech. For a brief moment, he wondered if perhaps Bishop and Tellek had more of a relationship than she had previously indicated. She had trusted Tellek without hesitation the instant he had emerged into the clearing, and he had quickly noted that she obviously cared a great deal for the man.

Abruptly he had to remind himself again that he was just a passerby through her life and her world. Sometime within the next two days they would part ways and he would most likely never see her again, and yet again his stomach clenched with the thought. And just as he had done before, he resolutely pushed it aside and decided that he, too, would be willing to trust the Captain and his men; but not implicitly.

"Allright, Captain Tellek," Kirk acquiesced. "When we get to your facility we will contact the Enterprise and have the Princess transported to the planet. However, I would like to request that we also be allowed to stay as additional protection in the event we are needed, and that the Princess would then travel to Cambron aboard the Enterprise."

Bishop had begun to move away from Tellek and had released her hold when Jim's eyes met hers. They were electric blue, and freely ablaze with the unexpressed conviction and repressed emotion that he was maintaining very tenuous control over. "I made a promise that I would deliver the Princess safely to Cambron, and I intend to keep it."

The larger Captain gauged Kirk warily, puzzled by the intensity of the gaze he was now directing at Bishop. Finally he nodded his assent. "As you wish, Captain Kirk. Your conditions are agreeable."


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Thanks to those of you that have been following this story. I promise that it IS headed to an awesome finale, with a few surprises in store. Hang in there for two more chapters to get that "Ah-HAH!" moment!

Beware: More spoilers in this Chapter for Into Darkness.

And as always, reviews are ALWAYS appreciated!

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Kirk was restless. In spite of the large comfortable room, plush bedding, and a cool tropical breeze wafting through the small window, sleep continued to elude him. Absence of the familiar hum of the Enterprise's engines notwithstanding, their current situation as overnight guests in Tellek's compound had left him fitfully fighting to relax since he and Spock had retired to their room several hours ago. He was unsettled, edgy, and generally apprehensive, and punched his pillow with a quiet fist before flopping into it for the umpteenth time.

Spock, to his credit, had heard Jim fitfully toss in the large bed for the last several hours but had said nothing and remained still. He too had his share of misgivings about their current lodging arrangement, but was nonetheless trying to gain some semblance of meditative rest before the coming day. Unfortunately, Jim did not seem likely to sleep cycle anytime soon.

"Captain," Spock said suddenly.

"Geez, Spock!" Jim jerked upwards from his bed, the sudden voice startling in the quiet room. "I thought you were asleep."

"I am sorry if I startled you, Jim. I am not asleep, as I have been aware of your difficulty resting over the previous several hours."

Kirk guiltily slumped back into his bed. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to keep you awake also."

"It is of no consequence. I can function well for several days with no rest. You, however, typically begin to display marked evidence of deprivation after only 25.4 hours without adequate sleep. As such, I am wondering if there is anything you would like to discuss to clear your head."

Kirk snorted. "No, I think my head's pretty clear on this matter Spock. But thanks for the offer," he added, grateful his First Officer was concerned about his well-being.

"Am I to assume that you are referring to our current lodging conditions?"

Kirk flopped onto his back again with a sigh and interlaced his fingers behind his head. "I know the Princess and Bishop are right in the next room with two Enterprise guards and two of Tellek's men outside the door. So why am I so fidgety?" he queried.

Spock was thoughtful for a moment. "Because, Jim, you do not always approach situations with logic," he offered, relieved when the other man did not take offense before he could continue.

"Logically, the Princess and the Lieutenant are safe and well-guarded in their room with very little chance that their safety may be compromised. However, you would rather have them protected aboard the Enterprise, where you can more accurately guarantee their safety. That is because you are familiar with the Enterprise and its crew, and they would effectively be under your command and your responsibility. Here on Naihoon they are technically under the protective command of Captain Tellek, and you have been forced to merely share responsibility. For a Captain such as yourself, who is used to commanding the outcome, shouldering the responsibility alone, and operating without assistance, it is a difficult position to find yourself in."

Kirk was silent for a long moment before responding only with, "Hmmm."

"Captain?" Spock was somewhat confused by the wordless reply, even more so when a long pause followed.

"That's a bunch of crap, Spock, and you know it" he declared. Jim could almost feel his First Officer tense in response from across the room. "I don't ever command the outcome, shoulder the responsibility alone and operate without assistance. That's what I have you for."

Spock's lips were drawn tightly together. For a brief, rare moment his human side broke free unrestrained. "If that is indeed the case, Captain, then why were we all forced to watch Dr. McCoy bring you back from the dead?"

Kirk rose up on his elbow. _Where in the hell did that just come from?_

"What?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I apologize, Captain, for speaking out of turn."

"Uh-uh. No way. You can't just say something like that and then do a Vulcan backpedal. What did you mean by that?"

Spock was silent for several minutes, attempting to collect his thoughts. "There is sufficient evidence to support that you will always be willing put your life in danger to protect others, no matter what other options may or may not be available. This indicates that you consider yourself to be in the deity-like position of controlling any situation, but also with complete mortal disregard of how vitally necessary you are to others."

Another, "Hmmm," from Kirk, then a long moment of silence as he flopped back onto his pillow. "Are you saying you think that's a bad trait for me to have?" he finally asked.

"As a Starfleet Captain? No. It is an exceptional trait to have," Spock offered. A long pause followed, and Jim could sense he was not finished with his complete thought.

"As my friend? Yes. It is very bad indeed, and very difficult to observe."

A red-tinged image suddenly assailed Jim's mind: Spock, with moist, red eyes, separated from him by a thick pane of glass while his own body continued to burn from the inside out. His lungs were on fire and he could barely breathe, but he needed the man to know; needed him to understand.

"..._I want you to know why I couldn't let you die...Why I went back for you..."_

"_Because...you are my friend..."_

Jim shut his eyes, rubbing them with the heels of his palms. The pain, hurt, and grief reflected on Spock's face as he watched him die were seared into his memory forever, and something he often tried desperately to forget.

"Spock," he asked wearily, the pain of the memory fresh in his voice, "why is this just coming up now?"

"Jim," Spock's voice softened somewhat, as much as Vulcanly possible. "I did not intend to offend or exasperate you. I am only postulating this in the hopes that your future experiences will be analyzed for all of the potential consequences before you proceed, and that you will know there are others that can be relied upon to assist you by adequately fulfilling their own responsibilities."

The Captain was silent for several minutes before finally throwing back the covers with another long sigh. He rose from the bed, pulling on his cotton pajama pants over his boxers and groping blindly underneath for his slippers. He was now glad he had taken the time to request both from the ship, despite how frivolous it had seemed earlier in the evening.

"I need some fresh air," he murmured, and hastily moved towards the door.

Spock sat fully upright in bed at Jim's hasty retreat. "Captain?" he questioned, his voice unsure.

Jim paused, his hand on the now open door. Soft light spilled into the room from the hallway as he contemplated his First Officer with tired eyes.

"It's fine, Spock," he offered with a fatigued smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. "I just can't sleep right now."

Quietly he shut the door behind him, acknowledging the two Enterprise security guards with a slight nod. "Gentlemen."

He directed another greeting to Tellek's men at the adjoining door as well. "All is well?" They nodded their assent. Satisfied, he slowly continued down the long stone hallway, slippers making a quiet shuffling noise on the shiny granite.

Tellek's compound was large enough to be considered an estate by Earth standards, and the main house easily considered a mansion. Kirk had been partially awestruck by the beautiful architecture when they had first arrived, marveling at the high carved stone ceilings and ornate wall carvings. Despite the stone construction, the entire house seemed to be soothing and friendly, accented by large plush throw rugs, stunning tapestries, and inviting furniture.

Balmy perfumed breezes consistently circulated through the entire structure, as every room from both floors opened into the grand master foyer and had windows that could open directly to the ocean. Even at this early hour of the morning, Jim noted, the warm ocean air filled his senses with a relaxing blend of pleasing sweetness. The gentle ministrations afforded his senses, however, were not sufficient to overcome the turmoil that now resided within his mind after his conversation with Spock.

Jim knew Spock had suffered at his death. Hell, every member on his ship, but especially his Bridge crew, had been devastated when he had sacrificed himself to save their lives. He had no regrets for his actions, and would easily do it again in a heartbeat if necessary, but he was troubled by Spock relating that instance to their current situation.

Tellek had easily and effectively taken control of the Princess' protection detail. In fact, as continued his slow walk down the second story hallway Jim had already counted another seven guards posted randomly throughout the house on both levels in addition to the four directly outside their bedrooms. All were very well-armed and consistently scanning the entire facility for any sense of abnormality.

He approached a large room at the end of the hall, noting the contrast between the fairly well lit hallways directly outside their rooms and the now noticeable lack of ambient overhead light. He could see a faint flickering through the mostly open doorway, and after quietly entering the room was surprised to see a well-stoked fire blazing in a large stone fireplace.

The dark room was some type of study, with two large overstuffed chairs and a matching sofa directly in front of the fireplace, surrounded by walls full of books, maps, globes, star charts, and scrolls. A large wooden desk occupied the opposite corner of the room and faced two large French doors that Jim guessed opened directly out to a view of the ocean. Presently he could only see the inky black of night through the sheer curtains that were fluttering softly in the breeze.

Quickly he gauged that he was alone in the room, and for a fleeting moment wondered if it would be acceptable for him to sit by someone else's fire for a while. Forgoing the formalities he wearily plopped into the first chair, noting how tremendously comfortable it was, and raised his slippered feet to rest on the matching ottoman. The embracing shadows of the dancing flames licked across his bare arms, warming him through his grey cotton t-shirt as his thoughts quickly turned back to their host.

Spock had been right about Tellek. He could probably protect the Princess much better than Jim could at this point, especially here on his home turf. But Jim's commitment had not yet been fulfilled, and if he were to be an active participant in the rest of this journey he wanted to retain his influence as the ultimate command authority. He wanted to be in charge; he wanted to control everything he possibly could.

Another conversation tickled at the back of his mind, unbidden and seemingly so very long ago, from the hallway of the Enterprise. _"...I have no idea what I'm supposed to do...I only know what I CAN do..."_

Over and over again a word reverberated through his mind..._Helpless_.

That day on the Enterprise, when his ship was dying and all of his crew with it, James T. Kirk had never felt so utterly and completely helpless. Helpless to stop the powerless and plummeting ship; helpless to save the lives of the friends he had grown to love like family; helpless to do anything to change the outcome of the no-win situation. For that brief moment in time, he felt closer to his father than he ever had, sharing the same horror and overpowering feeling of helplessness, and the same clarity of mind and peace that came from impending death.

Undeniably, Kahn and Admiral Marcus had broken him that day. The brash, immature, cocky, impetuous Captain had been wrecked and discarded within the warp core, reborn through self-sacrifice and replaced with a restored man who vowed to never be that powerless again.

The palms of his hands once more kneaded his eyes, mentally willing the conflicting emotions within his head to leave him in peace. Their task was simple and was what he now needed to focus on: a multi-planet war was imminent, one that would eventually drag the Federation into its midst, unless they succeeded in safely delivering the Princess to Cambron. Somehow, in spite of his newly resurgent feelings of helplessness, he was going to have to find a way to work side-by-side with Tellek to ensure that is exactly what happened.

The subtle creak of the door sounded behind him, followed by the sound of soft footsteps across the hard stone floor. He twisted in his seat, carefully peering behind him to see who had entered, and was momentarily surprised to see Bishop entering the study.

"Oh!" she gasped, hand flying to her chest. "You very nearly gave me a heart attack," she exclaimed, pulling her robe tight around her as she recovered and moved to sit in the other chair in front of the fireplace. She was obviously more startled to see him, her face openly showing a brief moment of shock as he turned to face her, and in that same moment he thought perhaps she almost looked alarmed.

She also looked absolutely lovely. Her long blonde hair was loose, freely cascading down her shoulders, and her dark eyes were even larger than normal in the faint light. The glimmering shadow of the fire danced against her silhouette, accenting all of her curves under the white body-hugging nightgown and robe. His stomach tensed as he fought down his physical reaction to the barest amount of cleavage that was peeking above the bodice of her gown.

His lips drew up in a sheepish half-smile as he returned back to his comfortable sprawl. "Sorry."

She settled into the opposite chair, deftly tucking her small feet under the fabric of her robe, before warily eyeing Jim's relaxed posture. "Why aren't you asleep?" she asked pointedly.

He shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. "Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same," she replied, eyes traveling from his face to gaze into the fire. Several minutes of silence followed, and Jim couldn't resist discretely studying her profile in the firelight. Her large eyes were soft and expressive as the fiery shadows drifted across her face, and her countenance radiated contentment. Her gaze had drifted to an obviously precious memory far away out of reach, and a slight smile graced her features.

"What do you see?" he asked tenderly, hating to spoil the moment but eager to learn what had triggered the candid smile.

Her eyes snapped back to the present, followed by a long pause. Jim thought perhaps she would ignore his curious inquiry, but eventually a small smile returned as she shyly met his eyes again. Her soft voice hesitantly offered, "My mother," before her attention was again fixed on the fire.

The memory was obviously bittersweet for her, the new wetness in her eyes conflicting with the peaceful smile. "We used to go down into the garden in the evenings when I was little. My mother loved watching the sunset, and as the sun would go down we would start a small bonfire. We would roast akona'ah's, these small little nuts, over the fire and eat them. And then I would snuggle down into a blanket with her as the stars surged overhead and the fire slowly died. Somehow I would always wake up in my own bed, but I always fell asleep wrapped in her arms and warmed by the fire."

Her voice trailed away, this time her attention broken by the tears she was wiping away from her face. Kirk raised himself up slightly, wondering how best to offer comfort. She sniffed once, and he quickly saw that the vulnerable moment had passed. Her usual stoicism had returned, and she met his concerned gaze with a challenge.

"I've been thinking about her a lot the last few days. That's why I can't sleep, and why I'm here now by the fire." Abruptly she turned the tables, pointedly jerking her chin in his direction. "What's your excuse?"

And there it was. The question he had just been wrestling with before she had entered and again changed the course of his thoughts. Why exactly was he here by the fire, instead of sensibly resting in bed?

"I'm not...I mean, I just..." he hesitated, unsure as how to proceed. How in the world could he explain it to her when he couldn't even explain it to himself? He vocalized as much, turning his head to hold her gaze and feeling increasingly uncomfortable under her scrutiny as she evaluated him with calculating eyes.

"Well, what were you thinking about when I came in?" she asked.

His blue eyes were electric when he didn't hesitate with his automatic and truthful response. "I was thinking about how beautiful you looked." A pregnant pause followed before he realized what he had said.

"Sorry," he muttered ruefully, rubbing his hand over his face and into his hair. "Seems as though my internal filter doesn't work very well this late."

"Early," she corrected, cheeks flushed from his comment.

"What?"

"Early," she said again. "It is already early in the morning, not late at night. And don't try to change the subject. What has you so tied up in knots that you cannot sleep?"

He sighed, slumping further down into the soft chair. "A lot of things. I don't even know where to start."

She again appraised him, this time with a softer, gentler look in her eyes. "Start at the beginning," she offered warmly.

He moved his hand away from where it had rested over his eyes, considering her offer. The beginning...where would that even be? The Kelvin? His mother? Frank? The ass-whooping the night before he made the best decision of his life? Bones had repeatedly tried to get him to talk to someone, anyone, about everything that had happened in the past year, not to mention everything that had happened in his young life before that. Jim had never seen any reason to bare his soul to anyone else, so why should he start now, and what would make Bishop any different?

He knew the answer to that question before he even looked back at her. Bishop's eyes were heartfelt, the tenderness and compassion radiating from her beautiful form threatening to physically overpower him. Her comfortable, reassuring invitation and the warm glow from the flickering firelight somehow enticed him, and before he was even conscious of speaking he was halfway through the tale of the Kelvin.

She was quiet, content only to listen and observe him as he wound his way through his childhood, his first meeting with then-Captain Pike, and his enlistment with Starfleet. His voice grew stronger as he revisited the Narada incident, the pride in his voice evident when he spoke of the Enterprise crew. The mission on Nibiru, Pike's verbal reprimand, and the loss of his ship caused noticeable tension to enter into his voice, but he first faltered recounting Kahn's attack on Daystrom.

The death of the only father figure he had ever known caused his voice to crack and wetness to enter his eyes. Bishop desperately wanted to reach out to comfort him, to partially soothe his unmistakably wounded heart, but something told her it was the wrong gesture. If she were to embrace him now and bury her face in his neck like she wanted to he may not continue, and she was certain he desperately needed this release.

It took him several long moments to regain control of himself, but when he did the malice in his voice as he spoke of Kahn was evident. Jim described their pursuit of him, the betrayal by Admiral Marcus, Kahn's attack on the Enterprise, and only hesitated when the ship was screaming towards Earth, powerless and lifeless. Carefully, as if he were narrating a fairy tale for a child, he described his journey through the warp core and the relief he felt as the ship finally gasped back to life. Abruptly his gaze dropped, suddenly very interested in the hands he now had folded in his lap, and she found herself confused at his sharp pause.

Finally he licked his lips and in a husky, yet heartbreaking voice, simply said, "I died that day."

Her heart stopped, and for a moment it felt as the air had left the room. "What?" she finally managed after a long moment, breathless at his revelation. "What do you mean you died?" she pressed.

The query broke his trance. "I mean I died. Dead. Finito. Ended. Game over," he offered flippantly, swinging his legs off the ottoman and crossing the few steps to stand by the large fireplace. The blaze had died down to smoldering embers, and he leaned lazily against the mantle with one elbow while trying to push past the conversation.

"How is that...possible?" she asked in wonder.

He ran a hand over his face, still studying the glowing coals and obviously uncomfortable discussing his undeserved resurrection. "I really don't understand it. You'd have to ask Bones or Spock for the scientific details," he deflected. "And while you're at it, ask them why they only saved me that day."

Bishop rose from her chair to stand facing him in front of the fire. She stood there wordlessly for several long moments, until eventually he could no longer avoid her gaze and had to face her. Fearing distaste or apathy, he was shocked to see open affection and admiration reflected in her striking green eyes. Gently, and with more compassion than he had ever expected, she raised her hand to carefully caress his cheek and brow with her soft thumb. The soothing ministration sent waves of tenderness through his frame, jeopardizing the tenuous control he was maintaining over his emotions. He finally had to close his eyes as she began to speak in a low murmur, or risk her seeing right through to his very soul.

"You, Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise, are the most honorable, unselfish, brilliant, amazing man that I have ever met," she began, continuing the comforting trace over his cheekbone. "You willingly sacrificed yourself for the lives of your crew. For your friends. And you are definitely deserved to be called all of those things, so don't think for a second that you are unworthy of any of it."

Bishop's other hand came to rest on the opposite side of his face, and his eyes opened slowly as she tenderly cradled him within her palms. His blue eyes were shining with twinges of guilt and sorrow, which she mightily fought off with an intense smile, warming him to his core. "There will always be something out of your control, and sometimes people will die. Your job is to make the best decision possible and follow the best course of action. And a Captain like you, willing to lay down his life and make the ultimate sacrifice for the benefit of others, is indeed a most fearsome foe."

Deftly she leaned in and brushed her soft lips against his, unsure of his reaction. The contact was brief but full of emotion, and she had barely moved away when she felt Jim's arms snake around her waist and pull her back tightly to his chest. He sought out her eyes, silently asking for and receiving permission before his lips carefully found hers.

Kirk kissed her then, and all of the residual emotions from the past several hours melted away with the sweetness of her mouth. His hands flexed against her back, feeling her strong muscles become taut through the thin robe as her arms encircled his neck. Lips caressed, tongues swirled, and bodies pressed together until his desire for her began to exponentially grow. Reluctantly he broke away, leaving a trail of kisses across her cheek and burying his face into her neck. For now he was simply content to revel in her affection and the fresh smell of ocean breeze that seemed to permeate her very being.

She held him for several long minutes, quietly stroking the back of his neck, until she could feel his arms finally loosen slightly around her. He stood up straight, still holding her in his arms, and looked at her with an awkward smile. "I usually don't do this on a first date."

"What, kiss?" she teased.

"No, share my life story and bare my soul on an open platter," he breathed, his nose inches away from hers. "I guess you just have that effect on me. And...thank you."

She gave him a warm smile. "You are welcome. I rather enjoyed your life story. It helps me to know what made you the man you are today. But," she cautioned, slowly leaning in for one more tender kiss. "I hardly think an accidental meeting in the wee hours of the morning can be considered a date."

"True," he admitted, once again burying his nose into her neck and enjoying her warm embrace. His voice was muffled when he spoke, "Besides, I think it's your turn now."

Jim could feel her noticeably stiffen at his words, and her hands were suddenly still at his neck. He instantly knew all of her emotional guards would be back in place before he even straightened to look into her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked imploringly. Her eyes were guarded, and darted from him to the door as if gauging her ability to escape his embrace. Jim placed one of his hands on the side of her face as she had done for him earlier, desperately trying to prolong their time together.

"Jim," she said quietly, slowly beginning to disengage from their embrace. She was obviously struggling with something, evidence of her internal dilemma splayed all across her face. And more importantly, as her bright eyes met his he could see that she _wanted_ to tell him whatever was troubling her. He could see the instant she gave up the fight, however, and eventually she resigned herself to the easy way out.

"It is really late," she offered weakly.

He measured her carefully, taking in the downcast look in her eyes and the sudden droop of her shoulders. "I thought you said it was early," he offered halfheartedly, throwing her earlier correction back at her.

She gave him an unconvincing smile before standing on her tiptoes and placing a chaste kiss in the corner of his mouth. "Tomorrow we will talk more. But now, we must try to sleep. It is very nearly sunrise," she indicated to the french doors, which were beginning to show the brightening streaks of a new day.

With a disappointed and resigned sigh he nodded, moving to follow her out of the study and back to their rooms. They padded together down the hall, finally stopping in front of the guards positioned outside their doors.

Shyly she looked at him, and he was surprised to see the hopeful glint in her eye. "I shall certainly see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Captain Kirk."

He nodded slightly as she turned to enter her room. "And goodnight to you as well, Lieutenant Bishop."


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Thanks for those of you who have hung in there. This story keeps developing as if it has a mind of it's own, but we are getting very near the climax (AKA good stuff) I promise. Please be sure to hit that little review button - authors need food for thought so please feed the beast!

~Max

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Morning had dawned on Naihoon, the sweet evening breeze slowly replaced by the sun-filled fragrance of tropical foliage. Deciding to have her breakfast on the sprawling patio terrace at the rear of the estate, Bishop was rewarded with a beautiful view of the ocean and adjoining forest as the sun gently warmed the bare skin on her arms. She loved mornings here, and had missed the way the sun dappled through the trees and how the cloud shadows from overhead would dance across the breeze swept ocean grasses.

She had been raised here and held a deep love for Naihoon, mostly because it reminded her greatly of Cambron. For a moment her heart skipped a beat with the realization that she and Krianna would soon be returning home, excitement mixing with relative fear at what they would find on their arrival. A deep gnawing doubt remained unshakeable in the dark recesses of her mind, but she was boldly trying to brush it away until they arrived and could make an adequate assessment.

Her introspection and appreciation for the stunning landscape was interrupted by the sound of purposeful footsteps as they approached behind her. She smiled, touching her fingers to her lips as her thoughts were again dominated by the handsome Captain who had bared his soul to her only hours earlier. Their encounter had been punctuated with the most searing kiss she had ever experienced, funneled by exposed emotions of loss and love, and she only hoped he would not pull away again in the light of day.

Thinking only of the electric eyed Captain, her smile faltered for a brief moment as she turned and realized it was not Captain Kirk that was approaching her.

"Good morning, Captain Tellek," she offered brightly, hoping her smile was adequate to hide the disappointment he certainly must have recognized.

"Good morning," he offered, his posture somewhat stiffer than normal. "May I?"

"Please," she offered, indicating the empty chairs around the table.

"Ambassador Benion will be arriving early this afternoon," Tellek noted formally as he sat, reaching for an empty cup and filling it with the warm beverage from the large clay pitcher. "We may then proceed to Cambron as planned."

"Good," she nodded her head, refilling her own mug and absently munching on a piece of toasted bread.

"Will you be joining Krianna aboard the Enterprise while in transit?" he asked tonelessly, his eyes never leaving her face as he spoke.

Bishop jerked her head up, suddenly aware of the tension and detached tone in the Captain's voice. "I had planned on that, yes."

Tellek nodded, sipping from his cup. "I had assumed as much."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that a problem?"

"No. It is not a problem," he shook his head. A long uncomfortable silence followed.

"Captain, it is a beautiful morning, and it may be the last one I get to spend on Naihoon for some time. For that reason, if you have something to say I would appreciate it if you would just come out and say it," she challenged.

"Exactly how close have you become with Captain Kirk?" he asked bluntly, his eyes defying her to dismiss his concern.

Bishop had been expecting the question from him, especially after the apprehensive exchange the previous day regarding her injury. Tellek was far too aware and observant to have missed the underlying tension between her and the Enterprise Captain, but somehow she'd been hoping to avoid it as long as possible.

"We are...amiable companions. He and Commander Spock saved our lives, and I saved his," she tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

He regarded her warily, noting her downcast eyes and slightly pink cheeks. "You and I are amiable companions," he offered in a much lower voice. "Yet I have never seen you look at me the way you look at Captain Kirk."

"Tellek, there is nothing..."

"I just hope that you are not losing sight of your priorities and responsibility," he interrupted.

She jumped up from the table, eyes blazing as she met his confrontational gaze. Her nostrils flared with barely repressed fury, and her tone was icy when she had finally calmed herself somewhat to speak. "How dare you. YOU, of all people Tellek, should know that I do not need you to remind me about my priorities and responsibilities. I am very well aware of what needs to be done and what is at stake. My feelings for Captain Kirk..."

"So you DO admit you have feelings for him?" Tellek sat back from the table, somewhat pleased with himself for baiting her into an admission.

"Dammit, Tellek, what exactly do you want to know? Do you not think I am up for the task at hand?" she demanded.

"No, not at all. There is no one more suited to the task at hand than you," he agreed. "I am more concerned about what happens at the end of the story."

She swallowed, stoically composing herself after her passionate outburst and lowering her small frame back into the chair. "If you are referring to the Captain then there is no story to tell, and therefore no concern about the ending is warranted."

Again he regarded her face, noting the sudden sadness that had appeared in place of the brilliant smile he had seen only moments before. He dropped his head slightly. "I am sorry, friend. I was only trying to gauge the depth of your feelings for the man. I do not ever wish for you to be hurt, whether it is emotionally because of a lost love or physically because you were distracted and take a phaser blast."

He thought for a long moment, meeting her eyes before adding, "And, I do rather like your Captain. He appears to be a good and honorable man. I also would not wish for him to be harmed in all this as well."

She ducked her head, his meaning clear. "I agree. The last thing I wish to ever do is cause him more pain, and I fear that is exactly what will happen."

Tellek nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. I believe you are correct."

Bishop drew in a deep breath. "I will talk with him this morning. We have several hours before we need to be ready to travel," her eyes met Tellek's. "We will have much to discuss."

"Indeed you will," he said with a smile. "But I know that all will be well," he reached over the table and gently clasped her hand in his.

"Thank you, friend," her eyes finally flashed a small smile meant for him and placed her hand atop his. "I pray that you are correct. I fear what will happen if you are not."

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"Aye, Cap'n," Scotty's voice rang clear through the communicator. "All is well, and the ship is all ready for the short voyage to Cambron on your command."

"Thank you, Mr. Scott," Kirk voiced. "It will most likely be several more hours before we are ready to be transported back aboard."

"Captain?" Uhura's voice suddenly broke in before the other man could reply.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"We have a communication from Starfleet regarding our voyage to Cambron," the Communications Officer sounded surprisingly wary to Jim's ears.

"Allright, go ahead," he offered.

"Our orders are to accompany Princess Krianna back to her home world of Cambron as originally approved. However we are not authorized to transport down to the planet with them when we arrive."

Kirk paused, still not sure he heard her correctly. "What?" he breathed.

"We were given specific orders not to have any Starfleet presence on the surface of Cambron until the tensions have been settled," she repeated. "I'm...I'm sorry, Jim, but we're going to have to let them go alone."

Kirk's jaw clenched. "Understood. Kirk out," he cut off his communicator before Uhura could pass along any more bad news.

Spock was at his elbow and noted the frustration on the Captain's visage as he angrily cut off communication. Jim had rested only minimally the evening before, his early morning return to their shared room glaringly apparent to the Vulcan despite his best attempts to be quiet. Spock had been pleased to note that the emotional turmoil sparked by their previous conversation was now absent, however it had now been replaced with something he could not definitively pinpoint. Whatever it was, it had caused what little sleep Jim got the previous night to be fitful, at best.

Now still fairly early in the morning hours, they had already showered, eaten, and had left their room in search of Captain Tellek when Kirk had initiated communication to check in with their orbiting crew. "Is there something amiss aboard the Enterprise, Captain?"

"No," Kirk turned to face his First Officer, pulling him slightly off to the side of the large stone hallway. "But when we arrive at Cambron we've been ordered to transport the Princess and Bishop down to the planet alone, without any Starfleet presence."

Spock blinked. "That appears to be a logical course of action, Jim."

"Really?" his blue eyes were radiating contempt. "What if there is a big ambush waiting for them and both of them are killed? Will it look that logical then?"

"It is imperative that Starfleet remain neutral in this dispute," Spock presented. "Any perception of interference on either side will be seen as an act of aggression by the other and will make it difficult afterwards to be seen as an independent party."

He paused for a long moment, attempting to choose his words more carefully after their conversation the evening prior. "I also believe that you already know this, Jim, and that you may be letting your personal emotions interfere with your judgment."

Kirk's eyes flashed, momentarily fixing his resentment upon Spock. "And I won't deny that for a second. You're absolutely right, it is personal to me. I gave my word as a Starfleet Captain that I would deliver them safely home, and that's exactly what I intend to do."

"Yet I fail to see, Captain," Spock pressed, "how the absence of our presence on Cambron would nullify your verbal commitment to return the women safely to their home world."

"Because, Spock," Kirk asserted, "Starfleet is a 'peacekeeping armada'. You and I both know that unless the Princess and the King can get their people together there's going to be a war. A war that will engulf this whole planetary system and eventually drag the Federation into it one way or another causing significant loss of life. And it's a war that we can help avoid."

His eyes were ablaze with a conviction Spock could not deny. "We can pick a side NOW that will result in peace and avoid war. We can make a decision and stand on the side of 'good' and 'justice' and ensure that the right side prevails. Tell me, Commander, does that sound like bad judgment to you?"

Spock pondered his argument only momentarily. "No, Jim, it does not sound like bad judgment. But unfortunately it is not our decision and we have our orders to do otherwise."

"Well, we'll see about that," the Captain smirked, finally pushing away the intense irritation he was currently feeling towards Starfleet as he resumed his trajectory down the hallway. "We have several hours until we will actually arrive at Cambron and thankfully communication goes both ways."

"What are you thinking, Captain?" Spock queried.

"If we can convince Tellek and a few of his men to come with us aboard the Enterprise, then we can transport them all down to the planet together. That way the Princess and Bishop will at least have some support if we can't get Starfleet to reconsider our involvement," Jim explained as they continued to walk.

Spock nodded his head in agreement. "A logical compromise, Captain. I will be happy to assist in the discussion with Captain Tellek."

They proceeded to the first floor, and after inquiring about Captain Tellek's location were directed towards the rear of the house by one of his on-duty guards. An expansive outdoor patio lay on the other side of two large French doors, already open and allowing the soft morning breeze to waft through the house. Kirk strode out onto the bright, sun-filled patio just in time to see Bishop and Tellek seated at a small table, the other man's hand tenderly encased in hers on the tabletop.

Kirk's heart clenched at the sight, his feet momentarily faltering and his gaze affixed to their joined hands. Bishop's fiercely affectionate face, accented by the smoldering firelight in the moments just before he kissed her, had continually filled his vision all morning. He had wanted to search her out before he had received the communication from Starfleet regarding their orders. Now, remembering how she had pulled away and seeing her reciprocated affection for Tellek, he pitifully wondered if he had misread the entire situation.

Tellek was sharing a muted smile with Bishop, and the two had obviously been engrossed in their conversation to allow Jim and Spock to interrupt them as such. Tellek quickly righted himself and easily stole his hand away from Bishop, but not before observing the almost imperceptible flash of jealousy and hurt that stole its way across Kirk's face as he did so.

"Good morning Captain, Commander," Tellek offered. He stood to greet the men, noting the bright smile had now returned to Bishop's face as she turned in her seat to see them approach.

"Captain Kirk, good morning!" she offered brightly, ignoring the steely cool look in Jim's eyes. "Commander Spock, I trust you rested well last night?" she deflected to the Vulcan, desperately trying to prevent her cheeks from burning at the memory of the handsome Captain standing before her.

"Yes, thank you Lieutenant," Spock replied cordially. He, too, had noticed the conflicting emotions that had stormed across Jim's face, as well as the self-conscious blush that the lieutenant was now experiencing. Obviously the two still had unresolved emotional issues that needed to be discussed.

"The Captain and I were just discussing our plans for personnel transport to Cambron," Spock continued, turning to address Captain Tellek. "Could I please borrow a moment of your time to discuss a new proposal? I believe Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Bishop can work out the remaining details."

"Commander..." Kirk began to protest, not wanting to be alone with Bishop until he had a much more comfortable read on the situation.

"Yes, Commander Spock. I would be happy to oblige." Tellek interrupted, one side of his mouth turning slightly upwards in the most unnoticeable of smirks. He extended his arm towards the house, and the two men quickly and effectively retreated inside.

"And how are you this morning, Captain?" Bishop inquired guardedly, motioning towards the chair at her side. She had been hopeful their encounter the previous evening would not be forgotten in the light of day, but gauging by his tightened jaw and unyielding gaze she surmised that was not to be.

"I am well," he responded curtly before stiffly taking a seat. He noticed her smile faltered somewhat at his tone, and sadness momentarily crept in around her eyes before she self-corrected and resumed her typical posture. "Appears as though Captain Tellek is well also," he noticed flatly.

"He is always well," she grumbled, now aggravated not only at Tellek for his previous presumption but also at Kirk's abrupt change in demeanor yet again. "So now that we have established that all of us are all well and good on this beautiful morning, where does that leave us?" she demanded, fully aware of her double meaning and emboldened by her exasperation.

If Kirk were taken aback by her presumptuous tone he did not show it. Instead he slipped easily into command mode and effectively ignored it. "Starfleet has prohibited us from actively transporting down to the surface of Cambron, so we are hoping to convince Captain Tellek and his men to join us aboard the Enterprise. That way we can transport you all down together to offer a better chance at protection."

Her eyes blazed like a green fire, hurt and confusion at his impersonal and contradictory actions funneling into anger and irritability. "I think instead perhaps we should just travel to Cambron with Tellek and his men. That way you will be free of us much sooner and can resume your normal duties as Captain," she offered crossly, fighting back tears as she roughly pushed herself up from the table and moved to stand at the opposite edge of the patio.

The tenseness in Kirk instantly evaporated, the evidence of her injured heart brutally apparent through her defensive tone and unshed tears. He had hurt her again, just as he had previously done aboard the Enterprise when he had pushed her away with no explanation. Both times were completely unintentional, but he was quick to realize that this time he had indeed fully misread the situation. Whatever he had walked into between her and Tellek could not have been what he had previously imagined; otherwise the rebuff would not have evoked such a strong reaction.

A heavy heart rose from the table to travel the short distance to her side. "I'm sorry," he offered lamely. "I...I didn't mean to hurt you."

Bishop sniffed slightly, then righted herself to hold her head regally high as she continued to fixate her gaze on a point far in the distance. "You did not hurt me. I am just weary from lack of sleep," she explained gruffly, determined not to meet his eyes lest she get pulled into their depths again.

"I did hurt you and I'm sorry. I pushed you away again. Because I assumed that...well..." he blew out a breath. _It's now or never, _he thought. "I assumed that there was something between you and Tellek."

Her breath stopped. _What did he say?_

"I know it sounds silly," he continued, "but you two obviously have a history, and this morning you two looked so comfortable and intimate with each other that I was certain there was something there. Just as I was certain there was something there between the two of us last night...or...this morning...or whenever it was..."

Slowly she turned to face him, taking in his contrite expression as he continued to ramble. "And then I thought maybe I had just imagined that as well...that maybe it was just me...that maybe I had just imagined you had feelings for me because you pulled away too...and by that point I...was..." he trailed off, unable to complete his thought and frustrated with being completely incapable of forming a coherent sentence.

Bishop stared at him hard for a moment, her face impassive. "You thought I had feelings for Tellek."

"Yes," he admitted.

"You are correct. I do have feelings for him," she responded. His face fell, the apologetic hopefulness dying on his lips.

"I see," he managed, disappointment stabbing through his heart. "I am truly sorry if I did anything to hurt you or offend you," he offered, looking her squarely in the eye. "That was never my intention and if I did please accept my apology."

She nodded her assent, unsure how best to proceed given his revelation. He cared for her, he had just admitted as much, and he was obviously hurt and jealous when he thought she was involved with Tellek. Given that context, his demeanor today suddenly and inexplicably made much more sense. Had she seen him holding hands with one of his crewmembers this morning, most likely she would have made the same natural conclusion.

"Captain James T. Kirk, you are such a fool," she pronounced suddenly. His head shot up, a puzzled and injured expression filling his face. Before he could react, she reached out for one of his hands and clasped it in both of hers. "I do have feelings for Tellek. But they are not what you think. They are the same feelings anyone would have for a loyal and trusted friend."

Understanding dawned in his eyes, and the hurt was quickly replaced by a small smile. "That's umm...that's good," he nervously blew out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and covered her hands with his own.

Bishop knew this was the opportune moment for another important conversation, but as her mouth opened to speak she paused and could only gaze into his waiting eyes. She was completely unable to speak, content in the comfort of his gentle embrace and unwilling yet to chance ruining any of it. Instead she sighed, opting for a diversionary tactic. "Would you like to go for a walk? There is something I would like you to see."

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