Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek and I do not make any money from these writing.

Title: Sacrifice

Author: Raythe

Pairing: Kirk/Spock

Fandom: Star Trek XI (2009 Movie) – Abrams Universe

Warnings: Slash, First Time, Romance, Angst, AU, WIP

Summary/Hints/Tips: This chapter is filled with angst again, with a touch of the supernatural/scariness (I hope it is anyways! That was the intent!). There will be more humor and more development of the Kirk/Spock relationship coming up.
Just as an aside for those of you who are game freaks like me: the Cerberus Corporation is an homage to Mass Effect and the title of this chapter, Heavy Price Paid, is the same as a song in the Halo game series. There’s also a vague Hellboy reference. I’ll leave it to those of you interested to figure that one out.

POV: Spock again. I was very relieved and incredibly happy that people liked Spock’s “voice” in the last chapter. Kirk’s POV will be coming soon. Again thank you for all the feedback, I cannot tell you how much it inspires me. Please continue to let me know what you think.

Raythe

CHAPTER FOUR: HEAVY PRICE PAID

Spock’s POV

“He wanted me to kill someone.”

“WHAT?!” McCoy said, rocketing forward so that he was practically in the front seat with them.

“Jesus, Bones, I think you burst my ear drum,” Jim said, wiggling a finger in one ear.

“What the hell do you expect?! You said kill someone, didn’t you? He asked you to kill somebody?” McCoy said unrepentantly, even as he modulated the volume of his voice down.

Jim nodded, his face pale and drawn.

Spock’s own shock was more restrained in its exhibition than McCoy’s, but its depth was the same if not more. Asking a child to kill for you? A child as sensitive and loving as Jim to sully himself by taking another’s life? It was … ‘monstrous.’

“He treated me like a … like a son … as much as a lover,” Jim said, shifting uncomfortably when he said ‘son’. “He wanted to groom me to be his heir at Cerberus Corporation. And this was a test. To see if I would go the extra mile to get things done. To see how loyal and devoted I really was to him.”
“For as … intimate … as you were, Jim, Lord Raines must not have known you very well,” Spock said, carefully.

“Why do you say that?” Jim asked.

“You would never simply take another’s life to show loyalty and devotion,” Spock answered with conviction. “As an example, you offered to help Nero, even though you had no cause to. You would simply not kill someone unless it was a matter of extreme peril and there was simply no other way.”

“I second that,” McCoy said.

“Thank you,” Jim answered softly, clearly touched by their faith him. “Back then I … I wasn’t sure if there was any line I wouldn’t cross for Damascus.”

“There is no need for thanks, Jim. I am simply stating a fact,” Spock said, his voice steady even as he felt a jolt of jealousy when Jim used Lord Raines’ first name. Spock chastised himself internally for allowing his emotions so near the surface. Luckily, his control was firmly intact again and he could cover up his reactions, but it was still deeply disturbing to have these reactions at all.

Some of the tension bled from the Captain’s shoulders and he almost smiled.

“Not to break this good feeling, but we’re almost back to the Academy and I want to know more about Lord Raines before I have to sip cocktails with him,” McCoy said, almost apologetically. “So … who did he ask you to kill?”

“Martin Feyaud. He was the CEO of Alinex Corporation,” Jim said, the almost-smile dying, his hands tense again on the wheel again.

“Alinex? Isn’t it out of business? Something about a scandal …” McCoy’s brow furrowed as he tried to follow the scrap of memory back to its source.

“I believe what you are recalling is a report in the news from approximately five years ago, Doctor,” Spock said and then summarized the pertinent parts of the article he had read, “Alinex was liquidated after its owner was found dead, hanging, in his home in Chicago. It was said that he had committed suicide after an investigation was started into allegations of financial mismanagement by Mr. Feyaud and other members of his family.”

“Lies,” Jim said, his voice cold. “All of it. The financial mismanagement and the … suicide. Martin didn’t commit suicide. A thug by the name of Harding killed him.”

“Harding worked for Lord Raines?” Spock asked.

“Yes, supposedly as one of his body guards,” Jim explained. “But in truth, Harding was a psycho Raines used to do things far off the books. He was a big guy, huge, as wide as he was tall, busted nose that made him wheeze when he breathed through it. I hated being around him. Gave me the creeps. He always stared at me like he didn’t just want to see what was under my clothes, but underneath my skin.” Jim shuddered at the memory of bodyguard.

“Maybe we should have you tell us this story from the beginning,” McCoy suggested.

“Yeah, that would probably would be a good idea,” Jim said.

At that moment, Spock’s hand accidentally slipped from Jim’s shoulder to his bicep, his fingers encountering Jim’s skin for the first time since his sexual awareness of the other man had emerged into his conscious mind. He told himself it was an accident even as his thumb began to move in tentative circles over the even softer flesh of Jim’s inner arm. He was not sure if he was imagining it or not, but it seemed as if Jim extended his arm to the side slightly to give Spock more access to that tender area.
Jim rolled his shoulders back to loosen them then he began to speak, “It started when Alinex managed to strike a deal with the Illarians for the Xenon deposits on two of the gas giants in their solar system. Raines wanted those contracts, but Alinex outbid Cerberus; something that had never happened before and I don’t think has ever happened since. Looking back on it, I believe the Illarians didn’t like Cerberus’ strong-arm tactics and would have gone with anyone else. But in any event, Raines was not pleased.”

Perhaps it was the touch of bare skin, or Jim’s acceptance of the closeness, but the mental connection between them suddenly increased tenfold and Spock was, shockingly, in Jim’s mind or more specifically immersed in one of his memories.

The Vulcan could see before him a canopied bed covered in pale gray silk and a wood fire burning brightly in an antique fireplace. All else was in darkness. It was incredibly intimate to be in Jim’s mind, to be seeing through his eyes.

But the joy of the moment was snuffed out when Spock heard a man’s melodious, yet somehow chilling, voice come out of the surrounding velvety blackness, “This cannot stand, James. Surely, you see that? Alinex and its CEO must be taught a lesson … and I want you to be the one to teach them this lesson. Do this for Cerberus. Do this for … me.”

The voice then went silent. The fire hissed and popped, but the darkness seemed to grow darker and larger. Spock struggled to move, but since he was only an observer in this, he was frozen in place … ‘as Jim had been.’

The silence was watchful as if … as if Lord Raines, for that was who it was, Spock was certain of it … had stopped speaking because he realized that Spock was there or … would be there and would overhear him a decade later. Sweat broke out on Spock’s upper lip or was it Jim’s upper lip? He couldn’t tell if the thumping heartbeat in his chest was his own or Jim’s. Something stirred in the darkness. He had an overwhelming desire to see the voice’s owner, this Lord Raines. He had to see him to know … to know … ‘that he isn’t some monster out of an Earth fairytale that mother used to read to me.’

There was a shimmering in the darkness and a figure began to emerge into the firelight. Spock strained his eyes to catch the first glimpse of Lord Raines, but just as the other man was to appear Spock was suddenly dropped out of the memory. Air escaped his lungs in a half gasp. He was back in the convertible, sunlight streaming down on him, no darkness, no terrible being speaking. He was safe. Jim was safe.

Jim’s head turned towards Spock as if sensing the Vulcan’s distress. “Spock, are you all right?”

“Is Lord Raines human?” Spock asked, hardly thinking what he was saying until the words were out.

Jim frowned then said, “I … I always assumed so …”

“There’s a but in there,” McCoy noted.

“I … he was just different. Stronger, smarter … colder than anyone I’d ever met. Not that humans can’t be like that. But it was different kind of cold. I can’t explain it. Martin said some things about him not being like us, but … honestly, I just assumed he was,” Jim explained. “Why, Spock?”

“It is nothing that need be dealt with now, Jim. Please continue your story,” Spock said, trying to send comforting thoughts through their link while he tried to still his own unease.

“Are you sure?” Jim asked.

“I am. Please continue,” Spock assured him as he wiped a slightly shaky hand over his brow.

To be so affected was not usual for him, but then again he had never been sucked into another person’s memory. Even so this one exposure to Lord Raines disturbed the Vulcan more than even the crazed Nero had when the Romulan had boasted of destroying his people. There was something deeply wrong with this Raines. Spock was more grateful than ever that Jim had survived his relationship with this man relatively unscathed.
Jim nodded slowly then continued, “Raines never … got angry, exactly. He was always so … incredibly contained, controlled, yet his anger at Alinex and Martin … at the affront of them taking a deal that should have been Cerberus’ was …” Jim shook his head. “He wanted both of them gone. Completely and utterly gone.”

“How were you supposed to do this? Phaser blast to the back of the head or what? You were just a sixteen-year-old kid!” McCoy protested.

Jim’s mouth turned down and he shifted slightly in his seat. “He thought I could … seduce Martin … get him alone and … and do whatever it took to end his life. Harding would … clean up after me.”

“Holy mother of God, what a sick … what did you do?” McCoy asked.

Spock’s thoughts mirrored McCoy’s words. He gripped Jim tighter.

“I told Damascus I wouldn’t do it. That it was crazy. Kill a man for a business deal? No, no way. But he wouldn’t back off. He said I either did as he asked, killed Martin, or I was worth … nothing … and should get out of his sight. That he and I would be done … that he would withdraw his love from me,” Jim said, then with a twist of a smile added, “And I almost … almost … did what he wanted when he said that.”

“But you did not,” Spock said firmly.

“No, but the fact that I thought about it at all—”

“Shows the strength of your heart,” Spock said, the unfamiliar words tripping off his tongue like it was natural to speak this way of emotions.

He could feel Jim’s eyes flicker over to him even though he could not see them behind the black lenses. “Thank you, Spock, I don’t know if you’re right, but … thank you for saying that.”

“I am right, Captain. I … I know you,” Spock said suddenly and stared out of the windshield rather than at Jim, though he did not stop touching the other man.

McCoy made a strangled noise of disbelief that he was hearing this from Spock, but the Vulcan refused to allow himself to withdraw his words or back down from this openness that he was experiencing with Jim for the first time in his life. It felt right. What that meant was unclear to Spock. He would have to meditate on this and ask his older self for guidance, but for now … he was just going to trust his feelings and go wherever they lead him.

“Well, that’s ah … hmmm, well … something tells me that you didn’t just leave things alone with Raines and this Martin guy, right Jim?” McCoy said to the Captain even as Spock could feel the Doctor’s eyes boring into the back of his head.

“I told Damascus that I wasn’t going to hurt Martin and that I wasn’t going to let him hurt Martin either … even if it meant we were done. And he just … turned from me. Like I wasn’t even in the room anymore. Like I didn’t exist anymore. I told him that I was going to expose his plan, but it was like … he didn’t even care. Like nothing could touch him … and I guess … he was right.” Jim’s voice sounded flat, but Spock could see and feel the fine tremors going through his body that showed how much this hurt to say. “Then I … I went to Martin. I told him everything I knew. About how Raines was going to kill him. I even offered to go to the police, but Martin said no. He didn’t want me to ruin my life …”

Jim’s voice suddenly faded out and, for the second time, Spock was plunged into his memories. Spock saw a grandfatherly man seated in a high-backed armchair … ‘Martin Feyaud.’ Marin had gray hair neatly brushed back … ‘like a silver fox’ … his expression kindly, warm, welcoming … ‘so different than what Jim was used to.’ And Spock knew for certain that he was indeed experiencing Jim’s thoughts and emotions at that first meeting. He heart clenched at Jim’s obvious low opinion of himself. It explained some of the younger man’s bravado now.

Martin said in the memory, “You must understand, Jim, that Raines will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He’s not … like other people.”

“He’s just a man, Martin … a rich, powerful one, but … there’s nothing essentially special about him.” Jim’s voice sounded younger and yet harder than he did now to Spock’s ears.

Martin opened his mouth then shut it as if deciding against something, finally he said, “I’ve been tracking Raines for years, Jim. Special might not be the right word for what he is. But different … not altogether of us.”

“You mean … not human?” Jim asked. Was Martin one of those human-centric thinkers, who rejected the equality of alien races?

“Not in the way you think I’m saying it,” Martin said, as if he knew Jim’s thoughts. “He’s a threat to everyone, human and alien.”

“You can’t be serious. I know hearing he tried to kill you … would worry anyone, but he’s not … not evil like that,” Jim said, even as his mouth suddenly went dry as memories of Raines’ assaulted him: an odd animal night-shine in his eyes one time in a darkened room; his stronger than human vise-like grip on Jim’s wrists when he took Jim almost brutally after the loss of the Illarian deal; his knowledge of everything that went on in Jim’s head. “If you believe he’s so scary or whatever why are you sticking your neck out by buying the Illarian Xenon deposits?”

“I’m trying to draw him out. I should have known he would send another to deal with me. An innocent,” Martin explained.

Jim snorted. “I’m not innocent. Not for a long time anyways.”

Martin gave him a look that said he knew all about Jim. He said, gently, “You are an innocent, Jim. Those things that cause you disgust about yourself were done to you not by you. You are not responsible for them.”

“How the hell do you know what happened to me?” Jim demanded, his voice going cold.

“You must forgive me, but I read your file before I agreed to meet with you. I had to be sure … well, I knew how close you were to Raines and I had to know whether to accept your visit. I’m sorry to have violated your privacy.”

Jim’s head hung down. After a long time, he said, “I guess I can understand that.”

“Everything I read told me what … what I can see just by looking at you. That you’ve been taken advantage of by … many people,” Martin said, softly.

“You’re making me sound like a victim! I’m not! Do you hear me? I AM NOT!” Jim was shaking with anger and yet it was not aimed at this kind man before him. Spock felt the alien … or perhaps human … urge to wrap his arms around his Captain, to assure him that being harmed by another did not diminish him, but Spock had no physicality in this memory just like the previous one. Finally, Jim seemed to calm himself and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to … to yell at you.”

A warm, age-spotted hand covering Jim’s. “I know. And I did not mean to upset you.”

“It’s … it’s fine,” Jim murmured, shrugging, clearly not used to kindness or understanding. “So why are you putting yourself in Damascus’ path?”

“I’ve tracked him for years, Jim. Watched as he destroyed life after life. Polluted world after world. Lured civilization after civilization into endless wars. This must stop. He cannot be allowed to interfere as he has been,” Martin explained.

Spock felt Jim’s confusion and yet a growing horrified understanding, too. “I don’t understand, Martin. What are you trying to say?”

Martin’s eyes looked suddenly very old and very afraid. “Telling you more would just expose you to greater danger. He’s let you live despite defying him. It’s so strange. He has never done that before. But I do not believe this odd mercy will extend to you if you were to know more about what he is.”

“But, Martin, if you don’t tell me what’s going on, why you’re doing this, I can’t help you!” Jim protested.

“I know that, Jim,” the older man had said with an affectionate smile playing over his features. “I don’t want you to help me. I want to help you.”

“Jesus, Martin, I don’t need to be protected like a little kid! I wasn’t protected back then and I don’t need to be now,” Jim said.
Again that look of understanding, which made Jim shuffle uncomfortably from foot to foot. “You man not need it, but you deserve it. You deserve to have a good life, Jim. And for as long as I am able, I will ensure you have access to that life.”

“You don’t even know me. And you don’t … want me … so why are you doing this?” Jim asked.

The other man gave him a sad smile. “Anyone who would risk their lives, defy a being like Raines, to aid someone else … well, I have a pretty good idea of the kind of man that would take. Someone who deserves to have a shot at making his mark on the Universe. You are that man, James Kirk.”

“Are you really going to go after Raines … alone?” Jim asked, his voice soft and low.

“I am. I must,” Martin answered simply.

Spock was once again rocketed back into his body in the convertible’s seat. His one free hand clutched the door to steady himself. Other than a quick glance from Jim, no one seemed to notice what was happening to him.

“And that’s all he would ever say about Raines. He never explained more than that. Even though I asked him constantly,” Jim said, his voice sounding far away now that Spock was no longer inside the other man’s head.

‘Is Jim even aware that I am seeing so much of what is in his mind?’ Spock was assiduous in not entering another’s mind without their express consent, but he could not seem to help himself from falling into Jim’s in this unaccountable manner. He knew that if he released Jim’s arm, stopped touching the other man so intimately, these experience would stop, but he could not do that either. He would rather cut his hand off then release it from Jim’s arm.

“Did you become … friends … with Martin?” McCoy asked, sounding strangely exhausted, as if he had heard this tale of one powerful man after another pursuing Jim.

“Not like that, Bones! Raines was wrong about Martin being interested with me in that way. He was kind to me. He urged me to focus on schooling and … and make my own way in the world without Raines and without … without my father’s ghost hanging over me,” Jim said.

“And you did pursue your schoolwork assiduously after that,” Spock said, remembering what he read in Jim’s file, and finding his voice again. “Your grades were even better than before.”

“Yeah, I … I finished at the top of my class. For Martin. It was the only way I could honor him after he … he died,” Jim said. He swallowed hard before continuing, “I wanted to avenge his death but … even though I went to the police, they didn’t believe me! I had no proof of what Raines done. When I tried to do something myself, to get that proof … Raines sent me a message through Harding.”

“What did the bastard do?” McCoy asked.

“He threatened my mother,” Jim said grimly. “She was working on Deep Space 3. Her suite and most of the section where the suite was located suffered a sudden and catastrophic decompression. Luckily, she decided the day before to go on leave. She was on her way to Earth when it happened. If she’d been at the Station … she’d be dead like the twenty other personnel who were there.”

“Holy hell!” McCoy muttered.

“I read about the Deep Space 3 incident, Jim, but they said nothing about foul play,” Spock said slowly. “The committee that looked into the matter found that the decompression was caused by a careless act of a technician who had not properly secured a docking door. Afterwards, the design of the door was changed to ensure that, even if there was an error, such a terrible accident could never occur again.”

“That was the official story,” Jim agreed. “But the technician wasn’t working for the Federation, but was an employee of a wholly owned subsidiary of—”

“Let me guess, Cerberus Corporation?” McCoy interrupted.

Jim nodded. “Whether the technician’s actions were negligent or deliberate will never be known. She supposedly committed suicide, too, before the committee could ever interview her.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” McCoy said, shaking his head in disgust.

“And if that wasn’t enough to make me suspicious, Harding called me, and told me about the decompression before it was reported on the Net,” Jim said.

“Being so close to Raines … he undoubtedly would have heard about it before the press,” Spock pointed out.

“True. But then he asked me if I hated my mother so much that I’d risk her life by pursuing this vendetta against Raines,” Jim said, his voice becoming clipped and cold. “I got the message. I backed off. And I haven’t seen or spoken to Raines since. So you see what will happen if I show up at this dinner? He’ll know how much this deal means to me and he could just end it to pay me back for all I’ve done. I can’t risk it. I can’t risk the Vulcan people’s future.”

There was silence in the car as all three men contemplated what Jim had told them. Jim took a final curve in the highway and the Academy’s white bulk appeared before them. The Captain expertly drove them down the ramp to an underground garage to return the car.

“Well, damn … I wish I could come down with a dread disease to avoid this man, too,” McCoy stated. “Don’t worry, Jim, we’ll figure out something to keep you out of this. What are you going to do, Spock? Are you going to tell the Vulcan Council about this?”

Spock nodded. “I will tell them of his character. They need to know who they are dealing with.”

As Jim pulled the convertible into its assigned space, Admiral Pike emerged from the elevator lobby and hustled towards them. He was already in his dress blues, looking harassed, but happy to have found them. Spock saw Jim’s jaw clench in dismay. Being caught by the Admiral coming back from the beach, with Jim looking especially healthy and tan, was not going to support their sickness claim.

“Oh, damn,” McCoy hissed under his breath. He jumped out of the car and blocked the Admiral’s way. “Admiral, you might not want to get too close. Jim is, ah, … feeling under the weather in a big way. It could be Andarian Flu. Don’t want to risk the infection spreading to others.”

The Admiral stared at McCoy, a bemused smile on his face. “Testing out your comedy routine, Dr. McCoy? Or are you asking me to believe you instead of my lying eyes?”

“What? Ah, no, I’m being serious,” McCoy said, as he cast a meaningful glance back at Spock to aid him in his deception.

Spock knew a losing cause when he saw it. Jim apparently did, too. The Captain slipped off his sunglasses and Spock felt a moment of joy from seeing Jim’s eyes again. Jim gave him a rueful look as he clambered out of the convertible and walked past McCoy to the Admiral. Spock quickly followed.

“Thanks, Bones, but I seem to have had a … quick recovery,” Jim said lightly.

“Trying to get out of the dinner tonight?” Admiral Pike asked as he clapped Jim on the shoulder.

“Yeah, something like that,” Jim said, his head drooping slightly.

Spock fought the urge to swat the other man’s hand off of Jim. He laced his own hands together tightly behind his back. He thought that his awareness of Jim would fade once he wasn’t touching the other man, but it was still there, a gentle mental buzzing. If he were anywhere near Pon Farr, he could write off this hyperawareness of the other man as a reaction to the buildup of hormones, but … and here was where, even if he had been near that time, Spock would have had to have dismissed it as the sole cause of his feelings for the other man … the level of mental connectedness was unheard of, special, unique.

And unlike Pon Farr, which filled him with dread … Spock did not want these feelings to end.

His attention snapped back to their current situation when Jim scuffed the ground with his foot then as if coming to a decision, squared his shoulders and said, “Admiral, I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to be there tonight. Lord Raines and I … we have a past.”

“Well, it must be a pretty good one,” Admiral Pike stated, his bright eyes pinning Jim in place. “Considering he told me himself that the only reason he was even considering selling Neos to the Vulcans is because of you.”

“What?” Jim asked.

McCoy muttered an expletive under his breath and Spock found himself standing up straighter.

“Not only that. He’s giving the Federation first crack at Cerberus’ newest ship technology … at a discount. I’ve only seen the base readings for these new craft, but … my God, if we’d had it when we were fighting Nero … let’s just say that we wouldn’t have lost half the Fleet,” Admiral Pike said.

“I can’t believe this, Admiral,” Jim said. “I really can’t believe this.”

“Me neither,” McCoy said.

“Admiral,” Spock began, “you said that Lord Raines, himself, told you that Jim was his motivation for doing these things?”

“Yes, we spoke earlier today when he … gently requested … that I make sure that Jim show up for tonight’s dinner,” Admiral Pike said, squeezing Jim’s shoulder. “So I’m pulling rank on you, Captain, you’re coming. Andarian Flu or no Andarian Flu. We’ll risk it.”

“Admiral,” Jim said, licking suddenly dry lips. “Raines may have led you to believe that he has … fond … memories of me, but that simply isn’t the case.”

Admiral Pike was already shaking his head. “He let on that … you, two, had a relationship and that … things hadn’t ended well between you, but he took the blame for that. Whatever you think he feels about you … he wants you to know that you’re wrong.”

“He’s not what he seems, Admiral,” Jim protested. “He’s lying about this. He was behind the death of a friend of mine. He—”
Admiral Pike’s expression went grim as he interrupted, “Jim, I know all about Martin Feyaud and your accusations against Raines. And I also know that there’s absolutely nothing to support them. Your actions then were undoubtedly based on being young and upset at the … ending of your relationship. Raines is willing to put that in the past. You need to do the same.”

As the Admiral spoke, Jim’s expression went from surprised to angry. The Captain’s hands fisted at his sides, his face flushed and his mouth tightened into a thin white line. Spock surreptitiously placed a hand on Jim’s lower back to calm him. They did not need the Captain punching out Admiral Pike, a man the Captain admired under other circumstances. Jim pressed back against his hand. Spock’s touch seemed to help Jim gain control of himself. The pinched look left Jim’s face and he was able to speak with his mouths rather than his fists.

“Sir … with all due respect … murder isn’t something you just put in the past. I may not have proof of what he did, but I know he did it,” Jim said softly. “I wasn’t and I’m not acting out, because Raines … broke up … with me.”

“I know you’re new at the whole officer thing, Jim, so I’m going to give you some advice,” Admiral Pike said, almost gently. “I’m going to speak frankly to you … not to hurt you … but to stop you from making a foolish mistake.”

“What mistake?” Jim asked, his body rigid.

“No matter how talented and intelligent you are, and we both know that you have both in spades … those things simply are not enough to keep your captaincy. You have enemies who would like to see nothing better than the youngest Star Fleet Captain fail,” Admiral Pike said, gravely. “You jumped ahead of many more senior men and women to command the Enterprise. That’s not just a run-of-the-mill Starship you’re in charge of. That’s the flagship of the entire fleet. Having someone like Lord Raines on your side will ensure that your career doesn’t end before it begins.”

“Sir, I—”

Pike held up a hand to silence Jim’s protest. “I know what you’re going to say. That your skills and nerve alone have gained you your place and that they’ll help you keep it. That’s all true, but there’s another level, Jim, another playing field altogether that you need to start looking at and playing on. Or otherwise … well, I’m in your corner. But there’s only so much I can do. Besides, I know how close you and Spock are.”

“Admiral, what does our … closeness … have to do with this?” Spock asked, his right eyebrow rising.

Pike gave the Vulcan a cautious smile. “Only that I’m sure Jim wants the best for the Vulcans generally … and, especially, because you two are such close friends. Neos is what is best for the Vulcans. Your father, Sarek, is especially wedded to the idea of colonizing Neos. So if Jim lays down his vendetta against Raines … Neos as the new Vulcan home world will be a much closer reality.”

At Pike’s words, Spock’s hand against Jim’s back felt suddenly like a brand. Jim’s affection for him was being used by the Admiral against his Captain and Raines would do the same. He felt a sudden visceral hatred for Raines, Pike and even his own father. Spock knew then that even Sarek would ignore Jim’s experiences with Raines, because all of them had already discussed it and decided that for expedience’s sake the past would remain the past no matter the cost to Jim and the dead Martin Feyaud.

“Forgive me, Sir,” McCoy said, breaking his unusual silence. “But that’s a bunch of hooey!”

“Bones!” Jim said, surprised at the doctor’s outburst.

The doctor had been so quiet that Spock had almost forgotten he was there, but he could not miss the other man now. McCoy’s arms were crossed over his chest and his dark eyes were slitted with disgust.

“Doctor?” Admiral Pike asked, looking slightly amazed and amused by the doctor’s lack of protocol.

“Are we really going to throw our morals out the window to get a bigger, better ship? To get the Vulcans a piece of rock?” McCoy asked. “Trust me when I say that whatever we get from dealing with Raines is surely worth less than what we’re giving up. A man like that never makes a deal that he doesn’t come up on top of. I don’t know how, but I’m damned sure that Raines will get the better half of this and we’ll all be ruing the day we ever made a deal with him.”

Admiral Pike took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. “Your … ah, colorful … view of the situation notwithstanding, Dr. McCoy, we can’t base our actions on mere speculation.”

“You don’t have to. You just have to remember that old story about the turtle and the scorpion,” McCoy said. When everyone gave him a perplexed look, McCoy sighed and explained, “A turtle allows a scorpion on his back, agrees to take him to the other side of the pond, a place the scorpion can’t reach without the turtle’s help. Just at the moment when they reach the other side … the scorpion stings the turtle. In his death throes, the turtle asks why the scorpion did this, when he’d helped him. The scorpion responds, ‘You knew what I was when you picked me up.’ All things act in their nature, Admiral, and from what Jim’s told me … Raines’ nature is a bad one.”

“I understand your loyalty to your friend, Dr. McCoy. And that speaks well of him and of you,” Admiral Pike said. “But the thing is … those in power have made a decision. And nothing is going to change their minds. You can be part of this … or not. But all things being equal … well, Jim, I’m sorry, but I’m ordering you to come to tonight’s dinner. I expect you’ll do more than your level best to be gracious and charming to everyone. Is that understood?”

Jim nodded curtly. Pike gave his shoulder another friendly squeeze.

“I know it’s hard, son. But it’s part of the price of being an officer,” Pike said. “Sometimes that price seems heavy, but in the end, you’ll see, that this is all for the best.”

None of the friends spoke as Admiral Pike turned and made his way to the elevator up to the reception area. It wasn’t until the elevator doors shut that McCoy let out a stream of expletives, his hands on his hips, anger radiating out of every pore. Jim’s shoulders slumped and he stared at the ground like it had some kind of answers. Spock did not know if he was more angry or disappointed himself. Logic failed him utterly in this situation.

“I will speak to my father about Raines, Jim,” Spock said, even though he had half-convinced himself already that it was a lost cause. “I will convince him—”

“No,” Jim said, sounding exhausted. “Don’t. They’ve decided that it doesn’t matter what he’s done, they want what he’s selling.”

“Jim’s right, Spock,” McCoy said. “Raines could be eating babies in front of them and they’d all smile and call it a quaint tradition … so long as they get their planet and technology. Nobody cares what happened to a man eight years ago that none of them knew. Hell, some might even admire that bastard Raines for doing it. How many of them wish they had the guts to kill a rival? More than half of them, I’m sure.”

“Let’s just hope that Raines actually means to give them the technology and the planet, Bones. At least then there would be something good out of this,” Jim said and ran a hand through his short hair. “Guess, we’d all better get dressed.”

“We are all going to this shindig together. We’ll meet at your room, Jim,” McCoy said, his expression brooked no argument then, with a hint of a smile, he added, “Because we all know that Jim takes forever getting ready.”

“Unlike you, Bones. You keep your dress uniform in the bottom of your closet … rolled into a ball,” Jim teased back as he pretended to be affronted.

“Well, I hate the damn thing. I keep hoping if I mistreat it enough it’ll shrivel up and die and then I won’t have to wear it again,” McCoy said and slapped Jim on the back, urging the younger man towards the elevators.

Spock’s fingers tingled with the desire to gently guide his Captain to the elevators with a hand on his lower back, to touch that space he had somehow begun to think of as his.

The easy banter continued as they rode the elevator up to their floors. It wasn’t until after they dropped Jim off on the floor where his temporary quarters were and McCoy and Spock were alone in the elevator that the doctor spoke of Raines again.

With a fierce look in his eyes, McCoy turned to face Spock and said, “No matter what, Spock, we don’t leave Jim alone for a second tonight. Not one damned second.”

Spock’s eyebrows rose. “While I agree with that plan, Doctor, it, in fact, mirrors my own … I wonder what your reasons are for it.”

McCoy gave a humorless laugh. “Oh, my reasons are based on just a bit of mere speculation, Spock, but I’m sure of them nonetheless. Jim was worried that Raines won’t come through on his part of the deal with the Federation and the Vulcans. I don’t have any fears about that. I think the man is offering so much and will guarantee it goes to the interested parties, because he wants so much more in return.”

“Money …,” Spock offered then his voice died as McCoy vigorously shook his head negatively.

“No, not money, not power, not accolades. Raines wants Jim,” McCoy said, grimacing. “And those damned fool higher ups will give Jim right to him, without a second thought, if we don’t stop it.”

Spock felt a chill that had nothing to do with the ambient temperature of the elevator run through him. And then he was flooded with an almost uncontrollable rage at the thought of anyone taking his Captain away from him. It was unacceptable.

“He cannot have Jim,” Spock almost growled the words.

McCoy pulled back, a look of surprise then understanding flickering over his face. A wide smile crossed his face. “That’s exactly the reaction and determination we need to fight this son-of-a-bitch Raines.”

“Indeed, Doctor,” Spock said, resolve flowing through his body. “We must do whatever it takes to keep Jim safe. Whatever it takes.”