Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Part 3. Choices

Jim and the crew of the Bet'lath had experience boarding other vessels. Still, those 'missions' had been to passenger transports, or sometimes pirate ships, and while the latter did tend to be weaponized, it was nothing compared to the Vengeance. Jim and Spock were both quite certain the only reason they managed to even get close at all to the ship was because of Scotty, and whoever else was there with him.

A whoever that ended up being probably the last person Jim would have ever expected: Lt. Carol Marcus (she actually first introduced herself as Carol Wallace, but Spock had made a point of looking up everything possible about Alexander Marcus, the fact that he'd a daughter who had done both the Science and Engineering Tracks was right there. She'd also been in London until right before the mess in the Kelvin Archive). The blonde came clean to them then, she'd done the Science Track to please her mother, but she liked weapons more, for that reason her father had given her clearance for all his projects… all except a new photon torpedo. She'd been trying to find out what was up with those torpedoes, to the point of arranging her transfer to San Francisco as she followed the weapons. Which had been moved to the Io base just as she made it to San Fran. It was how she'd come across Scotty and offered her help to get him into the base.

"How much did you know before all this?" Jim asked.

"I knew there was something wrong about those torpedoes." Carol answered. "And not just because he wouldn't give me access to the project, but because the data I did find about them… it was just not possible. The numbers didn't fit, the combination of the materials that were said to be in them… it would have made them too unstable for them to actually be used…"

"I did that on purpose." A cultured voice behind Jim and Spock announced.

It was Jim's idea to get Khan out of the cell and have him help them. He didn't trust the augment completely. But he did believe that they all wanted the same thing, at least for the time being, and that would have to be enough.

"Those torpedoes are not torpedoes at all." Khan announced seriously.

"Then what are they?" Scotty wanted to know, completely confused.

"My crew." The augment finished quietly.

That threw them all for a loop.

"We must hurry, before the Admiral realizes the ploy." Spock stated evenly.

The ploy being the fact that Jim's friends (both from the Enterprise, and most of the members of the Nine) were on two ships (even Scotty hadn't known there were two), doing all sorts of maneuvers to keep Marcus's attention upon them and off Jim, Spock and the others.

"Lets get to work then." Jim nodded.

With Khan's aid they managed to do things much faster, as they systematically opened each of the torpedoes. There was no way 72 cryogenic chambers would ever fit in their ships. So instead they got each of the augments out, sedated them (because, as Cilaun and Jim explained to Khan, they were in no position to deal with six dozens of super-powered individuals who would either come out of sleep disoriented or swinging; in the end Khan was forced to agree).

They were working on the last set of torpedoes (Khan had taught each of them how to unlock them and get the person inside, so they could all work simultaneously), when Keenser called out to Scotty.

"Sir!" Scotty cried out in response. "They've managed to get around the firewalls I set up and regained control of their weapons."

Jim and Cilaun cursed practically in unison as they began moving faster.

"We need to finish now!" Kariva cried out.

They were all rushing onto the ships (the Bet'lath, the Suvwl' and the smaller one Scotty, Keenser and Carol had used to get from Earth to the base in Io), when Cilaun noticed something.

"Where is Khan?"

Several curses were spat at the same time, even as Jim made up his mind:

*K'diwa…?* Spock inquired, even as he deposited the last unconscious augment in one of the rooms, he'd sensed his telsu's decision.

*I know where he is.* Jim replied even as he ran. *I'm going to get him. Tell the others to take off now.*

*I'll have Mr. Scott leave his pod for you and Khan to get out.* Spock informed him, then, almost as an afterthought, added: *Be careful sa-telsu.*

*I will.* Jim replied, before turning all his attention upon what was going on.

Of course he knew where Khan was, or more precisely where he was going. The two of them… they were the same in many ways. So of course, after ensuring the safety of one's crew, the next step would be to ensure that such a threat could never be repeated. The best way? By getting rid of the one who was the threat in the first place. In this case: Alexander Marcus.

He knocked out what few crew members he found on the way using his phaser. Even managed to stop at one point to set a command in one of the computers, a simple hack that would allow as much information regarding the ship and its crew to be delivered to the Suvwl', they just might need it if they managed to make it back to Earth in one piece. It was also then that he realized just how insane some of those crew members were, and how far they were willing to go to ensure they wouldn't be discovered. He warned his husband through their bond about the development and the risks before moving faster.

Jim made it to the bridge just in time to hear Khan screaming something about letting him sleep, at the same time he crushed Marcus's skull with his own hands. Phaser in hand, Jim had less than a handful of seconds to decide exactly what he was going to do.

"Will you turn on me now, Captain Kirk?" Khan demanded as he turned around.

He made quite the grizzly picture, hands drenched in blood, face still half twisted in fury. He was expecting already an answer from Jim. Then again, Jim so loved going against people's expectations (and much as he might never admit it, in the back of his head he couldn't help but see himself, his own hands stained with blood, as he knelt by a stream and did his best to wash them, not wanting his kids to see him like that, not wanting them to fear him).

"We need to get out of here." He stated, putting the phaser down (but not away). "One of the bastards activated a self-destruct sequence. It'd take me longer to hack into it and cancel it than we have. We need to get off this ship, now."

Khan blinked, clearly surprise by Jim's reaction.

"Lets go!" Jim waved him to move.

They began running back the way they'd come.

"You surprise me Kirk." Khan admitted as they ran.

"Ravanok." Jim corrected, almost as an afterthought.

The turbolifts were out of service (it was hard to tell if that was an accident, caused by all their previous hacking, or an additional measure taken by one of the bastards Jim had knocked out to ensure they wouldn't be getting out in time), which made them curse even as Jim practically dove for the nearest panel that hid Jefferies Tubes.

It was insane, even with Kahn's involvement in the planning of the Vengeance, he hadn't been part of its construction after a certain point, and never on it after it was finished. Bottom line, neither of them knew the ship enough to be sure they were truly taking the shortest route to the cargo bay, and time was running out.

"Why did you come after me?" Khan asked at one point.

They'd been forced to stop eventually as they hadn't the slightest idea where they were, except it certainly wasn't the cargo bay, and Jim was panting already. He wasn't sure if the life-support systems were down, or if he was just hitting his limit of endurance, but he was beginning to suspect he might have finally found his no-win…

"It was the right thing to do." He responded with a shrug even as he went down the hallway, searching for more jefferies tubes.

"Even though you just saw me kill a man who you probably wanted to arrest and have him face justice back on your planet?" Khan challenged.

"While I might have liked that, there's not knowing if it would have worked." Jim admitted. "And I'm not so much of a hypocrite to deny you your right to protect you and yours."

It was a very polite and roundabout way of admitting he'd have done exactly the same. It was the kind of admission most wouldn't be exactly comfortable making, but then again, Jim had found that when he was in a 'Ravanok' mentality he was much more honest about himself than at any other time. It was as if shedding the Kirk surname somehow made it so he no longer had to live up to other people's expectations and could just be himself. The person he'd been with M'aih, with the Nine, and with his crew/friends/family on the Bet'lath.

"You're a most intriguing individual Ravanok." Khan admitted.

"Yeah, while I always did aspire to have all kinds of individuals across the galaxy recognize how awesome I am… that's not gonna save us."

Jim had begun the speech in his usual cocky tone, only to end it in a quiet, almost sober voice. He'd finally stopped running up and down the hallway, there were no more jefferies tubes to be found, other than the ones they got in through. Going back to find others would take time they no longer had, as the awful siren, the red lights and the decreasing numbers reminded them.

*I'm sorry ashal-veh.* Jim mind-whispered. *It would seem the ultimate no-win finally found me.* He switched to vulcan to express how serious his next words were. *Ni'droi'ik nar-tor (I'm sorry/Forgive me). Taluhk nash-ve k'dular (I cherish thee).*

Jim focused on sending his husband as much love as he could through the bond, before putting up all the shields he'd been taught about in the last year, not wanting his beloved vulcan to have to feel his death.

Khan didn't even comment on his giving up. Probably having reached the same conclusion as Jim. The only consolation they both had was that their crews, their families were safe, they'd at least done that much.

Jim opened his mouth to say something, even if he hadn't the slightest idea as to what, when suddenly he felt a well-known sensation grip him, as his very molecules were shifted and rearranged as a transporter beam took them both. It took less than a handful of seconds for the dark hallway of some unknown deck in the Vengeance to vanish, and instead Khan and Jim found themselves in the Control Room of the Bet'lath. Scotty and Cilaun were cheering their success in the background (apparently Scotty had 'appropriated' the device Khan had used to secure his escape after the attack at Daystrom and fixed it on their way to Qo'noS, it was what had gotten the two of them out of the Vengeance milliseconds before the whole ship blew). Jim paid them no mind, he only had eyes for his telsu, standing right in front of him, dark eyes boring into James's own blue ones.

"I don't believe in no-win scenarios." Was all he said.

It was all he needed to say, really, a second later James was upon him, kissing him for all he was worth (which of course only made Cilaun and Scotty cheer even more).

xXx

When it was all said and done, Jim was sure he's never had such an insane 24 hours before. First they all landed on Praxis to make plans. Khan was willing to go with Jim back to the Federation. With the loss of Admiral Marcus and everyone on board the Vengeance (as well as the starship itself) he was pretty much the only proof they had of what was going on within Starfleet. The only condition he had was the reassurance that his family would be safe. It was then that Kariva decided to reveal herself and her position (up to that point the crew of the Bet'lath had remained fully covered, ensuring no one would recognize them). Scotty, Hikaru and Chekov let out exclamations of shock, McCoy and Nyota cursed Jim to kingdom come, Carol blinked several times in disbelief (she really had no idea the insanity she was getting involved with when she convinced Scotty to take her with him) while the Nine simply rolled their eyes and moved on, having already expected something (even if they didn't know everything JT had been up to while off Earth, they'd had a good idea of a lot of it).

"Only you could make friends with the future leader of the Klingon Empire, to the point of being bestowed an honorific, and then turn and join Starfleet." Nyota muttered eventually.

"It didn't happen exactly like that." Jim, much as he would deny it, actually pouted then.

Praxis had been almost completely evacuated before the explosion of the Vengeance, which was a good thing because, even if the explosion had been big enough to obliterate most of the starship completely, there was still some debris, most of which thankfully ended on the moon rather than the planet itself (it was much easier to evacuate a mining moon than a fully populated planet). Kariva had already warned her father of the situation and contingencies were being put into effect, it was unlikely there would be any mining done any time soon.

It was because of that, that it was decided the Bet'lath's crew would stay right there, with Khan's people. McCoy, Spock, Carol and Khan worked together to ensure they'd be waking up only two at a time. Allowing Kariva and the others to supervise. Khan had left them a message explaining the situation and how long they were to wait for him before cutting their loses and making their own plans. Kariva for her part had offered her full support to all of them, as long as they gave their word not to try and attack her people.

There were a number of Class L and M planets in the Beta Quadrant with minimal or no known inhabitants, where the augments would be able to settle, if they'd rather not live among Klingons (they certainly wouldn't want to go back to living among humans).

With that part settled Cilaun, Gaila, Scotty, Keenser and Jim worked together to hook up the Suvwl' with the small, nameless k'normian ship the Enterprise crew had arrived in. They'd be taking the more direct route to Earth and arriving right back to where Jim and Spock had taken off from, hoping to avoid detection, and to make it back before at least most of them were missed. The Nine for their part would be taking a longer route so as to avoid anyone connecting them, in case something didn't go to plan.

Surprisingly enough, most of the plan did go as expected. They made it all the way to Portland and landed without trouble. Even before that, Scotty had made used of the modified transporter to send McCoy, Nyota, Gaila, Hikaru and Pavel back to where they'd been before coming together to go after Jim and Spock. Scotty and Keenser had gone on the smaller ship then, hoping to provide a distraction in case Starfleet were looking for them already. If anyone questioned him he could very truthfully say he was testing a few theories for when they were all back on the Enterprise (Jim had even signed and back-dated orders to that effect). Carol insisted on staying, aware that no one would know as much about her father's own projects as she did.

"You are aware there's every chance we'll be court martialed and our information completely ignored?" Jim inquired. "It's unlikely your father was working alone. And whoever was with him… they won't want what we know to become public knowledge."

"I know." Carol nodded solemnly. "It's still something I need to do." She made a pause before adding. "Why are you doing it, if you're so sure it'll fail?"

For several seconds Jim didn't answer. Instead turning to look at his husband, and then at Khan, thinking about the part of himself that connected to each of them…

"Because someone has to." He answered finally, running a hand through his hair. "I still have some pull in Starfleet. In between what my father did all those years ago, and what went down with Nero and the Narada last year. I might be able to get them to stop and listen, if only a little. And if that fails…"

If that failed… well, he wouldn't be surrendering, that was for sure. His beloved's actions had reminded him that he did not believe in no-win scenarios either. If doing things the right way, through Starfleet, failed… then it'd be time for Plan B…

Of course, still following Plan A Jim then needed to turn on his personal comm. He actually winced when seeing he'd reached the limit on missed calls and messages. There was no time for him to focus on those though, so instead he rang a number he knew by memory.

"James Tiberius Kirk!" A female voice called the moment the line was opened.

Yet again, Jim winced. Spock exhaled, while Khan looked like he wasn't sure if he should worry or find the whole thing funny. Jim didn't find it funny at all, especially not as One went into a rant that mixed way too many of Earth's languages, and some not from Earth for good measure. The woman was clearly furious at him.

"One… One…" When that failed, he decided to change tracks: "Eureka!"

That certainly brought the ranting to a sudden stop.

"What have I told you about calling me by that name James?" She hissed.

"You weren't listening to me." He justified. "I know you're beyond angry at me, and you have more than enough reason. I promise to give you the chance to flay me alive when this is all over and done if you so wish… but this isn't over just yet so I really need you to be Captain now and my surrogate big sister later, okay?"

On the other side of the comm-line, Number One (whose real name, unknown to all but her husband and surrogate little brother and now Spock and Khan as well was Eureka Robbins) took a deep breath before becoming all business.

"What do you need Jim?" She asked, completely serious.

"I need you and Chris to come out of hiding." Jim answered. "And I need Chris to call a meeting with the full brass, or as many as can be gathered, as soon as possible."

"How bad is this?" Chris was suddenly on the comm as well.

"So bad you cannot begin to imagine." Jim admitted with a sigh. "This needs to happen soon. Before information reaches the wrong ears. What we bring you… if it's not handled carefully it could destroy Starfleet as we know it."

It could also end with all of them dead. Or at least Jim, Spock, Carol and Khan. Which was precisely why they weren't explaining anything to Chris just yet, they hadn't even called Amanda since first leaving San Francisco. Because if the worst happened, if they truly lost this time, Jim and Spock would rather it was just their lives on the line and not anyone else's.

"The minimum time for an emergency meeting of the full brass is ninety minutes." Chris informed them. "I'll be calling a meeting the moment I get off this call with you, and you'll need to be at HQ before ninety minutes have passed. I cannot help you any further. It'll be hard enough to convince all the Admirals to gather without explaining they why exactly."

"Tell them the person responsible for Daystrom has been apprehended." Khan spoke out-loud.

"Wha…?!" Pike's voice made his shock evident, then he exhaled. "You know what? Forget it. I don't want to know. Just be there in ninety minutes."

Jim exhaled sadly, he wanted so much to reassure his surrogate father (the only father he'd ever known) that he was not crazy (not any more than usual in any case), that he had a plan… but he couldn't, not yet.

"I hope you know what you're doing kid." One murmured quietly before ending the call in the usual manner. "One out."

Jim breathed deeply once, then twice; truth was, so did he.

A brush of his husband's fingers over his own reminded Jim that he wasn't alone. He had his bondmate, his soulmate right then, and as long as they were together, they could do anything. After all, they didn't believe in no-win scenarios.

xXx

The loud sound of a shot broke the tense silence, the shock lasted all of three seconds and what followed was immediate pandemonium. Everything happened so fast. It all seemed to happen in stages, moments frozen in time: in the first, around 75% of the brass (of those who had survived the attack on Daystrom days earlier) had gathered together and the whispers grew louder as they demanded an explanation for why the meeting had been called, especially on such short notice. In the second, all eyes turned to Pike as he stood (he very carefully did not use the cane, not wanting to appear in any way weak, not when so much was at stake), clearly waiting for him to explain what was going on. In the third, the opening of the door leading to a separate office made all eyes turn instantly, in time to watch Captain James Kirk and Commander Spock, both in full dress grays, and followed by a dark-haired man in regulation blacks, a long-coat and a dark-blue scarf around his neck (They had all decided to have Carol wait in the back and enter later, not wanting to overwhelm their audience just yet… also, if worse came to worst she was their plan B). In the fourth, a shot rang out, and three figures dropped so fast that at first no one knew who'd been shot exactly. Then everything descended into chaos.

"Khan!" Jim cried out as he dropped to his knees, his husband beside him a fraction of a second later, doing his best to help him staunch the bleeding.

It was Khan who was bleeding, from a bullet low to the left side of his chest. A bullet that had been meant for Jim, the blonde was quite sure of that. But the augment… he really was better at everything; what Jim couldn't comprehend was what made him decide to use those skills to save Jim's life, by putting his own on the line…

"Noo… nien…" He gasped, blood already beginning to stain his lips and teeth.

"What…?" Jim was going crazy with everything going on.

He ignored the madness going on with the brass, trusting his husband to have his back as the room descended into absolute insanity.

"My name… is Noonien." Khan… Noonien, enunciated very carefully. "Khan is… j-just a title."

"Noonien." Jim nodded.

"Protect-t the… them, Rava-nok." The augment stated, as strongly as he could in his wet voice.

It was clear that at least one of his lungs had been punctured, possibly his heart as well.

"You have my word." Jim nodded solemnly.

Khan Noonien Singh closed his eyes then and seconds later Jim was unable to find a pulse at all. He was left kneeling beside a man who laid on a pool of his own blood, his second in command and bondmate standing beside him in a protective position, while all around them voices kept calling for order, security, medics and explanations, no one really making up their minds which of those they wanted more. Jim though… he was paying very little attention to any of it, as far as he was concerned Plan A had just crashed and burned, and deep inside his mind he wasn't so sure Plan B was going to be enough.

xXx

"Where is Harrison's body?"

Those were the first words out of Chris's mouth as he stepped into the small apartment early that morning. A Starfleet issue apartment was where Jim and Spock had been staying over the last couple of weeks. While they weren't exactly roughing it, they were still technically on house arrest. They had no codes to open the front door and a group of cadets had been tasked with getting them groceries weekly, while there was security on the floor, the lobby of the building and outside to ensure they did not leave. Of course all of that would be pointless if Jim and Spock ever got it into their heads that they no longer cared for remaining in Starfleet, then there would be nothing that could possibly stop the two of them working together; as had been proven by their 'little mission' (which no one but those involved, Chris and One even really knew anything about; most of Admiralty knew they had caught Harrison, but not where or how, or that anyone other than the two of them had been involved at all).

"How are we supposed to know?" Jim retorted. "We haven't left this hole in two weeks."

It was the truth, every single word. Of course, if one were to pay attention they would realize he was asking how could he know, rather than stating that he did not know at all. He couldn't have been sure, of course. The security had been enough he'd rather not risk communication with anyone from his chosen families, not even through his highly encrypted comms. So Chris's question was really his first confirmation that at least some of their plans had been successful.

Like he'd expected, Carol's testimony alone, even with all the proof, including her father's personal files, hadn't been enough to tell the whole story. It was why it had been so important that Khan accompany them, no one's testimony could ever be as powerful as his own. But Khan… Noonien, was no longer an option. At least Chris's question meant that Thomas (quite possibly with Bones's help, had secured the augment's body and, hopefully, gotten it off planet entirely).

"Jim, you know this will not help your situation any." Chris stated in a tired tone. "I've been doing all I can to get you your chance to tell your side of the story kid but…"

"But you're seen as biased due to your personal connection to James and perhaps even myself and thus your opinion holds less weight among your colleagues than expected." Spock finished for him in his usual, even tone.

"Pretty much, yeah." Chris admitted as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Someone tried to assassinate me, possibly us." Jim began enlisting, raising a hand when Chris made to interrupt him. "That is a fact. Another fact is, that for that Sector 31 Agent to have been in the room, armed, it means that either Marcus or someone else in his service sent word back here before the Vengeance self-destructed. Fact three, for someone to have tried to kill us, that means there's someone else, high-ranked, still around. Quite probably another Admiral, if not more than one. Fact four, the only reason they wanted Khan's body was to try and use him, probably to replicate his abilities, nevermind that the Eugenics have been banned since the 21st century… not like Kodos cared much about such laws either…" The blonde cut himself off, realizing he was going on the kind of tangent he'd rather not focus on. "Anyway, fact five, Carol Marcus had all the information, and yet they're dismissing her out of hand for no better reason than they don't want to believe what she's telling them is possible. Like denying there is a problem will somehow make it go away."

"The Captain is, indeed, right." Spock offered. "I was aware some individuals favor denying their problems as a method of dismissing them, but I never expected so many of our superiors to follow this line of thinking…"

"They're being willfully blind, and dangerously so, you can say it Spock." Jim finished for him.

"Indeed." The Vulcan agreed. "Such a line of thinking is quite dangerous, not just for us, but for Starfleet, and perhaps even the Federation as a whole."

"Don't I know it?" Chris closed his eyes tight for a moment, willing the upcoming migraine away if only for a few minutes. "I suppose that means you will not be telling me where Harrison… Khan's body is exactly?"

"I honestly don't know." Jim shrugged.

It was the truth too.

"And what about the rest of the augments that were mentioned in Lt. Wallace's report?" Chris inquired next.

One of the first things Carol had done upon their return to Earth was to legally change her surname to that of her mother's. Claiming she could not stand being known as Marcus's daughter, not after what he'd done.

"As we stated in the official briefing, they were all placed in a bunch of experimental photon torpedoes by Khan, in an attempt to free them." Jim answered seriously. "Torpedoes that were lost along with the Vengeance."

"The Captain is, indeed, correct in this instance." Spock agreed. "I see no logical reason for this question to be repeatedly asked, when the answer remains the same."

They knew of course. People thought they were lying, and kept asking the same questions hoping they'd trip up and give themselves away. As if they were such amateurs… Also, technically they hadn't said a single lie… they just hadn't given the whole truth either.

For several seconds none of them said anything, just standing there, waiting for who else might say anything. Chris knew there were things (quite probably a lot of things) that Jim and Spock weren't saying; and he couldn't fault them for that, he wasn't the only one to believe they might be monitored, probably even through some mikes in the apartment. And it's not like they needed to speak out-loud when it was between them. As for Chris himself… he still trusted them enough not to press too hard. Trusted them enough to believe it wasn't over just yet, Spock was much too conscientious not to have considered contingencies, and Jim… well, Chris had always believed him to be the personification of paranoia, and it wouldn't have surprised the Admiral to learn he had enough plans for at least half the alphabet.

At least those were his thoughts until his comm rang and he had Admiral Komack yelling at him from the other end of the line.

"What?!" He cried out when he heard what his colleague/superior had just said.

Spock and Jim didn't get the chance to ask him what was wrong, before Chris was turning on the nearest screen.

"Did you do this?" He demanded of the young couple.

Jim and Spock turned their eyes to the broadcast practically in unison. It was from the Federation News Network, an Exclusive. At first they were confused, for half the screen was in black and white, until they realized what they were looking at exactly. According to the lines written at the bottom of the screen it was a recovered security video from the 20th century, from the end of the Eugenic Wars. It showed a woman working on several computers almost simultaneously while a racket took place just outside the room. The moment the door was broken through she got on her feet, pulled out a gun (an old gun, nothing like the modern phasers) and shot repeatedly at all the computers. There was yelling in several Earth languages, including English, Hebrew and an African dialect very few people knew anymore. Eventually the woman dropped the gun in her hand, put her hands on the back of her head and then turned around slowly, facing both the soldiers pointing at her with their own weapons, and the security camera still filming.

Jim felt like he'd been punched in the solar plexus. He knew exactly who that woman was: Dr. Marlene Givens… Khan's deceased wife. The blonde couldn't help himself as he reached for the small chip-like device he kept in one of his pockets, which he'd intentionally withheld from Starfleet once they'd taken him and Spock into 'protective custody'. He'd known Dr. Givens was an important part of it all, but he also knew it was unlikely certain people in Starfleet would allow her testimony to carry much weight, much as they'd already done with Carol. He also did not want to surrender the last thing Noonien had which connected him to his wife, the woman he'd loved… whom he clearly still loved if the scarf he never took off was anything to go by.

"Shit." Was all Jim could really say in the end.

"So this is not you then?" Chris inquired.

"When do you suppose we'd have had the time to get that to FNN, much less find it?" Jim asked in return. "We gave you the woman's name and what little Khan revealed about her, but it's not like we've had time to do much of anything since we got back, what with all the debriefing sessions the Admiralty insists on calling us to, as they asked us the same freaking questions time and time again!"

Chris nodded, he knew Jim was at about the end of his patience; he also knew there was more he wasn't saying, and that sometimes it was better just not to ask… plausible deniability and all that. While the revelation was going to hit Starfleet hard, especially if it ended being as bad as he feared it might, it might also be just what they needed, not just for Spock and Jim, but also to bring whatever 'associates' of Marcus there might still be, out of the woodwork.

Truth be told, the whole 'big reveal' about Dr. Givens was one of the plans, specifically: Plan E (they'd managed to complete bypass the plans concerning the Kirk connections, the Vulcan connections and the influence of the Tarsus Nine, the last of which James would have hated using, but he'd have if absolutely necessary). He had no idea who exactly had decided to go ahead with Plan E, but there was no doubt his children must be somehow involved, probably the crews (of the Enterprise and the Bet'lath) as well. Still, as that particular video ended and pictures began showing as a reporter came on screen to explain who exactly Marlene Givens had been and her importance to current time and age, Jim had to admit he'd never expected them to be so through, or for them to be able to find so much. Plan F might just end up not being necessary after all… Spock would like that, and Amanda, and all their friends, he too of course. He could have dealt with it, making a new life for himself and Spock elsewhere, but he was also happy where he was, as James Tiberius Kirk, husband and bonded mate of Spock, Captain of the Enterprise and with such an amazing family (by choice and deed), like he could have never imagined when he was young and feeling so alone in the universe…

The next video that came up was half covered by watermarks for the broadcasting company, meant to ensure that no one else could claim the footage as theirs. That footage too was in black and white. Though that was about all it had in common with the first video that had been shown. In it Dr. Givens was shown to a plaza where she faced a group that called themselves the 'Saviors of Earth', who were there to 'liberate' them all from the rule of the monster Khan. As they went on to give a list of all the crimes Khan was considered responsible of, Givens denied each and every one of them; and not just that, but then she proceeded to enlist how the so-called saviors were responsible for at least 50% of the deaths they were pinning on Khan, another 30% being their own people who had died while trying to kill the augments. The last 20% remained unaccounted for, yet the damage had been done, the doubt raised.

Things only escalated from there, as people began taking Givens's side. The group kept growing, and even when the pseudo saviors warned them to be quiet, nothing would stop them. It all came to a head when Givens announced the virus that had her, and many more in the country sick had been created by the very humans who claimed to be there to save them. Threats were made, orders shouted, and then Marlene screamed about them being responsible for her baby's death. Things only escalated from there.

When the shot came Jim wasn't even surprised. And right there, it did not stop at one. The so-called saviors proceeded to gun down everyone not in their group. All who'd taken Givens's side, and even some who might have just been standing around for whatever the reason. They left none alive, no witnesses who might ever be able to oppose their own version of things…

The broadcast cut off as soon as was possible, though the reporter that came on next confirmed what most suspected by then. She then went on to enlist the names of all who their experts had been able to confirm to have been on that plaza during the shooting. And what the official causes of their deaths had been reported to be.

And then the questions came: Why had all that happened? Why had it taken so long for the truth to come out? And how did events that had happened centuries prior were suddenly relevant? Why? So many questions, and no one willing to give the answers.

"What do you think will happen when people realize that Givens' husband, the man she gave her life to save, and whom most still see as a terrible villain, not only wasn't dead, but that people in Starfleet found him and then coerced him into making weapons all while pushing for a war against the Klingon Empire?" Jim asked Chris. "Considering what happened the last two times Khan was threatened… The latter time he might have chosen to leave, take his people and go, but the former… that was when the Eugenic Wars happened in the first place. We as a species really don't learn do we?" He shook his head. "And what was it all for? For war? There's no fucking way we could win a war against the Empire! Not now, not in the next decade, probably not even in the next century! Even with the way Nero half-destroyed their Fleet, they're so far above us it's not even funny! Even if Marcus had been smart enough to get Khan's cooperation rather than force him, there's no way we could have ever won that war! Which means he was either beyond insane and delusional, or he sought our own destruction!"

If any other Admiral had heard that speech they'd have thought Jim to be threatening them, to be a traitor of some kind. Chris, thankfully, knew better.

"You know what I'll do if it comes to war." Jim stated then, it wasn't a question.

"I know." His surrogate father nodded seriously.

Of course he did. It was the same Plan F, only on a grander scale. Jim said it was Plan F because it would only ever be put into practice when they could sincerely said things were beyond FUBAR and there was no other win possible. It meant basically getting himself (themselves) and those they cared for onto the first ship they could and off planet. From there they had options, depending on how bad the situation was. In the case of a war against the Klingon Empire… that would probably mean leaving the galaxy entirely. Neither of them had any idea where they'd go exactly. But if such a thing every happened, an actual war rather than their current Tense Armed Peace… nowhere in Alpha and Beta Quadrant would be safe. No sector on the known galaxy (at least the one known to them) would be safe.

"You can be sure if it comes to that we'll be right there with you." Chris added for good measure. "Lets just hope it doesn't come to that."

Hope… yeah, they would hope.

xXx

72 hours later it was all over, and not exactly how they were expecting. The days had been full of tension. Two full security teams had arrived to the apartment minutes after the broadcast from 7 News was aired. They were there to escort Jim and Spock to HQs. Apparently the two were to be questioned for leaking classified information to the public. Never mind that the Federation hadn't yet existed when the Eugenic Wars had happened, much less Starfleet, or that Jim and Spock hadn't even known those videos existed, so there was no way they could have leaked them to the press (they both had a very good idea who'd found them and done exactly that, but since those particular questions weren't being asked… and they both agreed the whole Admiralty must be stupid for never considering such an option).

Jim and Spock had been made to spend the following three nights right there at HQs. Jim was quite sure that Komack, who'd been put in charge of the investigation, was trying to make them as uncomfortable as possible in the hopes that it would make them crack or something. As if Jim were such a prima donna that he couldn't handle a couple of uncomfortable nights, as if he hadn't been through much worse when he was supposed to still be a child!

It happened at the end of the third night, in the hour before dawn. One moment James had been deeply asleep (due to his experiences he'd long since been capable of going to sleep almost anywhere and practically at will, as long as he was sure of his own safety, and while HQs didn't exactly make him feel safe, their bond meant they couldn't separate him from Spock, and he knew that as long as they were together, they would be alright), the next he was fully awake and on his feet before he fully comprehended what was going on.

*We're under attack.* Spock spoke straight into the bond, standing guard beside him.

Only then the guards outside the room had begun moving. When the shooting started Jim decided that as long as they remained in that interrogation room they were pretty much fish in a barrel and he would rather fight than hide away anyway. Either because he was completely focused on what was going on, or because they'd really been married that long, Spock didn't comment on the human expression.

It was so easy to get out of the room that Jim wasn't sure if it was funny or annoying. The moment they found two security members dead on a hallway the blonde pushed aside all humor, becoming completely serious in an instant. He stopped by the dead bodies just long enough to mentally apologize before retrieving the phasers and all the additional power packs he could find on them. Then he divided what he'd found between himself and his husband.

*Think they're after us or after those in charge of the investigation?* Jim asked mentally, knowing it was safer than saying anything out-loud.

Both of them were experts at stealth, and that coupled with their bond meant that they were quite capable of moving without a sound and still communicate, as well as knowing exactly what the other was going to do, the moment the choice was made.

*Either is equally possible.* Spock replied.

That was the last conscious thought either of them had as, the moment they turned the next corner they found themselves right in the middle of a pitched battle.

There was so much phaser fire being exchanged, and even some explosions, that for a while it was hard to tell whose side they were supposed to be on. And then they heard Komack. Jim almost groaned out-loud. Of all the people that could be there… still, they had a duty and Komack was an Admiral, so they dove into the fight, with the bravery and synchronicity that characterized them.

What neither of them counted on was when one of the phaser bolts hit Komack on the side of the neck right as Jim finally reached him.

"Shit!" Jim was so shocked by seeing the man fall before him he completely forgot that they hadn't been speaking out-loud until then. "Spock!"

He dropped to his knees beside the fallen admiral, trusting his beloved to have their backs while he did what he could to try and save the man. He moved his hands without really touching anything. There was an awful burn on the side of Komack's neck and much as he hated it, Jim knew there was nothing he could do, even with a dermal regenerator. A burn like that… it'd burned more than just the skin, his carotid artery had been pretty much destroyed, his throat damaged. It was only a matter of time.

"Kirk…" Komack muttered his name like it was a curse. "Should have… k-killed you whe… when I h-had the ch-chance…"

Those were the man's last words before he died, and all Jim could do was kneel there, wondering if that meant what he thought it did.

*James?* Spock mentally ask.

The fight was almost over already. Security officers having arrived to back them up, though there were quite a few dead. Thankfully Spock's worst wound was a minor phaser burn on his left flank and all Jim had gotten were some bruises and a couple of scratches from debris flying every which way due to the shots.

*We all knew that someone of high rank had to have been helping Marcus, there's no way he could have done everything he did with Section 31 without some serious backing but… Komack?* The human just couldn't get his head around it. *I knew the man disliked me. He spent most of my Academy years trying to find a way to expel me, the Trial just being the latest example. He was one of those who did not agree with my promotion straight to Captain, and he's spent the last year trying to prove I did not deserve it but… I mean, it's one thing for him to want me gone from Starfleet but to actually want to kill me, kill us… And it's not even just about us. He and Marcus… they were trying to force a war with the Klingons!*

*I know not what to say to you ashal-veh.* Spock admitted, quiet even in their minds. *This will need to be handled with the utmost care. Starfleet will not want to admit that another of their own was involved in all of this. Not with the way public opinion has been turning in the last three days. And unless the right people find proof, it might just be dismissed.*

*You mean we need to get someone to find the proof, and it cannot be Chris.* Jim knew he was right, they couldn't risk such a thing being dismissed. *Who then?*

*Lui and Archer.* Spock stated almost immediately.

*One who hates me and one who doesn't.* Jim nodded.

*Admiral Lui does not hate you, James.* Spock told him. *She was against your academic dishonesty, as was I at the time. She failed to understand your reasons the way I had a chance to later on. She will be perfectly objective.*

*Yes, she will.* Jim believed that, if the woman hadn't liked him breaking the rules, she wouldn't stand for her fellow admiral doing it either.

Of course, having someone they could trust get to whatever Komack might have did not mean the rest of Starfleet would believe it, or do anything about it, but it was a start. Certainly more than they'd had even an hour earlier.

xXx

They were right of course. Jim would feel pride about it if it weren't for the fact that this time they were right about something he hated. Chris had spoken with not just Lui and Archer, but also Barnett and Nogura, and all four of them had been there when Komack's house was searched. Aside from several heavily encrypted files that some of Starfleet's best hackers found in his personal computer, there were hard copies of files, mostly concerning the Eugenics program. The man even had saved some of his communications with Marcus and others in Section 31 regarding not just the Vengeance and the torpedoes, but the next step in their plan: they'd been planning on recruiting agents and inject them with a serum they'd hoped would enhance them in ways comparable to Khan and the other augments.

It was absolute insane, sickening in so many ways Jim couldn't even explain. Of course, that wasn't where their whole 'being right' came in. No, it was in what had been told to them when the brass finally called them into a very important, highly classified (so much only the two of them, Pike, and the four to have taken over the investigation were there).

"Let me see if I understood this right." Jim stated with barely controlled anger. "After everything these men have done. All the people they've hurt, the lives they've ruined, all those dead… you expect me to keep quiet?! To let them just get away with it?!"

"Jim…" Chris began.

"No Chris." Jim was so furious he didn't even remember to refer to the older man by his title. "Do not 'Jim' me, not right now. Where's the justice in that?"

"They're not 'getting away' with anything, Captain Kirk." Archer stated evenly. "They're dead."

"Yes, and Starfleet will make a martyr out of Komack, I'm sure." Jim spat. "In a few years he'll probably be remembered the same way my father is. A valiant man that died on the line of duty… That's bullshit! George Kirk died protecting his crew, James Komack died trying to cover his tracks, trying to kill my husband and I so his involvement with Marcus and Section 31 would never be discovered! He doesn't deserve to be made a hero, a martyr. He deserves to be remembered for what he was: a fucking traitor!"

"Starfleet cannot handle another blow like this…" Barnett began.

"Starfleet will never again be what it's supposed to be unless this sickness is exposed fully and destroyed, once and for all!" Jim retorted vehemently.

"Commander Spock please try to make your Captain understand." Lui was probably trying to appeal to his Vulcan logic.

Her mistake was believing that that Vulcan logic would support hers.

"I happen to agree with my Captain, Admiral Lui." Spock stated evenly. "The Federation is already aware of much of what is going on. It would be beneficial that it all be brought to light, exposed and healed now. Rather than let it fester over a period of time."

When mutterings began about how Captain Kirk could be 'persuaded' to keep silent, and Spock felt his telsu about to 'blow up' (They clearly had no idea how ready his beloved was if they were ever to kick him out, and while Spock knew James was quite willing to do it, he also knew he'd rather stay).

"Starfleet was founded on principles of honesty, of hard work, of tolerance, cooperation and above all, of peace… those principles were broken by both Alexander Marcus and James Komack and that is something that, just as it could not be allowed to stand, it cannot be ignored, cannot be pushed aside and hope the truth will never come out." The Vulcan stated, completely serious. "Such illogical actions would only condemn us all the more. Not just those of us in this room right now, but every member of Starfleet. If allowed to endure, it is something that could destroy the organization we serve from within. The decision we come to on this day is for them, as much as it is for us, and as such, we must do the right thing."

"Commander Spock is, of course, completely right." Nogura agreed evenly. "And I believe we all know what the 'right thing' is in this case."

Yes, they knew. It wouldn't be the easy thing, but then again, 'right things' were never easy to do, but they were still the most necessary.

xXx

The chaos in the following days (and weeks and months) was such that it surpassed even what they'd been going through already with the revelation of the truth about Dr. Marlene Givens. Like Lui had feared, people reacted badly to the revelation that two Starfleet Admirals had been part of a plan that had ended with the Kelvin Archive in London blown up (hundreds of dead and millions in damages there), the shooting at Daystrom (while there had been less dead on that one, they had all been Captains, First Officers and Admirals, high ranked members of Starfleet that only compounded the thousands lost a year prior) and a loss of faith so huge that some feared that not only would there be no recruits for the next term, but some might actually begin dropping out. Of course, it was then that Jim stepped forth. It had kind of been a condition from the Admiralty, that he'd support them, support Starfleet (be their poster boy, as he said); of course, they never expected how he'd do it.

The recording was sent straight to FNN and broadcast through every news channel across the Federation; in it Jim Kirk appeared dressed in command gold; in the background stood Spock, Nyota Uhura, Gaila Vro, Leonard McCoy, Montgomery Scott, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov, Gregory Hendorff and Carol Wallace, all a bit blurry as the camera hadn't really been focused on them, offering silent support to their captain as he stood and pronounced his speech (the speech he'd prepared with the help of all of them, as well as Chris and One:

"There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that's not who we are. We at Starfleet have been tasked with seeking life, not destroying it; with sowing peace, rather than war. We each represent the very best of our respective races and worlds, from every corner of the Federation, and we owe it to ourselves, to our planets, and the Federation as a whole to be the very best each of us can be. When Christopher Pike first gave me his ship he had me recite the Captain's Oath, words I didn't appreciate at the time. Now I see them as a call for us to remember who we once were, and who we must be again. The Captain's Oath, as well as Starfleet's Oath are more than just words to be said and forgotten, they're the principles by which we're meant to rule ourselves, meant to bring out the very best we can be, for we carry with us Starfleet's and the Federation's hopes and dreams."

The video went viral in less than 12 hours.

"Well," Pike muttered during the next meeting (one Jim and Spock weren't present for). "You have to admit he has quite the unique… style for doing things."

"He did exactly what we asked for," Nogura agreed. "Even if not in any way any of us could have ever expected."

"Are you quite sure about this Pike?" Archer inquired seriously.

"I am." Chris nodded with a small smile. "They're the best people for the job."

"The special class we have of Vulcans, the ones who came to us when unable to continue their studies in the VSA will be graduating soon." Chandra pointed out. "As expected, they've all requested to be assigned to the Enterprise."

"That should round their number pretty nicely." Barnett agreed. "They'll have time. It's not like the mission is starting tomorrow."

They were talking about the first ever five-year mission. All having agreed it would be given to the Enterprise, even if most still had some reservations, it had been proven that regardless of their youth, the crew of the flagship were quite prepared to deal with any and all challenges that might be thrown at them.

Also like Barnett had said, it wasn't like they'd be embarking on the mission any time soon, not for a year or so. There were plans to retrofit the Enterprise, as they had to make sure she'd be as ready as possible for such a long mission (there was no way to know how easy or hard it might be for them to get to a Starbase in case of an emergency, so the ship had to be ready for as many possible things as they could come up with). Also, Barnett had decided to make good use of the crew in the meantime, most of them (particularly those who were considered bridge crew) would be taking a few seminars so they were all as rounded as they could be (they would all be taking classes to be ready for command in case it was ever necessary); but more importantly, they would be teaching, especially using their own experiences to hopefully better prepare the upcoming generations for the realities of life out in space with all the changes that had come since the arrival of Nero.

James and Spock requested lighter duties a few weeks later, when Amanda announced (so giddy every single Vulcan around her looked like they were high on something) that she was with child; she'd actually been for several months, but hadn't wanted to say anything until they knew it had taken. Science had finally progressed enough (and Jim seriously suspected 'Selek' might have been involved in some way) that Amanda could safely conceive without risking a miscarriage (like the several she'd suffered through, both before and after she gave birth to Spock). So Jim and Spock made arrangements that allowed all their classes to take place as close-together as possible, giving them a chance to travel to Vulcan weekly for at least three days, as they really wanted to be there for Amanda and Sarek, and eventually for their little sibling.

Also for that purpose Jim had officially registered his ship under the name Puksu, which was Vulcan for 'Fighter', which in turn was pretty close to the original name of Suvwl' without being Klingon (which, Jim just knew, would have caused someone somewhere to have a coronary or something). It was easier that way as, aside from those who'd been with him and Spock in Qo'noS no one knew of Jim's connection to the Klingons.

Six months after the mess with Starfleet, Amanda gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl. She was named T'Uralaun, a variation of the name of James's M'aih, in her memory; he was honored by Amanda's choice.

During that time talks had begun of possibly seeking peace with the Romulan and Klingon Empires. Jim wasn't too sure if that would work, especially with all the recent tensions, and Marcus's recent actions. Even though no Klingons had died in Praxis, and Kariva had promised Starfleet wouldn't be held responsible for the actions of one madman (or a group of madmen), that did not mean it would be easy. Nero's attacks had destroyed a good deal of the Klingon Fleet, which made at least some people believe they might be more open to peace than they might have in the past. The Romulans were another matter entirely, but since Selek had worked on such peace treaties before (in the other universe), he had hope he could do it again.

By the time the orders came for the Enterprise to depart for the first ever five-year mission Jim was seriously considering resigning his commission. He loved Jamie and T'Uralaun so much and did not want to leave either for such a long period of time. His beloved Vulcan of course had no compunction in describing how illogical he was being. While he too would miss their little sister and godson, that was no reason to undo everything they'd fought to achieve, to forsake all the people who depended on them, but more than that, who believed in them. James agreed wholeheartedly (even if he did not stop pouting for a while).

As it happened Jim wouldn't be the only one leaving a child (or two) behind. Hikaru and Ben had taken advantage of the crew's year-long stay on Earth to not only marry, but they'd also had a child (with Hikaru's sister Yuki acting as surrogate). And of course, there was Bones's eleven-year-old girl: Joanna; whom he'd finally been seeing fairly often with Josef getting him a better deal in court (Jocelyn McCoy still had the girl's full custody, but she could no longer block her ex-husband from visiting her every week). Jim hadn't spoken of it with anyone except Spock and Chris, but he was already making arrangements to allow the families to meet at least every few months. And of course that was without counting the rest of the 425 members of the crew. He hoped to be able to surprise them all as soon as possible.

And so, a year and almost to the day since the mess with Khan, Marcus, Komack and Section 31 had finally come to an end, the time came for the Enterprise to take off.

"Come on, Bones! It's gonna be fun." Jim said with a huge smile at his old friend as they all gathered on the bridge.

"Five years in space." Bones muttered, way more dramatically than entirely necessary in Jim's opinion. "God help me."

Jim almost cackled at that, but a look from his husband stopped him, so instead he turned to face the blonde standing beside Lieutenant Hendorff. Officially the two of them shared the position of Chief of Security, Carol being in charge of the weapons, while Greg was responsible for the actual security personnel.

"Doctor Wallace," Jim acknowledged her, as she was among the newest members of the crew and still finding her footing. "I'm glad you could be a part of the family."

"It's nice to have a family." She said in turn.

The other new members of the crew were, of course, the Vulcans who'd only just graduated and insisted on being posted in the Enterprise. Since they were all among the best in each of their specialties it was allowed (also, it was easier as McCoy and his team were probably the only doctors in Starfleet with more than basic knowledge and experience treating Vulcans).

"Spock." Jim finally turned his attention to his husband.

"Captain." Spock was as serious as ever, though Jim could feel the contentment through the bond.

Of course they always showed absolute decorum while on duty, and even when not, no one had ever seen them do anything more than touch hands or stand close to almost hug every so often… then again, most didn't know enough of Vulcan culture and tradition to know all the significance something like touching hands could have for them…

"Where shall we go?" Jim inquired.

"As a mission of this duration has never been attempted, I defer to your good judgment, Captain." Spock answered promptly.

Yeah, Spock was as much at a loss as Jim regarding where to go. But that was okay, they had more than enough time to make up their minds.

xXx

Of course, because it was Jim Kirk, and it was the Enterprise, and they just had that kind of luck, they hadn't even been two months out of Earth when things went insane on them. It began with what seemed like a fairly easy away mission to a recently discovered M Class planet. It was supposed to be uninhabited, though the readings they could get from space weren't conclusive on many things. The science team really wanted to get better readings, and the fact that it was a desert planet made the Vulcans (which made up about half of the scientists on board; the rest being fairly divided between security, communications, engineering, with even a couple of medics for good measure) even more interested.

There were some plants that they'd found seeds of in the banks kept on other Federation Planets (it was part of a great plan in case of an emergency, seeds, frozen animal embryos and databases with all kinds of information regarding all members of the United Federation of Planets were kept on at least three other planets) that they hadn't been able to grow in the colony. Several of the Vulcans on board were hoping they might be able to grow them elsewhere.

So the away team was formed and sent down. It all went to hell so fast they wouldn't have believed it possible if it hadn't happened to them. As it happened, the planet wasn't uninhabited, nor were the inhabitants a primitive species. They were in fact so advanced they were capable of warp but had long since decided they wanted nothing to do with those of other planets, and thus had created 'protections' for their planet that may make it so others wouldn't be interested in them at all. All the data the Enterprise (and the Reliant, which was the ship that had discovered it months earlier, though hadn't had the right kind of personnel to go through with exploration) had gotten was useless. In the end they barely managed to get everyone back and leave the sector before anyone got killed. Though there were some injuries, two serious enough to require medical intervention and several days off, and half the away team were more than a little traumatized, never having expected to be attacked by another race simply for landing on their planet.

It was then that Jim began fighting for the kind of leave he wanted for his crew even more intensely. They were nearing the end of their sixth month on the mission when it was finally allowed (they'd had a couple of short shore-leaves before, neither which had lasted more than two or three days and always on starbases). The planet of choice: Organia.

It was deeper into the Neutral Zone, and closer to Klingon territory than most in Starfleet were comfortable with. All the same it was more-or-less well-known that Klingons wouldn't attack the Enterprise (even if very few people knew why exactly, even Chris did not know aside from the fact that the Klingons respected Jim for whatever the reason).

Jim took great delight when seeing his friends' faces as they were received by members of their families. A delight that only grew as Amanda rushed to them, Sarek, carrying an awake and alert T'Uralaun with him; though Spock was quick to reach him and, after a brief greeting, relieved his father of the little girl (much as he might not admit it out-loud, Jim knew Spock was as gone on the toddler as Jim himself was). Chris and his family couldn't visit as he had duties on San Francisco, but he'd promised to get some free time for them the next time such a shore-leave could be arranged.

Organia was also important for another reason. With the planet being so close to the edge of the Neutral Zone, and the fact that it was one of very few where races had been known to be able to co-exist in relative peace, that was where Selek would be conducting his meetings with the negotiators from the Empires. Jim had considered doing something to try and help, but in the end decided it was too risky, so instead he'd simply sent a heavily encrypted message to Kariva regarding Selek and his intentions (without giving away any of Starfleet's classified secrets, including Selek's own true origins), leaving the rest up to her.

In the end shore-leave went much better than expected. As the week approached its end, many of his crew sought him out to introduce their families and thank him for giving them the chance to meet like that. They understood such arrangement might not be feasible very often, but it was still more than they expected when signing up for the five-year mission, and they greatly enjoyed the opportunity.

It was the very last day of shore-leave and Jim and Spock were on a well-known pub, having a drink (surprisingly enough, they hadn't seen anyone else from the crew there, though that might be because of how many Klingons visited it constantly; it had probably been wise of his crew to keep a distance and avoid trouble… most likely because they knew that if there were any serious trouble such a shore-leave would not be repeated).

It was late, by the time Jim and Spock finally left, not because they'd drank that much. But being in that pub, it brought back memories to Jim, memories he enjoyed sharing with his telsu. They were finally ready to make their way back to the ship, when they found someone unexpected standing in their way…

"Noonien…" Jim breathed out with a nod of his head. "Didn't know you were on planet."

"Ravanok…" The man began, before Jim interrupted him.

"No, no, no." The blonde shook his head vehemently. "You told me to call you by your name, the least you can do is call me by mine. That's James, or even Jim if you'd rather."

"James." The black-haired augment nodded.

"Things went well for you then?" Jim inquired with a small smile.

"Quite." The other man cocked his head to a side. "Though I fail to understand your choices. Why you went through such troubles…"

"Because it wouldn't have been right if…" Jim swallowed. "You'd have become little more than a science experiment, had you woken after taking such a shot. I couldn't allow that. You had been through enough already, you and your people. With Marcus and Komack… it wasn't right. So I made arrangements, to make sure you'd make it off planet if necessary. I'm… satisfied to see they worked out alright." He relaxed a degree. "I hope you and your people have found a new home, a safe one?"

"Praxis." Noonien nodded. "Following an in-depth investigation ordered by the Chancellor, it was discovered that, had the deep mining continued, it'd have had a cascade effect of cataclysmic proportions in a little over three decades, which would have ended with the loss of the moon and all life in it, as well as creating a no less dire disaster for the planet itself. Praxis has since been evacuated and all mining activity ceased until further notice. Without the benefits of the mining the satellite appears to be of no interest to the Klingons, so it was offered to us. Also, if we're successful in devising a safe way to resume the mining, safe for us and the Empire, we may keep the rights to the mine on the same degree as the group that used to operate it."

Which meant 75% for them, 25% for the Empire. It was a good deal, no one else would offer them a better one. Of course, they'd first have to find a safe way to do the mining, but if they really were better at Everything, as Khan had once claimed, it should be well within their abilities to achieve.

"We were not aware you would be on planet." Spock stated.

"No, you wouldn't." Noonien smiled just a little. "We've been named the taHaI, the survivors. We're officially a colony of refugees who've been taken in by the Empire. My former second in command, Elijah, has taken over leadership of our people, freeing me to serve as one of the Princess's Shields…"

Spock and Jim heard all Noonien was saying, as well as all he wasn't. It was something he'd mentioned, if loosely, on their way back to Earth. How, with the surgeries Marcus had forced on him, it was likely his own people wouldn't know him anymore. Impossible to know how well they might accept his leadership. So, while in name he might still be their leader, in practice he wasn't, not anymore, but he'd found a place for himself anyway. Which was good.

With nothing further to talk about, brisk goodbyes were exchanged and the group split. Spock and Jim were about to round the corner that would take them out of that small alley and back onto the main street (from where they could be beamed-out and back on the Enterprise), when some kind of instinct made the blonde turn and look over his shoulder…

What he saw was probably the last thing he could have ever expected. A second individual had just joined Noonien, though it wasn't Kariva or anyone else from that crew. Small, a child as Jim realized a fraction of a second later, no older than three, perhaps four years of age… her hair was dark, her dress a pale brown, a forest green scarf around her head, but it was when he saw her eyes… he had seen those eyes before (everyone in the Federation probably had), in the high-def pictures and videos of one Dr. Marlene Givens…

Though it was when Noonien bent and scooped her into his arms that the blonde's suspicions were confirmed. That was Noonien's daughter, his and Marlene's. Also, Jim was quite sure it was no accident that he (and Spock, as he was still with him) had been allowed to witness such a scene. They were being shown in a simple, non-intrusive manner, how much they were trusted.

Jim dipped his head in acknowledgment, just once. Noonien's form was in shadows by then, so it was impossible to be sure if he'd seen and yet… just like he must have known Jim and Spock would see his child, so he'd see Jim's motion.

"Jim…" Spock murmured, so very quietly.

"Of course." Jim nodded. "I suppose breaks over. Time to get to work." he pulled out his comm. "Mr. Scott? … Two to beam up… Energize!"