Chapter Text
“And now to the real reason why I needed to talk to you.“
Jim immediately sat up in his chair as Admiral Pike started using his serious no more bullshit tone.
“We had a very…” Pike sighed, clearly looking for the right words. “Let’s say, interesting meeting with the Vulcan High Council. They are very concerned about the low numbers of remaining Vulcans and their whole focus is currently on repopulating the planet.”
Pike averted his eyes and looked so miserable that Jim had a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Pike did not bring good news.
Before Jim could ask anything, Pike continued, still not looking at him.
“As you might know, psi level compatibility is the strong basis of any Vulcan bond. And the Vulcans face a serious problem now: A Vulcan can only bond with one partner due to this telepathic bond. After bonding as many Vulcans as possible, there are many who remain unbonded so the High Council had the brilliant idea to… open the pool.”
Jim raised an eyebrow as Pike continued.
“They desperately want the remaining Vulcans to bond and have babies… and to achieve that goal they are asking all across the Federation for volunteers.”
Jim laughed out loud. It sounded hysterical even to his own ears.
“They are looking for volunteers to fuck Vulcans?”
Pike finally looked back at Jim and didn’t even scold him for his use of language. Jim’s laughter died in his throat.
“The Vulcan Academy - or what’s left of it - has developed a Psi Chamber. Volunteers from all over the Federation can enter the chamber to get their psi level determined. If it matches the psi level of a Vulcan, a bond is highly encouraged.”
The first thought that crossed Jim’s mind was fuck. The second one was Spock.
Jim cleared his throat.
“Do you mean my first officer is about to get a blind date Psi Chamber match he is encouraged to marry?”
Pike looked even more pained when he answered.
“The situation with Spock is more complicated than you think, Jim.”
Jim didn’t like the sound of it. His heart started beating faster as he gripped his knees with his hands.
“Please explain.”
“Vulcan has a complicated clan structure, think of it as royal families. When Vulcan was destroyed, only one powerful clan survived. You might be familiar with its leader T’Pau. Once she dies, her son will inherit her place. Her son is Spock’s father, Jim.”
Jim’s surprise must have been evident on his face because Pike chuckled fondly.
“Yes Jim, that makes Spock the next in line.”
Jim was flabbergasted. “Spock never mentioned…”
“It would have never mattered under different circumstances. But now…”
Pike sighed again.
“Jim, see your first officer as the unmarried prince of new Vulcan. Getting him a psi match is on everyone’s agenda.”
“Wait a second.” Jim held up his hands in confusion. “Who is everyone and why do they have an agenda?”
“There are two parties involved. First of all, the Vulcans. We know the war with the Klingons will come, they know it, too. Maybe not now but in 10 or 20 years. Vulcans are desperate to survive so they think the only logical way to ensure that is to bond the next in line, Spock, to the strongest race in the Federation.”
“They want a human bond mate for Spock?”
Pike nodded.
“Yes, even if it means that Spock’s children will be technically more human than Vulcan.”
For some odd reason, Jim’s brain seemed to… like this new information.
“And who is the other party involved?”
Pike’s eyes darkened.
“Admiral Marcus.”
Jim’s alarm bells went off. This was bad.
“You know him, Jim. Marcus is power hungry. He sees that as the perfect opportunity to find a match for Spock he can control. He even proposed his own daughter.”
A cold fury was slowly tickling through Jim’s body.
“Why is Marcus so interested in who Spock marries?”
Pike shrugged his shoulders.
“He thinks that if he controls Spock’s mate, he can control the future of New Vulcan. He has already prepared a list with people loyal to him, including his daughter. They will all take the Psi Chamber test and he hopes that one of them will pass as Spock’s potential spouse.”
“Does Spock have a say in this?”
Pike looked at Jim with a sadness in his eyes that ripped a hole in Jim’s heart.
“Technically yes… but we both know, Jim, that he won’t say no. It would be highly illogical to go against his grandmother’s wishes.”
So this is it… Jim thought. This is how it ends… even though it never really started.
Jim closed his eyes and allowed the sadness and anger to overcome him for a minute. This was how he was going to lose Spock… Cursed to see him marry a woman, becoming a father - and the worst case: probably even leaving the ship.
Jim would lose everything: his best friend, his soul…
Pike suddenly cleared his throat.
„I know this hurts, my boy… one has to be blind not to see what he means to you.“
Jim fell forward and put his head between his hands, resting them on the table. So Pike knew. Of course he did… nobody knew him better than Pike.
Maybe Bones did but Bones unconsciously decided to ignore his obsession with Spock.
“I spoke with T’Pau… and we might have a solution.” Pike's voice was soft and hesitant.
Jim did not dare to ask how this solution might look like.
“The only thing that matters to Marcus is power. T’Pau is wise and she doesn’t want Spock to become collateral damage of his games. So we have talked about an alternative: You should take the Psi Chamber test, too.”
Jim finally looked up. His disbelieving eyes had difficulty focusing on the screen that was displaying Pike.
“Me…?” Even Jim’s voice was hoarse, full of unprocessed emotion.
Pike nodded.
“Yes, Captain Kirk. YOU.”
Jim started laughing - a loud, hysterical laugh.
“Vulcans want more babies. That won’t be possible if their prince is married to a man.”
“What I am going to tell you next is classified information, Captain Kirk.”
Jim was caught off guard and stared stupidly at Pike.
“T’Pau has given me the information that a Vulcan’s ability to conceive and carry a child isn’t determined by its gender. The Vulcan biology is different from ours… I was not given all the facts but apparently if a Vulcan male has a psi level compatibility with another male, his body starts growing a womb after the bond is put in place.”
Jim stared at Pike, his brain unable to process the information.
“And guess what, Jim - T’Pau has only given me this information. Marcus still believes Spock needs a female partner so he is sending a bunch of female Starfleet employees to the Psi Chamber test.”
“I don’t understand…”
“T’Pau knows I am close to you, this is why she shared this information with me. Jim, she wants you to become Spock’s mate.”