Received: from [66.218.66.97] by n18.grp.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 24 Jun 2004 00:00:51 -0000 X-Sender: asc-l@ix.netcom.com X-Apparently-To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 59736 invoked from network); 24 Jun 2004 00:00:46 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.167) by m14.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 24 Jun 2004 00:00:46 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net) (207.217.120.228) by mta6.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 24 Jun 2004 00:00:45 -0000 Received: from h-66-167-46-192.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net ([66.167.46.192] helo=KatieDell) by mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net with asmtp (Exim 4.34) id 1BdHfX-0005Gl-9P for ascl@yahoogroups.com; Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:00:45 -0700 To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Organization: Trekiverse Message-ID: <8j6kd0hur1055ltbhjapcum7n65br797bh@4ax.com> X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American) X-ELNK-Trace: 910b5d5da611f6d86f36dc87813833b237ee5069c768b30c5a55d731edc0569cc90fe71f32a0c706350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c X-eGroups-Remote-IP: 207.217.120.228 From: ASC* Archive Team X-Originating-IP: 66.167.46.192 MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCL@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list ASCL@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 20:04:01 -0400 Subject: [ASC] NEW: TOS My Faith in You [R] 1/4 K/U, S/U UFF Reply-To: ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-ELNK-AV: 0 Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/5x3olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 20:43:38 -0500, in alt.startrek.creative "IDIC" wrote: Title: My Faith in You Author: IDIC0375 Series: TOS Rating: [R](rape) Codes: K/U & a little S/U Part: 1/4 Summary: A dark turn in Uhura's life and the lengths Kirk goes to in Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek. I own only the stories my Muse gives me. Archiving: UFF, ASC anything, others please ask. Feedback: Yes please, here or by email. Written for Farfalla's 2004 UhuraFicFest -- Beta: A Great THANK YOU to Bandicca for another wonderful beta! Contact: idic0375@y... The Enterprise approached Bengali Station slow and easy. Their mission was humanitarian-delivery of desperately needed medical supplies for an epidemic somewhere in the Bractian Confederation. The fact that they must transfer the medicine to an independent transport for final delivery was not lost upon the Starfleet crew. The Confederation had no problem taking Federation aid, so long as the Federation stayed out of their space. Bengali Station was a border point between the two powers, a place to exchange goods, services, news, diplomats, and rumors. Starfleet saw the aid as beneficial in a multitude of ways: aid to the sick, proof of their compassion and respect of planetary sovereignty, and a way to observe the comings and goings of certain species known to have issue with the Federation. Sulu had to cruise in at one-quarter impulse in order not to panic the skittish locals. The starship was clearly the largest vessel in port, yet the station itself dwarfed it. "Captain, station advising we are clear for perimeter three orbit." Uhura reported to Kirk. The Enterprise would not actually dock with the station, even though she could do so, docking left her vulnerable, and Kirk had no intention of allowing that. No, Enterprise would orbit Bengali and transport the supplies directly into the hold of the waiting Ramori ship. Most cargo vessels did not have the luxury of so much power; they had to dock in order to transfer their goods. "Thank you, Lieutenant." Kirk smiled over his shoulder. His demeanor didn't change, but there was a lilt in his voice that wasn't there before. "Acknowledge orbit to Central and contact the Ramorian vessel we are ready to transport when they are. Mister Sulu, park us into orbit." "Aye sir." Both officers answered and quickly followed their directives. "Ramorian ship Takut, acknowledges they are ready to receive and are transmitting their coordinates now, Captain." Uhura shunted the coordinates to the science station and transporter room. "Very well, let's get them on their way and then we can discuss a few hours of leave." Kirk sighed. The Ramori were a very closed society and he hadn't really expected any communication with their captain. Yet, it still made him a bit sad that the sick would suffer longer because Enterprise wasn't allowed to deliver the medical supplies themselves. With her engines, she could cut four days off the trip the Takut had to make. "Transfer complete, Captain." Spock reported from the science station. It was gratifying to get their mission accomplished so expediently. "Thank you, Mister Spock. What is local time on the station?" Kirk asked. He wasn't very interested in taking leave yet if it was 0300 by their reckoning. "Bengali Station time is 1430, Captain." Spock promptly advised. He had a full dossier of pertinent facts on his PADD and stepped down for Kirk to review them. "Why, thank you Mister Spock. Are you interested in any R & R on Bengali?" Kirk teased the First Officer. It was a game they played to see if the Captain could entreat the Vulcan to succumb to the pleasures of shoreleave. "No sir, I have no need to visit the station at this time." Spock answered. "Ah well, Spock, I understand...we will barely get twelve hours of leave, hardly time for a Vulcan to really let his hair down." Kirk spoke in feigned commiseration as the Vulcan's eyebrow climbed into said hair. "Captain, I assure you, twelve hours is an excessive amount of time for any Vulcan to arrange their hair." Spock deadpanned. His pretense of never understanding human metaphors and phrases was his own endearing wit. "I see." Kirk chuckled. "You won't mind if the rest of us indulge ourselves, will you?" "No Sir. In fact, I have the leave rosters already compiled and ready for posting." Spock reported sanguinely. "I didn't doubt it for a moment, Mister Spock." Kirk grinned. "Please forward to Uhura so she can broadcast to all departments." "Done, Sir." Uhura commented over her shoulder. "Oh, Lieutenant? Are we eager to start our shopping time?" Kirk teased the Comm Officer. Her fetish for presents and trinkets for friends and family was well known. Uhura turned in her chair and saw five sets of male eyes staring in her direction. "Very eager, Sir. Bengali is home to the greatest Confederation bazaar we have access to." She chided them and raised her chin in slight defiance. "I see." Kirk intoned in mock seriousness. "However, please remember our weight limits on this trip, Lieutenant. Your last expedition cost us three weeks in space dock, didn't it Spock?" The Vulcan tilted his head as he spoke. "We did notice an imbalance in the starboard nacelle after leaving Denobula Two." "Yes, that's right. And Lieutenant, your quarters are on the starboard side of the ship, correct?" Kirk inquired -- wrapped in innocence. The Comm Officer sat with her mouth open, looking between the Captain, who she knew to be a tease, and the First Officer, who she hadn't expected to play along. "Mister Scott, what was the final diagnosis of our engine trouble when we were in space dock?" Kirk looked over at the Chief Engineer, who had been a silent spectator of the banter until now. "Uh, Captain...we had a wee bit of a weight ratio imbalance on the starboard engine." The Scotsman reported with an apologetic glance at Uhura. "Oh, Scotty, not you too." Uhura sighed. "Misters Chekov and Sulu." Kirk snapped. "Didn't both of you report to Sickbay at the end of that leave complaining of strained muscles?" The Navigator and Helmsman looked at each other to get their story in sync before answering the Captain. "Yes Sir!" They snapped back in unison. "I thought so. And you both were seen shopping with the Lieutenant and acting as package bearers. Need I say more?" He glanced knowingly between the two of them and Uhura. "No Sir." Uhura answered smartly. " However, since my Christmas list just got shorter by five names, I should have no problem making that weight limit now." She stood and curtsied deeply before deliberately turning to address her relief officer, who was just entering the bridge. Kirk wrinkled his brow and sighed. "I should have seen that one coming..." "Aye Cap'n, and the lass always gave the best presents..." Scotty acknowledged sadly. "Thank you, Captain. Now that Christmas has been resolved, are you ready for me to relieve you?" Spock inquired dryly. While the tone was bland, the cant of the Vulcan's head belied his opinion of their 'discussion'. "Yes, Spock. I guess I've done all the damage I can do for now." Kirk grinned impishly. ---------***********-------------- The bazaar was a kaleidoscope of colors, smells, and sounds. Uhura was entranced by it all as she flitted from vendor to vendor. Each booth was a world unto itself. Uhura began to worry she might really have to deal with the weight limit issue if she didn't slow down. In order to minimize Starfleet's presence, many crewmembers, including Uhura, wore civilian clothing during leave in non-federation territory. It appeared to lessen the anxiety level of the local population and it sometimes allowed crew to pick up bits of news and opinions they would never hear if in uniform. Uhura always relished an opportunity to be out of uniform; she'd never been a fan of the current miniskirt design. Trying to climb under the communications console to affect repairs could be quite entertaining for her shift mates. The cacophony of different languages surrounding her was like a dream come true. In the Federation, so many people spoke Standard as a convenience, that she rarely had the opportunity to actually hear anyone speak their native language. Having the universal translator was great and a necessity when making first contact with other cultures, but the nuance of tone and the cadence of speech was rarely recreated by the computer. She had toured through nearly a quarter of the bazaar when she saw another shopper carrying a beautiful sculpture. Uhura approached him hoping to learn where he had purchased it. She tried asking the alien, but had no idea what species he was and got only a grunt and a gesture down a side corridor for her efforts. She couldn't see any shops down the corridor, but considered it might be a pass through to more booths. She thanked the alien and started down the hallway. As she came to a crossway, Uhura caught a flash of motion darting her way. She barely had time to sidestep a large Orion who was intent on taking her down. The suddenness of her movement caused her communicator to go skittering across the floor. She cursed her flowing caftan, as it limited her agility in dealing with the threatening Orion. The alien came at her again and she pivoted, letting loose a vicious punch as he went past. A startled grunt came from the Orion as he fell. Obviously, he had not expected the smaller female to put up any resistance. Uhura kept her eyes trained on her fallen attacker and reached over to get the communicator. She never saw his partner, or the phaser he shot her with. ---------***********-------------- The light was painfully bright as she tried to open her eyes. Her head was pounding and her stomach was turning itself inside out. Uhura attempted to shield her eyes but found she was bound hand and foot. Two large green Orion faces came into her fuzzy field of vision. "So, you decide to join us female." The apparent leader spoke. Uhura knew Orions did not grant females any status in their society; they were considered chattel to be bought and sold. Their predilection to assign the same status to all females kept them on the fringe of acceptable civilization. Many rumors regarding their involvement in slavery rings came rushing into Uhura's mind. "Who are you and why did you attack me?" She demanded angrily. The Orion responded immediately by slapping her hard across the face. Uhura's head snapped back from the impact. She could taste blood from the gash in her lip. "You do not challenge me, female! I ask the questions. I will beat you for such insolence again." "I am Lieutenant Nyota Uhura of the Starship Enterprise. You have kidnapped a Starfleet Officer and a Federation citizen. Release me immediately or you will have Hell to pay." Uhura spat defiantly back at the big brute. She knew she couldn't show weakness with this species. "Arrgh, you bring me a Starfleet woman!" The leader screamed and smashed his fist into the other male in the room. "She wore no uniform! How could I tell?" The other Orion cowered at the feet of the leader. "You are paid good money to tell! She is useless to us. Starfleet women cannot be trained to be good slaves! Now, we risk the wrath of the Federation Humans." The larger Orion roared. Uhura could not believe what she was hearing. They really had intended to sell her for God knows what. Could she use his disgust with Starfleet to gain her release or would he consider her worthless and kill her outright? "The only way to get yourself out of this trouble is to let me go now." Uhura pressed the agitated leader. "No, the only way to solve this problem is to get rid of you." He hissed and slapped her hard again. "I told you I would beat you for further insolence. You are of no use to me, so I have no reason not to now." He taunted as he started to do just that. Uhura tried to shield herself from the torrent of blows, but her bound wrists made it difficult. Just before she blacked out from the pain, she heard him tell the other Orion something that sent panic through her heart. "Have Toreeg use the drugs and mind treatments on her. He may gain some insight for future use. Better to experiment on something of no value rather than waste a good prospect. After that, she can be used by all until we leave." ---------***********-------------- Boarding call came and went but Uhura still hadn't checked in. Lieutenant Palmer advised Kirk of her continued silence as he entered the bridge. Kirk went over to Spock, a sick feeling beginning in the pit of his stomach. Uhura would never miss an all call unless something was dreadfully wrong. "Spock, can you pin point Uhura's communicator?" Kirk asked tensely. He leaned over the Science station and watched Spock as the Vulcan methodically reviewed each scan. "I have been attempting to do so since Lieutenant Palmer reported her lack of response. I have yet to find its signal." The Vulcan reported calmly. He too knew that the communications officer would never fail to respond if she were capable of doing so. "Keep trying, Spock. I don't like this at all. Lieutenant Palmer, check in with Station Central and advise we have a crewmember late for all call and request their assistance in locating Lieutenant Uhura. Also, I want you to check in with Station Security and Medical to be sure neither have her." Kirk ordered briskly as he dropped down to the command chair. Security was unlikely, but accidents did happen and right now, that scenario looked to be their best hope. ---------***********-------------- Uhura awoke in darkness. Her legs and wrists were still bound; her arms were stretched uncomfortably over her head, tied to something solid. She felt as if she were lying on a cold floor; wherever she was, it was hard and chilled. Her whole body hurt inside and out. Each breath was an ordeal to take. She attempted to open her eyes, but couldn't tell if she was successful because the swelling in her face made it impossible to see in the gloom. She tried to focus her thoughts on where she was and how she had gotten there. Her mind flashed images of garish green faces looming over her, their guttural language sounding harsh and hateful to her ears. The images came too fast and a wave of unrelenting fear crashed over her essence. Its source was unknown but very real. All her synapses seemed to fire at once and she screamed in abject terror. She screamed until her voice was gone. ---------***********-------------- Kirk had sent search parties to scour the station, leading as many of them as he could himself. Ground teams had traced her path through the bazaar by quizzing each vendor, but she just seemed to disappear in the middle of the market. The Captain had cajoled, harassed, and demanded that the Security Prefect call in all his manpower to assist in their search. Kirk had also browbeaten the Bengali governor into halting all traffic in and out of port to lessen the chances of Uhura being spirited away. Meanwhile, Spock had a multitude of onboard teams scanning every millimeter of the mammoth station, searching - futilely so far - for any sign of her. It was if she had been swallowed by space itself. "Captain, I'm being hailed by Starfleet Headquarters." Palmer reported to Kirk. "Acknowledge and put on screen, Lieutenant." He had been expecting and dreading this call. The fact that they were twelve hours past check in could not go unnoticed forever. He rubbed his tired eyes and prepared for the confrontation he knew would come. McCoy came onto the bridge just as the glaring presence of Admiral Komack came on screen. He stayed out of range of the visual pickup, moving over to the empty engineering station. The Doctor knew Scotty was leading a search team on the station, the Engineer hadn't been able to just sit and wait either. "Captain Kirk, please advise why you have not checked in with Command and why you are still at Bengali Station? Surely you have been able to transfer those medical supplies by now." The iron-jawed bane to Kirk's existence demanded. "Admiral, we did transfer the medical supplies to the Ramori ship, but Enterprise is conducting a search for a missing crewmember." Kirk reported with patience he did not feel. Talking to Komack was difficult under normal circumstances, and Uhura's disappearance had left him with an overwhelming feeling of failure to protect one of his own. "Missing crewmember? Who is missing? They're probably in the station brig or one of the brothels -" Komack started to rant. Kirk cut him off before he could continue that train of thought. "Lieutenant Uhura is hardly the officer to visit a brothel and we've coordinated a search with Station Central to check all likely places she could be." Kirk's tone was like ice. "Lieutenant Uhura?" Even Komack took a moment to consider whom it was Kirk had named. He actually was rather fond of the Enterprise communications officer. "How long has she been missing?" He asked in a concerned voice. "Between twelve and twenty-four hours. She failed to check in after the all call." Kirk reported in a clipped tone. Komack appeared to consider that for a moment. "Kirk, I can appreciate your concern for a missing crewmember, especially a fine and dedicated officer like Lieutenant Uhura, but I can only give you another twenty-four hours to search for her. After that, you will have to leave the search to station security and report to sector fourteen for border patrol. The Lexington took severe damage in an ion storm and must come in early for repairs." Komack truly seemed sad to give the order for Kirk to abandon a crewmember. Kirk looked long and hard at the Admiral before speaking. "Orders received." He replied through clenched teeth. "Orders received *and * acknowledged, Captain. No quarter will be given for any loose interpretations of my directives this time." Komack shot back just as willfully. "Kirk, consider, you may never find her. A phaser or disruptor can vaporize a body. If she hasn't been found within another twenty-four hours, she probably won't be." Komack vacillated between anger and compassion for Kirk. He didn't care for the young captain on a personal level, but he knew Kirk was as dedicated to his crew as they were to him. "Orders received and acknowledged." Kirk bit back. He was all too aware of what a phaser could do. "Very good, I expect a check in call when you are on your way. Good luck in your search. Komack out." The screen when blank. Kirk bolted out of his chair and paced the walkway between Spock and Palmer. McCoy gave him a moment to cool off before he dared approach him. All the bridge crew were deep into their boards; now was not the time to catch the Captain's attention unless they had good news. McCoy laid a compassionate hand on Kirk's shoulder. The agony in his eyes caught the Doctor by surprise. He expected anger, yes - definitely frustration, but not the one unguarded moment of anguish, so quickly buried by his friend, McCoy wasn't sure if he imagined it or not. "Jim, as much as I hate to agree with Komack, we have to accept the possibility that Uhura might have been killed and vaporized -" The storm of anger that flashed into Kirk's eyes cut him off. There was no doubt of that emotion. "No, Doctor, I don't have to accept that possibility. Lieutenant Uhura is somewhere on Bengali and I intend to find her." Kirk responded in a no nonsense tone. McCoy didn't know if it was denial or determination, but he chose not to say any more. "Captain, I have been cross-correlating a review of Bengali Station's security logs from the past several months while I continue to scan its surface, and I have made a disturbing discovery. Eight other women have been reported missing in the last three months and none have yet to be located." The Vulcan reported in a tone of bewilderment. Why hadn't station security shared this information at once? What clues and suspects did they have in tracing the other women? Spock was concerned that such an omission could be anything other than deliberate. Enterprise had sought out station assistance and cooperated with station leadership. "Eight other women, Captain?" Chekov burst out. He had kept quiet for as long as he could. But now, knowing Uhura's abduction appeared part of an ongoing crime wave, he jumped into the discussion. Kirk shot the ensign a look, but didn't follow with a reprimand. He felt the Russian's frustration and anger. Sulu hadn't spoken, but his eyes were pleading with the Captain's for some form of action. "Lieutenant Palmer, get me Governor Hosh now." Kirk ordered as he stepped down to the center seat again. He was tired of games and intended to take control of the situation. The Surim governor appeared on screen momentarily, already in mid sentence. "-tain Kirk, I protest your intrusion into my family time -" he blustered. "Governor, I protest the fact you failed to share with me that eight other women had been reported missing during the last three months. I protest and I intend to do something about it. Consider Bengali Station under martial law until my crewmember is found. A unit-by-unit search of the station will begin immediately. All movement between ships and station shall desist immediately. And, if necessary, a search of every ship in port will be done. No tolerance for interference will be acceptable. I suggest you advise your population immediately." Kirk fired at the dumbfounded governor. He hadn't cared for him when he made his mandatory visit aboard station and he cared even less for the man now. "Kirk, you have no authority to invoke martial law - " the Surim railed back, his neck ridges flared in anger. "I have full military and diplomatic authority to represent Federation interests. My missing officer is such an interest. You can voice your concerns to Starfleet Command if you so choose. Kirk out." Kirk cut off the governor's tirade with one of his own. "Jim! You can't just up and declare martial law! Komack will have you brought for court martial so fast, even Nogura won't be able to save you." McCoy exploded. He had seen Kirk bluff before, but never to this magnitude. The scary part was, he didn't think the captain was bluffing. "Spock, can you talk some sense into him?" McCoy turned to the Vulcan for some logic and assistance. "While the degree of support Starfleet will grant in this case is speculative, a Starfleet Captain does have broad discretionary powers at his disposal. The fact that Lieutenant Uhura's disappearance does not appear to be an isolated instance may give him the right to invoke those powers." Spock treaded carefully between the two irate humans. "You don't mean to support him in this madness do you? I want Uhura back just as much as either of you, but we're close to a declaration of war here." McCoy bellowed. Could he not make Kirk see what a risk he was taking? "Doctor, my decision stands. You can either accept it and be a part of the search, or you can accept it and go back to Sickbay. Kirk shot at the Doctor, he would brook no more arguments. McCoy quieted but stood his ground. Kirk dismissed him and began to launch a string of orders. "Spock, coordinate security details with Mister Giotto to begin a room by room search of Bengali. Every available crewmember to be utilized. All we need is a skeleton crew in this orbit. Start with the Orion conclave - I know we've scanned them already, but they bear the most scrutiny for this type of disappearance. Keep a team onboard to continue the detail scans of the station. All the activity might cause someone to get careless." "Lieutenant Palmer, monitor Bengali signals to Starfleet - make sure you 'help' them if they transmit. Also broadcast a lockdown notice to all ships in port. If any so much as fire a maneuvering thruster, I want to know about it." "Spock, I want to see the details on those other eight missing persons. What did they have in common; what was different?" "Keptin" Chekov spoke out again. "Meester Sulu and I vould like to be on one of the search details. We need to be inwolved in finding Lieutenant Uhura." The young Russian spoke in earnest. Uhura was a cross between a big sister and the woman of his dreams. He couldn't even process that she wasn't sitting on the bridge with them now. The entire crew was acting as if it were their best friend that was missing, and maybe that was reality. Uhura made everyone feel special and important, it was her gift. "You both will be. I'm not wasting your energies up here. Alright ladies and gentlemen, we have less than twenty-four hours to find Lieutenant Uhura - you have your orders - get busy." Kirk's focus was intense, he had a plan now, and nothing was going to keep him from finding her. A chorus of "aye, aye sirs" came back to him and a catharsis seemed to flood over the bridge. Everyone seemed to pick up on Kirk's energy and determination, adding them to their own. TBC PART 1/4 Constable Katie, ASC* Archive team ASC* archive: http://www.trekiverse.org or http://trekiverse.crosswinds.net Submissions/corrections: trekiverse@ trekiverse.org For archive updates: ASC-Archive-annc-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASC Stories-Only list: ascl-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASCEM Stories-Only list: ascem-s-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion. Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek.creative or directly to the author. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ From ???@??? Wed Jun 23 21:40:36 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n46.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.67.23]) by killdeer (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bDhG44aA3NZFlr5 for ; Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:01:16 -0700 (PDT) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13748-1088035269-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com Received: from [66.218.66.95] by n46.grp.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 24 Jun 2004 00:01:11 -0000 X-Sender: asc-l@ix.netcom.com X-Apparently-To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 65595 invoked from network); 24 Jun 2004 00:01:03 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.218) by m7.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 24 Jun 2004 00:01:02 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net) (207.217.120.228) by mta3.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 24 Jun 2004 00:01:01 -0000 Received: from h-66-167-46-192.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net ([66.167.46.192] helo=KatieDell) by mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net with asmtp (Exim 4.34) id 1BdHfl-0005ZZ-Fu for ascl@yahoogroups.com; Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:00:59 -0700 To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Organization: Trekiverse Message-ID: X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American) X-ELNK-Trace: 910b5d5da611f6d86f36dc87813833b237ee5069c768b30c07525addc9fb97aaac9c327aabc0a133350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c X-eGroups-Remote-IP: 207.217.120.228 From: ASC* Archive Team X-Originating-IP: 66.167.46.192 MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCL@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list ASCL@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 20:04:15 -0400 Subject: [ASC] NEW: TOS My Faith in You [R] 2/4 K/U, S/U UFF Reply-To: ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-ELNK-AV: 0 Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/5x3olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 20:46:52 -0500, in alt.startrek.creative "IDIC" wrote: Title: My Faith in You Author: IDIC0375 Series: TOS Rating: [R](rape) Codes: K/U & a little S/U Part: 2/4 Summary: A dark turn in Uhura's life and the lengths Kirk goes to in Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek. I own only the stories my Muse gives me. Archiving: UFF, ASC anything, others please ask. Feedback: Yes please, here or by email. Written for Farfalla's 2004 UhuraFicFest -- Beta: A Great THANK YOU to Bandicca for another wonderful beta! Contact: idic0375@y... How many had raped her now? She had lost count when she had lost consciousness. Uhura tried to turn and retch. She was down to dry heaves, but still her body rebelled. She was naked and shivering on the hard cold floor. The first had been the worst - she could still feel his weight crushing her down on the floor and the searing pain as he drove deep inside her. The Orion had grunted and sweated and so had the next and the next, until it all became a blur of pain and sweat. She had fought as best she could, but the bindings holding her hands over her head bit deeply into her wrists. Blood had flowed freely down her arms to be mixed with their sweat. She had spit and cursed them and gotten beaten again for her resistance. She no longer cared. At least if they killed her now, she wouldn't have to endure any more abuse. The overwhelming waves of terror still struck her and reduced her to a quivering mass on the floor. The Orions took great delight when this happened and it seemed to excite them more. Several fights had erupted as they fought between themselves to take her during such a 'terror attack'. The waves of blind panic had to be from the drugs and medical procedures their 'doctor' had conducted on her right after the leader had beaten her senseless. Uhura was barely able to string two coherent thoughts together before another wave would wash over her. The panic seemed to get worse when someone came near her, as if another presence triggered the effect. During a respite between assaults, she laid quietly on the cold floor, trying to conserve her strength and thoughts. At least two of her attackers were sitting in the room talking amongst themselves. She focused on listening to their conversation, trying to get her brain to work. The Comm Officer thought she caught a statement about a search for her and a need to 'move the others' before they were found. Her heart skipped a beat on hearing there was a search for her, but who were the others? Were there other women being held captive as she was? Uhura felt one of the aliens draw near and tensed for another violation of her body. Instead, she felt the bindings on her wrists and ankles sliced away. "I prefer my women able to fight back. It makes it all the sweeter when I conquer you." He taunted as he fell down upon her. Uhura fought with what strength she had, but she was hardly a match for someone nearly as strong as a Vulcan and four times her mass. The panic struck again and she vanished into mindless oblivion. Too bad oblivion couldn't last forever. ---------------*************--------------- When she became lucid again, Uhura found she was alone and unfettered in a small shadowy room littered with crates. She tried to scan the room as best she could from her position on the floor. The Lieutenant mustered all the strength she had left and pulled her battered body towards the only exit she saw. A solid door was locked tight in front of her, blocking her way to freedom. Uhura spied a panel to the left of the door and pulled herself up to palm it. With irrational hope, she pleaded for it to accept her print and allow her escape. It didn't budge. Enraged, she clawed at the end of the panel with what was left of her long nails. Uhura managed to get one nail beneath the panel and pop it out. She thanked God it wasn't intended to be a security control from this side of the portal. Once the cover was off she looked at what she had to work with. The mechanism was alien, yet circuits were circuits. She started to cross connect the panel and escape when she heard guttural voices outside the door. "We have the other females onboard now. When I give the signal, kill the Starfleet female and beam aboard. We will blast our way out of port; several others will launch with us - the Federation starship will not fire on us all. In the chaos, we will escape." Uhura realized her time was short and she couldn't exit as she had intended. She reviewed the circuitry in front of her and decided to rewire the panel to overload when triggered from the other side. The Starfleet officer would try to shield herself behind the crates in her cell, but the blast would be substantial. Uhura took satisfaction in knowing that her death wouldn't be the only one. The Comm Officer finished her hot-wiring and dragged her body behind the crates stacked along the far wall to wait for her assassin. Numbness began to overtake her body and she realized she might be dead before the blast ever happened. Uhura was so tired; she welcomed death as a release from the pain. The external and internal assault on her small frame had been brutal. There wasn't any place on her body that wasn't bloody and bruised. She suspected her internal injuries were still worse. She lay there, unaware of time. Her mind drifted to her friends onboard Enterprise and what she thought they might be doing to find her. They were looking for her, of that she had no doubt. In her imagination, she could see them all, but the only one that seemed to see her back was Jim. With so little time left she saw no reason not to allow herself the familiarity of his first name. The name she never felt she could utter in his presence. Now, it was too late. She felt the hand of death brushing over her eyes, trying to break the gaze his spirit had fastened with her own mind's eye. Her mind was floating between the mortal sphere and the beyond when the room lit up like a beacon from heaven. -----------********************------------- Kirk led a patrol down another endless corridor. They had received little overt resistance, but felt overwhelming resentment at their intrusion into the resident's personal areas. He didn't care; he had less than two hours to find Uhura before he had to defy Komack's direct order. Yes, he intended to ignore the Admiral's order and continue the search until they had inspected every nook and cranny of the station and the docked ships. Suddenly, a deafening roar and deep tremor shook the Enterprise team and threw them to the floor. Kirk rolled up to his feet and flipped his communicator out in one fluid motion. "Kirk to Enterprise. Pinpoint that blast and get me a location and an explanation." He started to run in the direction of the blast and the rest of the team followed. "Captain, sector Ten level Two in the Orion conclave. Source unknown. No hull breach at this time." Spock reported smoothly. "Orion conclave?" Kirk questioned. "Didn't we search them first?" The station security logs were inconclusive, but the eight missing women were all young and exotically beautiful. It made sense to use those facts to search the Orion section for any proof of their rumored slave trade. One piece of evidence could banish them into exile from most trading communities. "Affirmative, Captain. Both security branches searched the Orion quarters with negative results. And we now have six ships launching from the station - all from the Orion vicinity." Spock announced. "Hold fire. Scan all ships breaking free and set a trace on each for as long as you can. Send a general broadcast that we will cripple the next vessel that tries that trick. Kirk out." "The Enterprise captain pulled up short as he rounded the corner and met smoke and flame. Station emergency teams appeared and tried to contain the flames. Kirk's team entered the wreckage cautiously; looking for the cause of the blast and any wounded. In the far corner, behind the remnants of an inset wall, a jagged opening beckoned into a once hidden room. The Enterprise team entered one at a time, each man securing a position deeper into the blast center. Conduit hung in shreds from the ceiling; storage crates were shattered and lying in a heap towards the far wall. Kirk flashed his handlight around the base of the rubble and caught sight of a hand protruding from beneath the pile. The hand was brown, not green, and it moved feebly. "Degas, over here. Help me move these crates!" Kirk shouted to the security officer nearest him. The space was too confining for more than he and Degas to work. As the last of the debris was moved, Kirk saw Uhura's naked body, lying lifeless on the floor. Her color was an ashy gray, not the warm mahogany he was used to seeing. He dropped down to her side and searched for a pulse along her neck. Relief flooded him when he felt a feeble beat. "Get Doctor McCoy down here now!" Kirk ordered over his shoulder to Degas. He yanked his shirt off and wrapped it around her fragile body. "Uhura, can you hear me?" Kirk bent down low and asked the unconscious officer. He was afraid to touch her because she looked so broken. Her once beautiful face was bruised and swollen, blood oozed from a large gash over her eye. The other injuries he could see, from what his shirt didn't cover, were enough to make a cold chill rip through him. He clamped down on his emotions - he had to get her safe - get her aboard Enterprise, before he could allow himself to consider what she must have gone through. "Fan out and search the entire area. See if any of the other missing women are here. And I want to know why we missed this room on our initial scans and search." Kirk ordered to the gawking security team. He wanted the area secure, but he also wanted to minimize Uhura's exposure. The sparkle of the transporter brought the Chief Medical Officer to within three feet of his patient. "Oh my God-" McCoy intoned in a strangled whisper as he caught sight of the Lieutenant's crumpled form. Kirk moved to the other side of Uhura, making room for McCoy to assess her injuries. "Bones, help her." Kirk pled in a desperate tone. "I got a faint pulse, but she's hurt very badly." His eyes asked the Doctor to perform a miracle. McCoy squatted down and began to run his Feinberger over the broken body of the Comm Officer. He tried to remain calm and objective as the injuries mounted: severe concussion, broken zygoma and maxilla, broken ribs, lacerated liver and spleen, badly bruised kidneys, extreme vaginal and anal tearing, multiple contusions and lacerations over her entire body. Her blood was loaded with a myriad of unknown toxins; he didn't understand how she was still alive. "Jim, we've got to get her to Sickbay now or we're going to lose her." McCoy advised in a choked voice. He was sickened from seeing Uhura so badly abused. Kirk reached down and scooped up Uhura's limp body as if she were a child. "Call for beam up and tell them to clear the corridors." He ordered McCoy. He cradled her body as gently as he could and awaited the transporter. When they materialized in the transporter room, Spock and Scotty were behind the console. The Chief Engineer was struck dumb by the sight he saw in Kirk's arms. The mask that Spock wore hid nothing from his captain when they looked at each other. Kirk's face demanded vengeance and Spock's look told him he would get it. "Spock, search through the tracing scans of the ships that launched and find me the Orion vessel that undocked from the explosion site. I want it hunted down. I want that ship, I want the crew, and I want any prisoners they may have onboard." Kirk ordered as he ran off the transporter platform and headed for Sickbay at a dead run. McCoy ran with him. Once in Sickbay, McCoy led Kirk through a maze, to the back where their isolation unit was located. It was the most secure and private area in Sickbay. Already there waiting for them was Nurse Chapel. She gasped at the sight of who Kirk gently laid down on the biobed. This bruised and broken body couldn't be her best friend! The Captain stepped back as the CMO and Head Nurse took over. Their shock and sadness was pushed aside as they worked together quickly and quietly to save their friend. Uhura had yet to regain consciousness and McCoy was muttering under his breath about the risks of surgery being as bad as waiting. Kirk went to McCoy's office and called Spock for an update on tracking the Orions. "Captain, we have detected an ion trial leading towards Orion space at bearing fourteen Mark six. It bears the same unique masking signature we discovered at Bengali." To everyone on the bridge, Spock could have been reporting on the weather, but Kirk saw the deadness in Spock's eyes and heard the lack of inflection in his voice. It was too subtle for most humans, but to Kirk the change was dramatic. Spock only shut down all outward behaviors when he was bordering on total loss of control. Seeing such barbarism done to someone he knew so well, someone so delicate and gentle as he knew her to be, was pushing the limits of his control. Kirk could relate. An icy cold calm had descended upon him as he had watched McCoy and Chapel treat Uhura's injuries. For two days, he had been on the bare edge, searching for his Comm Officer. To find her had brought relief, but the state in which he had found her had brought rage. Now, waiting to discover if she would survive, it gave him a moment to reconcile those feelings and use them to help track down her assailants. In this, he had the advantage over Spock; Kirk knew how to channel the dark emotions he felt into a plan of attack. Spock would have to suppress them in order to do the same. "Very good, Spock. Pursue and overtake. Advise Command we have found Lieutenant Uhura and are in pursuit of her abductors and the possibility of other captives. If they can't wait on us, then they need to send another ship to do border patrol." He knew that last part wouldn't go over too well, but his duty was clear. He must contain a known threat, and rescue civilians, before he could worry about patrolling a section of vacant space. "Jim, I need you in there now. Uhura has come to and she's delirious and terrified." Kirk hit the mute button as McCoy spoke from the doorway. "I can't give her a sedative yet, between her head wound and the drugs they've pumped into her, it would kill her." McCoy wasn't really sure what Kirk could do to help calm Uhura. He hoped her faith in the Captain could reach her in the place she was now. All of the Bridge tried to listen, hoping to get some news on Uhura. Everyone knew she had been found near the explosion, but not how hurt she was. Kirk's order to clear the corridors had not given them much hope. Kirk released the mute button and spoke to his First Officer. "Find them, Spock." He signed off and hurried to the isolation room. However, he wasn't prepared for what he walked into. Uhura was screaming with what was left of her voice and fighting both Chapel and McCoy as if her life depended upon it. It sickened him to know it probably had. Kirk moved up to the head of the bed and grasped Uhura by the shoulders. He tried to put his face into her field of vision. Her eyes were so swollen, he wasn't sure if she could see him or not. The bioscanner was alarming on every level. If they didn't get her calm soon she would die from cardiac arrest. "Uhura! Listen to me - it's Captain Kirk and you're safe aboard Enterprise. We found you and you're safe now. Calm down so we can help you - " "Captain! Captain Kirk? Oh thank God...Did you find the other women? I rewired the panel to blow up when they came to kill me...you've got to find them, the Orions are going to sell them as slaves...they didn't know I was Starfleet when they captured me." Flooded with relief, she tried to tell him everything at once. "You're safe and we're tracking the Orion ship now. We will rescue the other captives. You saved yourself, Lieutenant. That blast allowed us to find you; they have new technology that blocked our scans. Spock has figured out a way to track them using that signature." He had her attention now and the bioscans were coming out of the danger zones. "I need you to stay calm so Doctor McCoy can treat you, okay?" He tried to pull back out of the way, but found Uhura had a death grip on his arms. The remnants of her long nails dug savagely into his upper arms. The fact that he still only wore his black undershirt was brought painfully into focus. "No, Don't leave me!" She screamed. The bioscan readings started to climb again. "I can't control the fear - others make it worse!" Uhura wailed such a mournful sound, Kirk couldn't force himself to pull away any further. Tiny rivulets of blood began to trickle down his arms. "I won't leave you, Uhura. But you've got to let McCoy touch you. Would it be any easier if Nurse Chapel was the one to touch you?" He glanced around to catch Christine's eyes and motioned for her to come closer. "No!" Uhura panicked anew when she caught sight of Christine. The Head Nurse quickly retreated. "It doesn't matter. I don't know what they did to me - some kind of conditioning and behavior drugs - supposed to make me obedient. I was someone for them to experiment with." She ground out between clenched teeth. "Jim, we've got to treat her now. At least get her stable enough to tolerate surgery later. You're the only one of us she trusts so completely it overrides this conditioning she's been put through." McCoy hissed urgently behind Kirk. Kirk couldn't look at either medical officer. He kept his eyes locked with Uhura's. "Okay, here's what we're going to do." Kirk voiced calmly to the injured woman who still clutched his arms desperately. He leaned in closer, to narrow her range of vision. "I'm going to stay right here with you while McCoy and Christine take care of your injuries. You can hold onto me through the whole thing. I promise I won't leave you. Stare at me or close your eyes. Don't think about anybody else but me." Kirk moved one hand from Uhura's shoulder to push her hair gently off of her face. He forced her to stare only at him. He thought it a good sign that she leaned into his touch. "I'll try." She whispered. "I've always wanted to just look at you." The little joke made them both smile. She anchored herself in the warm hazel eyes looking down at her. The terror was building, but she thought she might fight it down with him in sight. It was a very hard fight. McCoy had finally patted Kirk on the shoulder and told him he had done all he could for the moment. Uhura had actually gone to sleep, or lost consciousness, towards the end of McCoy's ministrations, but Kirk had promised to stay by her side, so he stayed. The Captain remained through the bathing and dressing Christine performed with gentle hands. Sometime during the treatment, Uhura had latched onto Kirk's gold command tunic he had draped over her naked body, and now, even in her sleep, she would not let it go. McCoy shook his head at Christine, motioning for her to leave it alone. Whatever brought the Lieutenant comfort was fine by him. He had gotten the Comm Officer stable, but she was far from healed. McCoy had only bought them some time to discover what toxins were in her blood and plan a way to filter them out. He still didn't have a clue as to how he would treat the terror attacks. He had never seen such a rapid and sustained fear response to just a physical presence. The mere fact that Uhura had not fought them anymore showed McCoy that his patient was much stronger in spirit than he had expected. But Kirk had known; he had known that he could get her to do as he commanded. Had that been his will or hers? McCoy and Christine had been silent witnesses to the Captain's tender touches and gentle murmurings of support to their fallen comrade. Or, did it go deeper between them? The looks and the touches had become more intimate. Uhura's focus never wavered and never flinched from his. Only when she closed her eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep, did she break their silent connection. Somewhere in the interminable time they had worked, the Captain had become oblivious to everyone but Uhura. As if by closing out the world in his mind, he could do so for Uhura too. It seemed to work, and for that, McCoy was grateful. He watched as Kirk gently extracted himself from Uhura's, now slack, grasp and painfully straightened. The long hours in such intense communication had taken their toll on the Captain. Christine came up to him and gently started to treat the wounds Uhura had inflicted on Kirk's biceps. He gave her a tired smile and waited for the Nurse to finish. She returned the smile and gave his arm a gentle squeeze as she completed his care. Chris wasn't able to put into words all the emotions she felt just then. Awe, gratitude... they were just the few she could name at being allowed to see his depth of caring for her best friend. Kirk followed McCoy to his office and lowered himself wearily into the chair. He sat silently, utterly drained, and waited as McCoy poured them a drink and handed Kirk his. "Jim, I don't know how you did it, but I'm grateful you were able to keep her calm. She's got a chance now." The Doctor informed him and waited for a response. He wanted to ask Kirk more about his interaction with Uhura, but he needed to gauge how his Captain was likely to react before doing so. "Thanks, Bones." He said softly, but made no effort to drink the proffered brandy. Instead, he leaned his head back against the wall and shut his eyes. The quietness of the Captain both intrigued and concerned McCoy. He decided to push the matter. "Jim, I don't mean to pry, but you got pretty intense, and damn, even intimate, with Uhura back there. Is there something you need to talk about?" McCoy asked cautiously. Kirk didn't move or respond for so long, McCoy thought he wasn't going to answer him. The Captain caught that McCoy used the word 'need' instead of 'want' though, in his question. "Uhura and I have talked about getting closer and what that would mean to both of us and our careers." Kirk spoke, but wouldn't look at the Doctor; he knew McCoy would see too much in his eyes. "And? Jim, you can't leave it at that." McCoy started but Kirk cut him off. "Why not, Doctor? We did." He bit back at the CMO. He was too tired to be having this conversation. His anger flared and he snapped at McCoy before he could clamp down on it. He had never intended to broach his feelings towards Uhura again, not with her and certainly not with anyone else. But he could only look at her for so long, and feel her need for him, before he relinquished to her unspoken plea. She had needed him, not the Captain, but him, to tolerate the touch of McCoy and Christine. He didn't even remember what all he had said or done. He had used his affectionate nickname for her, 'Penda', and stroked her cheek. He remembered he had shushed her whimpers and then gently kissed her brow and temple, reminding her of his promise that she would always be with him. Since Kirk was about as demonstrative with the crew as Spock, it was a given that McCoy and Christine - he had read her look too - would be taken aback by his actions. "I'm sorry, Bones. I didn't mean to bark at you. You're not the reason why she's lying hurt in there. I'm just tired and not up to having this conversation right now." Jim gave McCoy a shadow of his normal smile. Apology and regret for his harshness evident in his sad eyes. "Don't worry about it, Jim. Fools rush in, you know?" McCoy chuckled in slight embarrassment. He wouldn't push Jim anymore on the subject unless he had to. In a way, he hoped Jim and Uhura could find each other. He understood the regulations, but sometimes the needs of the few outweighed the rules of the many. At that moment, Christine appeared at McCoy's door. She spoke to McCoy, but her eyes never left the Captain's. "Doctor, Lieutenant Uhura has awakened and become agitated once more. I've restrained her for the moment but that's only making her worse. What do you want me to do?" "Check with the Biolab and see how they're doing on tracing all those toxins. I can't sedate her till we get those filtered out of her system." McCoy ordered Chapel and turned to Kirk, asking with his eyes what he couldn't force himself to say. Once they traced all the toxins it would still take several hours to develop the proper filtering agents and administer them. He needed Jim to keep her calm for as long as he could. The Doctor had the internal bleeding stopped for now, but any violent movement would only start it again. Until he could safely sedate her, he couldn't do the surgeries she needed to repair all the real damage done. Kirk nodded to them both, no one noticed Christine hadn't moved until the Captain let her know he would go to Uhura. He tossed his drink back in one gulp. McCoy looked askance at such a move, but realized the brandy would have little effect on the Captain in his present state of mind. Christine went to the Biolab and McCoy and Kirk went back to the isolation ward. Uhura was crying and fighting the restraints imprisoning her on the bed. Kirk walked up to the struggling officer and started undoing the restraints. McCoy hung back until Jim had her unrestrained and calm. The Captain sat on the side of the bed, blocking Uhura's view of McCoy as he approached. "Jim, it's going to be a long night, let me adjust the bed so you can get comfortable for the duration." McCoy whispered near Kirk's ear. The Doctor lowered the bed while raising the head of it to act as a support for Kirk's back. While Kirk talked softly to Uhura, McCoy maneuvered him to where he sat forward in the bed and could reach the floor with his right leg. Kirk braced himself, then drew Uhura backward, to lean against his chest, and wrapped her gently in his arms. McCoy walked quietly on the perimeter of the room and manually turned the lights down low. He looked back towards his patient and saw the glow from the over bed light shine against Kirk's hair. The soft golden color lent another layer of tenderness to the scene. Kirk looked at McCoy with a peaceful expression on his face and dismissed him from the room. TBC Part 2/4 Constable Katie, ASC* Archive team ASC* archive: http://www.trekiverse.org or http://trekiverse.crosswinds.net Submissions/corrections: trekiverse@ trekiverse.org For archive updates: ASC-Archive-annc-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASC Stories-Only list: ascl-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASCEM Stories-Only list: ascem-s-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion. Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek.creative or directly to the author. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ From ???@??? Wed Jun 23 21:40:36 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n49.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.67.37]) by condor (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bDhFU6Wq3NZFjK3 for ; Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:01:06 -0700 (PDT) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13747-1088035266-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com eceived: from [66.218.66.29] by n49.grp.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 24 Jun 2004 00:01:06 -0000 X-Sender: asc-l@ix.netcom.com X-Apparently-To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 84646 invoked from network); 24 Jun 2004 00:01:06 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.167) by m23.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 24 Jun 2004 00:01:06 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net) (207.217.120.228) by mta6.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 24 Jun 2004 00:01:05 -0000 Received: from h-66-167-46-192.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net ([66.167.46.192] helo=KatieDell) by mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net with asmtp (Exim 4.34) id 1BdHfs-0005ZZ-3w for ascl@yahoogroups.com; Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:01:06 -0700 To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Organization: Trekiverse Message-ID: <2k6kd01fqkj1st0lhiu633hjvj6ls4r9cp@4ax.com> X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American) X-ELNK-Trace: 910b5d5da611f6d86f36dc87813833b237ee5069c768b30c6ccc1af9c6b4ec4366a137b9b5f35168350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c X-eGroups-Remote-IP: 207.217.120.228 From: ASC* Archive Team X-Originating-IP: 66.167.46.192 MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCL@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list ASCL@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 20:04:22 -0400 Subject: [ASC] NEW: TOS My Faith in You [R] 3/4 K/U, S/U UFF Reply-To: ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-ELNK-AV: 0 Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/5x3olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 20:49:04 -0500, in alt.startrek.creative "IDIC" wrote: Title: My Faith in You Author: IDIC0375 Series: TOS Rating: [R](rape) Codes: K/U & a little S/U Part: 3/4 Summary: A dark turn in Uhura's life and the lengths Kirk goes to in Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek. I own only the stories my Muse gives me. Archiving: UFF, ASC anything, others please ask. Feedback: Yes please, here or by email. Written for Farfalla's 2004 UhuraFicFest -- Beta: A Great THANK YOU to Bandicca for another wonderful beta! Contact: idic0375@y... McCoy monitored them from afar during most of the night. Biolab had finally gotten all the toxins identified, and McCoy was none too surprised to find that Christine had stayed and done most of the successful analyses. She was also leading the filtering agent research. One day he would have to talk her into finishing her medical degree, she was wasting her talents here. Spock had come and gone several times during the night as well. During one visit, he had watched from the observation window, as Kirk and Uhura slept in each other's arms. Even from the bridge, through their mental connection, he had been bombarded by Kirk's whirl of emotions. It had finally settled itself into peaceful resignation and Spock had allowed himself to relax his mental shielding just a little. The sight of them together was both shocking and not. Kirk's head rested lightly upon Uhura's. She had managed to slip her arms around him and curl herself against his left side and chest. His left arm was still wrapped around her gently, and she had locked her hand into his. Spock was shocked to be a witness to such intimacy, but, through his link with the Captain, he experienced a sereneness the human rarely felt. McCoy sidled up to Spock at the window and looked on with the Vulcan. At first, the Doctor had worried she would re-injure her ribs, but the monitors showed no signs of distress. If anything, her vitality had grown stronger. She had been steadily calm for nearly three hours now. For once, McCoy kept silent and Spock was thankful. His control was only just becoming stronger and he thought any provocation from the CMO might destroy what gains he had made. It was not logical, but the sight of his captain holding Uhura helped him reestablish the controls he had so nearly lost. It was as if the comfort Kirk gave to her was being given to him as well. He decided not to dwell on that thought too deeply for the moment. For now, it was enough that it helped him regain control. As he stepped away from the isolation ward, McCoy walked with him. "Any luck in tracking down that Orion ship, Spock?" McCoy asked quietly. He knew Kirk had wanted to call the bridge before he went to Uhura's side, but there hadn't been time. "Not as of yet, Doctor. We are closer, but their ship is nearly as fast as Enterprise and they did get a substantial head start on us." "I hope we catch up soon. If they do have captives, the sooner we get them away, the better I like it." McCoy intoned half to himself. What was left unsaid between them was how much he hoped the other women fared better than their Comm Officer had. Spock looked at McCoy with the same unspoken wish. "If you will excuse me, Doctor, I will go to the Biolab and see if I may be of any assistance to Nurse Chapel." McCoy watched the Vulcan turn and go. He had already made the same offer and had been dismissed. Christine had told him she could do it faster by herself and wanted him to stay in Sickbay with Uhura. He knew she would probably dismiss Spock as well, but just the fact that he offered would make them both feel better. -------------************------------- Some time early that morning, Christine walked into Sickbay with a filter pack ready to go. She gathered up McCoy and they entered the isolation ward quietly. Kirk's eyes came open immediately, but he didn't move. He watched as they drew near and locked the biofilter onto Uhura's left arm. She stirred and moaned softly, but never awakened. Sheer exhaustion had finally overtaken her and kept her in a deep sleep. McCoy patted Kirk's shoulder and gave him the okay sign. Kirk nodded slightly and closed his eyes once again. He knew all he could do now was wait. Much later, Kirk awoke to find McCoy at his side. The Doctor looked exhausted, but he had a smile on his face. He reached over and gently administered a hypospray sedative into Uhura's shoulder; as it took effect she sighed and relaxed even more. Kirk eased himself out of her warm embrace and exited the biobed carefully. He was stiff from being still for so long. He reached back and pulled the blanket back over Uhura's shoulders, smiling to himself that she still clutched his shirt in her right hand. They moved to McCoy's office and met up with Spock, who was already there awaiting the captain's entrance. "Spock, what's our status?" "Still on intercept course and gaining. Orion ship is approximately 6.3 hours ahead of us. Long range scans have yet to ascertain whether they have any captives onboard." "Did Command give you a hard time when you advised them of our pursuit of the Orion vessel?" Kirk had hated to dump that on the Vulcan's shoulders - better to keep Komack's wrath focused solely upon him. "I believe the Admiral's words were 'hurry up'." Spock remarked in a much milder tone than Kirk knew the expression was originally delivered. Kirk eyed his First Officer, looking for the flatness he had last witnessed from the Vulcan. Spock eyed him back, just as curious to see how Kirk had fared during his emotional vigil. The Captain broke into a wide grin and Spock arched a brow in acknowledgement that they both had survived relatively intact. Spock had more than curiosity fueling his need for knowing the emotional status of his captain. He had meditated on Uhura's ongoing terror attacks and how they might counteract her conditioning. McCoy had confessed during the night that, while he could cure her bodily damage, he had great misgivings about treating her mind. Spock had formulated a plan, but it would take the consent of both the Lieutenant and the Captain. The long distance look that came over Spock told Kirk the Vulcan had gone elsewhere for a moment. He glanced at McCoy, who was nearly asleep in his chair, and waited for Spock to say what was obviously on his mind. "Captain, Doctor." McCoy immediately came back from the brink of sleep at Spock's address. "Once Doctor McCoy has rested sufficiently and performed the necessary surgeries upon the Lieutenant, I may have a method for treating the terror attacks they have conditioned her to experience." McCoy shot up out of his chair and advanced on the Vulcan. His greatest fear was that, after all she had been through; he wouldn't be able to cure those. He was sure a Starbase psych unit would be able to overcome them, but once Uhura was transferred there, it practically guaranteed she would never get another shipboard assignment again. There had to be another solution. The Doctor still remembered Uhura's cries to Jim and his promising she would always be by his side. It had sounded like a reminder of something said before, not an empty promise made in a desperate attempt to keep a dying friend alive. McCoy was determined he would do everything in his power to help Kirk keep that promise. Any idea the Vulcan had, he was ready to listen to it. "What's your idea Spock?" The Captain and Doctor asked in unison. They both looked slightly exasperated at the Vulcan's deliberate pace. " If I have the consent of you, the Captain and Lieutenant Uhura, I may be able to create a mindmeld with her to remove the conditioning behavior the Orions have instilled." "Why do you need my consent, Spock, to meld with Uhura?" Kirk asked, confused by the Vulcan's statement. "Because, Jim, I will attempt to enter her mind through yours - " "Now wait a doggoned minute, Spock. Why does Jim need to get involved?" McCoy interjected. "I don't know that I like this three-way interlinking here. Have you ever tried such a thing before?" It sounded desperate to McCoy, and he knew just how desperate he was, if he were even contemplating allowing the Captain and First Officer to go into a meld with a damaged mind. "I personally have not done so, Doctor, but the technique is sound and used by Vulcan healers to treat paranoia and other conditions where the patient exhibits mistrust of the healer." Spock lectured. "Since the Lieutenant would be provoked into a terror attack if I approach her directly, I will approach her through a mind she feels to be safe - the Captain's." "Okay, but aren't you forgetting one little point, Spock? You're not a Vulcan Healer trained to do something like this! McCoy interjected with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "I have studied the medical text explaining the technique and am experienced in melding with Humans, the Captain specifically, which is the more important qualification in this instance." Spock replied in a long-suffering manner. "Reading isn't the same as doing, Spock, and we all know it. I can't sanction such a risk." McCoy barked back at the First Officer. "Bones, lets hear Spock out." Kirk shushed the CMO in a tired voice. The Vulcan turned to look directly at the Captain, his gaze penetrating into the human's. "Jim, I must warn you that this meld will be very deep. I will have to use your feelings for her to gain her trust and use them to undo the damage done. There will be no secrets between the three of us. Can you allow me access to what I need in order to cure her mind?" The Vulcan asked bluntly. Jim shot Spock a look of anger twinged with fear. How could he answer that in any way other than 'yes'? But could he really do it? Could he allow Spock into that part of his soul where he kept his feelings for Uhura locked away? Did he share with Spock the conversation between Uhura and he that had ended in a kiss he could still feel upon his lips? McCoy watched Kirk look into himself for answers to questions only he could ask, and waited with Spock for Jim to decide. In the end, it only took a few seconds for the Captain to square his shoulders and look back at the two of them. McCoy had no doubt as to his response. "Of course, Spock, if it will help heal Uhura, I will share whatever you need." Kirk replied determinedly. Maybe if he acted the part now, the feeling would follow. "Doctor, you need to get some rest like Christine and Uhura are doing. You have surgery to perform soon. Spock, I've got to take a shower and eat something before I go to the bridge." Kirk rattled off as he headed towards the door, not waiting for a response. McCoy looked at Spock and slowly shook his head. "Spock, are you sure you can pull this off? We can't afford to lose all three of you." McCoy remarked in a tired and dejected voice. "Doctor, I assure you, if you can heal her body, the Captain and I can heal her mind." The Vulcan stared at McCoy for a brief moment, trying to instill some confidence into the physician before excusing himself to go to the bridge. McCoy just stood there alone for a moment, staring at the spot where Spock had been. "Damn it, Spock, don't fail me now. If I allow this to happen and something goes wrong - " He couldn't even finish the statement. Did he let Spock try it? Spock wasn't a Vulcan healer; one trained to deal with traumatized minds. He was too tired to think straight. He would get the rest his body craved to prepare for Uhura's surgery. He would get her body well before he let himself consider the healing of her mind. He walked back to the isolation ward to check on its sole occupant, ensuring she still rested comfortably, before he took himself to bed. On his way out, he gave M'Benga report, telling the other Doctor he would return later to perform surgery. -----------************----------- Kirk returned to the Bridge after a nearly twenty-four hour absence. All eyes turned towards him when he entered, hoping he would give a report on their injured officer. He looked over at Spock and realized the Vulcan intended any information to come from the Captain. Kirk stepped briskly towards the command chair, attempting to radiate confidence. He swiveled in his chair and reviewed who was manning each station. Palmer had become the permanent relief for Uhura on alpha shift. Kyle was over at engineering, doing his best to appear worthy of his rotation to alpha. Chekov and Sulu were at their usual navigation and helm, both very aware of their captain's scrutiny. Spock had his head bowed to the science station viewer, intent upon his scanning. "May I have your attention for a moment?" Kirk began. He knew he had to tell them something. Everyone had been very professional in carrying out their duties, but the tension in their posture was very evident. Better to tell them a little of the truth now rather than let them run with rumor and innuendo. There had been a security team with him, other eyes that had seen Uhura lying there in the aftermath of the explosion. "I know everyone wants an update on Lieutenant Uhura's condition, he began slowly. I can tell you that she is in serious condition and will undergo surgery later today. Her long-term prognosis is very good, but it will be a slow recovery. You will be advised when she can have visitors. All updates will be handled through shift and department reports. I do not want Sickbay bombarded with inquiries or visitors. Thank you." He smiled at everyone, trying to show them all he thought his Comm Officer would be fine. However, almost everyone realized he had told them very little. No details on how she was injured or what those injuries were. Neither did he explain any reason for such a delay in her surgery. In addition, he offered no explanation as to why he stayed in Sickbay all night. Mainly, he had just given them an acknowledgement that she was still alive. But they did all get the subtle warning against inquiring too deeply. Spock himself had debriefed the security team that had rescued Uhura. Now, there wasn't a hint of explanation coming out of any of them. In any case, the lack of facts, and even rumors, meant the Captain intended for this incident to remain quiet. Only he knew if it was out of respect for her privacy or something else. "Status report, Mister Spock." Kirk ordered. He had to turn them back to business. "Still on intercept course and closing. Enterprise is approximately 4.8 hours out." "Thank you, Mister Spock. Scotty?" Kirk called down to Engineering. "Aye, Cap'n." "I need warp nine for a little while. Can you talk her into it?" The Captain tried to keep it light, offering encouragement to the crew. "Aye, Sir. I think she feels up to it. As long as it's not too bumpy when we get where we're going." The Scotsman would push his lady if it meant catching the barbarians who had hurt Uhura. "No promises, Mister Scott, but I'll do my best. Kirk out." "Mister Spock, I want all scanners focused on that ship, continuous scans searching for any non-Orion aboard it. Have the cargo transporter tied into the computer so it can beam out anyone it finds. We may only get one chance at this." The Vulcan nodded slowly. It was a given that the Orions would not allow their ship to be boarded. They would self-destruct before allowing any evidence of their slave trade to be gathered. The only chance any prisoner had was if the Enterprise's computer could lock onto them during that nano-second between shields falling and disintegration. "Understood Captain." "Mister Sulu, warp nine." "Aye, aye sir." The Helmsman nodded over his shoulder and turned his attention back to his board. Kirk tried not to get up and pace as they closed in on the Orion ship. Going to warp nine had gotten them nearly there in less than half of their original ETA. The Captain had tried to utilize the time by catching up on reports and writing some of his own, but his mind wouldn't stay focused. His nerves were stretched to the limit awaiting their closure on the Orion vessel. "Captain, I read eight alien life signs in the cargo hold of the Orion ship." Spock announced calmly. The First Officer turned and looked knowingly at Kirk. They would only have this one chance. The fact that he was able to detect the aliens through the Orion shields meant the new masking technology wasn't as stealthy as once thought. It also meant the Orions probably didn't know Enterprise could scan them. That ignorance might buy them some time. "Great job, Mister Spock; now let's get ourselves into transporter range before we hail them." Kirk launched himself out of his chair and began to pace along the front viewscreen. "Ve vill, be in transporter range in six minutes, Keptin." Chekov volunteered, his own excitement getting the better of him. "Thank you, Ensign." Kirk stopped and smiled at the young Russian. He supposed his own impatience was a mirror image of everyone else's. However, only the Captain was allowed to roam the bridge while on duty. Kirk took a moment to visibly compose himself and walk back to the command chair. He had to at least appear calm when he confronted the Orion commander. "Captain, we're being hailed by the Orion vessel." Palmer announced in a surprised voice. "On screen, Lieutenant." Kirk sat back in his chair, all trace of nervousness gone. He presented a relaxed and confident pose as the visual pickup came online. "Federation vessel, why do you chase my ship?" The burly Orion leader barked at the Enterprise Captain. "You broke dock from Bengali Station in direct violation of martial law." Kirk replied in a strong voice. "We do not recognize your martial law. Our business was done so we left to go back to our home world." The Orion leader sneered. "It is immaterial whether you recognize it or not. We demand that you return to the Station immediately." Kirk glanced over to Spock, hoping the Vulcan had been able to get past the Orion's screens and lock onto the women. A slight shake of his head told Kirk he had not had any success. The Orion laughed just a little too loudly, the white's of his eyes in full view as he glared at Kirk. "We will not go back to Bengali. You have no authority to demand anything from us. We will file a formal claim of harassment against you and your ship." The Orion commander argued in turn. His ship was too small to go against a Federation Starship, so bureaucracy was his only weapon. "Fine, then prepare to be boarded. And file away, you won't be the first or last to do so." Kirk shot back. The Orion answered by cutting his transmission. Kirk had no intention of sending over boarding parties, but he did intend to slow the Orion vessel down. "Captain, they are making a run for it." Sulu reported tensely. "Chekov, target their engines and fire at will; I want them stopped." "Aye, aye Keptin. Targeting engines of Orion ship. Firing phasers - Now." The Navigator nearly shouted. "Direct hit, sir! Enemy wessel has slowed to sub light." "Good targeting. Match course and speed. Keep us behind her - she still has weapons of her own." Kirk had come out of his chair again and was standing between Chekov and Sulu. "Don't get too close. Lets not allow them the opportunity to take us out if they choose to self-destruct -" As if he spoke an omen, the viewscreen lit up in a brilliant flare. "Orion vessel has self-destructed, Captain. Computer has engaged transporter and is attempting to beam aboard the life forms we scanned in their cargo hold." Spock stopped for a moment, concentrating on what the computer was telling him. "We have eight alien females in cargo transporter room G4. Medical and Security teams are reporting no hostilities and minimal injuries." ------------************----------------- Debriefing was a time consuming and tedious job at its best. Debriefing eight nearly hysterical women had been reminiscent of a Rigellian circus festival. It had taken some time to convince each woman of who they were and that she was safe. Several were from deep within the Bractian Confederation and only had a vague notion of what the Federation was. Once the women were convinced they were truly rescued, the outpouring of gratitude was nearly as hard to endure as the hysteria. Kirk's last communiqué, with Command had ordered them to drop the women off at Starbase 27 enroute to the Neutral Zone. Repatriation would be the responsibility of the beauracrats. It also meant Komack got them back onto their original mission more quickly. For once, Kirk didn't even feel like arguing with the sector Admiral, he had little desire to see Bengali again any time soon. Yet it made him sympathize with their guests all the more, as now each woman would be grilled and cross-examined about her experiences at the hands of the Orions many more times before she was allowed home. It couldn't be helped, such serious charges must be vindicated, but they had already been through so much. The upside to their questioning on Starbase 27 was that Uhura would not have to testify if she didn't want to do so. Her actual attackers were dead - a point of which Kirk felt neither sympathy nor regret. Eight separate witnesses should provide more than enough evidence to convict the Orions of the more global charge of Slavery, without requiring the Lieutenant to relive her own recent trauma. None of the women were hardly more than teenagers, but each exceptionally beautiful by humanoid standards. Uhura might be older than any of them, but her beauty was unmatched. Unfortunately, in this case, it had made her an unwelcome target. Kirk left the rest of the debriefing in Spock's capable hands. He had heard enough to form his own damning opinion. He took comfort that these women were safe and would be reunited with their families soon. The Captain made his way to Sickbay in order to check on Uhura. McCoy should be operating on her by now, but the CMO had not given him an update since he had returned to the Bridge that morning. Upon entrance to the Bay, the Duty Nurse confirmed McCoy and Chapel were operating on the Comm Officer. Surgery had been going for over four hours and she expected them to be in there at least two more to repair all of the Lieutenant's injuries. Kirk thanked the Duty Nurse and asked to be called when McCoy was finished. TBC Part 3/4 Constable Katie, ASC* Archive team ASC* archive: http://www.trekiverse.org or http://trekiverse.crosswinds.net Submissions/corrections: trekiverse@ trekiverse.org For archive updates: ASC-Archive-annc-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASC Stories-Only list: ascl-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASCEM Stories-Only list: ascem-s-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion. Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek.creative or directly to the author. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ From ???@??? Wed Jun 23 21:40:36 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n7.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.91]) by eagle (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bDhHe2JX3NZFji1 for ; Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:02:28 -0700 (PDT) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13749-1088035285-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com eceived: from [66.218.67.192] by n7.grp.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 24 Jun 2004 00:01:26 -0000 X-Sender: asc-l@ix.netcom.com X-Apparently-To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 4989 invoked from network); 24 Jun 2004 00:01:25 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.166) by m10.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 24 Jun 2004 00:01:25 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net) (207.217.120.228) by mta5.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 24 Jun 2004 00:01:25 -0000 Received: from h-66-167-46-192.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net ([66.167.46.192] helo=KatieDell) by mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net with asmtp (Exim 4.34) id 1BdHgA-000640-C6 for ascl@yahoogroups.com; Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:01:25 -0700 To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Organization: Trekiverse Message-ID: <9k6kd0totfh9sq3ot81mqfi94ku1cqjpie@4ax.com> X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.93/32.576 English (American) X-ELNK-Trace: 910b5d5da611f6d86f36dc87813833b237ee5069c768b30cf63d3dc234390fb13f16ca8336daa94e350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c X-eGroups-Remote-IP: 207.217.120.228 From: ASC* Archive Team X-Originating-IP: 66.167.46.192 MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCL@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list ASCL@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 20:04:40 -0400 Subject: [ASC] NEW: TOS My Faith in You [R] 4/4 K/U, S/U UFF Reply-To: ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-ELNK-AV: 0 Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/5x3olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 20:51:43 -0500, in alt.startrek.creative "IDIC" wrote: Title: My Faith in You Author: IDIC0375 Series: TOS Rating: [R](rape) Codes: K/U & a little S/U Part: 4/4 Summary: A dark turn in Uhura's life and the lengths Kirk goes to in Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek. I own only the stories my Muse gives me. Archiving: UFF, ASC anything, others please ask. Feedback: Yes please, here or by email. Written for Farfalla's 2004 UhuraFicFest -- Beta: A Great THANK YOU to Bandicca for another wonderful beta! Contact: idic0375@y... Uhura came to consciousness slowly, her whole body hurt, yet it felt better than her last memory. She looked just to her right and saw the Captain sitting in a chair near her bed. He had been working on a PADD, but her movement caught his attention, and now he looked back at her. "How do you feel, Penda?" He asked softly, a look of deep concern etched on his face. "I've felt better, just not recently." She tried to banter back. Her attempt at humor brought a quick smile to the Captain's face. "Well, I think Doctor McCoy has a plan to improve that. Do you want to try letting him examine you and see how that makes you feel?" He stood up and took her hand in his; McCoy was monitoring from outside and would be anxious to check on his patient. "Would 'No' keep him out?" She smiled again, then looked serious. "If you stay with me, I think I can tolerate it." Kirk brushed her hair off her brow with one hand and continued to hold her hand with his other one. "I'm yours for the duration." He replied so softly that Uhura wasn't sure she really heard what he said. McCoy came bustling into her room at that moment and she felt the first icy shards of panic stab at her core. Her only outward responses were her closing of her eyes and the increased pressure on Kirk's hand she still held. Kirk looked over his shoulder and warned off the Doctor with a shake of his head. They had hoped that the detoxifying of her blood and the surgery to repair her injuries would minimize any residual terror effects. A less severe reaction might possibly mean they would not have to attempt Spock's mindmeld plan. As she listened to the warble of McCoy's scanner, Uhura didn't scream, but she thought about it. She kept her grip on Kirk's hand, focusing her thoughts on the feel of his skin. It was warm and firm, his long fingers easily capturing hers in their embrace. She felt him place his other hand over hers as well. As if, by protecting it, he could protect her in whole. Finally, she felt brave enough to open her eyes. She could make out McCoy just over Kirk's right shoulder. She quickly locked her gaze with the Captain's; somehow he made it bearable. "Lieutenant, are the symptoms any better?" The CMO asked her in a sympathetic tone of voice. She nodded her head while still looking at Kirk. "Some, I can still think - a little - while you're here. But I don't think I could maintain that much if the Captain wasn't here with me." The Comm Officer directly answered the CMO for the first time since her rescue. It wasn't much, but any progress was exciting for McCoy. "Penda, Spock has an idea of how to rid you of these attacks. May I call him in here and we discuss it with you?" Kirk leaned down to be sure she grasped what he had said. She nodded her head, not trusting her voice in allowing yet another presence to be near her. Spock entered quickly and quietly, coming up to Kirk as McCoy backed away. Kirk nodded to the Vulcan for him to begin his explanation for curing Uhura of her terrors. "Lieutenant, if I have your permission, I believe I can rid you of the conditioning forced upon you by the Orions." The Vulcan stopped and awaited a response from the injured officer. "How? What can you do?" Uhura still focused on Kirk, ground out through clenched teeth. "I will attempt to meld with your mind through the Captain. You will sense only him, thus avoiding the conditioned response, yet I will be able to remove or block the behavior it has triggered." The Biobed alarms chimed as Uhura's heart rate raced upon hearing his idea. She had never melded with another mind and now Spock was advocating she meld with two at the same time. When she didn't answer Spock, Kirk stepped in. "Penda, I will be there with you during it all. You know Spock wouldn't hurt you, but we have to deal with this so you can start to heal." Kirk's gaze bore into her frightened eyes, willing her to extend her trust just a little further. Uhura took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, doing her best to calm her racing pulse. "Doctor McCoy, do you have any other options?" She asked in a tired but hopeful voice. "Not any that will keep you on the Enterprise. It would require a stay at a Federation Rehab Center." McCoy offered lamely. He liked neither option for many reasons. He wasn't sure when he had relinquished his objections and allowed Kirk and Spock to pursue this whole mad idea. "All right, then that gives me just one option. Mister Spock, I think I can try your way." "Very well, Captain, please place your hand upon the Lieutenant's face in exactly the same corresponding points I touch on yours." The Vulcan instructed calmly. Spock stepped up even closer behind Kirk and reached out with his right hand to touch the meld points along Kirk's temple, jaw and nose. He waited while Kirk mimicked the pattern along Uhura's face. He smoothly entered the Captain's mind. It was a place he had been made welcome before, yet the tenor of the greeting he received this time was much more guarded. This time, instead of protecting the Captain from something on the outside, the Vulcan would be delving into hidden areas; thoughts that had been instinctively shielded from him before. Spock waited patiently, allowing his friend to remove those barriers himself. Slowly, Kirk's mind opened to the Vulcan's gentle probing. He needed strong memories and feelings about Uhura that he could use to mask his own consciousness behind when they both entered Uhura's mind. Gently, gently he moved to the bright center of Kirk's memories. The Captain grudgingly gave way to Spock's steady encroachment. At Kirk's memory core, Spock discovered the Captain's collection of thoughts, feelings and images he nurtured of Uhura. Desire, respect, longing, pride, tenderness - all bombarded him from within a maelstrom of regret. The intensity of the emotions he encountered caused the Vulcan's own shield's to buckle for a moment. The unguarded moment allowed Kirk to see that the Vulcan harbored some tender thoughts towards Uhura as well. A flash of jealousy and anger flared from the Captain before he could rein his emotions back under control. /I'm sorry, Spock. I have no claim on Uhura, nor can I. I guess I just didn't expect to see that you cared for her in much the same way as me/ The tone of Kirk's thoughts was both apologetic and sad. How could he lash out at his best friend because he found the same unattainable woman attractive? / Jim, I can admire her from afar as you do. My options to pursue her are as limited as your own/ Spock acknowledged in the same melancholy tone as Kirk. / However, she has not sought me out as she has you. She does not seek such a relationship from me / Spock saw Kirk and Uhura's recent encounter in the Captain's quarters. He felt Jim's regret at having to both acknowledge and let go of his feelings towards Uhura. He could feel the bitter-sweetness of their kiss. The memory was raw - made worse by Kirk's feelings of failure to protect her from the Orion attackers. / Jim, I need you to focus on the depth of your caring for the Lieutenant. Stay away from any thoughts of Bengali. Think of how she felt in your arms when you kissed her goodbye. From within her mind, make her come to you and keep her there / The Vulcan's mental tone was raspy, on the edge. Kirk's memory flared to brilliance and Spock wrapped himself within the brightness. He pushed them both over the edge into her nightmare. McCoy saw both Kirk and Spock tense for a moment as each made meld contacts. Kirk faltered for a second, but didn't break contact. In the next moment, a soft moan escaped Uhura's throat. -------------**********-------------- The darkness of nightmare flared with a brilliance she could feel as well as see. The demons surrounding her began to retreat to the edges of her mind; chased there by the brightness that was beckoning her to come towards it. She couldn't resist the call; its power was enormous, yet she felt no fear or threat from it, only a deep bone-searing need for her to bond with the source. The closer she got to the brilliance, the more her nightmare was ripped away. Old fears and new ones vanished as the light engulfed all of her mind. Soon, there was no darkness to shelter the images of her fear. In their wake were light and a serenity she had never felt before. Yet, still the brilliance called to her. It sang to her very soul a song of longing, a longing for her to come make it complete. As she neared what she knew had to be the center of the call, she saw a lone figure, bathed in the glow of the brilliance, but seemingly the source of it as well. The figure smiled and reached out to her, encouraging her to come closer. The golden glow was bright, but she could still see the figure quite well. The eyes, there was no denying the hazel eyes which welcomed her. But the face was slightly different, longer and more sharp, the cast of his brow more angular. And peeking through the mass of wavy bronze hair, were the pointed tips of elegant ears. She stopped just out of reach of the man staring at her - the man, or men, she knew - but not. The brow rose in question, but the grin on his face said he knew the answer. He stepped forward and pulled her into his embrace. She fell into his arms, the two who were one. Need, longing and desire engulfed her and brought her into their unity. She looked at the figure and now saw mahogany skin and almond shaped eyes staring back at her. Now her merged self could see from the almond eyes and look back at her own image. Thoughts, like flashes of quicksilver, raced into her consciousness. Her consciousness she now shared with the Captain and First Officer. Their thoughts were hers and hers theirs. The feeling of completion invaded the tiny center of her oneness. / We are safe now; the conditioning has been removed / / We're free from it. We are happy it is gone / /Can we not rid ourselves of the memory of our attack? We should not have to remember something so painful/ / No, we cannot strip those memories away without harming who we are. Artificial demons are much easier to erase than true memories. Ourself must learn to cope with what happened and rebuild that part of us / / We can do that. Now that we are free from the terrors, we can deal with the reality / / We will help ourself through this, we will always be available if needed / / We must go now. It is dangerous to remain here for much longer. The oneness tries to become permanent / A feeling of distance began to permeate her consciousness; a separation of their unity began to form. Delicate tendrils of thoughts and feelings disengaged themselves from each other. Uhura felt it was similar to trying to unknit a spider's web. She saw each person distinct now. Spock, calm and in control, his thoughts were gone, no longer a part of the unity. He gave her his 'almost' smile and a slight bow of his head before fading from her mind altogether. She turned to Kirk and took in the sight of him. His features were now all his own, but there was a sadness in his eyes. He was looking at the point Spock had been in their mind, seemingly still in thought with the Vulcan. The contact must have left him as well, for he turned to look at her. / Why are you sad? I'm well now / / Because I won't be able to share like this with you again / / Then we must make this goodbye memorable, don't you think? / Hardly before she had finished that thought, she felt herself consumed by the heat of a million suns. It seared itself into her heart and soul; the heat of longing and passion overwhelmed her and still it came for her. The unity they had shared before was controlled and equally maintained for each consciousness. This breach was nothing like before; this merging was a loving invasion and domination of who she was. She braced herself against the onslaught of emotions engulfing her. Need, desire, admiration, longing, passion enveloped her as before, yet she felt a difference - a different intensity to the mixture. How had Spock influenced the emotions? What were his contributions to the mixture? She couldn't answer that question and the personality engulfing her brushed the thought aside. He wanted all of her attention and was intent upon taking it. She blended her consciousness with him in a mental embrace, pushing her own raging desires back into his core. Their merging became a psychic manifestation of making love. He drove her to feelings of ecstasy she had never experienced in her physical form. She propelled him to his own peak and felt him begin his descent, sensing him collect his thoughts and slowly withdraw from her mind. The satisfaction of the moment quickly becoming a memory of the need he still felt. / I would wish we could share that with our bodies / / I do too, but all I can share with you is this memory / With a kiss on her lips he was gone from her soul. -----------*************------------- Slowly she became aware of her surroundings - Doctor McCoy and Mister Spock were standing to her left and Jim, the Captain, what should she call him? - Was seated on the right edge of her bed. Each stared back at her expectantly; small smiles appearing on at least two faces after she smiled at them. "Captain, I'm not frightened anymore." Uhura declared after a moment of internal checking. "Thank God." McCoy exclaimed as he began to run his scanner over her yet again. "Doctor, a deity had nothing to do with the Lieutenant's recovery. It was the Captain's and my mindmeld which removed the conditioning from her consciousness." Spock proclaimed mildly. "Oh, I don't know Mister Spock. I think God sent two Guardian Angels to find me." Uhura replied with heart-felt emotion. "Thank you both for getting me out of that Darkness." A beautiful smile was launched towards both men. "Well, I know a patient who needs to get some rest and that means you guys have to get out." McCoy scolded. Now that he could tend to her himself, the Doctor had every intention of doing so. Jim had yet to say a word since the end of the meld and McCoy was as worried about him, as he was Uhura. "Doctor, may the Captain stay? I would like to talk to him for just a moment." Uhura asked in a tired but determined voice. "Just for a moment then, Uhura, you'll get a chance to see him later." The Doctor grumbled. She smiled her thanks and waited for Spock and McCoy to leave. Uhura saw Spock and the Captain exchange a look, but she couldn't fathom its meaning. The Comm Officer also noticed that Kirk had yet to speak. "Captain, I just wanted to say thank you for pulling me out of that void. Without your presence I would have never found my way out." She wanted to say more, to touch on how he had made her feel, but now she felt so 'alone', bereft of the oneness she had shared with him in the meld. No longer able to sense his thoughts, the loneliness was numbing. Kirk leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek, just above a residual bruise. The tenderness of his physical touch stood in sharp contrast to his passion she had felt in the meld. "Penda, I promised you a life on Enterprise. I want you here with me for as long as you want to be and I will do everything in my power to make that happen." The longing in his eyes was pushed back and hidden from her gaze, replaced with a chiding smile. "Now, get some rest. Spock and I miss you on the Bridge; somebody has got to get well so she can take care of Chekov - Sulu is corrupting him." He teased, but she knew he was backing away emotionally as well as physically, the closeness becoming too much. He rose up from the edge of her bed and was gone. Now, all alone, Uhura stared at the doorway and blinked back tears. Why was she crying? She was safe on Enterprise and Doctor McCoy had told her she would be as good as new. The terror attacks she had endured were now banished by Mister Spock's intervention. She should be happy, but the reality of what she had been through came crashing down upon her. Why had the Orions chosen her? Why had God let this happen to her? The anger and rage she had felt when she had been beaten and raped came back with a vengeance. She wanted to break something, to make it hurt like she did, but she was too weak to even get out of bed. She settled for twisting her blanket and crying herself to sleep. --------------------*********************---------------- Several days of rehab passed in a mental fog. Uhura went through the motions of her exercises, but she had no real enthusiasm for anything. Her body healed on its own - the external signs of injury all but gone. Christine and McCoy made a fuss over her regularly. They encouraged and coddled her like mother hens. She tried to smile at their efforts, but could tell they weren't impressed. McCoy came to her on her third day post op and declared she was ready for visitors. "Thank you, Doctor, but I really don't feel up to seeing anyone just yet." Uhura sighed. So far, outside of Chris and McCoy, only the Captain and Mister Spock were allowed to visit. Their stays were brief but welcome none the less. Sometimes they came together; sometimes they came separately. She actually preferred them to visit separately. It was then that they would allow themselves to be more relaxed. Spock might speak of a new piece of music he was arranging for her to learn on the harp, instead of cipher algorithms. The Captain might ask her to tell him about her home back on Earth, instead of giving her a departmental briefing. Funny, they seemed awkward together in her presence. That thought almost intrigued her enough to bring her out of the depression she felt, but not quite. "Well, the CMO says its time to join the world of the living again." McCoy's lecture brought Uhura out of her reverie. "Hiding doesn't solve anything and only begs questions. Nobody knows the whole story and won't unless you choose to tell them. As far as the crew knows, you were kidnapped like the other women were and got hurt in the explosion you rigged that tore out the Orion's stealth screens. They left you for dead and tried to make a run for it with the other hostages." McCoy patted her hand and gave her his best smile. Uhura liked the blueness of the CMO's wise old eyes and nodded her head in defeat. "I know you're right, Doctor, but I'm not going to be very good company." "Uhura, you've been through Hell and back regardless of which story they know. No one will expect you to be back to normal. Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome is real and it will take awhile for us to get you through it. No one is expecting you to play hostess." McCoy gently scolded her. Uhura was trying to rush her convalescence and wasn't allowing time to grieve for herself. McCoy wanted to hurt Jim for making him solely responsible for her counseling. Yes, he was competent to do so, which was what Jim threw in his face when they argued about it. But he wasn't the best person onboard for the type of therapy Uhura needed. Jim had balked at even the mention of another therapist and slammed the door on further discussion by challenging the good Doctor to earn his keep. Finally, Kirk had relented in that he would allow McCoy to ask Uhura if she wanted McCoy or Doctor Yangstra to treat her. McCoy knew she would pick him for the comfort level alone - but he made her promise to consider the other Doctor if she didn't make the progress McCoy expected her to make. "I know Doctor, but I'm much better at giving attention than receiving it." Uhura acknowledged the CMO. McCoy grinned; they might have made some progress after all. "Well, I'm glad we've made that little breakthrough. Now let's tell Pavel and Hikaru how glad we are to see them." He bullied her into nodding and went to the door to let her two favorite coworkers into the room. McCoy stayed back after warning both men not to tire his patient. The Navigator and Helmsman approached in a 'reserved rush' to hug their missed friend. The CMO watched Uhura's reaction to the two closest men in her life. Yes, on some levels she was closer to Kirk, or even Spock, but Sulu and Chekov were her peers. Male coworkers she interacted with daily on both a business and personal level. One could hardly go anywhere on the ship and not see the three of them together at some point. During one of her earliest sessions, Uhura had told him they were just good friends. She felt Pavel was too young for her and Sulu too much like herself for any serious passion to develop between them. There also was the fact that he and Janice had gotten very close before she had transferred to Officer Candidate School. Both Uhura and Sulu remained in contact with Rand and it would be too much like cheating to pursue a physical relationship. McCoy needed to see how Uhura reacted to men she considered her peers. How she saw herself with males in general was important, but with equals, especially so. How close or how distant she kept them would tell him much in how they needed to proceed with her therapy. McCoy expected her to be superficially friendly and mimic old behavior, but impenetrable walls of protection would be erected if he didn't ward them off quickly. His expectations were met when he saw her stiffen as each man embraced her. Neither man noticed, as each was so caught up in their joy of reunion. To McCoy, it was just a little symptom of a much deeper problem. Strangely, her behavior with Kirk and Spock had been just the opposite. McCoy expected her to be more submissive with her superior officers, but frankly, she appeared to be the one in charge - especially if they were all three together. What had transpired in their meld? Uhura had described a loving brilliance that had enveloped her and banished the terrors from her mind. Spock would say little, except to call it 'fascinating' and an obvious success. Jim would scarcely discuss it all. When pushed, he had bit McCoy's head off and stated 'his emotions weren't in need of the Doctor's services and he should focus on taking care of Uhura'. Of course, he had apologized for his outburst nearly as soon as he said it, but Kirk's anger or frustration, begged watching. Currently, McCoy watched Uhura wilt under the loving attention of her two friends and decided she had been exposed enough. He rounded up Chekov and Sulu, urging them towards the door while promising them another visit in a day or so. Uhura was slumped back against her pillows, truly exhausted from the ten-minute visit. McCoy came up and gave her a big sincere smile. "See? That wasn't so bad. Now those two will go out and give a progress report to everyone else. You should feel lucky to have friends who care so much for you." "I should, Doctor, but right now I don't. Uhura sighed in a tired voice. "I don't want anyone to count on me for anything right now. I can't return their feelings - it hurts too much." "I know, Nyota, but that will pass. You just have to give yourself time to adjust. Your feelings will be in a state of flux for weeks to come. Some days you will feel nearly like before and sometimes you will want to hide from the world. I wish I could make it less painful, but it's a journey you must travel yourself. Just know I'm here for you and always will be." The Doctor reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently; he tried not to take it personally when he felt her flinch under his touch as well. He knew she trusted him, but knowing something intellectually was a far cry from processing it emotionally. "Why don't you take a nap now? We can talk more later, okay?" He suggested in his best bedside manner as he turned and left her alone. ----------***********------------- The days wore on and Uhura had to admit that she did feel some better. McCoy had finally discharged her from Sickbay, but still had her restricted from duty. He insisted she work out in the gym every day to improve her strength and stamina. He also insisted she come talk to him once a day, to discuss what she was feeling. She was thrilled to be out of Sickbay. Her quarters were her lair, a place she could hole up and feel secure. The workouts thrilled her quite a bit less. Christine insisted on being her workout buddy, which was to be expected, as they usually worked out together. But now Uhura questioned the Nurse's motivations, was it just to get her exercise and ensure her patient did too or was she there to observe for McCoy? She knew it was childish and probably a tad paranoid - even if true. She couldn't expect Chris to *just* be her friend. Besides, wouldn't a friend look out after you if she saw you weren't doing too well? Fortunately for Chris, Uhura took most of this frustration out on the kickboxing dummy, rather than her real life partner. She channeled her anger into improving her hand-to-hand skills. Uhura wasn't healed enough to go all out, but on determination alone, she had bested three different men who had agreed to spar with her. Everyone seemed to understand her need to protect herself. She had gotten numerous offers for training and sparring. Several offers were from Security tactical personnel. As soon as Uhura was strong enough, she would pursue those offers. Once or twice, she had noticed the Captain watching her during his own workout. He didn't approach her, somehow sensing her need to conquer this on her own. And, did she really want the extra attention she would get if the Captain began tutoring his female Comm Officer in hand-to-hand? No, better to let that sleeping dog lie in the shadows. It had been awkward, the first few ventures out into the common areas of the ship. The mess, gym, rec deck - all held friends and coworkers who wanted to welcome her back. She knew they meant well, but she was nearly to the point of screaming or hiding in her quarters. Either of which would get her locked back up in Sickbay. Was this how they made the Captain feel whenever he returned to duty from an injury? Did the outpouring of affection smother Spock as much as she, whenever they bombarded him with their everyday emotions? If so, how did they tolerate it? Uhura didn't know, but if they could, then so could she. Sometimes you just had to grin and fake it. She had never really done that before. In the past, her feelings for her friends and coworkers were genuine. One day, she hoped that would be the case again. Didn't McCoy say for her to give it some time? --------------***********----------------- After nearly three weeks of restricted duty, Uhura marched into McCoy's office for their session and demanded a return to duty. "I don't care if it's limited, light duty, half shifts - whatever! I just want to go back to work! The Comm Officer practically yelled. The CMO just reared back in his chair and grinned at his indignant patient. He was glad to see passion of any sort return to her demeanor. For far too long she had been passive and aloof to the people and events around her. Now, this fire showed him she was ready for the next step in her recovery. "All right Lieutenant, how about half shifts for a week and then we can go from there? Think you can handle four hours of alpha shift, or would you prefer one of the others?" The scathing look that remark got him delighted the Doctor all the more. "Of course alpha shift, Doctor, and I'll take all the hours you'll let me have." It hadn't yet occurred to Uhura she had won so easily. "Okay, alpha. I'll clear it with the Captain and he, or Spock, will let you know if that works for them. No more than four hours per shift and only one shift per day or the deal is off. I still expect to see you everyday, right after duty. We'll regroup after one week and see if you're ready for more." McCoy gave her his best fatherly smile. The idea of neither the Captain nor Spock wanting her back on alpha shift hit her like a palatable blow. She had been gone for nearly a month -- and Palmer was a very capable officer. Had they grown accustomed to her so soon? McCoy saw the look of panic descend upon her face. "Lieutenant, what's wrong?" "Do you really think they won't want me back on alpha shift?" She asked in a timid voice. "Who? The Captain? Spock? Lieutenant, the only way you wouldn't go back to that shift was if *you* requested it. Lieutenant Palmer has done a fine job filling in for you, but the Captain made it very clear, from the moment he found you, that it was your station when you were ready for it." McCoy's heart did a somersault from the big smile she beamed at him. He patted her shoulder in response, and noted she didn't flinch from his touch anymore. More progress. Maybe he would prove Jim right after all. God, he hoped so. -----------------*****************------------------- Everyone seemed to get to the Bridge early. Spock was always early, but Chekov normally showed up with only seconds to spare. Every station had relinquished control over to alpha shift, save one - Communications had yet to be relieved. Kirk busied himself scanning and signing off on the previous shift's log. Nearly three weeks of Neutral Zone patrolling had done little to improve his temperament. The irony of watchful boredom never escaped him. Sulu and Chekov were thankful on many levels for Uhura's return. Now things could get back to normal. They were glad their friend was well enough to at least spend part of the shift with them. It would also minimize their own turns at boredom and perhaps keep the Captain from chewing on them too much. The Captain didn't tolerate boredom well, so neither did anyone else on the same shift. Uhura usually had a flair for distracting him that seemed to give everyone a little more breathing room. Spock not only noticed her ability; he quite often instigated her behavior. Lieutenant Palmer was an excellent communications officer, but she didn't have the rapport with the senior crew that Uhura shared. At 0800, Uhura appeared on the Deck. McCoy had forewarned them all to keep it very low key, no outpouring of emotions or cheers of welcome back. He recommended just a quiet, normal change of shift. Uhura took in the sight of the Bridge, right now a model of efficiency, and breathed a sigh of relief. She had prayed for no fanfare and was thankful those prayers had been answered. She went over to her relief and took report as she had for three years. The *normalcy* of that simple action, buoyed her more than the junior officer would ever know. Report over, she sat at her board and played over the console like a musician. She checked in with all stations and felt strong enough to acknowledge the few well wishers who took the time to offer something personal. Collecting status checks and incoming communiqués from Starfleet on her PADD, she stepped down to the Command chair in order to update the Captain. "Communications update, Sir." She reported like any other morning. Kirk looked over and down at the Comm Officer standing to his left. He had missed this moment every morning. No matter what mood he woke up in, Uhura usually coaxed a more pleasant one to appear when she smiled at him. "So it is Lieutenant. What does Starfleet want us to know today?" He took the PADD from her hands and allowed himself to touch her briefly in the exchange. It was a casual but tender gesture. At that moment, Spock stepped down on Kirk's right and tilted his head in seeming anticipation. However, his look was more for the Lieutenant than his Captain. It was Kirk's turn to raise a brow. He looked from Uhura to Spock, then back to Uhura. She finally could take it no longer and with an exaggerated sigh, daringly exclaimed - "Starfleet says - 'Okay, Mama's back and we need to get on with the program. We've got Romulans to find and Outposts to protect!' " Why did she let them bait her like that? The immediate release of tension from the Bridge in the form of uncontrollable laughter answered that question. She was home and they wanted her back. For now that was enough, the rest she would deal with in its own time. FIN Constable Katie, ASC* Archive team ASC* archive: http://www.trekiverse.org or http://trekiverse.crosswinds.net Submissions/corrections: trekiverse@ trekiverse.org For archive updates: ASC-Archive-annc-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASC Stories-Only list: ascl-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASCEM Stories-Only list: ascem-s-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion. Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek.creative or directly to the author. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ From ???@??? Wed Jun 23 21:40:36 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n10.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.65]) by eagle (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bDhHw2v03NZFji0 for ; Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:02:45 -0700 (PDT) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13750-1088035289-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com