Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!elnk-atl-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!newsswing.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.net!prodigy.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!border2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!feed.cgocable.net!news2.epix.net!yellow.newsread.com!bad-news.newsread.com!news-toy.newsread.com!netaxs.com!newsread.com!POSTED.newshog.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: <8d.1b59427e.2ee298e1@aol.com> From: Istannor@Aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: New: TOS: A Higher Duty: PG: 25/28 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 367 Date: Sat, 04 Dec 2004 05:55:23 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: newshog.newsread.com 1102139723 209.198.142.218 (Sat, 04 Dec 2004 00:55:23 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 04 Dec 2004 00:55:23 EST Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:85919 X-Received-Date: Fri, 03 Dec 2004 21:55:30 PST (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) Title: A Higher Duty Author: Istannor Contact: Istannor@aol.com Series: TOS Rating: PG13 for violence Part: 25/28 Codes:TOS Summary: This is set during the second 5 year voyage of the Starship Chapter 25 Spock made his way back to his quarters. He, at last, allowed himself to sleep. He awoke after a few hours and made his way to the sickbay, where he sat in meditation beside Jim's bed until the Alpha shift rolled around. Spock sensed Jim stirring finally and came out of his own meditation, to find Jim watching him with a faint smile on his face. "Good Morning, Jim. Welcome back." This last was said as he scooted closer so his Captain would not have to turn too much to look at him. "Renna?" It was an obvious effort for him to speak. "She is fine, as are all the members of her party. We also were able to rescue the hostages with very few fatalities or injuries. You will be pleased to know we caught C'Thuth," Kirk grimaced involuntarily at the mention of the Klingons name, "as well as the Romulan co-conspirator from the diplomatic compound. His name is Shthrass." Kirk's face looked a question. "Who else?" "Who else did they name?" Spock asked to clarify his question. "He named Arthra'n and S'Tal. We destroyed one ship that was cloaked . It was S'Tal's ship, according to M'arenn and the Praetor." "Praetor?" "The Praetor is here, ostensibly to pick up his family, Renna and M'arenn are his sister's. You also rescued the Praetor's nephew and heir, Ramsthet. He wants to meet you. I am going to let him know your are awake now, if you have no objection." "No, don't mind... no sense." "What doesn't make sense?" Spock unconsciously filled in his T'hy'la's thoughts, as he had for so long. "Something missing, need to think, remember. Head hurts." Spock touched his head lightly sensing his pain, "I'll get Dr. McCoy. Then, I'll get the rest of the Praetor's party. Jim, I should warn you, Admiral Komack is here," Kirk made a grimace, "I know, but try to be on good behavior." "Too tired to be anything else, right now." His eyes closed slowly. "Very well, I shall return shortly." Spock went swiftly to call for McCoy. He then went to the bridge and called down to the Federation Embassy to let Admiral Komack and Ambassador Davis know Kirk was awake and that it was time to return to the ship with their erstwhile guests. When he had finished discussing the scenario with Komack, he returned to the Sickbay to find McCoy working diligently over Kirk's dressing changes and wound care. There was an occasional sharp gasp of pain when a limb was moved, but otherwise, Kirk silently bore his ministrations. A Nurse entered and cleaned Kirk thoroughly. After he finished washing Kirk, he began to comb the Captain's hair. Kirk sent a silent plea to the Vulcan. Spock reached over and interrupted with an outstretched hand. "I'll do the rest." Nurse Damen almost objected, then reconsidered. It was obvious this was not a battle worth fighting. Spock put away the comb and went to get a brush. He gently and slowly brushed his best friend's hair into place, except for the last lock. It had never, in Spock's memory, obeyed. His friend and Captain fell back asleep as he relaxed from the work of Spock's hands. The Praetor and his family beamed up from the planet surface in the company of Admiral Komack and Ambassador Davis. The Commander of his ship and his personal guard returned to the Wraith, over their objections at leaving him so lightly guarded. The Praetor assured them the difference between one and twenty guards was moot on a ship of over 400 people. Admiral Komack and Chekov, as head of security, escorted them to the sickbay, where they found McCoy and Spock standing quietly beside the sleeping form of their Captain. "I thought you said he was awake, Doctor. We could have finished our meeting, if he was not going to be alert when we got here." Komack positively bristled with resentment at the perceived interruption. "He was awake and I will wake him up again, Admiral, not that you are here." McCoy defended his decision. "It's hard for him to stay awake right through here. He is very weak and his entire energy is going towards healing. It doesn't leave a lot left over for idle chatter. No slight intended, Praetor." The Praetor nodded in understanding. McCoy turned and injected his friend with a very mild stimulant and Jim's eyed opened almost immediately. He looked around in confusion for a moment at the strangers around his biobed. When his eyes settled on his two friends, his face cleared, and he relaxed. "Jim, you have to stay awake for a moment. Remember, Spock told you the Romulan Praetor wanted to meet you?" Kirk nodded once. "He's here." Kirk nodded again and turned to look past McCoy. McCoy didn't like the look he had on his face. It was distant, confused, almost preoccupied. McCoy decided he would test Kirk later. He wanted to make sure there was not any residual brain damage, as soon as the Praetor left. The Doctor motioned the Praetor over, and he joined them with his sisters arraigned behind him. "Captain, You have done us a great service for which we are greatly indebted to you." As he spoke, his eyes ran over the wounds on the Human's body. He still had plastiform exocasts on each limb and both hands, to keep them in alignment for normal healing. The bruises had begun to fade from his face, and the swelling of his broken jaw and nose were almost gone. He was now able to open his eyes fully. The Praetor was struck, by the clarity and intelligence he found, looking back at him, from the depths of Kirk's eyes. There was no fear, no anxiety, just quiet, up front appraisal. He was not use to that type of response, and he found it a little disconcerting. There was something he wanted to know. "Captain, did you know who my sisters were when you rescued them. Please, be truthful. It will not change what I do in the slightest." "No." Kirk's voice was harsh and faint from weakness and disuse. "Praetor, how long have you been here?" "One solar day, why Captain?" "Spock how long since...found.?" "Five days, Captain." Spock moved closer. "What is it Jim? What is wrong?" "This is... not right. Only one ship, Spock?" "Yes." "What is the problem, Mr. Spock?" Admiral Komack came to stand next to the Biobed. "Kirk, is it your habit to ignore the questions of an official high-ranking guest of the Federation?" Kirk still didn't answer, he stared at the Praetor , who found himself unable to move under his scrutiny. No sense, one ship, Araidne here, Enterprise known to be coming. One ship against two starships, no sense. Should have had a back-up. What if first ship destroyed? Stupid to put all the eggs in one basket. Praetor's here, a missed chance. Romulans aren't stupid, what would I do? Never underestimate them again. Shit. C'Thuth was saying something to the other one. What did he say? Remember. I must remember. Kirk jerked up hands movd to hold him down. His injured limbs screamed in protest. Pain and revelation made him cry out in a voice filled with agony, "Spock, shields now, red alert. Shields, now. There are Back-up ships." He collapsed, unable to fight against the restraining hands and his weakness. Spock rushed over to the Com, with sudden understanding, "Bridge, red alert, shields on full. Alert all Federation ships to go to red alert. Praetor, I advise you to contact your ships immediately, and have them go to alert status." "What is this madness," Komack hollered? The Praetor looked at Spock in silent thought and finally saw where Kirk had gone ahead of them all. He opened his hand held communicator and signaled his ship over a private channel. "Commander Decius, put the ship to full alert status with the shields on full. Have the sensors set to scan for cloaked ships." "Sir, you want us to put our shield up in orbit, surrounded by the Federation ships? They will consider it an act of provocation." The all heard someone speak to the Commander in the background. "Sir, the Enterprises' shields are up, what is happening?" "No more questions, Commander. Put those shields up, now." He heard the Commander give the order, followed immediately by shouts of alarm heard over the communication channel. At the same time, the COM to the sickbay blasted out with Scotty's voice, from the Bridge. "Mr. Spock, five, no six, Romulan Birds of Preys decloaking off the starboard bow. They appear to be targeting the Praetor's Flagship." At the same time, the Commander of the Wraith shouted over the communicator channel. "Sir, there are six Birds of Preys decloaking. They have targeted us." The Praetor shouted, "Evasive actions, Commander, notify the rest of our escort that those ships are hostile, and maximum force is to be used. The Federation ships," Spock nodded, "will engage with us. Do not fire on the Federation ships." "Acknowledged, Praetor." Spock and the Praetor took off at a run for the Bridge of the Enterprise, with the Admiral and the rest of the Romulans following behind. Kirk had lapsed back into unconsciousness. Renna hovered at his side as McCoy ran the monitor over him to make sure he had not reinjured himself. Reassured that no further damage had been done; he went to get Renna a seat. He wanted her to make herself comfortable. While he was gone, he got his staff ready to receive more casualties. One day, he was going to have to figure out how Jim's mind worked. It just made no damn sense, drugged and hurt; he should have figured that out before everybody else. Spock and the rest burst onto the Bridge, just in time to see the Six ships erupt in combined firepower, all directed at the Praetor's ship. The force of six combined plasma beams, at close range, battered at the flagship's hastily erected screens. The rest of the Praetor's Ships moved to engage the ships of the conspirators, but not before the forward shields on the Wraith were breached and the port wing section exploded outward in a fiery pyrotechnics display, all the more eerie for its silence. Spock ordered the Enterprise to target the forward most ships and unleashed the full array of photon torpedoes and phasers on them. In the distance, the Excalibur, the Powell, and the Accord, rushed to their aid, with weapons already targeting the offenders. The conspirators continued to target the Praetors Wraith, and finally as they knew it must, the shields collapsed, leaving the ship defenseless against the destructive power of the beams. They sliced through the ship mercilessly, and within seconds of the shields' collapse, the Ship exploded, with its final death throes. The enemy ships dispersed and began evasive maneuvers, certain as they were that they had destroyed the Praetor's flagship and the Praetor with it. Spock had the Enterprise bank in pursuit of the lead Romulan ship and each remaining ship of the original Flagship escort, as well as the Excalibur, Powell and the Accord targeted and pursued a ship. The Enterprise left orbit at full impulse and closed the distance on the ship in front of them, which suddenly cloaked again. The Praetor grimly stepped forward, "Mr. Spock, if you have no objection, I think it is time to repeat J'usreyan's earlier intervention." "That would be most useful, Praetor. Mr. Sulu, come full about and come to a complete stop. It would be logical to assume they would use their cloaked status to execute a radical course change. We shall wait until the cloaking device is disengaged, rather than go too far in the incorrect direction." "Adjutant, do it. Mr. Spock, if the signal is broadcasted on a wide carrier band, it will decloak all of their ships." Spock signaled to Uhura, who had the signal programmed and broadcasted almost at the instant Jus finished his entry. As they sat at full stop, the Romulan ship that they were chasing appeared immediately in front of them, attempting to pass under their starboard nacelle undetected, under the cover of the cloak. Spock sat forward slightly. "Fire all photon torpedoes, Mr. Chekov, now." The whumpf of their release followed immediately. The port Screens of the Romulan ship took the impact and began to buckle. The Romulan ship returned fire, and the Enterprise shook with multiple impacts, but the shields held. "Fire Phasers at will, Mr. Chekov, target the port screens. Mr. Sulu, bring us about and pursue, keep us to their port." The Romulan ship having realized that its cloak was disabled, went to warp, and the Enterprise followed immediately. Mr. Chekov kept up the pounding on the smaller ships port screens. The enemy continued to fire from its stern weapons array. Spock diverted power to the forward shields. Chekov sent a spread of photon torpedoes that impacted immediately after a sustained phaser barrage. The torpedoes sliced through the weakened screen and impacted on the hull, tearing through the skin of the ship, like a hot knife. Explosions ruptured through the hull and the ship came to a halt, floating, dead in space. Spock opened ship to ship communications, to see the smoking ruins of the ships bridge. Seated in the center chair, was a Patrician figure, bleeding from several small cuts, but unbowed. The Praetor spoke. "Commander Arthra'n," the man's eyes widened in shock. "It can not be." He gasped. "We destroyed you and your accursed Wraith." "You are a fool, Arthra'n, as well as a traitor. I am alive and well. The same is true for all of my family. You disgust me. What madness possessed you to betray the Empire?" "It is you who betray the Empire, you coward," he sneered. "You, who refuse to bring the Federation to its knees, so that we can assume our rightful place as leaders of the Galaxy. You have betrayed all that we have stood for, all these centuries. We may have failed this time Praetor, but eventually, we will succeed." "You will not live too see that day. Mr. Spock," before he could give the order that Spock was not going to be able to follow, the screen erupted in the brilliant light of the exploding Romulan ship. "May you rot in the seven hells." The Praetor said forcefully, and watched quietly as the screen cleared and the debris floated in front of them. "There is no evidence of any survivors, Mr. Spock." Mr. Chekov spoke into the silence. "Very well, Lt. Uhura, raise the Excalibur, the Accord, and the Powell and see if any of them require assistance." He waited for their response. Lt. Uhura transmitted the message and gave him the responses. "The Excalibur and the Powell have destroyed their targets, Mr. Spock. The Excalibur has already moved to assist the Accord." "Mr. Sulu, return us to orbit around Cygni I. Stand down to yellow alert. Praetor, perhaps you would like to contact your ships?" The Romulan escort ships had crippled the other two ships. They had all chosen to self-destruct rather than be taken prisoner. It was a wounded fleet of strange bedfellows that returned to orbit around the primary world of the system. All the ships had sustained damage, the Enterprise less than the rest. The Enterprise had no casualties and only three minor injuries. The Romulans lost five hundred and twenty people that day, not counting the crew of the Conspirators ships. It would take the two Romulan ships weeks to repair their ships, before they would be ready to make the return trip to Romulus. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. 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