1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own anything, not even Spock's hotness. *sigh* Anyway, just a little warning about my universe: it's a bit AU and has some dark themes. As always, enjoy!**

* * *

She moved through the cavernous space like darkness, spilling over the floor in a show of grace. Her muscles tensed and bunched and she jumped like a cat into the air, spun and landed firmly onto the rafters. As her biogenic eyes inspected the area beneath her, she tucked her slim, lithe body tightly in the space against the wall, her sensitive ears picking up the small whoosh of air as the doors slid open. Two armed guards ambled slowly into the opulently appointed suite, their muscles corded and thick beneath the black uniforms, and their angry growls muted beneath the heavy masks and thick, blue rings of glowing astarite hanging about their necks and lips.

She could hear the steady rasps of their breath as it fanned the air in staccato waves, vibrating against their palates as they struggled to speak the king's tongue.

Frustrated, they gave up the attempt and slipped back into their native language, sweat glistening upon their shiny heads as they continued searching the room in broad sweeps.

"_Ar'sha, ga' tok na pa'!_," though the tone was menacing, Nyota could only guess at their intent. The language of the Rag'Shur had never been her forte, or her interest, for that matter. It was not the language of power, of trade and influence—it did not guarantee that her belly would be full and her nights would be warm.

She waited impatiently for several long minutes as they continued their search, their foul odors mingling in her nostrils and their guttural mutterings renting the still air.

_By Tor_, she swore silently, _when would these—these--beasts be done with their pitiful ramblings_?

She watched as they roved about a moment more, their heavy footsteps scraping against the delicate carpets and their bodies bruising the soft ionic walls. They glanced around the room once more before defeatedly traipsing out into the corridor, their sharp, deep voices echoing loudly in the halls before fading slowly away.

Nyota sighed and hurriedly jumped down to the floor, her eyes searching quickly, settling on the slick exterior of the _A' Tur_. Greed danced in her eyes and roused the nerves in her stomach. _They would pay handsomely for this_. She smiled coldly, her eyes gleaming with all the warmth of a great predator in the fields.

She made her way to the large window overlooking the tower, unlatched it and bounded off the high ledge onto the distant, soft grasses below.

*****

He seemed pleased. Nyota could barely contain her glee as he handed over payment. His dark, Vulcan eyes were lit with a tendril of elated hatred and a small smile played at the corners of his lips.

"You have exceeded my expectations, assassin," he told her and she nodded.

He folded his hands neatly behind his back as he paced and Nyota watched him curiously. He came to an abrupt stop and spun on his heel, coming to stand behind his desk once again.

"I had heard that of all the assassins in the guild, you are the most—creative,"

She let loose a tiny, evil grin as she nodded curtly once more, "I believe in—_innovative thinking_, yes,"

"Some would say that your methods are cruel, and yet I find them to be—pleasingly methodical."

Nyota tilted her head slightly to the side, the slight grin slipping off her face and became a stony grimace.

"I don't have time for this. Spit it out. What do you want Sylek?"

"I have—a proposition for you."

Nyota shrugged carelessly, "And I have—a price for you," she replied in flawless Vulcan, an indulgent smile playing against her features once more.

Shock raced across his placid face before he slipped back into calm repose.

"I do nothing for free," she continued, "You know this."

"Yes, I know this well, assassin," he retorted evenly, his inky eyes regarding her with an expression she could not decipher.

"I understand that your sibling, a sister, is on Centorion-5,"

Nyota stifled the shocked gasp which threatened to leave her lips and instead stood still, watching, listening.

"And so what if this is true?," she finally asked and quirked a beautifully defined brow, "What business is it of yours?"

He regarded her silently a moment and Nyota looked into his eyes once more. _Yes_, she knew that expression, she could not decipher it before, but she had seen it many times in men's eyes—it was the feeling of power. This man had power over her—and she didn't like it, not one bit.

She tried desperately to contain the rage inside her, the storm of anger that wanted to rip into his Vulcan hide and wipe that expression off his pompous little face. Instead she fumed.

He waited a moment more before speaking, "She is a concubine to the king," he told her, as if he were doing nothing more than reporting the weather, and perhaps, to him, her sister were no more important than that.

"I have heard that his tastes are quite—eclectic," he continued, "He has very—aggressive proclivities,"

Nyota kept her gaze and body steady even as sensation rocked within her. She had always known that the Centorion monarch was a sick, disgusting, twisted little fuck, but she had held out hope that she could buy her sister's freedom. Yet, as the trade embargo continued, and all of Centorion suffered, she watched helplessly as her sister's bride price soared well beyond her means. She was becoming desperate—and the Vulcan before her knew it.

"Name your terms," she said tersely in formal, High Vulcan.

A slight grin ghosted across his lips before disappearing.

"You will—assassinate this man," he told her and indicated the small holovid upon his desk.

"_And_?," she prompted, her eyes glinting dangerously.

"And I will make sure your sister is returned to you."

She narrowed her eyes and thought a moment. "How do I know you're not lying?"

"Vulcans do not lie,"

She snorted inelegantly, "Everyone lies."

He paused a moment and then nodded, "Your logic is sound,"

"I want proof," she told him between clenched teeth, "If you are playing me, I swear by Tor that I'll--,"

Nyota stopped as her sister appeared before her, a holographic image splashed onto the calm serenity of Sylek's chamber.

"I have done the monarch many favors. He will give me anything that I ask. Perhaps I shall ask for _her_?"

Nyota's breath caught in her throat. Her heart ached with sadness as she took in her sister's long beautiful, raven tresses, the slope of her elegant arms and the look of intense sorrow upon her pretty face.

"_Zuri_," she whispered and reached out to touch the image, only to have it disappear.

"If you accept, I shall make sure she is returned," he told her.

Nyota considered the offer for a moment and then sighed, her heart heavy in her chest.

"I'll do it,"

"As I have previously mentioned, assassin," he told her, "I ask that you assassinate this man,"

"Who is he?," Nyota inquired as she gazed at the holovid.

"He is a very important member of one the ruling houses," he continued speaking, his voice shaking only slightly with concealed hatred, "His death will prove very fitting to my purpose."

"He will be hard to kill, but you are the best in your field. He will be stopping momentarily on Telax-4."

"What's his name?," Nyota asked, her mind already buzzing with plans.

"He is the Son of Sarek. His name is Spock."

****


	2. Chapter 2

_Sixteen years ago _

_Planet Geidi Prime, Sector M408-2_

"You are too little, _ua_, to be a princess. You will be my handmaiden,"

Nyota began to protest, and thought better of the sentiment; instead she pouted and frowned, watching as her sister brushed her long, thick, ebony locks from her shoulders. Nyota sighed. She envied her sister's lush, beautiful tendrils and pretty face. Her sister didn't have knobby knees and gangly arms and legs, she didn't get in trouble for climbing trees and ruining her good clothes, and she didn't get picked last when everyone played games.

She sighed once again. Of course Zuri could be the princess. She was _perfect_.

"Okay, you can be the princess," Nyota conceded.

Zuri flashed a radiant smile before skipping happily into the dense forest.

"Mama and baba said never go into the forest, Zuri!," she called out, panic making her voice quiver.

Zuri trotted back, a mischievous grin plastered across her face.

"Come on _kipepeo_, it will be fun."

"No, Zuri," Nyota admonished, "_Baba mdogo_ also told us never to go in the forest. He says there are bad, bad things in there."

Zuri pouted prettily, "Oh, Ny!," she huffed, "He tells those stories just to scare us. Uncle is always telling crazy stories, Baba says so! And you always believe them," she waved her small, delicate hands in the air, "You're just afraid. You're a—a big, scary _baby_!"

Nyota pursed her lips in anger as tears pricked her eyelids. "Am not! I am not a baby! I'm not afraid!"

Nyota drew up her small frame and lifted her tiny head with resolve.

"I'll show you, I'm not afraid," Nyota repeated.

"Then come _on_," Zuri urged and Nyota reluctantly followed.

They spent the next few hours playing and skipping over fallen branches, chasing tiny furry animals, and slaying imaginary dragons.

"Handmaidens are the best," Zuri whispered as they crossed a rotted log and pushed past a cadre of flying Nyphats, their tiny bodies sweeping hurriedly into the air as Zuri giggled.

"No they're not," Nyota objected and shook her head vigorously, "Handmaidens are stupid."

"Okay then," Zuri prompted cautiously, "What would you like to be _ua_?"

Nyota grinned and picked up a stick, "I know what I am! I'm a _warrior_!,"

Nyota slashed the air with the stick and feinted left and right from imaginary enemies.

Zuri laughed, "You can't be a warrior, silly. Only boys can be warriors,"

Nyota rolled her eyes and shook her head, "That's not true. Baba says I have the heart of a warrior. I beat the boys every time. I was the only one who wasn't afraid to touch the snake in mama's garden! Remember? All the boys ran away and I didn't!"

Zuri giggled and then pointed to a cave in the distance. "Princesses always get taken to caves. Then they get rescued. You get to rescue me, _ua_."

Nyota scowled. She didn't like that cave. It was dark and gloomy inside, and her mind began to think there _were_ bad, bad things in there.

"No, Zuri, I don't like it,"

Zuri frowned slightly, the light dimmed a bit in her eyes and she pouted. "_Please_? Come on, Ny! Don't be a scary _muklak_!"

Nyota's lips formed a thin, spiteful line of anger. "I. am. not. _Scary_!!"

She stomped her foot and walked off boldly into the cave, Zuri following triumphantly behind her.

********

_Swahili Terminology:_

_Ua-Flower_

_Baba-Father_

_Baba mdogo-uncle (younger brother of father)_

_Kipepeo-Butterfly_

**A/N**_: I know, I know, I shouldn't have thrown Geidi Prime in there. But what can I say? I'm a Dune fan. LOL. Hope you all enjoyed that. Please R&R._


	3. Chapter 3

********

Nyota awakened with a start, her face wet with tears. She brushed them hastily away and the memory slowly began to fade, her racing heart gently slowing its rapid canter. She glanced around her and took in the busy port, the various races of men and women talking and mingling. She pulled her hood down low and slipped into step behind a rushing throng of Galorians, their high-pitched whistles and trebled clicks resonating in her ears.

She could barely make out the transport ship in the distance, and the stubborn march of soldiers around it. As she drew closer, her eyes automatically adjusted for the distance, magnifying the field before her, until she could see even the insignia laced upon the guards' uniforms. _Militia forces_. She wondered briefly why they would be in this area of space, but quickly pushed the thought aside. It didn't matter. She could use their high-tech weapons and a pass to get into the next region of space.

She maneuvered smoothly past merchants selling their wares and the press of slavers as they reigned in their captives. The auctions were going to begin soon, and Nyota knew it was the best time to get near the ship. She sighed, _Damn that Sylek! That worthless kathar!_ She thought angrily. He could have easily gained her passage onto the ship, but even with his connections, it would have taken at least a week. Sylek had to move quickly. Nyota assumed his operatives had not informed him of the change to Telax-4, but it had proven fortuitous for his plans, whatever they may be.

_No matter_, she thought, she was an assassin. She did her job and did it well. Gaining access to a ship was annoying, but it was no more difficult than child's play. She crossed the boulevard and passed a throng of musicians as they strummed various instruments, their voices raised in supplication to the passing crowds. She ducked past them into several shops and continued moving with careless grace towards the huge ship, her eyes carefully scanning her whereabouts.

She traipsed past several cooking stalls, the smells of Andorian pies and Saregian sausage tempting her nose. She paused and noticed one of the soldiers leaving his post and walking towards the auction block. She grinned. _Easy prey_, she thought.

The crowd was pulling into the spaces before the auction blocks, and she slipped daintily behind an Arturian general, his large head and tusks masking her face and body behind him. She could see the guard standing not twenty feet away, his weapon clutched tightly in his hands. Nyota licked her lips in anticipation. His phaser had a high energy discharge. She could always use something like that in her arsenal.

The auction began when several species of the Grok were brought out, their wiry hairs lashing about in a frenzied plea for help. The slavers whipped them into submission before beginning to price them.

"I'll start the bid at 250 credits!," the auctioneer yelled and soon the crowd were shouting out prices and swelling into an emotional wave of bidding.

Nyota watched as the guard stood near the auction stage. And soon a row of beautiful women were placed onto the block, their hands bound in front of them and their naked bodies glistening with oil.

The men leered and whistled. Nyota tried to stymie the wave of pity that rolled through her at the sight of the bound women being ogled like cuts of meat. She pushed the emotion violently from her mind, and focused on the target before her.

The bidding was going at a fever pitch now as several men, including the guard, began to bid in earnest over one of the women.

"Do I have 1,500 credits?! Any bids, any bids to buy this luxurious beauty, sure to keep your nights warm and your days filled with heat?! Anyone?," the auctioneer asked the crowd and the man who was bidding against the guard dropped his hand and looked to the ground.

"Going, going, the wonderful beauty is now gone! Sold to the soldier here in the front!"

The guard laughed in triumph as a crowd of people moved dejectedly away, still eyeing the woman's form.

Nyota looked as they unchained the woman from the others and pulled her leash in front, goading her to step down from the platform and meet her new master.

The guard took her roughly by the arm and led her away. Nyota was quick to follow.

They walked for a bit, and soon they were entering the area where the farmers congregated. He pulled his new slave into a stable and Nyota jumped unseen onto the top of the structure and crawled into the shaft, finally exiting high above the stables. The animals waited patiently in their stalls, Nyota's presence not a bother to them in the least.

She moved past each area until she spotted her target. He was atop the slave he had purchased, his body pounding mercilessly into her own, even as she screamed for him to stop.

Nyota's eyes narrowed.

Swiftly, she sprang from her hiding place and landed gracefully behind him onto the hard-packed floor. Moving lightning fast, she slit the guard's throat with her sharp dagger and then as an insult pulled out his tongue as he bled quickly onto the dirt floor.

He was still alive. The guard watched in horror as his life blood pooled around him. Soon the light in his eyes faded and he slumped over dead.

Nyota pried the weapon from his hand and grunted in satisfaction. _This will do nicely_, she thought.

"You killed him," the woman spoke, her soft voice filled with terror.

Nyota took in the woman's dark green skin and fire red hair. _An Orion_, Nyota thought as she regarded the woman curiously.

"It appears that I did," she replied.

"But—I mean, he's like--_dead_," the woman said again.

"I should think you would thank me. I doubt you were enjoying his ministrations," Nyota told her as she turned her attention once more to the weapon.

The woman nodded and then said in a small voice, "Thank you."

Nyota nodded as she kneeled and began running her hands through the guard's pockets, her nimble hands securing his data PADD.

She began punching in a series of commands that altered the ship's logs. She slid the weapon inside her loose robe and covered it before standing quickly and walking towards the doorway.

"Wait!" the woman pleaded, "Where are you going?"

Nyota paused and then continued to walk.

"Please, I have no one. They took my brother. I have to find him."

Nyota paused once more near the entrance, her mind screaming and her emotions roiling.

"I can't help you," Nyota told her as she turned.

"Let me come with you," the woman begged. Nyota considered the woman for a moment. Her mind was telling her to kill her. After all, there should never be any witnesses. But yet—

Nyota sighed, "Don't get in my way," she pulled out a pair of loose pants and a tunic from her bag, "Put these on,"

A big smile of relief filled the woman's face as Nyota tossed the clothes nearby and then kneeled before her. Nyota examined the leash and chain for a moment before grabbing the metal and pulling hard. The metal snapped beneath her hands the woman gasped.

"How did you do that?," she wondered, then her eyes narrowed, "You're a modified human! I knew it! You're--,"

The look of bitter anger froze the words in the woman's throat and she gulped.

"Don't get in my way, or I'll kill you. Don't talk to anyone, or I'll kill you. Don't do anything I don't tell you to do or--,"

"I know you'll kill me," the woman responded and rolled her eyes before dressing in the pants and tunic.

She hopped to her feet and followed behind Nyota as they made their way to the ship.

"Where are we going?," the woman inquired.

"No questions," Nyota said tersely.

The woman walked along silently, happiness evident in her light steps.

"I'm sooo happy you came along. You have no idea what I've been through," the woman chatted and Nyota half-listened as they approached the ship.

"Hey," the woman stopped, "What can I call you? I mean, we have to call each other something right? "

Nyota looked over in irritation at the grinning Orion. "They call me Ice," Nyota answered, giving the woman one of her aliases.

"Ice? ," the woman replied, puzzled, "Why?"

"Because that is what they say I have in my veins."

"Oh,"

The woman said nothing for a moment and they fell in line behind the other passengers boarding the ship.

"I'm Gaila," the woman offered and Nyota nodded.

Soon they were filing into the ship; Nyota and Gaila were ushered into the first class section, and into an ornately decorated series of rooms.

"Hey!" Gaila chortled happily, "These are some sweet digs!"

Nyota threw her bag onto a chair and glanced around, carefully checking for anything unusual. After finding the space to her satisfaction, she sat down and began inspecting her weapons.

Gaila watched her, fascinated.

"C-Can--," Gaila stammered and Nyota looked up, meeting the Orion's fearful gaze.

"Can you teach me how you did that to the soldier?"

Nyota stared, mouth agape. "You want to learn?"

"If I had known what you know, I might not have gotten taken in the first place."

Nyota humphed and then sighed.

"Sit," she ordered and the Orion obliged.

Gaila sat still a moment as Nyota sharpened and polished her daggers. She began to fidget and then in exasperation let out a huge sigh.

"I thought you were going to teach me--,"Gaila began and Nyota shushed her.

"Patience. You have to learn it in order to do any of the things I'll teach you."

Gaila sighed once more and continued watching Nyota as she cleaned and looked over her weapons.

Nyota peered at Gaila, noticing how she swept her red tresses from her shoulders and worried the silky strands. The gesture reminded Nyota so much of her sister that her breath caught in her throat and her heart grew tired and heavy.

********


	4. Chapter 4

_Sixteen Years Ago_

_Planet Geidi Prime, Sector M408-2_

A chilled air swept through the cave, pressing past Nyota's thin layers and she shivered. The walls were slick with moisture and she could feel the crunch of silt and silica against her shoes. A dark feeling of foreboding was rising in Nyota's mind, and she forced herself to move forward, trepidation making her steps slow and careful.

Zuri bounced happily beside her, her luscious curls bouncing against her face.

"What's wrong, Ny?," she asked as she hopped in a circle and skipped past a large rock.

"Maybe we should go back. We can play in the forest, where there's more light," Nyota offered.

Zuri shook her head. "Stop being a baby. Do you want me to tell all the boys how scared you were of a stupid little cave?"

Nyota thought a moment and then reluctantly shook her head.

"Then come on!," she laughed and pulled Nyota deeper in the recesses of the cave.

"Catch me!," Zuri yelled before speeding off into the darkness.

"Zuri wait!," Nyota cried out and followed her sister deeper inside.

The air was tainted with the smell of salt and Nyota swallowed convulsively, fear pulling at her heart and pulsing through her in waves.

She could hear the distant tap of her sister's footfalls and tried desperately to find her.

Zuri laughed, and the sound echoed through the chambers, disturbing big, beaked birds above, their red eyes staring down menacingly as they cawed and cooed.

Nyota didn't like this. Not one bit. She wanted to turn and run, past the forest, past the broken line of timber and into the safety of home. But she could still hear her sister running in the distance, and she knew she couldn't leave her.

"Zuri!" she cried, "Where are you?!"

There was no answer. Nyota's heart began to race in a fast, cacophonous rhythm.

"Zuri!," she yelled, "Answer me!"

Nyota ran a bit, her thin legs pumping, as she neared a turn and stopped, straining her ears for any sound.

She slowed and walked a bit, tears building up in her eyes.

"Zuri?," she called out, "Where are you? Please answer me!"

She began to trot and stumbled, catching herself before she fell.

She straightened and then looked down. Lying in the dirt was a shoe. Her sister's shoe.

Her mind began to frantically race.

"Zuri!!!,"she screamed and ran ever deeper into the passage.

She pushed herself past a line of slimy cave snakes, too frantic to even feel fear, even as they coiled and pulsed against the barren walls.

It was when she finally reached the last bend that she saw it. There was a light ahead, she could just make out the dancing flicks of flame as they popped and hissed atop the rotted wood.

Someone had made camp in the cave. There were belongings scattered about and the big wide tracks of a man's shoe looped around the perimeter of the fire.

Nyota gulped. Her hands began to sweat and she glanced around, searching for any sign of Zuri.

She pressed on, determined to find her sister despite the feeling of fear inside her.

There was makeshift tent a few feet away, and Nyota ducked inside.

A man was standing over her sister, a sharp knife was just beginning to slide into her sister's delicate skin and she screamed.

"Zuri!"

"Help me Nyota!"

The man turned around and Nyota ducked as he came at her, racing past him, pulling things off the shelves and making him stumble.

His eyes were dilated and crazed, his hair matted and full of dirt and grease. He smiled lasciviously and licked his lips.

"Two for the price of one. I like that,"

Nyota ran into a corner and he walked toward her, his towering body shadowing her own. He raised the knife and Nyota looked around, feverishly searching for anything that could be a weapon.

Her hand curled around something cold and metallic.

She pulled it up. It was a phaser.

The man stopped advancing and glanced at the weapon in her tiny hands. He laughed, it was a deep rumble that rocked him from head to toe and he stopped suddenly a line of dribble falling from his lips.

"You're gonna use that on me? You're gonna shoot me little girl? You don't have the guts."

Nyota paused and closed her eyes. The image of Zuri being hurt by the man was stained behind her lids.

She could hear him continue his approach.

She counted to three, pressed the release, and fired.

*****


	5. Chapter 5

******

Nyota launched herself out of bed, hurling the dagger she had hidden beneath her head.

Gaila shrieked and ducked, barely missing the sharp projectile as it raced above her head and was embedded into the wall behind her.

"Jeez!" Gaila exclaimed, "What the hell was that?!"

Nyota shook the fog from her sleepy brain, the wisps of memory slowly clearing away and she blinked.

"What time is it?"

"What time is it?!," Gaila shouted, "What time is it?! You just tried to kill me!"

"Sorry," Nyota grumbled as she rubbed her eyes and yawned.

Gaila frowned and tapped her foot. "That's all you have to say?"

Nyota peered at Gaila from sleep deprived eyes and shrugged. "What are you doing in my room anyway?"

"I wanted to tell you that there's breakfast in the other room,"

"Breakfast?," Nyota commented drily and slipped on her shoes.

"Yeah, before you tried to _murder_ me!"

Nyota sighed and wondered briefly what possessed her to bring this woman with her, onto this ship, into these rooms, into her life. A small, cruel corner of her mind quickly thought of disposing of her, if only to rid her ears of the woman's constant whining and talking. But the part of her that was still warm, alive, and still _her_, vetoed the idea and she found herself shrugging once more.

"Gaila, what was I first doing when you met me?," she asked and Gaila wrinkled her brow.

"Um—you were—killing some guy?," she offered and Nyota nodded.

"And what did I say I'd do if you didn't listen to me?"

"Um—kill me?"

"And what does that make me?"

"Uh—a—killer?"

"Yes, Gaila. That's right. I kill people. So the next time you get it into your pretty little head to wake me up and surprise me with breakfast, remember that. Don't startle me awake and don't sneak up on me. If you do, you might die. Got that?"

Gaila nodded and then pointed, "I've got French toast."

Nyota sighed and cursed low and hard before slinking into the next room, her feet gliding across the luxurious carpet.

She pulled a chair away from the table, plopped into it, and began piling her plate high with the sumptuous fare.

She then tore into the food with gusto, barely pausing to take a breath in between bites.

"Aren't you going to at least chew?," Gaila remarked and Nyota glared, dabbed her mouth with a napkin and then swallowed the mouthful of food.

Gaila watched as she took a swig of juice straight from the decanter and she scrunched her face in disgust.

"Ewww….you know, there are things called "serving glasses," you should use them sometime,"

Nyota rolled her eyes and continued eating, seemingly oblivious to Gaila's criticism of etiquette.

They ate in silence, the hum of the engines pulsing about them and the scrape of utensils hitting plates the only sounds in the room.

Gaila sighed and leaned back, pulling herself into a luxurious stretch.

"Who's Zuri?," she asked and Nyota paused, her fork dangling in the air.

"I thought we agreed there were no questions,"

Gaila shrugged, "I'm just curious. You were mumbling in your sleep when I came in. You kept saying the name. They must be close to you."

Nyota said nothing for a long moment and Gaila soon turned her attention back to her food.

"She's my sister," Nyota finally admitted as she stabbed a sausage link with her fork.

"Oh,"

Another moment of silence stretched between them.

Gaila punctured the stillness, her voice heavy with emotion, "I have a brother. His name is Gelan."

Nyota stopped eating and looked into Gaila's sad eyes.

"They took him during the raid. They killed my mother, they sold my father. I don't know where he is."

"It was right after the harvest," she continued, "The rains were heavy and the suns had begun drying the valley. We were pleased. There was no damage to the crops. We had lots of grains, fruits and vegetables to sell. We could pay our taxes to the king on time. Life would be good. But then _they_ came," her voice was shaking now, hatred lacing each word, "They came with their weapons, and their guns and their violence and they killed, _they killed_..,"

A sob threatened to tear from Gaila's throat but she swallowed it and fury replaced her sadness.

"They killed all the elders. They murdered the sick; they took the children and the women and killed anyone who resisted."

Nyota chewed slowly and thoughtfully, her hands steady as she continued to eat.

"And I stood there, and I watched them. I couldn't _do_ anything. I was helpless. I couldn't help my mother. I couldn't, I couldn't--," her voice broke and she finally burst into tears, deep sobs wrenching through her body.

Nyota swallowed and took a sip of juice.

"Throw with maximum force."

Gaila sniffed and looked up. "W-What?"

"Throw with maximum force. But don't force the movement. Let basic physics propel the object into your target."

Nyota reached into her bra and let loose a Cardassian death star, it sailed through the air and slammed into the sculpture of a Telagian warrior five feet away, landing right between the eyes.

Nyota demonstrated once more and this time, the death star landed in the warrior's groin.

"Speed is paramount. If you are unmodified, this must become second nature. You may have more than one opponent and you will not get a second chance."

Gaila sniffed and wiped away her tears, watching as Nyota stood and began to demonstrate basic combat moves, using the sculpture as a target.

"He will come at you, use his energy to deliver a punch _here_," Nyota pointed to the sternum.

Gaila sniffled and her sobs began to subside.

"And then you can deflect his blow from here--,"

"Can I try?," Gaila interrupted.

"What?,"

"I want to try," Gaila stated and stood.

Nyota nodded and stepped aside.

Gaila tried to deliver the punch as Nyota had and only succeeded in bruising her fists.

Nyota moved Gaila's body into a fighting stance, helping her bend her arms and bend her knees.

They worked like that for awhile, Nyota calling out "Again," each time Gaila successfully executed the move.

Gaila punched the sculpture until her hands bled and her muscles trembled with exhaustion. Nyota then taught her a series of dagger tricks, ignoring the trickle of tears that spilled from Gaila's eyes.

Gaila felt the sting of satisfaction each time the dagger landed where she wanted it. She pushed hard through her pain, tears flowing every now and then from her swollen eyes, and her heart feeling lighter each time she did it _right_.

She used her anger to direct her blows and her kicks. She pushed hard into herself digging into her hatred, wiling her pain to be her strength.

******


	6. Chapter 6

***********

Gaila followed closely behind Nyota as she sloped carefully down the twisted, darkened streets. Her steps were precise and soundless, and Gaila tried to mimic their noiseless quality. Nyota glanced at Gaila's bumbling with an air of slight annoyance, but continued on to the unmarked door nestled within a cobble-stoned building.

"Where--," Gaila began and Nyota placed her finger against her lips in a show of silence.

Gaila looked on as Nyota grabbed the heavy knocker and slammed it twice against the heavy wooden door.

There was no sound on the other side, and they stood in the light, pouring rain for a moment before the door cracked open and a pair of beady eyes and antennae peered out.

Gaila jumped back, startled. Nyota calmly pushed the creature aside and it murmured, and then spoke.

"He is waiting in the _sssalon_, assassin," the creature hissed and Gaila trekked quickly behind Nyota as she made her way down the hall, being careful to avoid the blue skinned creature as it hissed behind her.

The dwelling boasted a funereal, almost, elegiac feel, as they traipsed past twisted sculptures depicting all manner of creatures in the throes of a dark, painful but elegant death.

Nyota moved with confidence past a large winding staircase and into a small and tastefully adorned sitting room, its warm fire and wood furniture a contrast to the morbidity of the other rooms.

Rows of beakers, solutions and machines lay to one side and a man was seated at a scope, analyzing some small, nearly infinitesimal thing on a slide.

The man had long platinum blonde hair, so pale it was nearly white. He turned and Gaila could see his face held an arrogant sort of handsomeness, his chiseled features in stark relief against the white of his brows and yellow eyes.

"Ice Maiden," the man greeted Nyota as he stepped closer. He smiled and his long fangs slipped down, their sharp tips nearly touching his full bottom lip.

"Mortis," Nyota nodded and threw herself into a nearby chair.

He grinned even wider as his eyes took in Gaila. "Mmmm….what do we have here? A tasty little treat for me, perhaps?"

Nyota shook her head, "She's my protégé. Leave her be."

Mortis shook his head sadly. "Such a shame. She looks to have such—sweet, _sweet_ blood."

Gaila shivered and moved backwards.

"What is it you'd like this time, Ice?," Mortis asked as he turned a series of dials on a machine.

"You know what I need," Nyota told him.

"And you know what you must do," he told her as he turned, his eyes growing wild and feline.

Nyota sighed and rolled up her sleeve. She grabbed a dagger, and sliced her forearm and caught the bubbling drops of blood into an empty vial.

Mortis smacked his lips in anticipation and grinned as Nyota handed over the vial.

He swallowed the small droplets, throwing his head back in ecstasy; licking his lips and making sure nothing escaped his questing tongue.

"Ice…your blood is so very—_decadent_," he murmured, his voice taking on a seductive quality.

He shot her a lopsided grin. "Are you sure you don't want me to turn you?," he queried, running his now golden eyes appreciatively over Nyota's limber body.

"Becoming a _Vrykolakas_ for the rest of my natural life and beyond doesn't quite appeal to me," she replied.

He sighed, "Oh but Ice…think of the benefits. Eternal youth, induced strength, the freedom to live and play as you'd like. Endless pleasure…," he stopped and ran his tongue across his bottom lip, capturing a dot of leftover blood.

His voice was hypnotic and sent waves of delectable contentment running down Gaila's spine and she found herself relaxing. She looked over at Nyota.

Nyota looked bored and unaffected and simply shrugged.

"Not my thing."

Mortis tsked, "Too bad. Think of the overhead you'd be saving. After you kill your targets you could eat them. Beats a grocery bill every week," he joked and laughed, the sound tinkling pleasantly like wind chimes.

Mortis stood and went over to a collection of shelves and filled a hypo with a container of silver liquid.

He approached Nyota and she gave him access to her neck. He quickly injected the contents and she was still a moment.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears and everything began to slow, to a pace so agonizingly sluggish that Nyota felt as if everything was moving as if stuck in some syrupy liquid. Inside herself, the smells of the room had intensified and her eyes could focus on the tiniest mote as it floated lazily by.

Outside herself, Nyota did not know that her speed had increased ten-fold. She moved faster than the eye could track and then finally slowed to sit in the chair once more.

Her tongue darted out and wet her chapped lips and she turned to Mortis.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I assume I shall see you again in three months time," he stated.

Nyota nodded and glanced at Gaila. Gaila's eyes were big and filled with conflicting emotions of wonder, fascination, curiosity and disgust.

"I'll also need security clearance to the base on Telax-4,"

"Ah, off to kill again I see," he said conversationally, "Well, I can arrange it."

He said nothing and just held out his hand. Nyota filled it with credits and he continued, "I have a stunning new set of weapons I'm sure you'd love to see, Ice."

He tapped in a few commands into a console and pulled out two uniforms from the replicator.

He handed them to Nyota and she inspected them, her brow rising slightly when she saw the Starfleet insignia and the short, nearly obscene lengths of the skirts.

"Really? This is Starfleet issued?," she commented and Mortis shrugged.

"Oh, yes. I'd say the man who created them had a vision. And they included nice toned bodies in short skirts. A bit too pervy for my tastes. I love a bit of mystery myself."

Nyota slipped the uniforms into her bag. She and Mortis then looked over the weapons he had acquired. By the end of the visit she had several new knives, a sword, high energy pulse arrays and a few high caliber explosives.

Nyota jaunted cheerfully down the narrow walkway, Gaila trudging silently behind.

"You're not actually going to use all those?" she questioned and Nyota turned.

"Well, I might. Though, maybe the explosives are a bit much,"

Gaila shot Nyota a look and was silent a long moment before speaking.

"So, are we going to catch another ship?"

Nyota rolled her eyes. _So much for not asking questions_, she thought.

"Yes, Gaila, we are."

"Oh,"

They continued walking past several shops, most of which were closed for the night.

"Are we going to be at the Starfleet base?"

"Yes, Gaila," Nyota replied exasperation lacing her tone.

"You're going to kill someone there?"

Nyota then shot Gaila a look, and shrugged. "Probably."

"Oh,"

As they rounded the corner Gaila's temperament lightened a bit and she threw Nyota a wide smile.

"Well, I've always wanted to be in Starfleet,"

Nyota didn't reply and simply pulled Gaila inside the unlocked door of the house she had rented, away from the torrent of heavy rain pouring from the sky.

******


	7. Chapter 7

******

Nyota smoothly exited the transport ship and walked quickly down the ramp, pausing only once to see Gaila bobbing cheerfully some feet behind her, her red curls bouncing as she fidgeted in happy anticipation. Gaila caught up with Nyota and smiled.

"I've never been to a Starfleet base before," she whispered.

Nyota ushered Gaila sharply to the side, away from the pulsing crowd.

"We're supposed to _be_ in Starfleet," she whispered back fervently, "If you don't contain yourself, someone's going to get suspicious. And you know what I'll do to you if you mess this up," Nyota warned, her meaning immediately clear to Gaila, whose eyes became huge and teary and her full bottom lip trembled.

"I'm sorry, Ice," Gaila told her and Nyota sighed, a deep feeling of shame washing over her. She didn't mean to scare the girl, but she had a job to do. Gaila sniffled a few times and as her round puppy dog eyes settled on Nyota's the feeling of shame intensified.

"How about we go get something to eat?," Nyota offered, "Maybe some French toast will calm you down."

Gaila immediately brightened, "I _love_ French Toast!"

To her credit, Gaila tried desperately to walk with the authority of a Starfleet officer, only pausing every few minutes to skip happily down various corridors as Nyota looked on in annoyance.

The found a small diner that served American Earth fare, they quickly ate and then made their way to the apartment complex designated for lower ranking officers.

Gaila took in the tiny apartment with its drab furnishings, simple appliances, and nearly outdated replicator.

"Eww…why do we have to stay here?," she questioned and Nyota spun, her irritation reaching its maximum level.

"Because Gaila, this is where we _have _to stay. We're supposed to be in Starfleet. I have a job to do or have you forgotten? I am so tired of your damn whining! And your constant chattering!"

Gaila's expression became closed, hurt flickering across her verdant features for a second, and she said nothing for a moment. "I'm sorry I'm getting on your nerves."

"Well Gaila, you are. I have to get this done! I mean really, I have an obligation--," Nyota scolded as she pulled out a PADD and began scrolling.

"Why do you have to do it?," Gaila interrupted.

"Do what?"

"Kill. Why do you have to kill? You're smart. You know things. You can always do something else."

Surprise and an emotion akin to regret danced briefly across Nyota's cinnamon features and she held herself in abeyance for a time, before slowly shaking her head.

"You don't understand, Gaila,"

"No I don't, make me understand."

"There are just some things that are beyond explaining. Look, I am what I am. A killer. That's never going to change; no amount of psychotherapy's going to fix that."

Gaila remained silent for a few seconds and then remarked softly, "I'm just saying. Your life has to be more than this, just kill, kill, kill all the time."

"It is more, because I get paid for it."

"But--," Gaila began and Nyota held her hand up, "This is not up for discussion."

Gaila abruptly closed her mouth, her lips forming a pretty pout. Nyota ignored her and began scrolling through the PADD once more, and opening screens until she reached her destination.

"Yes!," she muttered as she gained access and entered in a series of commands that would alter backlogs, public information, and records.

She grinned as an idea began to form and Spock's holographic image was splashed across the small, utilitarian space.

Gaila came up close and stared, her eyes filled with curiosity, "What's up with the sexy Vulcan?"

"Gaila, _focus_, your Orion is showing."

Gaila stuck out her tongue and made a face behind Nyota's back before quickly composing herself.

"I saw that, by the way."

Gaila made another face and Nyota busily tapped in more codes before standing.

"Come on,"

"Where are we going?," Gaila asked.

"We have some shopping to do."

*****

The gown swept the floor in soft, voluminous waves and hugged her body gently, encasing it in winsome yellow and lines of the purest, simplest Marasian cream. Nyota strolled into the grand ball room with catlike grace, her eyes searching, tracking, seeking her target.

She spied Gaila as she chatted with a circle of ensigns, their attentions riveted on the swell of her generous breasts and the sway of her long red hair. Gaila caught Nyota's gaze and winked. Nyota nodded back briefly and continued her perusal.

Nyota could see the stars as they lit the bleak darkness as the ship maintained low orbit around the planet. She affected an air of tentative giddiness as she let several young men flirt and dance with her, her eyes still searching for the elusive Commander.

She found him standing rigidly beside a fellow officer with salt and pepper hair. The two were engaged in a discussion, and though the officer was grinning brightly, Spock's face was stony and unreadable.

Nyota watched as Spock excused himself and began walking out into the empty corridor beyond the ballroom.

A grin slid onto her face and her hands slid down the length of the ensign's arm as he twirled her around the length of the floor. She took in the ensign's lascivious gaze as he groped her firm backside. She continued to grin even as she smoothly twisted his hand and broke it in several places. A scream of pain was seconds away from being released from his throat and she abruptly cut off his air supply with a triangular choke hold, and to everyone dancing it looked as if it were simply a passionate embrace.

"Don't scream," she told him, "And I won't kill you."

She released him and he stumbled away, clutching his broken hand and seeking as much distance as possible. She turned and followed the pathway Spock had taken.

She saw his retreating back as he ducked into an office off the main corridor.

The doors slid shut behind him and Nyota slid a dagger from the confines of her bra. She grinned even wider. _Easy prey_, she thought and made her way to the office door.

******


	8. Chapter 8

******

She sauntered soundlessly into the office, the soft press of air circling about her as she moved further in. She traipsed carefully past a sitting area and came to stand near a study. The dimly lit confines did not hinder her progress, and she crept past a living area, her eyes automatically adjusting and filtering.

She moved steadily inward, taking in her surroundings and straining her ears for the sound of breathing. She heard nothing. Frowning, she turned and began to back track, carefully pacing the length of each room.

It was only instinct that made her duck in time. A crackle of sparks pierced the semi-darkness as the wall unit splintered. Nyota tucked and rolled, barely missing the swing of a heavy boot as it crashed into the floor, a hairbreadth away from where her body had been.

She came quickly to her feet, and in one quick motion ripped away her gown, revealing the slick expanse of a short body suit and an arsenal of weapons.

Spock came at her, his hands slicing the air in deadly arcs and Nyota slid back, smoothly rotating her body into a high kick. She clipped him the face and he faltered. She then spun in mid-air and moved again with the opposite leg, edging him in the face. He hissed and slid backwards, his crouch low and graceful, before springing up and getting Nyota on her side.

Nyota grunted in pain and volleyed to the opposite side. She winced and cursed, and then came at Spock full force, her body like poetry as it sailed through the space at high speed, her blows a blur of constant motion. Spock weaved and blocked, meeting her with each hit.

They fought hard for a moment, neither gaining the upper hand. She succeeded in backing him against the wall, and he soon had little room to maneuver. Nyota curled her fingers like claws and surged forward. He rolled swiftly to the right, and away, as pieces of tile and dust cascaded down from the force of her blow. She extricated her hand, growled low in frustration and followed behind him.

She let loose a Luvarian sliver; the sharp object whooshed over the cool air and slid into a beam, slicing the wood in two and narrowly missing his head. Nyota cursed in a mixture of languages as she continued to pursue him.

He leaped over the settee in the study, his long legs gliding smoothly in the air. In one quick motion he had reached the opposite wall, and his hands curled around a long, wicked Carthian blade. He spun and faced her, raising his arms to inflict a blow.

Reaching quickly behind her, Nyota pulled out her sword, wincing as she desperately tried to block the hit, sparks flew from their weapons and she felt herself dropping, as his heavier mass pressed against her own. She then pushed forward and hopped swiftly to her feet, she rotated her sword in fast, lethal angles, the sharp steel whooshing through the air and lightly cutting Spock's skin.

He continued parrying and rolled her knife against his blade in quick succession, forcing the blade from her hand. It clattered to the ground and Nyota narrowed her eyes in anger. He then placed the blade against the delicate skin of her neck.

"I ask that you take no further action. You have assaulted a senior Starfleet officer; you will be prosecuted as per Starfleet regulation."

Nyota sneered and briskly reached at her side, and dropped a small, egg shaped object. Gaseous filaments lit the air and obscured Spock's vision. He struggled to see past the strings of luminous clouds as they encircled the room in a vicious web of cool fire.

"Computer, compress nitrogen intake to 25% and increase lights by 35%," he ordered and the system complied.

Nyota turned and skimmed the walls, clutching the beams and large rings of structural metal overhead like a spider.

There was a loud hiss as the freezing fire was extinguished and the fumes were consumed by the exhaust system.

Nyota pulled out another dagger and swayed above Spock's head, gaining momentum for an overhead spin attack. Her muscles contracted and she sprung, spinning wildly in a tightly controlled circle, her arm partly extended, the spin pushing the dagger out, slashing the air viciously.

At breakneck speed, Spock leaped back and pushed outwards, using her own momentum to send her crashing into the opposite wall.

Nyota's teeth clattered as the back of her head connected to the hard surface of the wall.

She groaned as pain ricocheted up from the base of her skull. She blinked a few times and then centered herself. Anger coursed through her.

She stood, death star in hand, ready to throw the sharp metal into his brain. Suddenly, the ship lurched, and she rolled, pushing herself away from a bookcase that fell from its perch.

The ship pitched again violently and the death star rattled to the ground. The red alert sounded and auxiliary power was diverted to engineering.

Spock glanced at her before making his way to the living area. She struggled to stand as the ship roiled and buckled. She could hear Spock's heavy steps as he pressed forward and she tagged behind, trying to follow.

"Computer, execute lockdown sequence 5281-4. Alert security to a break in the perimeter."

He strode out the doors as they closed with a soft whoosh. She attempted to exit and tried in vain to pry them apart. _Shit_, she thought, and frantically beat the metal with her fists, wrath taking root within her.

She stepped back and took a deep breath. She then executed a forceful kick that buckled the heavy doors. She kicked the door a few more times before spotting a dull crack in the seams. She wiggled her fingers down the middle, and pried the doors open before escaping.

Chaos lay outside the quarters as Nyota rushed out into the passageway. Officers ran in haphazard directions, issuing orders, and pulling the injured to safety. Fire and smoke laced the air and Nyota coughed, her eyes frantically searching for a flash of green skin and red hair.

"Ice!,"

Nyota turned and saw Gaila sprinting towards her, her white gown covered with soot and blood.

Nyota's eyes widened with concern, "What happened?"

"I'm fine. We're being attacked. The whole base is under siege. It's the Legion. They're everywhere."

"Shit!" Nyota cursed.

"We have to get out of here. The escape pods are that way."

They followed a gathering crowd of civilians and the injured to the pods. As they approached, Nyota stepped forward and released a pod shield.

"Get in," she ordered and Gaila paused and stared in shock and worry.

"Wait! Aren't you coming?! Come on Ice. We've got to get out of here! We've got to go--,"

Nyota hurriedly pushed Gaila into the pod, entered in the coordinates of a planet with several safe havens and stalked off.

Gaila pounded on the glass, her pleas for Nyota to escape lost beneath heavy layer of protective insulation.

The pod decompressed and soon flitted backwards and was blasted out into the darkness of space.

******


	9. Chapter 9

******

Nyota rushed through the nearly deserted corridors, the eerie silence pressing onto her ears, filling her brain with tremulous anxiety. She pushed aside her anxiousness and instead focused on finding her target.

She had researched him tirelessly, she knew that he would not leave until everyone aboard had escaped and sensitive data had been secured. She ran down a darkened hallway and past the remains of an ensign who had met his demise at the end of someone's phaser.

Bodies lay in everywhere, all in random places, and all with various degrees of damage. She slid in a pool of blood and nearly fell. She righted herself and continued onward.

The smell of death was heavy in her nose, and the sound of weapon fire was close. She stopped and pressed herself close to the wall. She leaned forward and gave a tentative peek around the corner.

A Legion guard was standing a few feet away, his huge body and thick arms glistening with sweat, blood and gore. His weapon was held aloft and he was pacing slowly back and forth, shooting anyone who dared to come his way.

_By Tor_! she thought, as she took a deep breath. She steadied her heart rate and then ran with all her might. Her body was a blur as she rushed past in a burst of superhuman speed. Pulses of firepower rained after her, but she surged ahead, heedful of the danger of stopping.

She released a series of death stars at the Legion soldiers she encountered, satisfaction filling her as they reached their mark. She stopped at a panel and quickly hacked into the security system, searching for the Vulcan bio-sign.

She found it in the transport dock on the lower level of the ship. She took off, hurrying down the corridor until she stood at the inner terminal of the dock. She sprinted inside and found Spock rapidly entering in codes outside a small escape vessel.

She approached him boldly, a high energy array raised in one hand. He turned, his expression austere and unworried, as he just as quickly raised his phaser and fired.

Nyota winced and waited for the sting of the blast, but instead heard the body of a Legion guard drop behind her. Surprised, she turned and saw a few more as they began surrounding her, and she backed off towards the center of the room near the transport area. She glanced quickly at Spock and he nodded. They then moved in concert, shooting and fighting the thick swarm of Legion as they attacked.

She and Spock shortened their distance and held the ship at their back as they blasted, fought and swung.

Spock opened the ship's doors just as an intense blast of energy was fired from a Legion member's weapon. It hit Nyota in the chest and she gasped, pain filling her, blurring her vision and making her drop to the ground.

The light around her swirled and filled with indescribable colors. Her body felt heavy and her head felt light. A feeling of euphoria rose within her and she tried to fight it, aware that she was nearing death and was simply compensating for the pain.

Her vision swam and contorted, and she tried desperately to stand, to fight, but found her limbs to be useless and weighted. As the world began to disappear she felt someone lift her up, and pull her backwards. She realized vaguely that Spock had taken her into the ship, and they were now speeding through the realm of space. She could feel the hum of the engines beneath her battered body and then she saw Spock standing over her, his fingers pressing into her wound. She gasped as pain hit her anew, and then darkness overwhelmed her.

********


	10. Chapter 10

********

_Eleven years ago_

_Planet Geidi Prime Sector M408-2_

The lush, fecund fields of Geidi Prime blazed with the searing, scorching heat of fire. Smoke rose up in plumes, sweeping the violet-blue sky with its sharp acridity. The screams and wails of desperate men and women filled Nyota's ears and she ran hard, long legs pumping in poetic tandem. She flew past burned out huts and blazing domiciles until she reached the familiar dirt road that led home.

She crossed the long stretch of road, her heart hammering with fear and her eyes wide with shock and dismay. She suddenly stopped short, her lungs bursting and her legs shaking as she gulped large quantities of air. The front door was hanging open, having been nearly pulled off its hinges. She cautiously walked in, her feet creeping along the tiled floor and her breath coming out in ragged gasps.

"Mama?," she called out and tiptoed past the kitchen, fear running down her spine and making her quake.

"Baba!" she yelled as she continued her quest through the seemingly deserted house. "Where are you? Mama!"

She checked the entire home, and found each room empty, and yet chairs, furniture and knick knacks were thrown in disarray, plates and glasses broken and littering the floor.

Nyota rushed outside to the garden, frenziedly searching for any sign of her missing family. She found her mother lying at the edge of the garden near the barn, her bloodied hands clutching a machete.

"_Mtoto mpendwa_," her mother called out softly as Nyota kneeled, her body racked with sobs.

"Mama!" she cried as tears cascaded down the length of her cheeks.

Her mother smiled sadly, "Do not cry. You must be strong, _kidogo moja_,"

Her mother rolled over, revealing deep gashes along her front and sides. Nyota screamed as panic began to overwhelm her.

"Nyota, sweetheart, come here," she said soothingly and Nyota came close, her sobs becoming hiccups.

"The rebels have taken your father. You have to take your sister and go. You must look out for each other. Run to the mountains and do not look back."

Nyota shuddered and her mother grabbed her hand softly, squeezing reassuringly, "Do not feel afraid, my love, you have a strong heart, a warrior's heart. "

"But I can't leave you mama, I have to get help, you need a doctor--,"

"No," she interrupted her voice stern and steady, "It is too late for me, but you and your sister can still escape. Go and don't look back. She is hiding in the barn. Take her and go."

"But mama--,"

"Please, Nyota. I need you to live. I need you two to survive. I love you, remember that."

Her mother turned her face to the sky and gave one last breath before staring sightlessly and endlessly into the sunlight.

"NO!" Nyota screamed, "MAMA!!!"

She threw herself onto her mother's body and sobbed. She then sat up and simply stared for a time, her hands reaching out to close her mother's beautiful eyes one last time. Hatred soared through her, chasing away her fear. She wanted to kill all the rebels and make them pay for taking away her mama and baba. She could do it too, no, she _would_ do it!

She stood, her hands balling into fists, her eyes streaming angry, anguished tears. She had felt ashamed for killing the man in the cave and leaving his body to rot, afraid of what the others in the village would say; she and her sister had promised never to mention it to anyone, and Nyota had spent each day since then repenting.

But now, she began to think that it was an error to think such things. She had protected her sister, just as she must do now. _I will avenge you mama_, she thought as she looked once at her mother's prone body and then dashed into the barn.

"Zuri!" she shouted, "Zuri, it's me, Nyota, where are you?"

Her sister scrambled up from behind a feeding trough.

"Ny!," her sister exclaimed and ran to her, arms open and relief evident upon her tear streaked face.

They embraced quickly and broke apart. Nyota began searching the barn.

"What are you doing? Where's mama?"

Nyota glanced at Zuri and looked away, saying nothing.

Zuri began to shake, tremors coursed up and down the length of her body as she began keening, her voice high and mournful.

"No!! No, mama!!! No!!,"

Nyota tried to embrace her once more, but she pulled away and fell onto the floor in a heap.

"Mama, mama," she cried over and over.

Nyota stared down at her sister, her heart filling with pain and sorrow and at once, becoming hard and heavy.

She continued to peruse the barn until she found a cutting axe.

She gently pulled her sister to her feet. "Come on Zuri, we have to go."

They buried their mother's body in a shallow grave in the garden, a place that had been her prized possession. They hurriedly packed as much food and clothing as they could carry and after looking back only once at the place that had been home for so long, they began the trek to the mountains together.

******

_Mtoto mpendwa-beloved child_

_kidogo moja-little one_


	11. Chapter 11

******

"_Mama_!" Nyota cried as she abruptly came to, her eyes streaming and mind buzzing with fear. Pain shot through her and she gasped, pieces of the last few hours playing back in snippets and she wiped her eyes, the haunting memory slowly receding into the recesses of her subconscious mind.

"You have been severely injured, please refrain from moving."

She turned and saw Spock sitting a few feet away from her, his austere face betraying no emotion.

She glanced about and then sat back and sighed. She was on a vessel. In space. _With her target_.

She silently wondered if the fates disliked her or were capriciously venting their myriad frustrations. Either way, she was stuck, _with him_.

"How long have I been out?," she queried.

"Two days, seventeen hours, fifteen minutes and 31 seconds," he replied and she rolled her eyes, blithely wondering at Vulcan memory.

"Thanks for that," she replied and then tried to readjust her position.

Spock quickly aided her, his long fingers brushing her arms and back, sending warm pleasure racing up and down her spine. She shivered.

She glanced at him to see if he felt it too, and then shook him off roughly.

"I don't need your help."

"I disagree. Your lungs and heart sustained substantial damage in the attack. It appears that you are—'stuck with me' until we arrive at a destination."

"Great," Nyota said sarcastically and frowned.

"I concur that this development does not have the desired results. However, as we have no other options I suggest we—make the best of it," he concluded.

"You're right about that I guess. So what now? I suppose we've set a course for the nearest star base, to get the help we need and for—prosecution."

Spock steepled his hands and gave the closest thing to a sigh a Vulcan could manage and commented, "That will not be necessary."

Nyota looked over at him, wincing as pain shot through her, "What do you mean?"

"It appears that during the raid, The Legion unleashed a technology that distorted space, sending our vessel reeling into the depths of the quadrant. The sensors cannot give accurate readings as to our position."

Nyota groaned, "In other words, we're lost? Right?"

"Affirmative."

"Wonderful,"

"There is no need to resort to the human use of sarcasm. I am well aware of our circumstances."

_Wow. A Vulcan with an attitude, _she thought and became silent for a stretch, her mind calculating.

"How long will our supplies last?," she asked, " I mean, this is just an escape vessel. It's not equipped for long journeys."

"Vessels of this magnitude usually contain supplies that will last a total of three standard weeks. I have set our course for a class M planet that may have an ample supply of vegetation and water. I will then try to repair our relays so that we may contact Starfleet."

Nyota nodded and silence befell them once more.

"I'm surprised that you didn't let me die, after all, I did try to kill you," Nyota remarked finally.

"There is an old Terran saying which states "Two wrongs don't make a right,"

Nyota chuckled, "One would think that you'd not concern yourself with anything Terran."

"I am half-human, it is only logical."

"I suppose."

Spock stood and went to the food replicator. He punched in a few commands and then strode over with a bowl of hot soup.

"You require nourishment," he stated.

Nyota glanced at him in surprise, and at that moment her stomach rumbled loudly.

Spock helped her into a sitting position and assisted her with her spoon. She slurped down the hot soup greedily, all the while her mind churning with confusion at the Vulcan before her.

When she had finished the last sip, he helped her lay back. Goosebumps dotted her arms and he adjusted the temperature and spread a light coverlet over her shivering body.

She began to grow deeply suspicious as he continued to assist her, and growled at him when he attempted to check her dressings.

"I told you I don't need your help!"

Spock did not act as if he had heard her, and instead began to redress her wound.

"Why are you helping me? How do you know I won't try to kill you the first chance I get? "

"We have been jettisoned into an unknown region of space. The planet that we will temporarily inhabit is in the throes of a winter that boasts subzero temperatures as well as aggressive fauna. It would be only logical for you to desist in killing me as your survival on that planet would be over 65.6% higher."

Nyota snorted, "We humans are an illogical species."

"This is true. However, humans are also fond of surviving."

Nyota said nothing as he continued his ministrations and then stood. He crossed the small cabin and began making calculations upon the command board.

"We will be entering orbit in three hours, twenty five minutes," he told her.

She nodded reluctantly and then closed her eyes, exhaustion overtaking her.

*

She awakened to feel the ship shaking and bucking.

"What's happening?!" she called out as Spock tried diligently to control the rate of descent.

"Several unknown variables have caused the ship to rapidly descend, I am attempting to manually land."

Nyota held tight as turbulence caused the ship to tilt and lurch. The ship shook hard and skewed sharply to the right. Nyota cried out as she fell hard to the floor and pain billowed inside her.

She clutched the floor and breathed slowly in and out, willing the pain to end.

Spock quickly struggled to obtain control of the ship and managed to gain enough leverage for the vessel to coast. They continued in a shaky pattern towards the hard, frozen land, and for a moment it looked as if the turbulence had passed.

Then just as they were about to land, a sharp gust took the vessel from its planned approach and it veered to the left and crashed down hard into a bank of icy snow.

Nyota was breathing hard in the ensuing darkness, her mind a puzzle and mishmash of emotions and thoughts.

Then she felt Spock kneeling beside her, and the whir of emergency systems coming online.

He carefully picked her up and placed her back onto the small bed. He then stood and tapped several keys before turning to Nyota.

"I have replicated attire appropriate for environmental temperatures."

He pulled out two sets of synthetic fur parkas and boots, socks and undershirts, as well as an assortment of gloves and head coverings.

"We can't stay in the ship?"

"The replicator and systems have been damaged. They are running on emergency power, and that will not last more than a few hours. I have located a habitable cave 4.02 kilometers from the ship. We may seek shelter there."

Spock assisted Nyota with dressing in the replicated clothing. He then dressed himself, packed a selection of supplies in a backpack and then reached for Nyota.

He disengaged the doors and carried her out into the cold, blistering wind.

"I can walk!" she yelled over the high winds, and Spock ignored her pleas for him to let her down and set off into the snow.

Spock walked until they reached the cave. He gently placed Nyota onto the snowy floor. She looked around at the gleaming stalactites and crystalline walls, the alien environment made her feel unsure and she tried to cease the small trickle of fear that coiled within her, instead focusing on the cool, hard knot of resolve in her mind.

Spock began a fire and then arranged sleeping bags and pillows.

"You require rest," he told her. She crawled over to one of the sleeping bags and crawled inside. She fluffed the pillow and tried to fight the yawn which threatened to escape.

Spock was diligently working on a PADD, and the whistle of wind outside the cave was unnerving, and Nyota struggled to stay awake, primitive instinct forcing her to remain conscious.

It was a losing battle, and soon Nyota's eyelids drooped shut and she fell into a heavy slumber. She awakened sometime later, aware that the Vulcan had slipped in beside her, his warm body pushing out the harsh, bone-chilling cold.

She started to move and protest, but as an icy wind tore through the cave, she shivered violently and snuggled in deeper next to him, her eyes closing to the wintry night and alien winds once more.

*******


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry about the delay everyone! Final exams totally got me, but now I think there will be less lag time between chapters. Anyway, I appreciate all the comments and I always welcome constructive criticism. Hope you all enjoy this, please R & R!**

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* * *

  
**

Nyota awakened with a start. The heat of the man lying beside her burned through her clothing, burned through her skin in electric pulses that she fought hard with an iron will. Her jaw was set in determination as she crawled out of the sleeping bag, fighting the waves of pain that coursed through her. She carefully slipped a few feet away, noting with relief that Spock was still fast asleep. She then rummaged through the packs that lay upon the cold earth, and grabbed shirts and socks, pulling them on, hurriedly searching for any weapons she could find.

She nearly groaned in frustration when she could not find any of the tools of her trade; even Spock's phaser looked to be missing. _Missing_, she thought wryly, _the wily Vulcan probably knew what she was planning_. She rooted around until she found an energy array. _Yes!_ She thought triumphantly.

She then looked over at Spock, and a small voice inside her whispered that it would be so easy to kill him as he slept. She knew that once they returned to civilization he may turn her over to Starfleet and she'd be prosecuted. Then any chance she had of saving Zuri would be ruined. She came to stand unsteadily on her feet. She should kill him, she told herself. She should do it now and be done with it. She raised the array, ready to unleash a deadly blast of energy, but then stopped herself. He had, after all, saved her life. She sighed heavily. _There was a code amongst assassins_, she thought wearily, _a life for a life_.

She lowered the energy array and walked stealthily around his sleeping form and towards the entrance of the cave and slipped a pack onto her back. She winced as her sore chest continued to hurt, and she clenched her teeth against the pain. She would not kill him now, she told herself, but when she saw him again, (and she _would_, she assured herself. She was confident he'd survive long enough to contact Starfleet), all bets were off.

She traipsed carefully out the cave and into the harsh, bright sunlight of a new world. The wind had died down and a layer of crisp ice had formed above the snow. She plunged through the icy layer and felt the soft fall of snow beneath her booted feet. She continued walking, pulling out a data PADD to find the location of their ship.

She managed to walk almost a mile before fatigue set in. Her muscles screamed in protest and she paused. Breathing heavily she leaned against a wall of rock, willing her body to do as she commanded. She touched the wound on her chest. She wondered briefly why the nanites had yet to repair the area entirely. She must have been badly wounded; as most injuries she sustained took less than a day to completely heal.

She sighed and tried to force herself to continue. She knew Sylek would not be pleased with this turn of events, but she always completed her missions, it was, after all, her modus operandi. If she could just get to their ship, she could try to signal any number of ships and hitch a ride back. There were quite a few alien vessels that owed her favors, though many of those vessels were not friendly with Starfleet. The Vulcan probably calculated the likelihood of a Starfleet friendly ship being in the vicinity. _No ships_, she thought and snorted. _I doubt that._ _Well, let's see how many enemies Starfleet has_, she thought as she chuckled mirthlessly.

She trudged through the snow and was halfway to the ship when she felt a tug on her leg. She ignored it and simply pulled it up, thinking she was simply caught in snow. She looked closer, and saw a thick, muscular tentacle wrap tighter about her ankle and knew she was in trouble.

_Shit_, she thought and felt herself being suddenly dragged deep beneath the ice and snow.

*

Her mouth was filling with snow and she couldn't breathe. She struggled against the vice like grip on her ankle, trying in vain to unload the energy array, but then she began to think that it was futile, as she couldn't see, and had no idea what she was shooting at. Nyota then felt herself stop. She was stuck, and the thing which held her was trying desperately to dislodge her. She could hear the thing groaning and growling as it pulled uselessly on Nyota's leg. Nyota used the time to hurriedly try to dig to the surface, and as her hand burst through to the sunlit air, she breathed in gulps of it as it trickled down to her. The entity which held her began to pull harder on her leg, so hard, that Nyota was sure it would eventually come right off. She tried to counteract its pull with one of her own, but it had no effect. Beads of sweat and pain popped out on her brow as the creature continued to pull. _So this is how I die_, Nyota thought sadly, _Zuri_….

Nyota could feel her flesh begin to tear and she struggled not to scream as pain as she had never known moved up and down the length of her body. Then as the pain began to intensify, it stopped. She heard the creature squeal and wail in the distance and the tentacle slid off her leg. She was barely conscious when a pair of strong warm arms broke through the ice.

She felt herself being carried, and could hear the throb of a heart as it beat beneath a solid wall of muscle. She opened her eyes a crack, and saw Spock's face above her. She lowered her head again and lay weakly against his chest, briefly contemplating how odd it was that his heart was beating in his chest and not at his side.

****

_A life for a life_, Nyota thought as she came to, her eyes fluttering as Spock shined a light in her eyes and checked her reflexes.

She coughed and sputtered and he gently cradled her head, letting her expel the liquid from her lungs. After she quieted down, he wiped her face and eased her back onto the pillow and lifted up the cover to the sleeping bag. She gratefully snuggled down into the warmth and sighed. She looked into Spock's dark and unreadable eyes and turned away, feeling a wave of guilt pulsing through her.

"Thank you," she told him and he simply nodded.

"It was fortuitous that it was not snowing and your tracks were left uncovered. I would not have found you otherwise."

Nyota caught the tiny note of warning in his voice. She sighed heavily. "I know it was stupid. I know nothing of the creatures here in this world and I could have died if you hadn't come along. But you must understand…,"

"I understand only that we are marooned, we are on a planet that has not been thoroughly cataloged and detailed and we may not receive aid for an unspecified length of time, if at all."

"Spock…,"

"You are injured, and have over a 58.6% chance of experiencing a medical relapse within the next two days if you not allowed adequate time to heal."

She groaned, "Spock…,"

"It is imperative that you assist with our mutual survival. You cannot travel alone, you cannot forage alone; we must work in tandem if we do not wish to expire long before any rescue."

Nyota narrowed her eyes. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear he was…._angry_. And yet, his face remained calm and cool. The guilt she felt was quickly pushed aside by her own anger.

"Well, I'm sorry, Spock, if I threw any cogs into your perfect little plan. But _I_ don't want or need to be rescued by Starfleet. You think I should wait idly by while you contact your headquarters? You'll get a commendation and I'll get jail time. I don't think so. I enjoy my freedom, thank you very much."

Spock said nothing and instead looked steadily down into her face. She grew nervous beneath his gaze but stared back defiantly.

"You attempted several times to end my life, for reasons that remain unknown."

"Spock, look, you were just a target, a job, and it's not personal--,"

He held up his hand for silence and continued, "And yet, this morning, as I lay defenseless, you could have easily overpowered me."

Nyota said nothing and simply stared at him.

"Many would find this statement—ironic in its content. Yet, the possibility exists that we may work well together, as we apparently have a shared—appreciation for the lives of others."

She blinked, surprised and amazed as he continued. "For—the sake of this—partnership, you have my word that I will not aid in your placement in the Starfleet penal system. We may separate as we see fit, however, if we are to meet again, the prior offer will no longer stand and I will see that you are prosecuted. If you attempt to attack, I will defend myself at all costs."

Nyota thought for a moment. He was offering her freedom and also the chance to carry out her mission should they meet again. The offer was tempting, and she mulled it over a moment, aware that she was sadly no match for the strange and wild planet they found themselves on. She needed to survive if she intended to retrieve her sister. And her survival meant an alliance with Spock.

She nodded, "Okay Spock. That sounds fair. I don't—want to divulge who sent me, but I--,"

He tilted his head to the side and quirked his brow upwards. "You are not the first that has been sent to assassinate me, and I am sure you will not be the last. My family has many enemies on many worlds, and until my father has abdicated the seat of the royal house and I renounce my claim, it will continue to be so."

Nyota said nothing. She felt a small sliver of empathy and shame. He was rather like her in a way, hunted and constantly tried. She then tried to fight the feelings as they took root but it was too late. Instead she found herself lightly touching his shoulder as he began to rise. He flinched lightly at her touch but recovered so quickly that Nyota did not notice.

"We both need each other to survive. I'm willing to put aside what I was sent to do to ensure that."

Spock nodded and set about making fire and making lunch from a variety of winter plants he had gathered earlier in the day.

"I am obliged to set aside any—misgivings as well,"

And with that, they settled into an uneasy truce.

*****


	13. Chapter 13

*******

She slowly opened her eyes, the biting cold swirling about her, and she dug in deeper within the sleeping bag, her hands unknowingly reaching out to the space beside her. Realization dawned upon her and she suddenly snatched her hand back as if she had been burned, and pulled her hand close to her chest, curling in her fingers protectively against her. The Vulcan—Spock—was no longer lying next to her. She glanced around quickly, her eyes picking up the scant rays of light and her ears straining for any hint of sound.

She felt herself tense and after a few minutes, she heard the exacting strike of boots hitting snow covered ground. The hard core of anxiety, sprung out of her pores as Spock approached.

She quickly feigned sleep, surreptitiously watching as he kneeled and began to build a fire, his eyes focused upon the task before him. A small, warm circle of flickering flames soon appeared and Spock continued to work, his hands strategically moving about, as he quickly and carefully built a nice, roaring fire.

Nyota continued to watch him, noticing the precision and gracefulness of his long fingers as he set about making soup. She then quickly halted the line of thought, pulling her eyes shut to the sight of his calm, impassive face and the cool, controlled way he moved.

Spock's voice then rang out softly in the cold, eerie stillness, interrupting the peculiar direction of her musings.

"You are healing quickly," he stated, his voice and tone even and lacking inflection. And yet, Nyota sensed the accusation there, settled covertly between the syllables, nearly imperceptible, but noticeable to her sensitive ears all the same.

She fought the rising tide of anxious anger and sighed. She sat up slowly, her dark eyes not backing down from his deep and bottomless stare.

"I suppose being modified has its advantages," she told him, throwing down the tiny gauntlet. She frowned, the set of her mouth defiant and strong.

He paused a moment, then spoke, his voice unvarying and smooth. "Corporal modifications for reasons unrelated to health maintenance have been outlawed in many quadrants."

Nyota blinked and narrowed her eyes. Spock turned his gaze to the bubbling soup and she studied him a moment, her mind racing.

"I am aware," she told him, "Though I can't say I particularly care."

"Are you aware that many who perform the procedures do so using substandard parts as well as unsafe and untested technologies?"

Nyota chuckled humorlessly. "Ah, yes. Well, those kinds of back alley surgeries _should _probably be outlawed. I had the modifications done in a hospital with the blessings of the Cardassian government. There are always exceptions to the rule, _Spock_," she said glibly.

"Every society has been shaped and guided by those self-same rules; those who follow them and follow them well are often the exceptions."

Nyota snorted. "You can't tell me you believe that."

"It is often evident within the foundation of every society. However, within each society, such decisions on how one should regard their own bodies have been seen as autonomous. Moreover, it is fortuitous that you have such modifications at this time."

"Yes, I guess it is fortuitous," she said nothing for a moment, glancing at him as he tended the soup, and she cocked her head to the side, studying him, questions buzzing in her mind.

"Wow. I never thought I'd hear anyone say that. Impressive."

Spock returned to stirring the soup and did not respond. He filled a bowl with the fragrant broth and passed one to her. She grabbed it, and they ate in silence, the air filled only with the sounds of their gentle breaths. After eating, Spock collected their utensils and sat down to configure the relays. Nyota gingerly moved to sit beside him. He stiffened slightly and his breath quickened before he relaxed and continued his work.

A few minutes dragged by and then Nyota pointed at the screen. "You could reverse that and send it to the main drive, prompt the system to invert the signal and send in on beta, instead of alpha," she commented and he glanced at her, a slight tinge of annoyance seemed to color his Vulcan stare, and as quickly as he blinked, it was gone.

"The Eisenberg theory discredits any use of the system in alternative ways, and the theory has proven to be quite effective in 99.97% of communicative pursuits."

"That leaves at least .03% chance of standard error. I assume such a margin denotes an atypical situation. This is hardly a typical situation, now is it?," she prompted, a smile playing across her full lips.

Spock glanced at Nyota once more, blinked, and then typed into the data PADD. The system accepted his specifications and he was able to bypass a system restore that had previously prohibited his instructions.

"Fascinating," he stated, his fingers dancing across the screen as he began repair on a relay juncture.

"You're welcome," Nyota commented smugly and grinned.

"I assume you have studied communication technology extensively," he remarked and she shrugged.

"Well, I've never had any formal training. I learned everything here and there. I've always wanted to work in communications though. I—just never had a chance."

Spock's fingers stopped their incessant typing and he turned to her, one eyebrow slightly uplifted.

"That is quite—remarkable."

"Thank you."

"It was not intended to be a compliment, simply an observation."

"Of course."

Spock continued working in silence for a few moments and Nyota sighed, "What about you?"

"I do not know to what you are referring."

"You're a Starfleet officer, and you're Vulcan, well mostly, and you have a chance to do anything you so desire. And yet, you chose Starfleet. Why?"

He paused and lowered the PADD a tiny fraction. "I had originally intended upon entering the Vulcan Science Academy."

"And?"

"I declined."

"Wow. The Vulcan Science Academy is _the_ place to begin an illustrious career in science. Why decline? That isn't very logical."

Spock sat still a second and tilted his head in the Vulcan equivalent of a shrug; lay his PADD aside and gently steepled his hands.

"I deemed it a logical and appropriate action considering the—themes of intolerance surrounding my heritage."

Nyota thought a moment and then snorted, "So, basically they really didn't want a half-human hybrid running around their school and messing up their pristine reputation. That's incredible. I thought that kind of thinking went the way of the teachings of Seros."

"You are familiar with Seros?," he asked and continued entering sequences.

"Of course. I studied Vulcan history for quite some time. For someone who was supposedly a follower of Surak, Seros was a bit—shall we say—on the _emotional_ side if you ask me."

"I concur. That is one of the reasons his teachings became vastly unpopular. Many found his writings to be quite--incendiary."

They fell into companionable silence and Nyota watched as he finished the relay and stood.

"I must redress your wound."

He made his way to the packs and began taking out surgical dermi-gauze and other instruments. He worked efficiently; cutting away the old damaged strips and replacing them with new living, synthetic skin. Nyota tried to block out the sensations she felt as his fingers brushed the delicate valley between her breasts and the taut muscles of her stomach.

"The damage has been nearly repaired," he stated.

Nyota nodded, unable to mutter a reply.

"I will continue to assist you as needed," he supplied and she simply stared at his hands, briefly wondering at their softness. She stopped herself, abruptly shoving such thoughts from her mind.

******


	14. Chapter 14

***********

_Eleven Years Ago_

_Planet Geidi Prime, Sector M408-2_

The trek to the mountains was long, and arduous. Torrential rainstorms swept across the skies often soaking them to the bone, and cutting winds took their breaths away as they marched across the terrain, and still, Nyota and her sister carried on, determined to make it to their destination.

They had traveled on foot for two days before they found trouble—or rather, trouble found them. A group of rebel bandits had hidden in the surrounding forests, their colors betraying them as followers of the military despot, T'anan. They slinked across the road, their eyes reflecting a cruelty far beyond Nyota's young years.

"Brothers," the leader called out, as he swung his long, hair in the wind, his lopsided grin promising things Nyota could not define, "We have our entertainment."

Several men came out of the forests to stand abreast of the tall man and Nyota counted them. There were four. Four--plus two others in the forest. She could hear them scraping boots across the forest floor.

"Get away from us!" Nyota yelled bravely and the man laughed. He threw back his head and grabbed his stomach, laughing uproariously until tears came from his eyes.

"My only question is, who do we take first?" he asked as his laughter died away and centered upon her sister.

Nyota glanced at Zuri, and fear burst into her brain, followed by the searing, hurting hatred she felt only days before.

"Touch my sister, and you will die," she promised, her voice carrying a wisdom far beyond her age.

It was enough to make the man pause a moment, but only for a moment, and then he confidently swaggered to stand in front of her sister. Zuri whimpered and reached out to Nyota.

He licked his lip lasciviously and sneered, "I think I like this one. She is beautiful. Her hair looks like silk and her mouth is full. I think I will enjoy her, and I will use her fingers to decorate my belt."

Nyota stared aghast at the belt the man wore. There were fingers—_human_ _fingers_—dangling from each loop. She shivered. There was no way she'd ever let this man touch her sister.

As the man reached out to touch Zuri's curls, Nyota reacted, and sliced into his hand with her cutting axe the way she would a length of wood for fire. He screamed and Nyota used the element of surprise to then swing at his comrades. One moved away, but the other was not so agile, and got caught in the upward inflection of the blade, and shock registered across his face as blood gushed out.

The men backed up a moment. Nyota yelled at her sister, and they ran together into the distance. The men, frozen by surprise, finally began to move, shouting orders as their leader lay on the ground, twitching and bleeding.

Nyota and Zuri rushed down the side of a hill, pulling past wild brush and angry nests of insects.

"Come on Zuri!," Nyota called, "Hurry!"

They ran until they reached the sound of rushing water. The men were in heavy pursuit and Nyota struggled to keep running, her tired legs burning with exertion.

"I can't Nyota!," her sister shouted, "I can't keep going!"

She stopped and grabbed her sister, and began pushing her up into the furry leaves of a tree, its twisted bark providing the leverage for them to climb.

"Come on, hurry Zuri!"

They settled into the high limbs of the tree and waited. A few minutes later they heard the sound of footsteps as they crunched against the vegetation and Nyota closed her eyes, silently praying that the men would continue onward.

They all passed by the tree, their running steps echoing through the forest and Nyota sighed with relief.

They suddenly felt the tree shake.

"Nyota!" Zuri called out as she fell to the ground. One of the men had stayed behind, and had tracked them to the tree. He was now advancing menacingly upon her sister. Nyota dropped to the ground, ignoring the twinge of pain in her side and tightened her grip upon the axe.

She then threw it, and it spun in the air, making its way across the distance before becoming embedded in the man's back.

"Arghhh!!" he screamed and tried to dislodge the blade, only to drive it deeper. He muttered a few more times and then fell forward, a few inches shy of her sister's leg.

Nyota moved forward and grabbed the handle; she tugged hard and tore the blade from his back. Blood coated her hands and she looked down at them.

A voice, a tiny voice was screaming that she was wrong. That she was bad, that she had killed again. She could not relinquish the agony in her mind. The voice grew louder and she nearly fell from its force. She stumbled to the ground, her hands over her ears.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!!," she cried, tears flowing in errant trails down her cheeks.

It was only the touch of her sister's hand that stilled the voice inside her. She looked up into her sister's eyes and stood. Her sister embraced her. There was no pain to be had in that embrace, no judgment, and no sorrow. She cried into her sister's shoulder as Zuri wiped away the tears.

"It's okay Ny," she crooned. And for awhile, Nyota believed her.

******


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thanks again for being patient! And thanks so much for all the comments and reviews! Hope you all enjoy this. Please R&R! :-)**

*****

Nyota tried to brush away the vestiges of sleep, moaning as the harsh and torturous memories were swept away. She rolled over, took in a deep breath, her chest rising and falling without the slightest feeling of pain or discomfort. She took in a deep breath once more, reveling in the sensation. She was now whole again. She sighed and looked over at Spock, watching as his long fingers danced in elegant concert over a PADD. He'd probably been at it for hours, trying to desperately repair the relays so that he could contact a ship.

His unsuccessful attempts made him anxious, she knew. She could tell by the slight way his eyes narrowed, at the increased rhythm of his breath. They had been trapped on the planet for over a week now, and there was no sign of any ships traveling in that region of space.

She sighed again and turned over onto her back, and stared up at the gleaming stalactites above her. They glowed softly and ethereally, the slight flicker of light moved and shifted in phases, lining the cave with their brilliance. Though their beauty could inspire the most fanciful of tales, Nyota surmised the luminescence was caused by some tiny organism which threw off bits of shining light as it lived and thrived. As she thought of this, she chuckled softly. Perhaps she had been around Spock far too long. Only he could break down a thing of enchantment into its most easily identifiable parts.

She looked over at him again, just as her stomach rumbled. She stretched luxuriously and yawned before bringing her attention back to Spock.

"Spock?," she called out.

Spock glanced at her, and just as quickly turned back to the data PADD and continued working. Nyota observed him for a few more moments before turning back to the glowing stalactites.

"Spock?"

His fingers ceased their rhythmic tapping.

"Let's go find some more of those sweet tubers we had two days ago."

"The relays must be completed before we may attempt to contact a ship. It is imperative that it is done in a timely and concise manner."

Nyota groaned. "Spock, I'm sure us taking an hour or two out of your _busy_ schedule, won't make much of a difference, besides, I'm hungry."

Spock looked at Nyota a moment and seemed to pointedly ignore her as he resumed his former activity.

"Spock!," Nyota yelled.

She heard him lay his PADD aside.

"As I have excellent aural abilities, it is unnecessary for you raise your voice above the range of normal speech."

"Well, now that I have your attention," Nyota commented, "You can accompany me. I'm going to get those tubers."

"It is imperative that--,"

"Blah, blah, _blah_," Nyota said as she rose to her feet, "By Tor, Spock! If we're going to be stuck here, we have to do something other than work on relays. If we don't, we're going to kill each other."

Spock's eyebrow shot upwards and Nyota rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean, I was being colloquial and—whatever. I'm leaving."

She grabbed a parka and threw it on, and slipped on her boots. She was halfway out the cave when she heard a set of heavy footsteps beside her. She hid a grin as she looked to her side and saw Spock's unsmiling profile.

They trudged to the edge of a snowy forest which lay east of the cave, the twisted and gnarled branches of vegetation that defied the definition of _tree_ and yet, in Nyota's mind could only be analogous, swept the area and reached out to the sky with skeletal fingers. They pushed past the rustle of underbrush and the crunch of dead and barren things lying upon the forest floor.

They walked until they reached a small flowering plant, and quickly went to work uncovering its roots and gently extracting the delicious tubers below. They were halfway done when Nyota looked up and screamed.

"Spock, watch out!"

He ducked a moment too late and hissed as sharp barbs were harpooned into him, easily bypassing the thick material of his parka.

"Get down, get down!"

He stood, stunned a moment, and then swayed. Nyota rushed to pull him down.

"What's _wrong_ with you?"

He didn't answer and Nyota looked up and over the flowering plant. There was a huge fern-like plant a few feet away. Sharp spikes protruded from its ruddy and redolent petals which moved and writhed in the chilly air, and Nyota gazed at the monstrosity with fear and curiosity. As both Nyota and Spock ceased their movement, the petals folded up delicately and became immobile once more.

"Spock, let's get out of here," she told him and he drunkenly stumbled to his feet, clutching the tubers in his hand.

They managed to make their way back to the cave before Spock collapsed.

"Spock!," she called out. She smacked his face a few times and he groaned.

"Want to--_sleep_," he drawled. Alarmed, Nyota tore at his clothes, hurriedly trying to dislodge the spikes that lay buried in his skin. She tried to ignore the burning flush of embarrassment and interest that crept up her face at the sight of his naked chest.

She concentrated on the task before her, quickly searching out the filaments and pulling them out. She touched the waistband of his pants and her breath caught in her throat. She felt a slight tinge of—something hot and sultry—and harshly pushed it aside. She gingerly ran her finger across the top of his hips and he groaned in response. She paused, her heart thundering in her chest and her hands becoming sweaty and wet. She took a deep breath, _Get it together, Nyota_, she inwardly admonished.

Nyota's hands quickly sailed across his legs and thighs, and after finding no spikes, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. It looked as if she had removed them all. She ran her hands over his chest and body once more to be sure and shook him.

"Spock, Spock," she chanted and he hesitantly opened his eyes.

"Assassin," he responded and Nyota blanched.

"That's not my name," she blurted out and her eyes widened in surprise. _Where had that come from?_ Spock's only response was a grimace.

"What _is_ your name?," he gasped out painfully.

Before she could even think she told him, "Nyota."

He stared at her a moment. Then he closed his eyes and passed out.

*

"Nyota,"

She could hear his voice in her ear and she turned gently and found herself looking into his eyes.

"You remembered my name,"

"I did."

She pulled herself from the confines of the thickly furred covers and sat up.

"How are you feeling?"

"I believe the toxins from the plant have been swept from my blood stream. I am—in control of my faculties once more."

She watched as he tried to wipe away a look of shame from his face. He succeeded in part, but his eyes still held a slightly troubled edge and Nyota looked away, giving him time to collect himself.

She turned back to find him gazing back at her.

"You have my gratitude, Nyota."

She nodded and felt a slight blush building in her face. She brutally brushed aside the blossoming emotions inside her.

"Don't worry about it. It was my fault we were out there anyway. Besides, you've saved me more than once. It's good to return the favor," she told him and waved her hand dismissively.

They spent the day working on relays and Nyota aided him without complaint. Many hours later, when she handed him the last data PADD, his fingers gently brushed against her own, and tiny pulses of warm pleasure surged between them.

Nyota stifled a gasp and Spock's nostrils flared for a fraction of a second, then he quickly turned and began working, face and body composed, his fingers once again moving across the screen. Nyota sat still a moment; she pondered the fleeting feeling and then with a tiny huff, looked over their work, ignoring the niggling sensation of emotion in the back of her mind.

*******


	16. Chapter 16

****

Nyota and Spock were trailing a furred beast, its heavy hide pulsing with the thick, insolent scent of ripe, red feathers, making it a conspicuous blur against the heavy snow. It roared and Nyota froze and looked and Spock, watching as he did the same. They had been watching this type of creature for over four days now, and knew that though it was carnivorous, it would build a nest for its young, which would hold a variety of delicious and nutritious plants as well as a cache of eggs Nyota would enjoy. Nyota would have much preferred to eat its meat, yet she knew Spock would never hunt a living creature.

They silently made their way behind it, and watched as it extended its antennae and sheets of veiny, slick skin that pulsated and quivered. They were wary as it did this; they had watched several small animals die quickly after the huge beast detected their presence. Though the beast could not see, it had other ways of sensing prey. They begin to track it as it loped away, its huge body boasting high speeds. It became involved in an altercation with a large bird near its den. Nyota and Spock took the opportunity to loot its nest and made their way from the creature's den.

Nyota was quickly walking, and then turned, and saw Spock motioning silently to her.

She gasped. The creature was a few feet away, its antennae extended and it appeared to be sensing Nyota's presence. She was about to reach for an array and realized it was not at her side. Cursing silently, she noticed that Spock was too far away to intercept the thing.

She became still, and heard Spock's careful steps as he sought to close the distance, and she fought the instinct to flee. The creature roared and unleashed its thick, poisonous set of tongues. It tasted the air and then huffed. Nyota remained perfectly still, her heart hammering in her chest. It continued to peruse the air before wailing and then turning.

Nyota breathed a sigh of relief as the beast began to run away, and was shocked when Spock let loose a string of energy blasts.

"What are you _doing_?," she whispered fiercely.

The creature moaned and screamed as the blast hit its mark. A look of savage satisfaction crossed Spock's face and Nyota ran to him.

"Spock," she said and he continued to blast the dying creature as beads of sweat popped out from his brow.

"Spock!"

He turned to her, there was something deep and primal in his gaze and Nyota stepped back.

"What's going on with you? It didn't attack. I thought you would never harm a creature like that. Why--,"

She stopped as he stalked away from her, anger in his step.

She followed him back to the cave and unloaded the assortment of plants and eggs. She watched him from the corner of her eye. He was sweating profusely, and his hands shook as he touched the PADDs. He struggled to enter in a sequence and frowned, then threw the PADD down in anger.

Shocked, Nyota sat next to him, concern marring her features.

"Spock, are you alright? You haven't been yourself all week."

He was breathing heavily and shook his head.

"You need to tell me if you're not feeling well. We need each other to survive," she pushed and he glared at her.

The heat of the glare made her move back a bit and she wrinkled her brow in confusion.

He shook his head and turned away.

"Spock--,"

"I am dying."

"What?! What do you mean you're dying?!," Nyota shouted, "That's impossible! You're healthy. It may just be some sort of virus--,"

"No. It is not a virus."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I am aware of the symptoms of my condition. I am well versed on their end result."

"Okay, stop being cryptic, Spock, you're pissing me off."

He nearly heaved a sigh but instead looked at Nyota, shame coloring his features. "The plant which shot its barbs some time ago, initiated a sequence of bio-chemical reactions within my nervous system."

"It is unfortunate," he continued, "That such a chemical imbalance would plague me now. I had hoped such a change would not occur for some weeks. However, I am now in the throes of a Vulcan condition which can be remedied only by the--," he paused.

"The what?," Nyota pressed.

"The ritual of mating."

Nyota wrinkled her brow her eyes widening a fraction before she gasped, "You have to—mate or die?"

He nodded. She thought carefully a moment and then glanced at Spock. There was an obvious solution to the situation at hand, but the problem was, she didn't want to mate with Spock—or _did she_? She rolled the tiny thought from her mind. Of course she didn't. But she needed him if she were to survive on this Tor-forsaken planet. She groaned. If there was also any way they'd find rescue, she needed him at full capacity.

She turned to him, "Spock."

He glanced at her and she remarked, "I am female."

"I am aware of that, Nyota."

"You are male. Therefore, we could--,"

"No."

"But you're going to die!"

"Mating with me would involve a series of mental connections which would bond us."

"Bonds can be broken, Spock. You need to survive long enough to get help. Then after that--,"

She let her words trail off and she stared at him in silence.

"I refuse to place this burden upon you. I will survive."

"No you won't. You're acting erratically; you're obviously feeling some sort of physical pain or discomfort. You have to--,"

"Pon Farr is not a condition that can be ameliorated by a temporary pairing. That is why mates are selected at a very young age, it is critical to the perpetuation of our people."

"Well, I don't see anyone else here besides you and me," she replied.

This time, he did sigh, "Your logic is sound."

Nyota nodded and a frisson of nervousness shot through her.

Spock shook his head, "I cannot ask this of you. It is illogical for such a pairing to occur."

"Really? Okay, well, if you die, then that's one less person to help me get off this damned planet."

"You are quite capable of navigating this world."

"Oh yeah, sure. That's why I nearly _died_ not too long ago."

"It is an unacceptable solution."

"Why?,"

"You are not my betrothed."

"Okay, well here's a data flash, there is no one else here. And if you die your betrothed will just find someone else to marry anyway."

"Also, the process can be—quite—intense, physically."

"Bullshit. Spock I've been modified, I'm either stronger than or as strong as you are. I could probably handle it," she quipped. A rivulet of doubt crossed her mind. She could handle it physically, but otherwise…..she took in a deep calming breath.

"There are many extraneous factors….,"

She rolled her eyes. "Look, I understand that I'm not the best looking game in town. But I'm your only option."

Spock's brow wrinkled in confusion and he glanced at her, "Nyota, you are quite aesthetically pleasing."

Nyota felt a hot blush creep up her neck. Vanity had never been Nyota's strong suit, but she had to admit, his admission felt—_good_.

"It is not your physical characteristics which prevents me from considering your offer. It is the emotional and mental toll which concerns me."

Nyota rolled her eyes. "Spock. Let's look at the facts here. I am a trained killer. I tried to kill _you_. Though that might not endear you to me, it definitely raises the question of whether or not I have the any emotional or mental depth to begin with," she sighed and wondered why she was arguing so vehemently. She should be glad that he would die and refused her help. She should be ecstatic, in fact. And yet, a part of her began to feel weirdly rejected.

Spock tilted his head and stared. "Nyota, though your profession is ethically questionable, I have found your mental and emotional capabilities to be far superior to many I have met in my life who work in respected and established professions."

Nyota folded her arms and glanced at him before turning away. "If that's your way of telling me I'm not a psychopath, then thanks for that. But, you know, it's not my right to push. It's your life. Do or don't do what you will with it," she told him crankily. She yawned. "I'm going to bed. I need a nap."

She folded herself into the sleeping bag, and settled down to slumber, trying desperately to rub away the stinging pain of a memory from long ago.

*****


	17. Chapter 17

********

_Eleven Years Ago_

_Planet Geidi Prime, Sector M408-2_

Nyota and Zuri soon made their way past the rushing waters of the River Cerule, creeping cautiously along the slippery, creaky wooden bridge and to the wooded area on the other side.

They paused near a bank of trees and Nyota looked around, straining her ears, seeking any sign that they were being followed.

"I think we might be okay for now," she informed Zuri, and her sister nodded, relief flowing across her features.

"Where do we go?"

Nyota pondered a moment, taking in the position of the sun and the slant of shadows along the trees.

"The mountains are north of us, so we should go in that direction," Nyota replied and pointed.

Zuri looked around in confusion. "Are you sure, Ny?"

"Of course I'm sure! Baba always says that we should follow the sun north."

Nyota immediately regretted saying anything about her baba. At the mention of their father, the two fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"Do you think he's still alive, Nyota?," Zuri asked hesitantly.

"Maybe."

They fell into silence once more then Zuri said, "I hope so. We should try to find him."

Nyota ignored the bubble of pain in her chest. She almost didn't want to hope, didn't want to fan the flames of possibility only to have them smothered by the cruelty of reality. Nyota suspected that would hurt worse than anything. But then, he _had_ been taken. So maybe he was alive. In spite of Nyota's reservations about hope, a small ember of it fluttered and burned in her chest.

"If he's alive then we _will_ find him," Nyota promised determinedly and Zuri nodded.

"I just hope that he's okay."

"Me too, Zuri,"

The two reached out and held each other in consolation, and then began to make their way through the trees and towards the mountains.

They were nearly away from the shelter of the forest when Nyota and Zuri spotted a group of men carrying sharp machetes, knives and axes walking in the distance, the markings and scarification upon their bodies bright and conspicuous.

"Oh no," Zuri breathed, "Berserkers."

They had heard of berserkers before, specialized bands of men hired out by the military to undercut the Worker's rebellion and instead enforce the military's rule. They often came in the night, fast and savage, killing entire villages without pity or mercy. There had never been reports of such men being in their province—until now.

"Do you think they saw us?," Zuri asked as she and Nyota ducked behind a row of thick bushes.

Nyota held fast to her axe. She saw the men stop, whisper to each other and point to their hiding place.

"Yes," Nyota told her, "I think they did."

*

It all happened so fast; the men came running, weapons raised. Nyota stood with her axe at the ready, hoping that she could inflict enough damage to give Zuri time to escape. She then remembered her mother's words. She _did_ have a strong heart. She _was_ a warrior. But Nyota knew deep inside that both she and Zuri were just two scared little girls facing nearly unbeatable odds.

Before the men could anticipate her next move, she shouted for Zuri to get down and swung hard and with great precision at the man nearest her. Shock broke out in his face as she felled him, and blood lazed the ground in slow, cooling red rivulets and Nyota continued to swing. The tenacity of her movements and the intensity of hatred upon her small face was enough to give the men pause. They backed up and circled the two girls, aware now that though Nyota was a child, she was still a threat.

Then one man came at Nyota, his machete flashing in the sunlight. Her smaller stature allowed her to maneuver beneath his swing, and her axe cut into the soft flesh of his stomach. He gasped and clutched himself as blood spurted out and sprayed Nyota's face. She stepped back, shock marring her features before she regrouped.

The men kept coming and Nyota was growing tired. She fell back into the grove of trees and sunk to the ground. A berserker rushed to the fore, slashing and swinging. Before she could defend herself, a purple streak of light came bursting through the trees.

The streak slowed its cant to a normal walk and Nyota could see it wasn't light at all. A young man stood in place before her, his purple skin dappled with spots and his tail swishing behind him with each swing of his sword. He flashed long, sharp fangs at the men, unsheathed his claws and growled before quickly dispatching them.

"It's a demon!," Zuri whispered fervently as she held onto Nyota's arm.

Nyota stared at the man in awe, watching as he wiped his bloody sword along the ground and ran his fingers around two short horns along his forehead.

"He's not a demon, silly. He just looks like one. He's a Velurian. They all look like that. I saw it in one of Baba's books."

"But my teacher said they were all killed off when humans settled here,"

"Well, I guess they weren't."

The two girls watched as the purple man adjusted his short, leather jacket and slipped on a pair of sunglasses over his nearly white irises. They didn't know whether to run or attack and simply stared at him, transfixed.

He made his way over to them and smiled, with a hint of fang showing in the rakish curl of his lip and a dimple peeking out from a nicely defined cheek.

"Ladies," he said and offered his hand to Nyota, "Welcome to the revolution."

*******

His name was Ahriman, though many knew him simply as Ari. His name was fitting however, and though he was no ancient, Terran god of war and destruction, to the humans who raised him, he looked and sometimes acted the part. He walked with an arrogant swagger and flashed flirtatious smiles along his way, stopping briefly to nod or chat with his peers or show off newly acquired weaponry.

Nyota and Zuri followed him through the camp, staring at amazement at the peaceful villagers as they went about their daily routines. They garnered quite a bit of attention from the people who walked by, many of them noticing the girls tattered and blood splattered clothing and the hard, mournful looks in their eyes.

An old man ducked carefully out of hut, a cane in tow, his long white beard neatly braided and twisted with lengths of colored strips and his Spartan clothing was white, unadorned and simple. Even so, he walked with an air of absolute authority. Ahriman came to stand before him and the girls stopped some feet away, unsure and somewhat afraid.

"Ari," he said and his voice rolled with a strong, rich and varied timbre, "What is the meaning of this?"

"These are children who were dispossessed by the rebels. They were nearly killed by berserkers, though this one," he pointed to Nyota and grinned, his handsome face alight with reverence, "Held her own quite well."

"Step forward," he commanded them. Nyota and Zuri stepped hesitantly forward and the man clucked, and rubbed his chin as if thinking.

"The rebels have done enough killing of innocents. They are only children. I tire of this. Bring them in. Let them bathe. They have been accepted."

Ari nodded and showed the girls to a hut. The women there took pity on them, and bathed them quickly, pouring love and adoration upon their soft, sad faces.

Though Nyota could not fill the hole in her heart with their sincerity, the people of the village became her family, and she became theirs.

****


	18. Chapter 18

****

_Seven Years Ago_

_Planet Geidi Prime, Sector M408-2_

Nyota was in love. She had spent years training with Ahriman's army with the blessing of the village leader, Leander. Leander had grown even older since the day Nyota and Zuri came to the village, but he never lost his sharp mind and brilliant military acumen. He lost his wife and child to T'anan's reign of terror and was working tirelessly to fight him.

There were many Velurians who rallied behind Leander, as most military campaigns included the eradication of their people. They were strong fighters, and well versed in many styles of combat.

Now taller, stronger and a bit wiser, Nyota was a part of their team of fighters, learning in depth strategies of martial arts and combat from many who lived in the camp and from the Velurians themselves. She never gave up the hope of finding her father, and as such, trained hard and trained well. She was a formidable and fierce opponent, known to strike a man dead with little conscience or regret in spite of her tender age.

Though she was honored throughout the village, she only wanted one thing: Ari. She loved him so much it seemed her heart would break from it. She spent hours sparring with him, simply to be close to him, to smell his scent, to watch him smile. The day he chose Zuri was day her heart was broken in two. She watched as they slowly fell in love, powerless to stop them, selflessly not wanting to. Each time they kissed, it was an arrow piercing her soul and she cried herself to sleep each night, wanting him to love her, feeling selfish and stingy that she did.

The day the village was attacked by T'anan's sentinels, she had been on a raid with Ari and his team. They returned to find the village filled with smoke and fire, women running madly about with their children and men fiercely trying to defend themselves.

Memories of a similar time filled Nyota's mind. She was losing her home. With a battle cry, she jumped into the fray, swinging her sword and shooting her arrows from her crossbow with deadly accuracy. She rushed about, searching for any sign of her sister. She found her in the bathing hut. Her sister's eyes were round with fear as the tall, muscular and heavily marked man behind her pressed a blade to her delicate throat.

Anger surged through Nyota and her face became a mask of angry hatred. "Let her go,"

The man laughed and pressed the blade harder into her sister's throat until a line of blood appeared.

"You must have a death wish imbecile," she growled.

"She'll be dead before you can try sweet thing," he purred and licked her sister's face, "Mmmm…I bet she's a virgin. I love those. After I fuck her and kill her, I can go another round with you."

Nyota raised her crossbow a tad bit higher, her finger cocking the trigger. She heard footsteps behind her and turned slightly, recognizing the tread.

Ari was behind her, aiming a crossbow to her head.

"Ari, what are you doing?," Nyota asked, her face a mask of confusion.

"I'm sorry Nyota. But I had to do it."

"Do what? What are you talking about?"

Ari swallowed convulsively and shifted his weight, but kept the crossbow raised.

"I had to make a deal with T'anan. I had to."

Nyota stared at Ari in dumbfounded shock for a long moment.

"_No_," Nyota breathed, her eyes filling with tears, "Why did you—how could you, you--you _lead them here_?"

"I had to Ny," he told her, "We're fighting a losing war. I had to bargain to save my people."

Nyota glanced back at her sister's now crestfallen and tear streaked face and then back at the man who had betrayed them.

"Zuri trusted you, she _loved_ you," _I loved you…._

"I love her, I do. Don't doubt that. We can still be together," he smiled nervously at Zuri who closed her eyes as she cried and struggled against the man's vice like grip.

"We can be together," he repeated, "And Nyota, you've always loved to fight, you can fight for T'anan."

Nyota's world was crashing to pieces. Her heart broke in jagged, splintered shards that rained down upon her tortured soul. With a heavy sob Nyota quickly swung her crossbow around and shot the man holding her sister captive cleanly between the eyes.

Ari yelped, "You shouldn't have done that."

"Oh really, now?," she told him calmly, her tone contrasting sharply with the tears now rolling down her dusky face.

"Yes, T'anan will be angry. But I'll try to talk to him, Nyota. Just don't do anything stupid."

"Oh," she asked him, "You mean like this?"

Before he could pull the trigger, Nyota had reached into the strap along her hip and unleashed a dagger into Ari's heart.

He stumbled and dropped the gun, tried to dislodge the blade and took a few tentative steps before falling.

He turned over and looked up into Nyota's face.

She reloaded her crossbow and stared down at him.

"Why?," he moaned and Nyota smiled cruelly.

"Why did _you_ betray us? Hm? Answer _that_, asshole," she spat.

"Trying to….help you..,"

"Don't give me that crap. You were helping yourself. How much did he pay you?!," she screamed.

Ari did not answer and simply stared, his breathing growing hoarse and labored.

"Answer me!!," she yelled shrilly and kicked him hard.

"Two—two hundred thousand credits," he finally answered as shame swept across his features.

A hard glint appeared in Nyota's eyes and her mouth tightened in anger.

"Well, I guess you won't be spending it now,"

"Nyota, no!," her sister screamed. But it was too late. Nyota pulled the trigger, and shot the arrow into his other heart. He died quickly, a look of horror etched upon his face.

******


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: The next few chapters may be a bit smutty and angsty. just a quick warning, thee is a little bit of non-con in this chapter, not too much, but just putting it out there. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!**

******

With a ragged cry, Nyota shot awake. She sat up and pushed off the covers, her body burning with angry heat. The fire had died down and the cave was dimly lit, the stalactites flickering languorously above her. She was breathless and dizzy, and began trying to calm her racing pulse. After a few moments she noticed that Spock was not lying beside her.

She glanced around, her eyes taking in the topography despite the semi-darkness.

"Spock?," she called out cautiously.

She heard a slight shuffle and tensed. She jumped into a crouch and looked around once more. Then she saw him; he was also crouching, then his body was slinking towards her own. She moved back as he came closer.

"Spock?," she asked hesitantly, "What's wrong with you?"

He did not respond, and it was only when he was a few inches away that she could see the intense hunger in his eyes.

He growled low in his throat, and the timbre rolled off Nyota's body, touching her in deep, dark places.

She gasped as he rushed into her, knocking her to the floor with the weight of his body.

He plundered her lips in a fierce and torrid kiss, his tongue sweeping the soft confines of her mouth as she moaned and tried not to respond. She pushed him off and shot to her feet.

"Spock," she told him, "This is not you. You're not being yourself,"

They circled each other and his eyes followed the soft curves of her body and the languid, catlike way she moved. He sniffed the air and licked his lips. He snarled and in one quick motion, ripped off his top and revealed his lean, toned chest. She watched as he pulled off his pants, the material became torn and ragged beneath his strong hands, and soon he was completely nude, his long, hard erection bobbing free in the cool air of the cave.

Nyota gulped as she took in the sight of the hard, toned muscles and the soft tuft of hair below that nestled his manhood. _Oh, damn_, she thought.

He rushed her again and she found herself against the ice covered rock. Ice rained down upon her and she took in a deep breath. Spock took the opportunity to kiss her, his lips and tongue insistent and demanding. His hands found the straps to her shirt and began ripping at them. Her breasts sprang free and he greedily touched and massaged them, making Nyota moan.

_Wrong_, she thought, _this is so wrong_……

Her mind became a jumble of sensations as his mouth found the delicate tips, and rotated them across his tongue as he began to suckle and lick their dusky expanses. He licked and suckled the soft skin beneath her breasts and began tracing warm, wet lines down the muscles of her stomach. He then tore at her pants, pulling out the seams and ripping them off her. She gasped as the cool air hit her body and moaned as his hot skin touched her own.

He made his way to the apex of her thighs and his tongue flicked out and moved over the hardened bud hidden within the wispy hair. She groaned and ran her hand through his dark hair. _By Tor_, she thought, _this feels so good_……

He hungrily spread her lips and began to hungrily nip, suck, lick and move his rough tongue about her mound. Her juices flowed down his tongue and he eagerly lapped them up. His tongue made its way up and down the length of her center and the pressure was building, moving her in ways she had never felt, but could only enjoy.

Her body was moving in concert with his enthusiastic tongue flicks and her moans were piercing the still air, only occasionally interrupted by savage yelps and helpless whimpers. The precipice was near, and she was rushing towards it, bolting and racing, her body warm, wet and ready. She keened as she fell over the edge, sensation pouring in rivulets down her spine and back, through her body and touched places deep inside her, making her throb with ecstasy. Spock slid up her still shaking body and then nudged her lips with his erection. He pushed roughly inside and Nyota's cry was swallowed by his seeking, questing mouth. The pain was gradually pushed aside by the increasing heat of friction and pleasure as he thrust and pushed inside her.

Nyota could only hold on to his sweaty drenched body, her legs were wrapped around his waist and his hands were buried in the soft fall of her hair. She was reaching the precipice again, but unlike before it was a hot, fluid rush of intense and fevered pleasure, the sensation swept through her legs and into her womb, and circuited through her back and became heavy, sweet and intense within her moist center.

When she fell over the edge, she could see the spark of bright lights behind her eyes, pulsing like shards of diamonds. She became touch, she became feeling. All that mattered was his body pushing against her own, and the mesh of tongue, teeth, lips and sweat.

Spock growled as he emptied himself inside her. She moaned as he bit at her neck and shoulders, his teeth drawing blood. He made noises low and deep in his throat and then placed his hand over her face. Nyota gasped and winced as he created a mental bridge between them. For a moment, they were not two, but one individual inhabiting two bodies. She knew him, and he knew her.

Nyota wanted to scream from the intense explosion of memory and feeling. Her skin felt tight and dry and she opened her mouth, trying to breath in gulps of air. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell forward as darkness enfolded her.

*

Spock's spicy, musky, masculine scent filled her nostrils as she awakened, and she shivered as his fingers gently moved across her body, washing and massaging. She looked into his eyes and could see that he was now himself, and she could feel his anxiety and shame as he bathed her.

"I hurt you," he told her as she stretched and attempted to sit up.

"No," she told him and then hissed as aches, pains and stiffness became apparent and Spock rushed to help her. She lay back and groaned.

"You are injured," he remarked.

She shrugged. "I'm fine. It's just a few aches. I'll get over it."

Spock said nothing as he continued to touch her. She could feel him desperately fighting the pull of arousal at the feel of her skin against his.

"I—am sorry," he lamented, his dark eyes filled with an emotion akin to regret, "You were untouched."

"Well," Nyota replied, not quite sure how to answer. She remained silent a moment and then told him, "I guess it doesn't matter. Everyone has to have a first time, right?"

A muscle flexed in his otherwise calm face.

"Damnit Spock," she harangued, "Don't be so peeved. I enjoyed it. You're all better now, right?"

"No," he responded, "We have to mate for at least three more days. Once we have mated during this period, then subsequent urges will be easier to control."

"Okay," Nyota began, "Then we'll have to--,"

"No, Nyota."

"But--,"

"No, we cannot. I have already injured you--,"

"Okay, I just gave you something no man in this universe has. So since you can't give me back my virginity, then we'll have to do whatever it takes to make sure you survive."

Spock opened his mouth to protest and Nyota touched his face, the contact made him shiver and she remarked, "I'm not taking no for an answer."

The hunger began to build up inside him again, and Nyota could feel it as it uncoiled beneath his skin. The desire between them rose high like cresting waves, and she found herself drawn to his mouth. She kissed him softly, and then ran her tongue along his full, firm lips, sucking his bottom lip hungrily before thrusting her tongue inside his depths. He moaned and returned her kiss with passion and vigor, his tongue thrusts and flicks eager and insistent. He broke the kiss, his breath heavy and fast.

"I will be gentle," he promised and he slowly lowered her down to the sleeping bag, and covered her body with his own.

*****


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thanks for all the comments and reviews! I apologize if I kept you all waiting! I will be updating again within the next few days. Anyway, here it is, hope you enjoy it. As I mentioned before, this is a bit smutty. Oh, and I don't own Star Trek or anything related to Star Trek. Not even Spock's sexiness. *Le sigh* **

*****

His kiss was sweet and hesitant, his tongue darting out carefully, tracing the outside of Nyota's generous lips, savoring and relishing their softness before plunging inside. She moaned as his tongue pushed against her own, gently stroking, seeking, and questing ever deeper into Nyota's full mouth. His hands roamed down the length of her body and she moaned as feeling and sensation tunneled through her, burning her with intense pleasure with each trace of his fingers, and the heated, desperate grasp of hands against flesh.

She pulled at his shirt and he quickly divested himself of his pants and lay atop her, skin to skin. She delicately traced the outline of muscles along his chest and he shivered and groaned, and slid down to the sensitive skin of her neck, nipping and biting. He then swirled his tongue in soft, wet circles about her neck and shoulders, sucking and tasting her sweetness, his hot breath fanning against her, bated and fast. Tiny whimpers escaped her as he continued his exploration of her body, slowly forging a wet, hot trail down to her breasts.

He looked at them in awe for a moment, his eyes taking in their gentle swell, and the hardened dusky peaks which topped them. He stroked them softly, his hands exploring and massaging, his tongue savagely lapping them, and he sucked them inside, pulling them tenderly against his teeth, before rolling them over his dexterous tongue once more. Nyota was gripping his hair fiercely, her eyes closed and her head thrown back as he continued to slide slowly down, his kisses hot and insistent against her stomach and the gentle slope of her hips.

He buried his head between her thighs, relishing in her heady, nearly ambrosial scent before greedily taking her juices upon his tongue. She tensed as pleasure shot through her and he circled and rolled her hard, swollen bud against the surface of his tongue before gently nipping and sucking. She moaned loudly as he licked and stroked her, her body bucking and quaking as he increased his speed.

"_Spock_…." she hissed, and he responded by quickly bringing her to the edge and over, and he rapaciously licked and sucked at her wetness, savoring it as if it were the purest honey, and sliding his tongue up and down the recesses of her center, coiling his tongue into her entrance and pushing softly inside her. He pulled at her walls, making them quake and tremor, they contracted wildly about his tongue and he continued to take in her hot, sweet, wetness as she trembled beneath him, her body dappled with pleasure and sweat.

He moved slowly upwards, kissing, sucking and touching, until he reached her generous, full lips. He lazed his tongue about them, slipping them against the soft and delicate skin, nipping and tasting before slipping his tongue against hers, sensuously massaging and kneading. He then adjusted himself before sliding his hard length into her hot, wet, sheath.

She groaned as her body sought to accommodate him, and he began thrusting slowly and torturously, her body then moving against him, instinctively pushing him to a faster pace. Yet, he drew out the hot and heady sensations, sending waves of heated bliss up and down her spine. He growled, his deep voice reverberating across Nyota's skin, making her writhe against him.

He slowly increased the tempo, their bodies sliding together, furious heat and shocks of ecstasy rolling over and through them, the sounds of skin slapping skin loud and echoing through the empty cave. Nyota could only hold onto him and whimper helplessly as the sensations increased. She couldn't think and could barely breathe for all the pleasure he was inflicting upon her body.

She could feel the edge, she was pulsing and aching towards it, and then fell over into a bastion of intense and electric pleasure, keening, whimpering and yelping as she found completion. Spock quickly followed, as Nyota's body began clutching and milking him, and he roared long and hard as he spilled his seed.

He opened up the link between them, his hand delicately tracing a familiar pattern against her face. Nyota's mind opened to him and he became open as well. They received each other eagerly, both of their minds merging and swimming in memories not quite their own, mingling as intimately as even their bodies had done before.

A deep, dark part of Nyota, the part even Spock could not see, rebelled against this closeness. _You will be hurt,_ it warned, _you are evil, he could never love someone like you_…Nyota's conscious mind fought hard against the voice of dissent and instead reveled in the warmth of Spock, and the beauty of his mind.

*********

She found Spock sitting cross legged, his body and emotions open to the cool, dry air. He was deep in meditation, and she moved slowly next to him, trying not to disturb him, yet fighting an intense need to be near him. She could feel the bond between them growing ever stronger as each hour passed, and a strange presence filled her mind; it was static and constant, a low grade hum of existence that was Spock. She wanted to fight it, push it out of her and become solitary once more, yet even the thought of such a thing hurt her on a level that was far beyond what she had ever felt.

She fought a heavy sigh and instead sat despondent and afraid, fearful of what this development meant. She closed her eyes and took in even breaths, struggling to calm her racing heart. She opened her eyes to find Spock looking at her, a mixture of unidentifiable emotions sweeping across his face and eyes.

They watched each other for a moment, each unsure as to how to proceed.

"Nyota,"

Desire and passion was laced about each letter, each sound, as he said her name. Nyota tried to fight a shiver and instead turned away.

She could feel the heat radiating from Spock's body as he moved closer, and she closed her eyes briefly, her nostrils filling with his scent.

She opened her eyes and they looked at each other once more, before reaching out a hand to the other, skin touching, their eyes closing.

He fed her his emotions, they were rivers raging beneath his cool façade, she could feel them churning, roiling deep beneath the surface of his mind.

He tilted his head and gripped her hand tighter.

"I saw the demise of your mother, in your mind," he told her.

She looked at him in shock. She was silent a long moment then replied, "I saw the demise of your mentor, as well, in _your_ mind."

They both said nothing, but simply let the emotions flow between them.

"I am sorry for your loss," he told her, feeding her empathy, peace and calm.

"It was a long time ago," she told him, "But, I am sorry for your loss as well, Spock,"

She could feel his heartbeat race as memory and shame washed over him. She fed him sympathy and tranquility as he relived the shock and anger as phaser fire from Legion squads took down and mortally wounded his closest friend and former colleague, Admiral Pratt. She felt the sense of helplessness as he watched him die, but was forced to leave his body and secure the premises, and carry out his duty.

He continued to hold her hand as he spoke, "It is illogical for one to mourn a Starfleet Officer. We are aware of the risks and the dangers. Yet, it is a pain, a physical pain, I feel here," he pointed to his chest, "It would seem to be an impossible feeling to describe. Yet—I believe that you--understand."

She gave him a strange look and then reached out for his other hand. He reciprocated and they sat, facing each other, both hands interlocked with the other as days of unspent grief raced through his mind and Nyota acted as a buffer, filling him with serenity and calm.

As if by instinct, they touched foreheads softly, rolling in the other's memories, pushing out emotions and learning, becoming acquainted with the strange mish mash of a personality so different from their own.

Nyota took in a deep breath. She felt—complete. Whole. And she could feel he felt the same.

He gently moved away and they unlocked hands, and after a moment, he leaned in and swept his lips across hers. Nyota shivered and felt her heartbeat pick up its pace. She reciprocated, and captured his lips, pushing her tongue gently inside and probing his hot depths.

They kissed, touched, and held each other a few moments before slipping off their clothing. Spock pushed Nyota gently down to the ground, his tongue plundering the sweet, soft areas of her neck. Nyota moaned and then abruptly maneuvered her body atop his. She swiftly made her way to the tips of his ears, licking and sucking, nipping the sharp points until Spock was groaning and writhing beneath her.

An explosion of feeling tore through Spock as the traveled down the length of his chest, her hot, soft tongue exploring and teasing his hardened nipples. She followed the slight line of hair down to his hardness and experimentally slipped him into her mouth. Spock bucked, then began muttering in Old Vulcan, the phrases dirty and vulgar, making Nyota wet and ready as she rolled her tongue over his throbbing head, then down his turgid length.

He tasted sweet, tangy with a hint of something spicy and heady. She gently licked and sucked, pulling deep inside her mouth and into her throat. His hands worried the soft, thick fall of her hair and his body moved in tandem with her tongue as he grunted, cursed and moaned in his native language, as a dark green blush snaked its way up to his face.

She continued to move about him, extending her tongue about the ridge of his _lok_, over the opening, and back again.

His body began quaking, his lok becoming engorged and full, and Nyota greedily tasted all of him, taking him as deep as she could, pulsing, moving, tasting, nipping and licking.

Spock roared as he reached the height of his pleasure, his body exploding hard. Nyota hungrily licked at him, reveling in his sweet and tangy taste, sucking at errant drops that threatened to escape. She crawled up his body until she was on par with his lips. She kissed him deeply for a moment and felt him harden beneath her.

She looked down at Spock, fighting a smug smile as she slipped him inside her wetness. He moaned and she enjoyed the powerful play of emotions that leaped across his face. His hands moved to her hips as he guided her, moving along with her rhythm and emitting clipped growls and groans as she increased the pace.

Nyota fell into the hot mesh of pleasure as he ground into her, and she found herself moving atop him, hurriedly pushing him to the edge, fighting in vain as she fell into the depths herself, her body convulsing and exploding. Spock growled and yelled and exploded along with her.

They sat unmoving for a long time, Nyota lay against the hot, hard muscle of Spock's chest and he embraced her, his breathing heavy and fast. Nyota began to lightly doze, and Spock gently rolled her off him, and pulled her into his arms. He then picked her up and carried her over to the warmth of the sleeping bag, slipping her carefully inside and folding his body in beside her.

They slept until the next morning, bodies sated and intertwined, breaths mingling and memories colliding.

*******

_Lok: Penis, phallus_


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N**: **Sorry for the delay everyone! I will be better about posting, as I will be updating more chapters this week. School's kind of hectic right now. Anyway, hope you enjoy this. As always, please R&R! **

*******

They fell into a comfortable routine over the next few days. Then the few days grew into a period of weeks as they continued gathering and foraging, tending to their survival during the daylight hours, while spending their nights slaking their desire with intense bouts of lovemaking.

They never spoke of the relays during this time. The data PADDs lay unused and untouched upon the cave floor. Instead, each day brought them closer to understanding each other, and closer to an indefinable feeling they both were tentative to explore, and yet began to shape itself before their very eyes. Nyota began to worry, and tried to fight the increasing feeling of panic inside her.

She didn't want this, didn't need this—_thing_ between them to complicate what had been before him, a violent, though simple, existence. This was a new world before her, deep and fresh, verdant and growing in leaps and bounds, and yet—she was convinced it couldn't last. After all, wasn't this part of the agreement? Wasn't this what she wanted?

She felt selfish for wanting him, for wanting there to be—_something_ between them. Her heart ached when she thought of her sister, she felt derelict in her duties to the one who was not bonded by choice or circumstance, but by blood. She couldn't stop the tide of song that wailed in her veins each time she looked at him, the pull of rebellious and anxious lust when she was near him, and yet—she wondered if she would, if she would give this up to save Zuri. She closed her eyes, her body trembling at the thought of being separated from Spock.

She needed to do something, anything to get her sister back. She knew that trusting Sylek was a now a moot point, he'd never help her now, even if she delivered Spock to him, their agreement had been broken. She sighed heavily. She couldn't stay on this planet forever, pretending that there was more to them than just a raw, carnal physicality. There could _never _be more between them. After all, she was—no, _is_—an assassin. Her mind buzzed and her stomach churned. A small flicker of hope burned inside her and she cruelly smothered it, tempered it with what she saw as cold reality.

She and Spock were only temporary. It would never work between them. His people would never accept them. _He_ could barely accept them. She could feel in his mind, arbitrary thoughts of incertitude and reluctance whenever they made love—she stopped her line of thinking. _Sex_, she corrected, _because that's all it ever was_. Her mouthed twisted into a thin, harsh line. Spock's feelings of disinclination were mutual, she decided quickly. After they were found, he'd return to his world of duty and obligation, and she to hers. She didn't need him. A thought formed in mind, then began to build into a torrent of thought and conjecture as her mind swirled. She smiled bitterly, angrily coming to a resolution, her mind certain and distant, while her heart pulled harshly inside her.

She looked up as Spock came to her, his lips quirked up at the corners, his hand reaching out for her own. She clasped his hand, and he gently pulled her to her feet. She stood and pressed herself closely to him, her breasts straining against the thin material of her shirt, her heart hammering with fear and desire and her thoughts tripping like rapid fire. Her breath caught in her throat as he lowered his head and his lips brushed her own softly and sweetly.

*

They were walking in the wild brush, the errant sweep of silver grasses rustled in the cool wind and the birds called forlornly in the distance. Nyota knelt beside Spock, ignoring the tendril of want that swept against her as his fingers brushed the sensitive skin of her wrist. She fought a smile as he then took a finger and blazed a trailed across her arm. She paused a moment, and then shook him off, and pointed to the vegetation that struggled beneath the layer of crusted ice.

She shot him a look and began to dig beneath the frozen earth. Spock followed suit, his long and delicate fingers making quick work of the layers of hidden greenery.

"You are—upset," he noted as they gathered their comestibles. Nyota shrugged.

"I'm not."

Spock said nothing as he continued to place the roots into their packs, and instead he touched her softly, sending waves of peace into her mind.

She rebelled, pushing against his intrusion and sweeping his peaceful thoughts from her mind. She glared at him and stood.

"I think we have enough here," she huffed.

Nyota ignored his gaze and turned her back to him and abruptly shut him from her mind, placing stern barriers throughout, and displacing his attempts to connect with her. She was so intent on her mental task that she almost missed the streak in the sky, the tell tale trail of atmosphere as a ship breached the heavens, shooting across the distance to land on firm ground.

Nyota gasped, her eyes incising the distance, pulling away the stretches of space to see the ship as it materialized. Her breath caught in her throat as they found the bright colors standing in stark relief against the dark, unrelieved stretch of blackness. The smooth edges of the ship sailed elegantly through the air and Nyota stepped back.

"Spock," she called out, unknowingly reaching out to him and he came to stand next to her, his eyes also tracking the ship in the distance, his face indiscernible.

She narrowed her eyes and he gazed at her, his eyes taking in the tension in her body and his ears sensing the rapid beating of her heart.

"Spock, we have to go!," she warned, "Now, now! _Run_!"

He did not question her. They raced across the frozen plains, their legs pushing them past twisted stretches of trees and they splashed across frosty puddles of watery ice.

They rushed into a thick line of shrubbery, squatting down and hiding beneath their silvery leaves and torsioned limbs. Nyota could pick up figures in the distance; she could see their tread as they came closer, their weapons raised high.

"Come on," Nyota urged and Spock nodded.

They sped through the cover of forest, rushing through the bracken and thickets that shimmered in the bright sunlight. They had nearly made it to safety of the cave, when Spock suddenly fell.

"Spock!," Nyota screamed as his body hit the ground. She dropped and knelt beside him, her hands frantically searching. Her hand came away with blood.

"_No_," she moaned, her eyes filling with tears and her body screaming as their bond was inundated with pain.

They were surrounded. Nyota stood and saw the men as they came traipsing from the forest, their black leather jerkins emblazoned with the colors of their homeworld. _By Tor_, she thought, _slavers_. She growled low and hard. She would fight each and every one of them.

She rushed the first two men closest to her, dodging their fire and hitting them with hard kicks to the head and chest, watching in satisfaction as they went down. She was running quickly towards another, her legs moving efficiently through space, her eyes promising death, when she felt a stab of pain at the back of her head. Darkness covered her vision and she fell, her limbs unresponsive to her commands and she fought the rising tide of unconsciousness for as long as she could, then gave in, her eyes closing as she fell limp upon the ground.

*******


	22. Chapter 22

****

Nyota awakened to the sound of boots scraping against a hard floor and the sound of engines rumbling beneath her.

"This one's awake," a voice noted and Nyota struggled to lift her head, her eyes fuzzy and unfocused.

Her vision slowly cleared and she could see that she lay inside a cage; the heavy metal bars were laced with a force field, its blue sheen crackling and staggering as it flickered.

She looked up and saw that a tall, brutish man stood before her, his pale skin stood in contrast to the dark scraggly beard upon his face, and the cruel twist of his lips were laced with a slight tinge of humor.

"Feisty, this one," he said and two others behind him, nodded. A woman in a leather tunic and leggings came to the cage and peered down at Nyota's still form.

"She is feisty, isn't she," the woman said and grinned, "Ba'kor will have quite a shiner when he wakes up."

The woman continued her visual examination while Nyota glared.

"She's quite lovely. The captain likes them with a little fight," she chuckled, "Better a quick tumble in the bed with her than me."

The woman squatted down until she was eye level with Nyota.

"You'll make a pretty whore for the captain."

Nyota spit in the woman's face and the woman gasped with shock. She quickly wiped the line of spittle from her cheek and stepped back.

The man angrily advanced upon the cage.

"You'll learn to have some manners, slave," he spat and Nyota laughed humorlessly and stood.

"Let me out of this cage and I'll show you what kind of manners I have, _nuch_," the venomous edge of her voice lacing each syllable with hatred.

The man's eyes narrowed in anger and he stepped forward, his hands curled into fists as he advanced.

He was moments away from disengaging the force field and stepping into the cage when a voice rang out, its timbre deep and trilling with jollity.

"Nyota, still causing trouble I see. You haven't changed a bit,"

Nyota narrowed her eyes. She took in the chiseled line of stubbled cheek, the steely gray eyes surrounded by lush lashes and the full lips pulled into a devilish smile and the muscles straining beneath the expensive cut of clothing as he walked.

"Cerenos," Nyota muttered and he nodded.

"Ah, you remember me. I'm touched."

Nyota glared and folded her arms.

"I never thought to see you locked in a cage, Nyota," he tsked and shook his head.

Nyota shot him an angry look and he chuckled.

"I suppose you're devising ways of killing me, right now. Such deadly thoughts in a pretty little package," his salacious gaze skimmed Nyota's body and rage began to race beneath Nyota's skin and she hissed.

"Now, now, play nice. I might let you out if you're good."

Nyota walked as close as she could to the bars, her mouth pulled into an evil smile.

"Would you like everyone to know your little secret Cerenos?,"

The smile slipped from his face and he blanched.

"They won't believe your--_lies_," he remarked and Nyota shrugged nonchalantly.

"They might or they might not. Why risk it?"

"I should kill you," he told her, his jolly face slipping into a mask of cruel hostility.

"Oh, do that, and you will never lay hands on another stone. You want the stones now don't you Cerenos? I can lead you to them, just let me out."

He was quiet a long moment, his eyes dark with rage. Suddenly, a smile blossomed on his handsome face once more.

"You could never take a joke," he told her dismissively, "Let her out."

Nyota watched as the man she had just traded insults with a moment earlier came to disengage the force field and unlock the cage.

Nyota stepped out, her look smug and confident. She walked about the space, her eyes looking about with indifference until she spotted Spock lying in a cell, his body inert and unconscious. She tried to hide the rising tide of anxiety and joy that warred within her.

She calmly turned to Cerenos, her face impassive and composed.

"Release my plaything. He has been mishandled enough," she said imperiously.

"It's hard to find a slave so willing to please. I don't have time to look for another one," she told him and walked towards Spock's cage.

"You," she pointed to a guard, "Release him and prepare a room."

The guard quickly ran to obey and Nyota turned to Cerenos, he was grinning broadly and his eyes betrayed respect and admiration as she ordered his underlings about.

Nyota watched as they pulled Spock from his cage, two guards dragged him down the corridor, one at each side of him.

His head lolled as they rushed him down the hallway and Nyota trudged irreverently behind them, Cerenos in tow.

Nyota was careful not to back down from the challenging stares of Cerenos' crew. The slavers were of Belorian origin, a treacherous and wily people, and they valued strength above all else. Any sign of weakness and she would be sure to end up either dead or back in the cage to be sold as slave fodder.

She followed the guards to an ornately appointed room. They deposited Spock roughly onto a plush chaise and walked out, leaving her alone with Cerenos.

He watched her as she stalked about the room, inspecting the space and touching various objects with haughty disdain before once again turning to him.

"Have dinner with me," Cerenos offered and Nyota paused a moment, as if she was seriously considering any other option other than yes.

"I suppose I will. I see no harm in it," she told him.

Cerenos smiled. "Nyota, I cannot believe it's really you," he remarked, "Come, I'll show you to your room."

She hid the flash of panic at the thought of leaving Spock alone. She simply nodded and followed Cerenos out the door, fighting the impulse to run to Spock's side.

****

He had healed. Meditation had cured him of the flesh wound and he stared at Nyota from his position on the floor, his austere face betraying no emotion, even as the guards threw bits of food at his feet.

"Your slave isn't very playful," the lead guard Aragorn commented as he threw chunks of bread onto the floor, just out of reach of Spock's nimble fingers.

"Yes, but he's every bit a Vulcan," Cerenos spat, then continued, "They're very valuable to our trade. There are many who would pay top credit to have one."

Nyota said nothing as she sipped her wine. Then she smiled and chuckled softly.

"Then I suppose he wouldn't be worth very much. He's only half-Vulcan."

Cerenos raised his brow like a question mark, "_Half_-Vulcan? I didn't think such a thing was possible. What's his other half?"

"Human," Nyota answered curtly, her tone indifferent.

Cerenos' mouth curled into a line of thinly veiled disgust. "Human? What human whore would lay down with a Vulcan?," he sneered, "I'm surprised they can even get it up. I don't think a hard-on is very logical."

Laughter abounded and Nyota joined in, her eyes glancing at Spock's form, noting the almost imperceptible line of anger present in his muscles as he stared ahead. She tried to reach across their bond, only to have several impenetrable barriers slam into place.

The laughter subsided into titters and Cerenos grinned, "Even still, a half-Vulcan would fetch quite a price."

Nyota took her time, as she cut into her steak and lifted the bite to her mouth. She chewed with deliberation before answering. "Nothing is free, Cerenos."

"Nicely put, Nyota. Of course," he answered.

Nyota bit into a soft square of bread, and he leaned back in his chair.

"I heard about Zuri."

She swallowed thickly and glanced at Cerenos, her eyes betraying nothing but casual curiosity.

"Oh?"

"Yes. It's such a shame that she is nothing more than some lowly king's—_whore_."

Nyota hid her grimace beneath an icy smile. "Well, Cerenos, better a king's whore than a despot's lackey."

All color drained from Cerenos' face. He recovered quickly and raised his glass to her.

"Well said," he told her, "My ship will be passing near Centorion-5, in about three days. Once Zuri is freed, I will expect payment," he glanced at Spock and Nyota nodded.

"Of course,"

"I'm curious," Cerenos began as he sipped his wine, "How did you end up on that planet?"

Nyota smirked, "It's a long and rather boring story."

"I love stories. Do tell,"

"Some other time perhaps," she told him, her tone barely concealing a note of finality, "What was your ship doing in such a vast and empty region of space, Cerenos?"

He grinned, "I wish I could say it was a long and boring story, but it's rather simple. I'm always on the lookout for more captives. The more exotic, the better. And the planet was rich in ore, so I figured why not? Fancy meeting you there."

"Yes," Nyota remarked and leaned casually in her chair.

"Nyota," he commented and winked, "I am so pleased to have you here. It'll be just like old times."

She caught herself before she could throw him an angry glare. Instead, she grinned widely. "Indeed. Just like old times."

*****


	23. Chapter 23

*****

_Seven Years Ago_

_Planet Geidi Prime, Sector M408-2_

They ran through the dark forest, breaths hard and rapid, bodies gleaming with sweat and fear. Zuri rushed behind her sister and they suddenly paused. Nyota's face was lifted to the moonlight, her ears straining and searching. T'anan's people had purged the village, then razed and burned it to the ground. There was nothing left, save the smell of smoke and charred flesh which polluted the air with its stench of death and sadness. Zuri and Nyota had taken to the forests, seeking to outrun T'anan's foot soldiers, scrambling to find shelter and safety.

Satisfied that they were not being followed, Nyota began cautiously; her body twisting easily past bracken and trees, slipping like a shadow across the forest floor. Zuri struggled to keep up, her clumsy feet tripping over branches and rocks, her body aching from their exertions.

"Nyota," she called out softly, "We have to stop."

"We can't."

Zuri glared and then hissed as her delicate feet slipped over a patch of thorny bramble, the sharp tips cutting into the silky bottoms of her shoes.

"I can't go anymore!," Zuri announced shrilly. She collapsed in a heap upon a large rock, her eyes filling with unshed tears.

"Zuri, we have to get to the Sunan province. The village may still be there," Nyota told her, "We can get help, regroup, and get T'anan back for what he's done," Nyota's tone was filled with barely concealed hate.

"Is that what this is about? Revenge?,"

Nyota looked at Zuri, surprise and confusion marked against her features, "Zuri, this about duty and honor. Our friends and family died--,"

"No," Zuri replied, her voice thick with tears, "Don't give me that. It's not about duty or honor. It's about _you_."

Nyota stepped back as if she'd been slapped, "I--don't—I don't understand."

"Of course you don't," Zuri wiped away tears, "You've been foaming at the mouth all these years, trying to get revenge for mama and baba. You could care less about anything else."

"That's not true!"

"Of course it is!," Zuri spat angrily, "You killed him. You _killed_ him. Why, Nyota, _why_?"

Nyota was silent a moment, her eyes large and filled with conflicting emotions. She struggled for a moment, moving through a range of feelings before letting anger slip out, its edge ragged and sharp, burning through Nyota with intensity.

"You want to know _why_?," she said and advanced upon her sister, "Because Zuri, he sold us out. He betrayed you. He _lied_. He's the reason we're running. If it hadn't been for him, the villagers would all be alive right now."

Zuri shook her head, "I'm sure he had his reasons, Nyota. Not everything is black and white."

"Oh, really? How could you take his side?! He worked with the same people that killed mama and took baba away. You do remember Mama don't you? Do you remember how the rebels carved her up, like she was nothing more than some bird for the feast?,"

Zuri moaned and put her hands over her ears, "No, stop it, Nyota! Stop!"

"Do you remember? There was so much blood, Zuri," Nyota said, her voice filled with horror as her mind replayed the long ago scene, "The ground was soaked with it,"

"I said stop it!," Zuri cried and a torrent of tears spilled out.

"I loved him, Ny," she said as she sobbed, "I—know I shouldn't but I did. And you took him away from me!"

"I took him away from you?!," Nyota remarked, her tone becoming tinged with menace, "_I_ took him away? What about us Zuri? What did he take? He took away our lives. You see that over there?," Nyota pointed to the still burning plumes of flame far in the distance, "We have no home now. I am sick of your whining, Zuri. He used you. He used _us_. He paid the price. Get over it."

Zuri suddenly flew at her sister, her small fists seeking to inflict pain and only resulted in Nyota's anger.

"Zuri, stop it!," Nyota shouted as she side stepped her sister's blows.

Zuri was wild, her eyes filled with rage and sadness. Her hair came from its tidy braid and she continued to slap and hit at Nyota, even as she dodged and easily moved aside.

Zuri then collapsed in a ball upon the ground, "He—said he would protect us. He _promised_. He said--," Zuri began to wail. "Why? Why? _Why_?," Zuri asked her voice lifting to the heavens.

Nyota watched as her sister came apart, and felt powerless to stop it.

"Zuri--,"

"He—was supposed to take care of us. Me--and the baby," she said as she clutched herself protectively.

Nyota's eyes widened and she dropped down in front of her sister, her mind racing.

"Zuri, please, _please_ tell me you're not--,"

"I'm pregnant, Ny,"

"_No_," Nyota moaned, "How—I mean—why—I--," she stammered and got up to pace.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. We were supposed to be together. Why did he do this? Why?,"

Nyota stopped and shook her head sadly, "I don't know Zuri,"

Nyota dropped to her knees and pulled her sobbing sister into her arms, and held her. For the first time in years, a wave of regret washed over her, removing the near constant blood lust that pulsed within her. Perhaps, she had been wrong. Perhaps, she should not have taken Ari's life, perhaps…..

Nyota stopped her line of thinking. There was only action and consequence. They could do nothing more than move forward, and live to see another day.

**

There were watchers in the trees, Nyota knew. She could smell their sweat and the acrid smell of unwashed skin as the winds shifted. She looked back into the other grove of trees, could see Zuri's small frame as she rested against a gnarled trunk, her body heavily obscured by the line of thick bushes and flowering plants. Nyota looked ahead once more, her hands tightening about her weapon.

They skittered in the branches and Nyota looked up, and raised her crossbow. She took careful aim and shot. She heard a grunt, and then a body fell hard onto the ground. Suddenly they came for her, flowing en masse, swirling through the air and onto the bed of fallen leaves and dirt. Nyota spun and moved, assessing her odds.

If she could kill enough of them, they may retreat, she surmised. If not…she glanced quickly at the grove of trees then back again. If not, she could distract them long enough to let her sister escape. Her sister would live, and could run to safety.

They surrounded her and she smiled coldly. She mounted the crossbow upon her back and took out her sword. She leaned down into an elegant, extended crouch, her sword raised high above her head.

They swarmed and she slashed the air, her body moving with an economy of motion the men had never seen before. Her sword whispered through the air and easily cut their burly bodies, slicing hands, arms and legs as they tried to kick and stab her. She managed to fell several of the men before a huge, muscular brute stepped from behind a tree. He was sinewy and scarred, his neck and legs thick like tree trunks.

Nyota backed up and circled him, searching for an opening. He raised a heavy two-sided axe and ran for her. She spun in time, and his axe became embedded in the tree behind her. He hurriedly tried to extricate it and Nyota took the opportunity to slice at his side. Blood spurted out and he roared.

Axe forgotten, he turned and faced Nyota, determined to fight her with her bare-handed. He grinned while cracking his knuckles. He rushed her and Nyota stepped forward, cleanly slicing his jugular while stepping to the side. He gurgled and fell.

Applause rent the air and Nyota turned. A tall, handsome figure stepped from behind the trees, followed by three more men and clutching Zuri as she kicked and struggled.

The man's smile did not match the cruelty in his eyes as he gave Nyota a lengthy once over.

"My, my, what do we have here?," he intoned. The man was dressed in nicely cut leather, his dark hair styled fashionably, framing his cool gray eyes.

Zuri whimpered as he tightened his hold.

Nyota narrowed her eyes and raised her weapon.

"I suppose _this_," he said offhandedly and smiled, "belongs to you,"

"Leave her be," Nyota warned and he grinned.

He pulled Zuri close and raised a dagger. He ran it along Zuri's skin. Zuri squirmed, and then bucked the back of her head into his own. Shock colored his face and he let her go as he clutched his head and dropped to the ground. Zuri ran to Nyota's side.

The man struggled to stand up, his expression livid and aghast. "You touched me. You'll pay for that _bitch_!"

Zuri made the dirtiest, most offensive gesture she could imagine and he gasped indignantly. Then, at Nyota's signal, she and Zuri took off, racing deeper into the bank of trees.

"Get them, _now_!," the man screamed.

Nyota could hear more men approaching through the trees, tracking and following. She and Zuri swerved and maneuvered, rushing through a break in the trees to the tall grassy plains beyond.

They swept through the grasses, pushing against the blades, running full tilt toward the river.

The landscape changed, and the babble of running water could be heard in the distance.

"Come on!," Nyota urged.

They approached the river bank. The waters swirled and eddied about them as they waded in. Arrows flew at them from all directions. They doggedly splashed and swam across, trying desperately reach the other side.

Zuri hurriedly clambered onto the bank and Nyota followed behind. Suddenly, Zuri turned and screamed.

Nyota looked down and saw that an arrow had pierced her side. Her eyes grew large as pain moved up and down the length of her body.

"Nyota!," Zuri cried and ran to her sister's side.

"Leave me," Nyota gasped as she fell back into the water. Fluid filled her mouth as she floundered and sank. Darkness closed in on her and she knew nothing more.

*


	24. Chapter 24

*

_Seven Years Ago_

_Planet Geidi Prime, Sector M408-2_

Nyota awakened abruptly, spitting up water and fluids, pain lancing through her, pulsing in waves. She moaned and tried to find a comfortable position. She felt a soft, gentle hand place touches against her feverish face and she sighed.

"Lie still," Zuri told her and she complied.

Nyota looked about her, noticing they were inside a straw hut.

"Where are we?,"

"T'anan's camp."

Nyota's eyes widened and she scrambled to sit up in spite of the pain. She reached desperately for her weapons, only to find that they were gone.

"They took them," Zuri explained, "They took everything of value."

_Damnit_, Nyota inwardly cursed, _This was all her fault! She should have gotten them to safety, she should have…_

The soft fall of footsteps interrupted her thoughts and Nyota turned. Zuri held onto Nyota, her embrace tightening as each step brought the person closer.

It was the man from the forest. His eyes were alight with jovial glee as he swept into the hut.

"Tonight, we will be entertained," he told them, "Be sure to put on a good show, as it very well may be your last,"

Nyota made a deep sound of anger in her throat and the man laughed.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced. I am Cerenos,"

Nyota and Zuri simply stared at him, each with an expression of mild contempt, anger and worry.

"It is rather rude of one to give their name and not be given one in turn," he told them, his face becoming cruel and eager. "Perhaps we will begin the punishment early,"

Nyota shook with anger as two men filed in and took hold of her.

"No!" Zuri screamed.

Nyota struggled against the pain and lashed out, she manage to gouge one guard in the face, and nearly took out his eye. He screamed as a chunk of his flesh was torn off and backed away, covering his face with his hand. She kicked the other guard in the stomach, and gave a self-satisfied smile when he grunted and fell over, clutching his torso.

More guards came in, and soon Nyota became overwhelmed by their number. A bench was brought in, and Nyota was forced to lay face down upon it. Nyota could hear Zuri screaming hysterically and Cerenos ordered her to be quiet. She continued to yell and shout in spite of his warning.

"I told you to be quiet!," Cerenos harangued loudly as he delivered a resounding slap to Zuri's face.

Nyota growled as her sister yelped in pain. "Leave my sister alone!"

Cerenos laughed heartily. "Fun, fun. Bring in the brand."

Nyota could hear the pop and sizzle of the hot brand as it was brought in to sit beside her.

She struggled to free herself as three more guards descended upon her and lifted up her shirt. She didn't give Cerenos the satisfaction of a scream when the brand hit her skin. Pain soared through her as delicate skin burned and crackled, she could smell the tinge of scorched flesh and grit her teeth, trying to stay conscious despite the waves of agony.

"Not a screamer, I take it?," Cerenos inquired, as if he were no more asking the time of day, "Now, my name is Cerenos, and you would be--,"

Nyota refused to answer, and instead lay on the bench, her mouth set, spittle coursing down her chin and tears of anguish filling her eyes.

She groaned when the brand hit her once more. And this time, she nearly blacked out from the pain. Her head drooped and she felt someone roughly take hold of her head, their nails digging harshly into her scalp.

"I suppose Geidian schools are subpar, because I explicitly said my name. Cerenos. And your name would be--,"

Nyota said nothing, and braced herself for more pain. The guard had the brand in mid-air, it was slowly descending down to her back once more when Zuri hollered and cried.

"NYOTA! Her name is Nyota, for gods' sakes! Please, Please stop it!"

Cerenos sneered and motioned to the guards.

"Let her up. I suppose it wouldn't do to have our guests unable to undergo T'anan's questioning this evening."

Nyota felt herself being pulled upright. She was then rushed outside into the sunlight. Her back was sore and bleeding and she was in an incredible amount of pain. Sweat broke out along her brow and she swooned. She was dragged roughly across the village square and into an elaborate dwelling. Statues of a grim faced man with dreadlocks graced each side of the doorway.

Cerenos nodded to the guards and they roughly deposited Nyota and her sister inside. Nyota fell onto the floor and scrabbled along the wall as she attempted to right herself. Zuri came abreast of her, and eased Nyota's arm about her slight shoulders. Nyota stood shakily and Cerenos traipsed in, humming a low jaunty tune.

He whistled and Nyota and Zuri found themselves surrounded by guards once more. Through the haze of pain, Nyota noticed that these guards were dressed differently from the others. Their uniforms were clean and neatly pressed, and ornate insignias were braided onto the fabric. The guards ushered them deeper into the dwelling's recesses, the long hallway seemed interminably long to Nyota as she stumbled and tripped along.

Once they reached the end of the dwelling, they found themselves outside once more, and in a beautifully tended garden and courtyard. Flowers bloomed and carefully trimmed trees swayed in the warm breezes. They made their way along a cobble stone walkway, where another set of guards in dark, loose robes took over, and they were escorted inside another dwelling.

Nyota gasped. The building was swimming in opulence. Precious stones lined the block walls and rare art sat in various corners while soft sconces lit the walls and the hum of generators filled the air. Nyota's eyes became slits as anger spilled within her. This was wealth that had been stolen from the many people who T'anan had terrorized over the years. It was meant to be beautiful and breathtaking, but all Nyota could see was the blood of those who died to make such a dwelling possible.

The guards nodded to Cerenos and left them, moving into other parts of the building. Cerenos continued moving forward and soon they found themselves in a room that was draped in white.

The floors were lit with white lighting; the walls were white, and glistening white fabric hung down from the high ceiling. Cerenos paused and then walked over to a small gong. He delicately rang it and waited.

Nyota collapsed onto the floor, taking Zuri with her. Zuri held onto her and they lay along the cool white floor, nothing but the sounds of their harsh breathing renting the air.

Suddenly a man elaborately dressed in gold came bounding out from an anteroom. His dark hair hung down in thick braids, and his large honey eyes were adorned with black ochre.

"Cerenos," he acknowledged his voice light and crisp, "I trust you have done what has been asked of you."

Cerenos nodded and the man turned and kneeled.

A beautiful woman strolled into the room with elegant leisure. Her long, raven hair was bound in silver, the curls skimming her light brown shoulders with carefully disheveled precision. Her full lips were painted, her almond shaped eyes lined in black, and her arms dusted with gold. She was draped in white, the fabric hugged her luscious curves softly and her smooth, small, delicate feet peeked out from beneath the gown. She was beyond stunning. It seemed as if she were a goddess from the heavens who deigned to only visit. She smiled, and dimples played cheerfully about her cheeks.

"Cerenos," she purred, and nodded to the man in gold. He stood and exited.

"The village has been destroyed. I have done as you asked."

She nodded, "Good."

"The forces in the east have subdued most of the resistance. You are winning, your majesty."

She smirked softly and sauntered across the floor like a serpent, her hips were swaying from side to side and her comely breasts bouncing softly as she walked. Reluctant lust was written all over Cerenos' arrogant face as he tried hard to redirect his stare.

"Yes, I am winning. The world will know my name. They will worship and obey me. T'anan will be upon every man's tongue, uttered in fear, and respect."

_This was T'anan? This woman was the person every man feared and loathed?_ Nyota wondered.

The woman's gaze swept down to the floor where Nyota and Zuri sat.

"Are these for me?" she asked, as if Nyota and Zuri were nothing more than inanimate objects.

"Yes, your majesty," Cerenos replied.

She simpered prettily and walked around Nyota and Zuri as she silently assessed them.

"Hmph," she said softly, "They are a sorry lot. And this one," she pointed to Nyota, "Is bleeding all over my beautiful floor."

"Yes, your majesty," Cerenos began nervously, "She was disciplined. She is very unruly and I-,"

He stopped when T'anan crossed the floor and delivered a hard, backhanded slap against his face. For a moment, Nyota spotted rebellion in his eyes, and she filed the information away for later.

"Clean it up."

T'anan smiled and watched as Cerenos removed the outer layer of his impeccable shirt and began to clean the blood from the floor.

She walked lazily over to a sideboard and grabbed a glass of wine, sipping it as she watched Cerenos continue cleaning.

"I expect so much more of you Cerenos. After all, I am but a woman in a man's world, I have to contend with ruthless, callous men who see nothing more than a pretty face. I have to secret myself away; hide behind a man's façade so that the world can be made into order, shaped from chaos. All that ask is that you _think_," she kicked Cerenos as if he were no more than a dog and laughed when he grimaced.

Nyota gazed at T'anan, and saw that behind the woman's beautiful eyes lay horrible, terrible depths of brutality and insanity, and Nyota could only hope that such cruel viciousness would leave them unscathed.

"Such incompetence cannot be tolerated," she continued, "This is my burden for the kindness I bestow I upon you Cerenos." She sighed and sipped her wine once more.

She glanced at Nyota and Zuri once more, "They will do. We will bleed them. I do enjoy watching the blood of my enemies run dry."

Zuri shivered with fear and Nyota began calculating and planning.

T'anan gazed at Zuri a moment, then smiled, "I would love to have her face as a souvenir. It would be a wonderful addition to my collection."

Cerenos nodded and stood, "As you wish your majesty."

T'anan gave Cerenos an airy wave, "Take them away."

They were pushed roughly to their feet and moved at a dizzying speed back through the dwellings and into a small hut.

Cerenos turned his back and was on his way back out into the light when Nyota stopped him with a dry, mocking laugh.

"You are pathetic," she told him and he turned his back.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked incredulously.

"She treats you like dirt. You're her own personal punching bag. Why do you take it?,"

"I am second-in-command--,"

"In command of what? Mopping and cleaning? Running to do her every bid? What happens when she tires of you? Then what?"

He stopped, his mind spinning, thinking. "She will reward my service."

Nyota laughed. "I've met many people like her. They all think the same way. They don't reward people like you. You're disposable."

Nyota chuckled gleefully. "Oh, when she tires of you, she'll make an example of you." Nyota cocked her head to the side, "What happened to the man before you Cerenos? What did she do to him?"

He swallowed convulsively and a shadow passed across his face. "I am not at liberty to say."

Nyota nodded, "Oh, I suppose he did something she didn't like and got skinned alive, pulled apart or something equally horrifying."

Cerenos paused for a long moment, gazed at Nyota and then waltzed out quietly.

Zuri wept softly and Nyota embraced her.

"He'll be back," Nyota muttered quietly.

*

He came to them before sundown, his body shaky and oddly uncoordinated. He moved with an obvious, nervous twitter.

"You are trained in the arts of killing," he began and Nyota nodded. Zuri retreated to the shadows and remained silent.

"I tire of T'anan's tantrums, her ways are becoming more frenetic and impossible to predict. I fear for my life."

Nyota nodded once more and he paused, then commented, "I wish to dispose of her. Despite our numbers, the resistance is growing. She will no longer be in power. It is simply a matter of time. I feel it is prudent--,"

"To be on the winning team? Especially if the team you're on plans on killing you at some point?"

Cerenos blanched and looked away.

"Predictable. Continue,"

"I propose a—partnership. I will help you kill T'anan, and you will help me get something I need."

Nyota said nothing for a long moment. Cerenos nervously tapped his finger against his leg and Nyota stretched out the silence, smugly and coolly gazing over at Cerenos.

"What is it that you need?"

Cerenos' eyes became dark and menacing for a minute, then brightened. He pulled his shirt completely off and Nyota gasped.

His cybernetic parts glowed in the dim light. His energy source ebbed and flowed and his bio-unit pulsed in a steady, throbbing rhythm.

"T'anan controls my supply of nelithium. I depend upon her—relative kindness to aid in my biological processes. She convinced me to get this done. She told me it would make me stronger, better, more—valuable to her cause. Now she owns me. Body and soul."

He shook his head, "I should have known not to trust her. But there is a stone, a mineral, it is in the mountains, I could go there but--,"

"But it is controlled by the Velurians, who of course hate the sight of a military official. Especially since you've waged war on their people."

Cerenos narrowed his eyes in anger, "This isn't a moral entreaty."

"Of course not," Nyota snorted and folded her arms.

"The stone could easily run my system for years before I need a replacement. If I gather enough, I could outlive most humans."

"What do we get in return?" Nyota negotiated and he shrugged and smiled.

"Your lives. Revenge. Perhaps a combination of the two," he answered dismissively, "You have nothing to lose. You will be cut open and bled out once the first moon appears. But before that happens, you will have a chance to kill her, but only one."

Nyota considered it a moment, then nodded, "What do you propose?"

He grinned wolfishly, a predatory gleam appearing in his eye, "She will die by her own vanity,"

He pulled out a slim tube, and handed it to Nyota, "You will come to the observation tower. She will want you to be dressed, perfumed and painted, like sacrifices to her altar. She will want you to come to her one last time, to hear you plead for your lives. She will degrade you, taunt you, and finally will ask you to kiss her feet to prove your submissiveness."

His eyes flashed ferociously, "You will wear this lip paint, tainted with a powerful poison. It will not harm the wearer, but _she_ will die in minutes," he handed her a dagger, "However, you may choose your own method. Either way, she dies."

Nyota's eyes strayed to the dagger, and she gripped the tube in her other hand.

Cerenos stood, his back was straight and the nervousness had all but disappeared.

"I trust this is not beyond your capability,"

Nyota nodded as he turned left the hut.

"We shouldn't trust him," Zuri told her after he left.

"We have no choice, Zuri,"

Nyota took a deep breath, her mind swirling, her heart racing, as she anticipated T'anan's death.

***


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I apologize for the delay everybody! It's been really hectic. Between school, dance auditions and video shoots, it's a madhouse around here. But it's calming down some, so I will try to update as much as possible. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this! As always, please R&R!**

**

* * *

**

Nyota's feet rushed smoothly across the floor, her steps echoing loudly down the empty hall. She pulled her burden close and looked around. Satisfied that she was alone, she continued down the dim concourse, the bond between her and Spock serving as her guide.

She traipsed down a long passageway, glancing back only once before slipping into another area. The area was wider and boasted an anteroom before it. She crept quickly across the floor and was rounding the archway when she felt a blow to her back.

She stumbled and fell forward. Her quick reflexes allowed her to roll away, just in time to avoid a hard kick to the head. She sailed upwards and jumped to her feet. Several people had gathered in the room, they leered and grinned, excitedly tittering as the man before her prepared to attack once more. His rough, stubbled face was filled anger, and his face was marred by a circle of bruised tissue, and his cheek was badly swollen and discolored.

"You, _bitch_!," he told her his brogue harsh and lilting, "You kicked me in the face when we were planet side! Because of you, I been gettin' hassled. You know what they call me down in engineering? They call me "Ba'kor the Beaten,"

Everyone watching laughed and guffawed, becoming silent when Ba'kor's wrathful stare passed about the room.

Nyota glanced at him and then chuckled and shrugged, "Well, if the shoe fits---,"

He growled and then advanced, "I'll show you beaten. Come and get it bitch,"

With a roar he ran towards her, fists raised. Nyota calmly stepped to the side and rolled, and used his own momentum to deliver a swift punch to the kidneys. He groaned and fell, clutching his side. Nyota strode some feet away and watched as he gathered his strength and stood. His breath came out in heavy spurts as he grabbed a dagger from his side and ran at her once more, slashing the air and howling in anger.

Nyota easily grabbed his wrist, twisted upwards, forcing him to drop his weapon. The dagger clattered to the ground and Nyota maneuvered him smoothly so that he faced away from her, wrenched his arm painfully behind his back and pinned him to the wall.

"I don't have time for this shit," she declared, "If you value your life you'll leave me be,"

She stepped away from him and turned. She grabbed her bag and began making her way to the archway once more. She could feel the change in air pressure, hear his breath coming closer. Before he made an impact she spun, grabbed a low grade implosive device from his belt and maneuvered quicker than his eye could see until she stood behind him. Her arm was locked like an iron vice around his neck and he scratched at her, trying desperately to get air.

"I gave you a warning. I was even being nice. I suppose your life has no value then. So be it," she told him as he gasped and struggled.

She uncapped the device and threw into his open mouth. She forced his lips closed and he squirmed.

"_Swallow_," she told him harshly and tightened her grip, "Do it!"

After a moment of being deprived of air, he swallowed convulsively and the capsule sailed down into his stomach. Nyota released him and stood back.

He scratched at himself, howling, yelling and convulsing as the device burned yellow and then bright orange within him, melting his organs and turning them inside out. He managed to scream as the device fully imploded. His body hardened, cracked then burned to ash quickly before deteriorating and blowing away with the air currents.

The crew that was watching stood in shock and amazement.

"Does anyone else feel the need to die?," she challenged. Like a defeated wolf pack, the crew backed away, eyes down, bodies submissive.

"I thought so," she confirmed and grabbed her bag and turned away. She strode confidently through the archway and down the hall.

Once she was around the corner, she sighed with relief. This was good. She had sent a message with Ba'kor's death. Word would spread throughout the ship. No other crew member would dare try her now. She adjusted the bag and slipped silently down the passageway to a small door. She punched in an override code and the door swished open.

She walked in slowly, moving through the elegant space to the living area. She could smell Spock's scent as it wafted on the air and touched Nyota's nostrils, causing her heart to thrum with excitement.

She moved to the table in the middle of the floor and opened the bag. She pulled out various containers filled with food and two large flasks filled with water and juice.

"Spock," she called out and he stepped forward into the circle of light, away from the dark shadows in the room.

"Computer, increase light 85%,"

The room was flooded with light and Nyota gasped. Spock looked haggard and tired. His body was drained and deprived from earlier attempts at healing. _And no doubt Cerenos conveniently forgot to feed him_, Nyota thought bitterly and ran to him.

He flinched then turned away.

"Spock," she began, "What-,"

"I am to be sold," he stated, his tone almost questioning and all at once accusing.

"No, Spock," she said and shook her head vehemently, "That's not---I don't want to--,"

"I am to be sold as if I were—cattle?," he interrupted.

"That's not true Spock. Just listen to me. I have a plan--," she began and crossed the space to stand near him.

He walked a few paces backward, enlarging the space between them. Her eyes narrowed into angry slits and she spun away and then faced him, her body taut with anger.

"If you want to be an idiot about this, then fine!," she told him between clenched teeth.

They stared at each other for a long moment, Nyota's harsh glare searching Spock's impassive gaze.

Spock was the first to turn away, and Nyota felt her anger begin to wane.

"I brought you some food. I know you're hungry."

He shook his head stubbornly, "I am not in need of sustenance."

Nyota rolled her eyes and began assembling an assortment of bread, cheeses, vegetables and fruits atop a plate and placed it upon the table.

"Eat," she commanded, and he threw what passed for a glare before coming to the table to sit. He began eating the fruits and cheeses beneath Nyota's watchful gaze. After a few moments she relaxed into the chair opposite him.

"Spock, I would never give you up as a slave. You know that right?,"

"Do I?," he commented brusquely. "One cannot deign to know the intentions of others. Often such a task is—dubious,"

Nyota rolled her eyes, "Come off it, Spock. We've been through too much together for me to give it all up now. Why would I do something like that? I mean I really do care about you---," she paused, her eyes wide with disbelief, her mind pausing as flurry of emotions ran through her.

Spock stopped eating and looked at her, his expression no longer tinged with anger, but instead, curiosity.

"I—I mean, I do care about what happens to you. We've become--," she paused as if searching for the word, "colleagues, friends of a sort right?"

She could have sworn a flash of disappointment rolled about his face before it smoothed out in calm repose. She berated herself for thinking something so foolish. _Of course he wasn't disappointed_, she thought, surprised that she felt a bit miffed.

She cleared her throat and continued, "Anyway, as I said, I have a plan. I'm not exactly the best of friends with Cerenos; he's always been a slimy bastard. But he's useful—for the moment."

Spock listened intently as she filled him in on what she planned to do. He leaned forward, and steepled his hands across the table, his eyebrow quirked upwards as he considered her options.

"Your plan is very logical, nearly without flaw; however, do you feel that you can execute it perfectly?"

She smiled coldly, her full lips playing at humor without really expressing it. "Oh, yeah. It's payday and I intend to collect."

He cocked his head to the side and his eyebrow quirked upwards once more, her strange euphemism was at once oddly humorous and fitting.

A slight smile ghosted his lips and a flash of humor ran through her as the walls between them was lifted and their link reestablished. She shivered involuntarily. His presence in her mind filled a void she had never known she had. He remained guarded and hesitant, but she could still feel his trust, compassion and—some other emotion bubbling deep within the surface of his mind. It felt warm and thick, like honeyed bits of affection, but much stronger than mere liking and deeper than friendliness. She prodded the odd emotion for a moment, trying to investigate when the link was pulled taut, and she was forced from the confines of his mind.

"I will aid you in any way that I can," Spock intoned evenly, "We will enter the atmosphere of Centorion-5 in exactly two standard days. You must be ready."

She nodded and stood. "I will bring you more food in a few hours," she told him. She stood still for a moment, as if expecting—_something_. When he simply nodded back at her, she found herself shuffling disappointedly towards the door. Before she could reach the threshold she felt long fingers grasping her wrist. She turned and stared, mute and rapt as Spock softly placed a kiss against her knuckles and stepped back. She blinked rapidly, trying to think of anything that would break the silence, to stop the flood of emotions threatening to erupt from within her.

Instead, she looked at him a moment, then walked out into the passageway, her mind a flurry of feeling.


	26. Chapter 26

Centorion-5 glowed with traces of ochre and orange, its atmosphere swirling in blazing colors of gold as clouds of zephyr traced its sky. Nyota stared out into the depths of space, her heart beating hard within her chest, her hands sweaty with anticipation. Her sister was down there. She had to fight to restrain herself as the ship continued to draw itself closer to the planet's orbit. _Patience_, she told herself. She took a deep, calming breath and began mapping out her plan. There'd be enough time to reach the surface and get her sister. But right now—she had something she had to do.

She turned and crossed the length of the hall, her steps soft in the hushed space of the passage. She traipsed smoothly down into the tunnels leading to the bridge. She walked onto the space, absorbing the din of conversation and the rush of bodies as everyone went about their duties. She smiled slightly as she slid over to the station where a woman, Lieutenant O'Tala Frenin stood, her fingers flying across keys and blinking lights.

"I see you're none worse for the wear. So it's true. Ba'kor's been dispatched. Hmph, I always knew he'd get himself killed," Frenin told her as if only mildly disappointed.

"Survival of the fittest, I'd say," Nyota commented.

Frenin rolled her eyes. "What do you want? I have loads to do."

"I'm sure, you do _Lieutenant_. Look, I think we started off on the wrong foot, you know with me spitting in your face and all--," Nyota reminded her and smirked.

Frenin grimaced and sighed, "I let you get away with that one. There won't be a next time, though."

Nyota chuckled. "Look, I'm willing to put all the bad blood aside. I've heard that you're one of the best fighters among this crew, and by my estimates you're far better than most of the idiots commanding this ship. I need someone like you on my side."

Frenin narrowed her dark green eyes and looked around; making sure no one was within earshot.

"Okay. I'll give you two minutes. What do you want me to do and what do I get in return?"

Nyota smirked, "Well, I'll just need a tiny little favor."

Nyota whispered to Frenin and then held out two rings of gold. "A boon to gain your trust."

"There's more where that came from. I'm sure you won't need it though. What's the pay scale for a lieutenant these days?"

Frenin's lips thinned slightly and she stiffened, "I--,"

"Haven't gotten paid since your last two trips? I see. Imagine _that_. Think about what I said."

Nyota walked slowly away and back out into the corridor. She had been working busily the past two days, feeding the growing level of dissent within the crew. Frenin was another feather in her proverbial cap. As she neared the captain's quarters, she fingered the dagger and death stars she had pilfered from the ship's armory._Showtime_, she told herself and punched in the override code, her fingers dancing lightly across her weapons.

Nyota sauntered delicately into the dimly lit and exquisite suite, her eyes adjusting automatically and her heart racing with anticipation. She neared a corner and turned, and spotted Cerenos planted sedately in a plush chair, a glass of wine held aloft in his hand.

"Nyota," he told her and smiled, "Come to kill me, I see. It's about time. After all, you have no loyalties, even to friends."

"You're not my friend Cerenos, you never have been. If you think we are, you're even more delusional than I thought."

He laughed heartily before taking a swig from the glass. Nyota watched as he swirled the liquid lazily around his tongue before answering.

"Is it delusion to think that two individuals who have gone through so much together, be friends?," he inquired and she chuckled humorlessly.

"Oh come on Cerenos, there had to be a reason you offered to come to Centorion-5."

"I require the services of the strapping young Vulcan you've been so charmingly attached to," he said and grinned. "However, I wonder if you're more than just his owner."

Nyota said nothing as she strode deeper into the suite to stand before him. "Wouldn't you love to know? Now tell me Cerenos, what do you have planned? It was a little suspect that you agreed so easily to help Zuri. I kept thinking, now why would he help me? What does he get out of this?"

Cerenos remained silent a moment, as if thinking through some dilemma. Then with a guarded smile he stretched out onto the chair and laid his wine glass atop the table.

"There's quite a bounty on your head," he tsked and shook his head, "You have powerful enemies, Nyota. Not surprising for someone such as yourself."

Nyota snorted and fingered the dagger. "So who's waiting for me down at Centorion-5?"

Cerenos sneered and stood.

"Hmm," Nyota "Not so chatty, I see. I suppose you were going to collect the bounty and not even think to share it with your crew."

"Well," he began as he strode to a sideboard and refilled his glass, "A captain without his bounty is no captain. You should know this by now, Nyota."

Nyota narrowed her eyes and shook her head, "You're the one with no loyalties. You would sell your own mother if the price was right."

He chuckled, "Actually, I did. If I remember clearly, she fetched quite a price."

Nyota grimaced before launching herself at him. He was ready for her, and spun quickly out of her reach. She raced around through the room towards him, her hyper-speed throwing him off. He gawked, stared and then stumbled, flying backwards onto the floor. She leapt delicately in the air to land atop him, dagger poised to strike.

"You've lost your edge Cerenos."

She placed her hand about his larynx and pressed. He coughed, sputtered and struggled beneath her.

His hand crept out and his fingers found a hidden panel along the floor. Static filled the room as he desperately tried to call for help.

Nyota loosened her grip and he took in a gulp of air. "My crew will kill you. I don't care what kind of—modifications you have! You can't fight a crew as big as mine."

"Oh, Cerenos. Many of them aren't even your crew anymore. They hate you. Hate the way you treat them. Hate the miserly way you dole out pay. But it's a whole new world, and I plan to bring them into it."

"You can't! I'm sure there are some that are still loyal to me. They will do as I ask and I--,"

"Won't be able to say a word. Good night, Cerenos."

With that, she struck his bio unit, sending a flurry of sparks flying into the air. His eyes widened, became shiny orbs of fear and dread.

"No!," he cried and she reached into his chest and grabbed the Velurian stone, its luminescence pulsed softly in her hand as she grasped it. Nyota glanced down at Cerenos. He'd grown still, and eerily so. His bio-mechanical body had entered a phase of hyper-cryonic suspension; and without the stone, he only had a few weeks before he would perish. _More than enough time_, Nyota thought.

Nyota pressed a hand to the comm. hidden in the lining of her jacket. O'Tala answered immediately.

"Unjam the frequencies. It's done."

O'Tala strode into the room, followed by three burly looking men, all of them tattooed with the symbol of the Belorian god, Thelios. They nodded to Nyota and she smiled as they wheeled in the bio-capsule.

"Take him," Nyota commanded and they obeyed.

"Well, now," O'Tala said as she glanced at Cerenos' prone body. "Whatever did you do to incapacitate him?"

Nyota shrugged. "All it took was a little elbow grease."

O'Tala flashed Nyota a grin. "Well, I for one am happy. His blubbering was insufferable," she held out her hand and Nyota filled it with the coins she had stolen from Cerenos' hidden stash she had uncovered earlier.

"Thank you, _captain_," she smirked.

Nyota grinned coolly and watched as the men took the capsule from the room and into the passageway outside.

Nyota nodded and O'Tala followed her out into the corridor. They made their way to the bridge, and were soon joined by a team of fighters and security personnel.

Nyota walked coolly to the center of the bridge and looked out onto the planet.

She nodded to an underling as he stood near the controls, as confusion spread across his juvenile features.

"We enter orbit in stealth mode. No frequencies will be broadcast. I want to reach the Centorion-5 base by 1800 hours."

He hesitated and O'Tala strode forward. "Is there a problem Ansel?," she asked and he gulped, his hand hovering over the row of buttons.

"Sure there is a problem," a voice chimed in. Nyota and O'Tala turned to see one of Cerenos' personal guards standing by, an angry look upon his face. "I'd say there is a _big_ problem. Where is the captain?"

"_I_ am captain now. Cerenos' is on—administrative leave," Nyota remarked and he blanched.

The guard took a step and was halted by several others nearby.

O'Tala grinned. "Argon. There are more of us than there are of you. Do you really want to try?"

The bridge was silent as those formerly loyal to Cerenos looked into the faces of the dissenters and quickly assessed that they were outnumbered.

"Good," Nyota commented and turned to face the screen once more, "Then it's settled, we go to Centorion-5. Raise shields. As I've said before, no frequencies are to be broadcast."

The young boy, Ansel, hesitantly proceeded and the ship began making its way into Centorion's orbit.

Nyota felt him, before she even saw him. His smell rushed into her nostrils and she shivered with pleasure. She turned and saw that he was dressed in a clean leather jerkin, and loose pants. He stood with his hands clasped neatly behind his back.

"Spock," she intoned and he nodded, "I hope you're adjusting to your new accommodations,"

His lips quirked up slightly, and he glanced at her before assessing the activity on the bridge.

"They are--satisfactory—_captain_," he replied as the ship sped into lower orbit, rushing past the hot lining of atmospheric pressure and racing past thin layers of clouds and zephyr.

"You have successfully implemented part of your plan," he commented in a low voice.

Nyota pulled her lips into a half-smile. "Yes. It appears that I have. But that was the easy part."

Spock's eyebrow rose up, as if questioning. Nyota did not respond and instead, she focused on the sight of clouds as the ship whizzed by and her eyes narrowed as the Centorion palace came into view. The ship slowed its descent and they circled, continually cloaking their presence from the palace's sensors.

Nyota's heartbeat quickened as she took in the palace's gleaming exterior. Its turrets and spires reached up to pierce the Centorion sky and lengths of precious, streaming flowers surrounded the palace's grounds.

"Time for part two," she remarked quietly as the ship continued to travel at low speed, speeding past the shining edifice.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but I've been pretty busy and all stressed out, so I've haven't been able to post. I will try to post as quickly as I can within the next few days, and I will be working on a new story as well. As always, please R&R! :-D**

The ship pulled quickly onto the bank of grasses with a soft, nearly imperceptible thud. The bay doors were opened and Nyota gazed out into the distance. Stretches of golden leaved trees swayed in the warm breeze and the whisper of the summer equinox swept across the sky. Nyota continued looking out, her mind quiet and filled with an empty sense of dread and purpose. What would she find after all these years? What had happened to her sister since she had last seen her? She didn't know. But she was determined to find out, no matter the outcome.

Spock's scent enveloped her, a rush of endorphins sent her heart racing and she turned to find him standing closely behind her, his mind feeding her calm and tranquility. _Peace, ashal'veh_…..

Nyota gasped as the warmth of his mind began to touch her own. Yet as quickly as she began to fall into him, feeling him, wanting him, _needing_ him…….he abruptly pulled away, a tinge of reluctance colored their bond and Nyota shivered, her mind wondering, seeking. She found empty space in the place where Spock's mind, his soul, had been. He was now standing stoically beside her, his face and mind no longer radiating any emotion.

She sighed. It was as if the last moment was a dream. As if their minds had never touched. Perhaps it was just as well. She turned away and looked out onto the beautiful scenery below.

"Frenin," she called out and O'Tala snapped to attention, strolling with efficient grace to where Nyota stood.

"Yes, captain," she responded.

"Prepare a combat team. We'll infiltrate the palace before second sundown."

O'Tala nodded and smiled in anticipation. Nyota flashed her quick smirk in reply. She had grown to admire and even like the Lieutenant. The woman had a reputation for ruthless efficiency and it was clear to Nyota, that she was undoubtedly one of the most intelligent members of the crew. The only flaw the woman possessed was that she lacked the ability and desire to lead, to conquer. Yet, Nyota could see that was her biggest advantage. If the woman wanted to be led and molded, then so be it. If it meant getting her sister back, she would gladly do it.

Nyota sighed heavily and gazed out at the rolling grasses, wondering what the next few hours would bring.

* * *

Nyota slid gracefully down the wall, her eyes adjusted to the dim line of shadow and she crested past a holographic scanner. She tapped in a series of commands into the data link that was strapped to her arm. The scanner flickered, sparked and then blacked out, leaving a gap of empty air where the field had been. She touched the comm. link that lay against her shirt.

"All clear. First line, move forward," she ordered and several figures dropped down from high above, scaling the fine, gleaming metal of the palace to settle at the base below.

They moved synchronously through the maze of stone and brick, and down into the darkness of the cavernous tunnels deep below the structure. Nyota opened a grate and slipped carefully inside. She tapped the device upon her arm and watched intently as a layout of the palace sprung up. She located the inner sanctum, the place most likely to harbor the king's harem, and began to creep forward. Her team was silent, but she could track their movements via sensor as they entered the palace, each intent upon reaching their assigned destination.

She crawled on her belly, her mind miles away from the slimy feel of the walls, and the constant drip of moisture. The space was low and humid, and sweat began to tunnel down her face and the space between her breasts. She took in a gulp of air and continued on, pushing past a ridge and into a larger area. She was able to crouch here; the tunnel was widening, though it became progressively dimmer.

She slipped her hand down to her belt and pulled out a stick of glowing erythium. It glowed bright green in darkness and illuminated the space before her. She crept slowly down the long space until she reached what appeared to be a dungeon. She continued pressing forward, unaware of the shadows that watched her, that lingered in places with eager, flicking tongues and frantic, hungry eyes.

She walked into a circle of light, passed into darkness and was about to traipse into another circle of golden light when one of the shadows attacked. Nyota hurriedly slashed with her dagger at the ready, a snarl escaping her lips and her eyes seeking and piercing the darkness. _There_. She could see the thing sitting in the corner, its talons curled under its husky body and its eyes emitting a bright fiery yellow glow. Its sharp, beaklike mouth opened and it issued a high pitched squeal. It was soon joined by six other of its brethren, their eyes gazing back at Nyota in the darkness.

Nyota cursed silently and reached for a Nularian blade. The sharp metal glistened as if lit from within, and its long, two-prong design was curved gently, and Nyota gripped it tightly, prepared to move. Then suddenly, they moved in concert, their bodies blending with the darkness, their muscular legs springing them quickly into the air, and their tails slashing and cutting.

Nyota burst into speed. She moved past the first, spun backwards and slashed it in two, and quickly repeated this exercise as two more began to race towards her. The last one was smarter and seemed to guess at her strategy. It stopped and stared. Nyota could swear that it smiled before racing to the high ceiling and disappearing.

Nyota wasn't fooled. The thing was coming back. Perhaps with reinforcements. She took in a deep breath and ran full tilt down the tunnel and slammed her shoulder into the hard wooden door at the other end. She kicked at the rotted wood and slammed her feet hard into the brackets. She could hear its cry echoing down the hall. It was answered by a cacophony of shrill voices and they were fluttering and trailing towards her. She cursed, and then let out a scream of frustration as the door continued to remain untouched and intact. After a few more kicks, she could see light pouring in from the other side. She gave it another go and was pleased when the door exploded outwards and a brightly lit room was revealed.

The things were scurrying quickly and one glimpse behind her revealed that their bobbing yellow eyes were getting closer. She rushed through the room, tearing past the unlocked door and down an immaculate hall. The creatures continued to pursue her and she ran down the hall, and around a corner. She stopped and peeked around. She could see the biggest one as it loped down the end of the hall. It was even uglier and even more fearsome in the light. It extended huge, veiny wings, and its skin looked hard and leathery. Puffs of fiery acid dripped from its beak and rained down onto the intricate carpets and tapestries.

She took out her newest toy: a Craturian energy array. She fingered it lightly and then spun, placing herself directly in the creature's line of sight. It sniffed, growled, barked and then shrieked. She stared at it harder. A mass of tangled tissue convulsed and moved near its neck, in between the plates of hard armor. She took aim. It raced towards her, its mouth wide and open, revealing razor sharp teeth and barbed tongues. She fired twice. The writhing mass of flesh burst and the creature shuddered. It moaned and spit and finally fell over onto its side.

Nyota turned and ran down the hallway, aware that in its death throes, it had still managed to call for help. Her breath came in spurts and she doggedly continued down the long passage and into a vast chamber off to the side.

Rows of chained and cuffed slaves, all of them female and young, lined the walls. There were others chained to beds, and they were in throes of giving birth. Nyota watched, and was horrified when a squealing, shrieking mass of flesh came from the body of a young woman. Her eyes widened as the thing rose up on tiny haunches, its beaklike maw and fiery eyes spitting hatred and fury at Nyota.

Acting of out instinct, Nyota raised her energy array and blasted the thing. The woman on the bed shouted and writhed, as if in pain and then gasped before falling back. Her eyes were staring up sightlessly at the ceiling. Suddenly, the king's guards flooded the room and Nyota raced to the other side. Energy blasts bounced off the walls, some of them hitting the young women and they screamed in fear.

Nyota turned and blasted them with fire of her own. But she knew she was outnumbered. She'd never make it out of the room alive. She narrowed her eyes in determination and looked for an escape route. The windows were barred, but the ceiling boasted turrets and deeply ingraved designs and runes with metallic barbs coming from within.

She turned and began scaling the wall, her legs shaky and unsure on the slippery material above. She used her vantage point to pick off the guards, but as more came in to replace them, she began to think it was only a matter of time before she was overwhelmed.

She tapped her arm device. "Follow my signal. All lines move to intercept."

She looked on as the heart sensors of her various teams began to move closer to the room. Perhaps, there was a chance she could make it out alive and get her sister.

Suddenly, the room was rocked hard with a blast. Dozens of weapons exchanged fire with the incoming guards as people dressed in long robes raced through the debris. Nyota was covered with a layer of dust from decimated stone and metal. She made her climb down from the wall just in time to see that the palace was under siege from a source not related to her own cause.

She coughed as stream of smoke and fire erupted in the room. The palace trembled as multiple bombs exploded. As the smoke cleared, she could see a graceful form move with nearly preternatural speed across the room and into the fray. The fighter's movements were like dance as they landed hits, kicks, punches and blows with deadly accuracy. She stopped a moment to admire their smooth style of combat before blasting a guard as he moved closer and slicing off the head of a creature as it jumped from overhead.

She quickly found herself pulled from the scene by a group of fighters. She resisted and struggled. The night air slammed into her lungs as she yelled and screamed at them to let her go. _My team!_ She thought, _They're still in there_! A small part of her was thankful that Spock had escaped the melee somehow, as she could feel his heart beating strongly through their bond. _Spock_….she whispered as a sharp pain hit her and she realized she had been struck with hypo. She tried to yell, but darkness descended upon her and her mind became a blur.


	28. Chapter 28

Nyota awakened to find that she had been stripped, bathed and placed in comfortable clothing. Her minor wounds had been treated and the small dwelling was filled with sunlight. She sat up in a rush, and felt the world tilt.

"Careful," a voice told her and Nyota's eyes searched until she reached the source. "You've still got a lot of the serum in your system. You told us quite a tale last night. We're going to take you to see the future queen and see what she makes of you."

Nyota looked over and saw a young woman with flame red hair and gray eyes staring at her. Her elfin features and pale skin stood in stark relief against the gang of freckles sprinkled across her cherubic face. The woman's delicate wings folded and unfolded restlessly against her back as she sneered, and the illusion of innocence was broken. There was nothing even remotely angelic about this woman, Nyota thought as she took in the woman. No, this woman had the fierceness of a fighter.

The woman carefully helped Nyota to her feet and they made their way down a short hallway and into a dining hall. Raucous laughter and boisterous voices spilled out into the air. The woman smiled and waved to a few. The noise steadily quieted down as they marched further into the hall.

"This woman states she was only trying to find her sister," the redhead announced as they walked about the room to the epicenter. "She was committing a charitable deed," the woman snickered, "I'd say she was hunting for slaves."

A chorus of yells voiced their agreement and the woman nodded. She pulled Nyota roughly before a raised alcove. Nyota watched as a hooded figure approached the large, ornately carved throne-like chair and threw their body haphazardly across it.

Her eyes widened. It was the fighter from last night. Nyota looked around the room, her mind already calculating her odds of survival.

"Release her Madrigal," the fighter spoke. It was melodious and silky voice and a shock of dark thick hair spilled from beneath the hood.

The figure stopped before Nyota, her graceful stride smooth and easy.

"You have bad timing," the fighter's hooded gaze beheld Nyota a long time before pulling away. "It was hardly a good day to find your missing sibling when I had planned such an elaborate slave rescue. Would you find sanctuary with us?"

Nyota said nothing and the woman beside her poked her, "You will answer the future queen when spoken to."

Nyota snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Queen?"

"Yes. She is our leader. She will one day rule Centorion-5 and the planets beyond to the boundaries of Nexus system. She has freed many slaves. She is honored."

The woman bowed and the fighter nodded.

"The slave trade is vast and encompasses many worlds, many lands, and many people but is controlled by only a few. I will destroy them. It was such bad timing on your part. But you have always been one to make a grand entrance, my sister."

The fighter slid back her hood to reveal beautiful hazel eyes, sumptuous features and a generous smile.

"I had thought I would never see you again. Nyota. How long has it been since these eyes have feasted upon the sight of you?"

Nyota's jaw dropped. Her heart stopped. Time stood still.

"Zuri?"

She nodded and smiled. The woman beside Nyota gasped as she began to see the familial resemblance between the two.

"Where—I thought you were--," Nyota's voice broke as tears threatened to overtake her.

Zuri rushed to close the distance between them and grabbed Nyota in a fierce hug. She held her a long time before pulling away. Zuri's eyes were brimming with tears and she smiled widely.

She checked her sister for injuries, and finding none, hugged her once more. "Nyota. I can't believe it's you! At first I thought you were dead. I was so—so--_angry_. Angry that you had left me all alone in this universe. I cursed you. Railed against the fate that had separated us so long ago. But, after a time, I realized that you had sacrificed your life time and again so that I could live. I vowed to avenge your death. After all, as the eldest, it is I who should have been protecting you, little one."

Nyota blinked, trying furiously to stem the flood of tears threatening to burst from her eyes.

"I will prevail. So has it been written in the prophecies so shall it be. Drink, eat, and recharge my sister. For tomorrow, we will go into battle." There was an undercurrent of excitement and energy in the room as all eyes settled upon Zuri. Pride and emotion swelled within Nyota as her sister stood and pulled off her robe to reveal a supple leather body suit. Her muscles bunched and tensed with grace as she crossed the floor.

"Tomorrow, we free the universe from tyranny, tomorrow we fight together, _kipepeo_!," she announced and the dining room erupted into cheers and aggressive whoops as everyone began to chant her sister's name.

Nyota nodded and was quickly ushered to table and given a seat beside her queenly sister.

* * *

**A/N:** *_Kipepeo_- Swahili for "butterfly"


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Just a little warning that a little bit of Spock and Nyota goodness is ahead, for anyone who was craving it. :-D I have a few more chapters coming up within the next few days, so feel free to R&R. Thanks!**

Zuri smiled as Nyota sauntered in, her hands tapping a nervous rhythm as she paced.

"I would like to see--,"

"Your mate?," Zuri grinned and Nyota looked away, not quite knowing how to feel.

Zuri cocked her head to the side. "You don't have to feel guilty about it, Nyota."

"He's not my mate."

Zuri humphed and strode to an ornate chair, and sat down. She grabbed a juicy piece of fruit and placed it delicately in her mouth. She chewed slowly as if considering.

"I'm not angry with you for falling in love."

"I'm not in love, I'm merely concerned--,"

Zuri snorted prettily. "Well, I hear tell you called out his name repeatedly while Madrigal was treating your wounds. If you do not love him, you care a great deal for him."

Nyota looked around. Her face felt flushed and heated and Zuri sighed.

"Nyota. It's okay. I haven't thought about Ari in years."

"I wasn't--," Nyota began and Zuri cut her off with a look.

"I've fallen in love more than once over this long time. Ari has his place in my heart but—I know why you did it, and now that I am a leader, I can't say I blame you. You deserve some measure of happiness."

"It doesn't matter. He doesn't want me anyway."

Zuri's eyes widened. "Doesn't want you? Why wouldn't he want you? You must be sick in the head. I'll have Madrigal look you over."

"It's true Zuri. You don't know all the things I've done. How could he accept me?"

"If he doesn't, then he's a fool," Zuri proclaimed and she stood. She walked gracefully over to the window, which overlooked a beautiful garden. She glanced outside and then turned to Nyota.

"We often do what we have to in order to survive. It is the way of the universe. You are strong, intelligent, resourceful and resilient. Any man that does not want you is either a fool or far below your standards."

"But I've killed people, I've tortured hundreds, maimed--," Nyota cried out in a rush and Zuri shushed her with a hug, and then pulled away.

"I know your heart, _kipepeo_. You are a good woman. But you must first believe it for yourself."

Zuri pressed a kiss against Nyota's forehead.

"Your mate is in the room down the hall," Zuri informed her, "He is meditating or sitting still, contemplating the dust motes or some equally boring activity. By all means, interrupt him and make him crack a smile. He is the most stoic Vulcan I have ever met."

Nyota gave her sister a wistful smile and went in search of Spock.

* * *

As Zuri had predicted, Spock was indeed meditating. He was sitting motionless on the soft rug, facing a huge paneled window, his eyes were closed and his breathing was even. She knew he heard her come in. His heart began beating a bit faster and his scent became tangy, spicy and drew her like a moth to a flame.

Nyota breathed him in, her steps tentative and unsure as she traipsed into the room, as wary as a timid doe.

"Spock," she called out and he took in a deep breath. He unfolded his long legs, stood and turned to face her.

"Nyota," he replied, his voice seemed monotonous and unvaried, but Nyota detected a note of relief. "You are well."

Nyota nodded and smiled slightly. Spock came close to her and ran his finger lightly down her cheek, making her shiver.

"I am well."

He slipped his knuckles softly across her face and Nyota sighed with pleasure. He touched his forehead to hers, his mind reaching out to her consciousness, calling upon their bond and activating intense and incredible heat.

Nyota moaned as his lips swept across her full ones. He kissed her softly and she reciprocated by pulling him in deeper. She began falling into him, her emotions washing over and through her, cresting likes waves pushing against a sea.

He pulled away and she mewled with disappointment.

He grabbed her hand and led her to a bedroom area. Her heart hammered with fear and desire as he gingerly undressed her, his hands sliding across her body in feather light touches, igniting flames of passionate lust as they began to kiss and stroke one another.

Spock traced his tongue across the delicate shell of her ear and she groaned as pleasure shot through her. He continued a path down the side of her neck and nuzzled her breasts. He teased and tormented her dusky peaks until she whimpered, her body sang with joy and his warm, graceful hands slid up and down the smoothness of her backside, kneading and massaging until she captured his lips once more in a kiss.

She became breath. She became touch. She knew nothing more except the heat of his tongue against her own and the slick feel of his sweat against her skin. He pushed her back gently onto the bed, all while her hands explored his muscular chest and back, her teeth gently nipping the tips of his ears. He let out a ragged moaned and slid in between her toned thighs. \

There was a moment of hushed excitement as his eyes bored into hers. His gaze held hers, promising her pleasure and electric feelings of touch and sensation. As he slid inside her, his promise was fulfilled as she bucked against him, her center enveloped in shocking and exhilarating feeling as he rocked in and out of her. She moaned and clung to him, her legs wrapping around his back as he continued to thrust hard and deep, his length plunging into her tight, wet, softness, forcing her to pleasurably stretch and accommodate him.

Her breath caught in her throat as her body wound up with heated tension. She writhed beneath him, whimpering and mewling, and Spock's groans of pleasure began to mingle with her own. They moved in perfect concert, toned bodies slick with sweat and desperate heat, pleasure rushing across skin, lips touching, breaths pressing together, and hands seeking, moving, exploring and tongues tasting.

They were moving towards a crest, climbing a mountain of inexorable sensation. Nyota marveled at the depth of feeling cycling within her, swirling and rising, aching and wanting. Then there was the moment of explosion, of pleasure so great and intense there was suspension of all things outside of their bodies, the long seconds of desire and feeling culminating in complete and utter release.

Spock reached out and touched the familiar place upon her face, and her mind was swept into his. Emotions assailed her, memories moved within her and she was rocketed through a journey that ended with her looking at her own face through his eyes.

He respected her. There was boundless admiration for her courage and intelligence that he reserved for only a few individuals within the universe. His desire for her seemed limitless. He was enchanted by her dark and dusky features, wide and beautiful smile and soft, gentle touch. He felt that he had never known anyone as fascinating as she. She was a study in resilience and beauty, of poise and grace. Nyota felt his emotions roiling against the surface of his mind. His feelings for her were not logical; they were mired in deep emotion. Nyota reached out tentatively with her mind, seeking the trails of feeling within him. There lay within him a vast pool of _something_….something great and connected to what he felt for her….

She was then gently untangled from his mind. With a start, Nyota opened her eyes, surprised that she was now looking into Spock's gaze instead of her own. She swallowed a groan of frustration. She was so close…so close to finding that feeling she was sure Spock housed for her.

"Let us rest Ashal'veh," he told her and tucked the comforter around them. "Tomorrow will be—tedious."

He gently kissed her temple and folded himself around her. Nyota sighed with pleasure as his warmth wrapped about her. Her mind spun with questions that only he could answer. But for now—she would enjoy lying in his arms and feeling his breath as it fanned against her skin.

She tried to fight the feeling of fatigue that overcame her, but then found herself falling into a deep, though troubled sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

_Seven Years Ago_

_Planet Geidi Prime, Sector M408-2_

* * *

The march across the dry, packed earth seemed an eternity, but in reality Nyota knew they had closed the distance in but a matter of minutes. Her long ceremonial gown caught the breeze, fluttering playfully as it streamed behind her, its voluminous folds shielding the hidden dagger. She and Zuri were urged past the gathering crowd and ushered into the opulent appointments of T'anan's dwelling.

Zuri was visibly nervous. She worried a strand of her curled locks and Nyota glanced at her quickly, a warning in her eyes. Zuri dropped her hand to her side and they continued walking until they reached the white room.

T'anan sat upon a raised dais, her elegant gown spread about her with whimsical care, sweeping the floor in stretches of silky, luxurious lengths of red. Her gaze was piercing as she inspected them. Her followers flocked about her, moving around her like scurrying mice.

"Leave us," her voice boomed within the chamber. Several of her guards and helpers filed out, leaving behind only three guards and Cerenos.

T'anan stood. Nyota and Zuri were then pushed forward and down to their knees.

T'anan sauntered over and stared down imperiously at their idle forms.

"So," she began, "This is my offering."

A smile slipped onto her beautiful face and though it was meant to be coy, a corner of Nyota's mind registered the sheer cruelty hidden within its depths.

"You are dogs. Nothing more than dirt beneath my feet," she spit and then dug her stilettoed heel into Nyota's sore back. Nyota grimaced and suppressed a sigh of pain.

"Beg," she commanded, "Beg like the dog you are."

Nyota risked a look at Cerenos, who stood silently near the sideboard. He nodded and she blinked back tears as T'anan dragged her heel up and down her back.

Nyota closed her eyes against the pain as it rolled up and down her body in waves. Beads of sweat trickled down her brow and face. She took in a deep breath and watched as T'anan was helped out of her shoes. T'anan then stood before them barefoot, a sly grin pinned upon her lips.

"Kiss the feet of your goddess," she cooed as she slid her feet daintily beneath Nyota's face.

Nyota pursed her carefully painted lips a second in disgust and anger before pressing them against T'anan's feet. She could hear T'anan's laughter as she broke contact.

T'anan laughed heartily a moment more. "Bring me my wine. This piece of dung has learned her place."

Nyota began to see wisps of dark veins spiraling up T'anan's perfectly sculpted leg. T'anan didn't seem to notice; instead she sipped her wine happily, blissfully unaware that long threads of darkness were wrapping about her body like angry serpents.

Then she gasped. She dropped her goblet as a strangled sound of pain rushed out of her throat. She glanced back at Nyota who watched her with a satisfied smile.

"What. Did. You. _Do_!," she screamed and stalked across the floor. She stopped in front of Nyota and was about to deliver a hard slap when Cerenos grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing, Cerenos!" she railed and the guards stepped back and turned. T'anan yelled at their retreating backs, hurling words of rage about the cavernous room.

Cerenos held her arm in a vise like grip, she struggled as the poison worked its way through her bloodstream, tainting organs and poisoning a multitude of cells. She began hyperventilating as her immune system went into overdrive.

T'anan lashed out, screaming and cursing. She reared back like a snake, mouth wide and poised and then struck Cerenos on the arm, biting through cloth and flesh. He yelled and dropped back. Tiny, pointed fangs had descended from the upper reaches of her gums and were extending around the lump of flesh in her wide mouth. She spit and Nyota watched as the ball of flesh bounced along the floor to settle near Zuri's feet. Zuri moved hurriedly away, her eyes wide with fear.

"_Tushan, e' la cvesala_!," T'anan hissed as her pupils narrowed into evil, yellow slits. She clawed at her throat as ropes of desiccating smoke wrapped around her flesh, burning her skin, popping veins and capillaries. T'anan roared and whimpered. Her voice sounded harsh and inhuman, and Nyota could clearly begin to see that perhaps she wasn't human at all.

She turned glowing yellow orbs to Zuri. "I'll kill you! Kill you, you bitch!,"

Zuri shrieked as T'anan raced towards her. Nyota stood and spun and intercepted T'anan's blow. She ignored the twinge of pain that lanced her back and shoulders and instead pulled out the dagger. She deflected T'anan's sharp talons and forced her to the wall, where she struck her deep in the chest with the dagger. T'anan flailed and screamed as a geyser of blood sprayed out, gushing in pulses as her failing heart tried desperately to beat.

Nyota twisted the knife deeper, her eyes crazed and filled with the exhilaration of revenge. She had finally found her mother's killer. She had finally avenged the death of the villagers. Her mouth was laced with a cold smile as she continued to strike T'anan, pressing the dagger deep into several points into her dying body.

Black smoke filled the room as T'anan's body became dry and brittle and then began to burn with a cool, blue fire. Nyota stepped back from the flames and watched.

With her flesh burned and marred, Nyota could see the spotted traces of dark, grey skin and the mottled lumps of poison sacs.

Cerenos was cradling his arm and came to stand beside her.

"She wasn't human," Nyota murmured and then looked at Cerenos, "Did you know?"

"I had suspected. She never seemed to age," he breathed out heavily, "She was adamant about inspecting the bodies of the sacrificed. I had always thought she fed on them somehow, but I could never be sure. Until now."

Nyota shuddered. Zuri crept up behind her and gawked. "What _was_ she?"

"I suspect she was a watcher. The Legion created them as scouts. They are useful in scouting potential planets for a number of resources, including slaves. They are reportedly hardy, and do not succumb to illnesses like humans can. It is quite a lucrative venture for them, I suppose."

Nyota detected notes of greed and curiosity in his voice, but pushed the thought aside as she continued to watch T'anan's burning body.

A horn sounded in the distance and Cerenos paused, then waved Zuri and Nyota over to a hidden door.

"We've got to go. I know a shortcut to the mountains not far from here."


	31. Chapter 31

They raced through bracken and fields, the pulse of danger riding high in the winds and being carried in the cries heard far in the distance. The mountain side was steep and riddled with loose stones and debris. Zuri slipped and nearly fell off the incline as they climbed higher.

Nyota grabbed her hand and they worked their way up the embankment, Cerenos in tow. They climbed for what seemed like hours before reaching a path that leveled out and into the midst of trees and brush. They walked silently, with Cerenos cradling his arm and lagging behind. Nyota turned and noticed Cerenos as he grimaced in pain.

"What's wrong?," she called out and he hissed as the wound on his arm leaked pus and black blood.

"I suppose this is T'anan's revenge. She must have poisoned me. Bitch," he cursed roughly as they headed deep into the forest.

The chirp of nightbirds sailed above their heads as the second moon began to peak. Nocturnal animals scurried about as they began their hunt and Nyota strained to see in the encroaching darkness.

Cerenos was getting worse; his breathing was labored and his steps became uncoordinated and clumsy. Nyota looked back at him. She could easily leave him to die, she thought. But no, no matter how much she disliked him, he'd aided them. She trotted back to him and threw his arm about her shoulder, throwing his weight upon her own slender body.

They trudged a few more feet before Nyota nearly collapsed beneath his weight. Cerenos fell forward onto a bed of soft moss and moaned softly as he rolled over.

"There's no profit in dying upon a mountaintop."

"There's no profit to be made in dying, period," Nyota told him, frowning as she inspected his arm.

"Only if you're the one doing the dying," he replied and exhaled harshly. "Bitch. She owed me over twenty thousand credits to boot."

Zuri came to rest beside Cerenos and mopped his brow lightly with a ripped strip of cloth.

"He's burning with fever," she said and continued her ministrations.

Nyota was caught between indifference and a begrudging sense of concern for Cerenos' welfare. She sighed. "We're probably over eight miles from the nearest Velurian outpost. He'll never make it."

Suddenly Zuri yelped and stood. Instantly alert, Nyota shot up and looked around. She could hear the slight brush of feet upon earth.

Nyota tensed, her hand reaching for the dagger. Before she could grasp the handle, a voice called out to her in the darkness.

"Stay your weapon, _sa'ea_," a muscular, Velurian, his purple skin was mottled with spots and battle scars, stepped from behind a tree as others slid from around them like shadows.

"_Na' se a'teva ne. Tu ne a na lea na. Na_," We come in peace, there is no danger from us, Nyota pleaded as they continued their approach.

"_Ve a pana te nevi ba_," he replied, his tone disbelieving. He nodded towards Cerenos, who now lay writhing in pain. "You come with the likes of him. He who will vanquish villages, kill women and children and dishonor our gods?"

Nyota paused, carefully seeking the words to frame a careful negotiation. The Velurians, though advanced in speech, had a clearer, much more concise language than English or most other human tongues. Theirs was a language of diplomacy and disengagement. She thought a moment more before replying.

"I will not deny that I have traveled with this man," she replied in crisp Velurian, in a dialect reserved for priests and elders. The Velurian, impressed, stepped back and blinked rapidly before letting her continue. "He does not walk the path of the light. He is encased in shadow. He captured us, but helped us escape. So I have said, so it is."

The Velurian grunted and nodded to his kinsmen, who stepped closer.

"Humans are known to lie. You are born to do this. What can you say that will prove your tale?"

Zuri stood and stood close to Nyota. "We wish no harm to your people," she told him in lilting and slightly accented Velurian, "I carry the seed of the great mother in my womb. To wish you harm would wish harm of the innocent within me."

The Velurian moved as if slapped. "You would have a child with clan?"

His expression looked as if it were caught between horror, curiosity and confusion.

"How can this be?," another voice rang out and Nyota watched as a young Velurian female came out of the trees to stand near the male.

Her long pale braids, decorated with shells and beads cascaded down her body and tinkled delicately as she looked from the male to Zuri.

"The great mother has given us an innocent from a human female?," she said, her tone bewildered. "We must consult the elder."

The male reluctantly nodded, his face a mask of distrust and hatred.

"Bring them," he ordered. Nyota and Zuri were roughly pushed onto a path deep in the forest. Nyota could see that Cerenos was being carried by one of the warriors.

They were soon ushered into a village beneath the cover of trees and flora. Orbs filled with canthus oil burned high in the trees and the light of captured flameflies bloomed before each large, graceful hut. Curious eyes peeked out from behind doors before retreating back. Children were snatched into the safety of mother's arms as they approached.

They finally arrived at the entrance of a cavernous hut that was twined with flowers, leaves and artfully twisted vines. The Velurian male came to a drum before the hut and banged it once with a stick. He stepped back along with the others.

An elderly Velurian peeked out. Her hair was golden and glossy, despite her advanced age, and her white eyes shone with vitality and life. She leaned heavily upon a staff and walked stiffly beneath the weight of her robes.

"Atumra," the elder greeted lightly and the Velurian nodded in turn before kneeling, "You bring humans to our village?"

"Greetings, elder, your wisdom is valued," Nyota told her and the Velurian glanced at Nyota, her gaze contemplative and considering.

"You are well-versed in the language of the elders. Who has taught you this tongue?," she asked and as was custom, avoided looking the woman in the eye. Avoiding the gaze of an elder was a sign of deference and respect.

The woman clucked approvingly, "And such manners. If only the youth of this village could display such respect," she looked over at Atumra, who hung his head in shame.

"I have fought alongside your warriors against the enemy who kills," Nyota replied and the old Velurian nodded. She said nothing for a time and then beat her cane against the ground.

"This one is with child," she continued and looked at Zuri, her gaze sharp and piercing, "It is from the great mother, it is clan, kin to the ancestors."

Zuri gasped softly, but made sure she did not look the Velurian in the eye.

"It is an abomination. A human mother, and a traitor for a father," Atumra spit and the old woman beat her cane against the ground once more.

"Silence! It is not for us to question the great mother. She has given us a boon. We must accept."

Atumra grew silent and said nothing more. Anger was evident in the tension of his muscles and the rigidity of his closed fist.

The Velurian walked about slowly, tracing her staff across the ground and sighed. "The one who kills. He is here, injured. The _rathlos_, has poisoned him."

Nyota did not bother to question how she knew about Cerenos. She stayed quiet and the Velurian continued.

"Warrior," she said and came to stand near Nyota, "You have hunted and tamed the enemy who kills. You are welcome."

Nyota breathed a sigh of relief.

"And he who kills, what say you, warrior? Will you have him die? Or shall we heal him? This is your choice. From now until the great mother pulls the moons from the sky, you are family."

Atumra hissed and the Velurian elder shot him a venomous look. He quieted down once more and she glanced at Nyota once more.

Nyota thought a moment. It would probably be easy to have Cerenos killed. But then, he was the reason T'anan was dead. She sighed.

"I would have you heal him, dear elder, only in so much as he has saved me. He will die not only from his injury but from lack of a stone which lies here--,"

The elder abruptly cut off Nyota, "He will have it. It is the great mother's will. She has spoken. You will have use of him some day, warrior. He will not die today."

Nyota looked at the Velurian, puzzlement and confusion clouding her expression before hurriedly dropping her eyes.

"So I have said. So it is," the elder announced, "This is the eye of the storm, my children. The head of the serpent has been cast away, but a new one shall take its place. Come, and be amongst your people," the elder told them and Nyota nodded.

She could see Atumra in the corner of her eye as she passed him. Nyota's instincts screamed for her to watch and be mindful of him.

Nyota shook her head of such thoughts and let the Velurians usher her through the village.


	32. Chapter 32

Zuri was screaming. Her brow was marked with sweat, and tears of pain and frustration rolled down her face. Her round belly was high beneath the loose robe and she writhed in pain.

"By gods' this hurts!," she yelled and Nyota held her hand, gritting her teeth as Zuri's nails dug into her palm.

"It will be over soon. Help is coming," Nyota assured her as several women filed into the cool hut. They immediately shooed Nyota away from her sister and quickly went about organizing herbs, making potions and soothing tonics and rolling up Zuri's hem.

Zuri screamed high and wild as a contraction struck. "Damn you Ari!," she cursed, "Damn you for not being here! It _hurts_…,"

Nyota slipped out the hut, not quite sure what she could do to alleviate her sister's pain. She simply sat outside, watching the villagers as they walked about, noticing in wry humor that the men gave wide berth to Zuri's hut.

Nyota sat in contemplative silence, trying to ignore the screams, grunts and yells that came from inside. She felt a warm presence beside her and smiled.

"Elder," she greeted, "Your wisdom is--,"

"I know, it is valued, young one," the elder replied.

"Soon the innocent will be in the world," the elder continued and Nyota nodded.

"You will have children of your own someday," the elder told Nyota and she shrugged.

"Perhaps," she replied evenly, though her tone held and edge of doubt.

"We often only see what is in front of our faces, not what is within our hearts. You will do well to remember that young one."

Nyota cast a sidelong glance at the elder as she gingerly stood and ambled away.

Zuri named him Anu. He had only a slight purple cast to his skin, yet boasted the beginning of horns and the assemblage of spots and freckles frequently had by his people. His cry was tiny and weak, and though he was smaller than most Velurian infants, he was responsive and alert.

Nyota often held him, cooing at him as he smiled and blinked up at her, her heart swelling with love and fierce protectiveness.

"He has mama's eyes," Zuri told her one day as Nyota sat looking down at Anu's tiny face. She glanced over him, and nodded.

"He does," Nyota agreed, "But he has baba's quick temper," Nyota joked as Anu began to fuss, eager to be fed.

Zuri hissed as the infant's sharp fangs nipped her delicate skin. He latched on and began gently suckling. Zuri smiled and held him close.

The moment couldn't have been spoiled by anything. Except Cerenos. He shambled in and Zuri gave a shriek before throwing a mat over her exposed chest.

"You've got nothing I want," he snarled and Zuri rolled her eyes.

"We've got some things to discuss you and I," Cerenos told Nyota. Nyota looked over at Zuri once before getting to her feet and following Cerenos outside.

"What is it Cerenos? Why are you still here? You've gotten what you've wanted after all,"

"You need to tell me where the other stones are."

Nyota rolled her eyes.

"It's been four months. The elder is not going to tell you and neither am I. Give it up and go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under."

"I have information you want," he told her.

Nyota snorted, "There's nothing you could tell me that would make me change my mind."

"Not even the life of your sister and her child?"

Nyota paused and considered. "What do you mean?"

"I've heard from several operatives from the Suring province that there is going to be an attack."

"An attack? Here? When?"

Cerenos shrugged and smiled. Nyota narrowed her eyes, a mere 10 seconds away from throttling the man.

"Will you help us in any way? Or are you just going to take the stones and run?"

Cerenos grinned widely and shrugged once more. "I will give you the information you seek and what you choose to do with it is up to you."

"I can't trust you Cerenos. You could be lying just to get what you want."

"Maybe. But you won't sleep well at night knowing I might be right."

Nyota sighed. "I'll think about it."

Nyota stalked away and walked to her hut and around to the small garden out back. She dug up a small box and sighed. She opened it and glanced inside. It was filled with about ten thousand credits worth of gold coins. She had been saving for the last few months, going back and forth between villages down the mountain, acting as a vigilante for hire.

She sighed. She had been thinking that perhaps it was time for her and Zuri to leave this planet. Perhaps they could go to one of the provinces, get on a ship and get as far away from Geidi Prime as possible. She didn't want to aid Cerenos in his quest to secure the stones. It would only hurt the Velurians. The Velurians had been like family, and to Nyota, there was no greater bond than family.

Nyota buried the coins beneath a layer of topsoil and vegetation. She'd get her sister to leave as soon as possible. And just in case there was a chance Cerenos was telling the truth, she'd warn the villagers. It was the only thing she could think to do.

* * *

The attack was swift, and in spite of ample warnings from Nyota and other Velurians who ventured to the human villages below, there was little hope to be gained against the weapons the Velurians faced.

T'anan had been replaced with some other bloodthirsty despot, who was eager to fill her void with more violence and bloodshed. Nyota had been fighting alongside the Velurians since early morning, and the troops were continuing to advance up the mountain and soon they would be overwhelmed.

Rhyssla, a young Velurian warrior, ran to Nyota covered in blood and gore, her pale hair matted and messy and her white eyes filled with fear.

"We have to retreat. We are dying,"

Nyota shook her head sadly. All her life she had been fighting a never ending war. It seemed futile to fight, and yet she knew she would try.

"There is a transport ship ten miles from here, down the mountain," Rhyssla told her.

Nyota nodded and the girl thought a moment then balked, "No, we couldn't. The ship is protected by King Argnaut's men. We'd be overwhelmed. We will die," the girl began to cry sadly.

"Not if I can help it. I will secure passage for all the villagers that are alive and able to walk."

The girl's eyes widened. "That will cost thousands of credits! We can't--,"

"I can," Nyota said as she sprinted down the path, her body quickly moving to her hut. She raced to the garden, hastily digging up her prize. She uncovered the box, and hurriedly looked inside. Her eyes widened.

She must have screamed for long, interminable minutes. It was as if she were hearing herself from beyond some great muffled wall of pain. Gone. Every single coin was gone. She shook the box in anger, as if the motion would make them reappear.

The coins had been taken. She couldn't think of any Velurian who would think to do such a thing, but she knew a man that could. Cerenos. She stood up and stretched. She would get her people to safety, and then--then she would find him, and make him pay.


	33. Chapter 33

Her people had been walking for days. They were exhausted and hungry. Many had grown sick and were beginning to show symptoms of the Velurian flu. Her nephew included. The baby coughed and wheezed as Zuri frantically sought to alleviate its pain.

Nyota knew the elders had solved the problem of the flu many centuries ago by administering the boiled root of the Akn'ait plant. But it was impossible to create a cure for anyone. The coming armies had begun burning down the forest and trees. The nearest growth of the plant was several hundred miles away, and no one would survive the hazardous trek.

Nyota paced, her eyes moving across the space to where her nephew's tiny body lay. He whimpered and cried softly. Zuri crooned to him, her voice breaking with unshed tears. Nyota's heart felt as if it were breaking. She rushed across the distance and sat close to her sister and nephew. She reached out to rub his tiny hand and kiss his fevered cheek.

"He's part human. He can survive right? I mean this can't kill him, he's just a baby," Zuri's voice warbled as she fought back tears.

Nyota was at a loss for words. The surviving healers were doing all they can, but each day a Velurian died and each day Nyota worried what it meant for her sister's child.

"He has baba's spirit. He will survive," she assured Zuri, who smiled weakly at the mention of their beloved baba.

"He was a character wasn't he?," Zuri reminisced and Nyota smiled.

"Yes," Zuri agreed, "He was. Remember the time he swore to Mama he'd put on a costume and dance around like an angry bear before he'd ever like couscous?"

Nyota giggled at the memory. "Yes, and Mama made a dish especially for him and he enjoyed it so much he declared it his favorite!"

"He was so mad after he found out what was in it! But he was right serious when he declared, 'A promise is a promise'," Zuri imitated and then laughed heartily.

"He looked quite mad dancing around in the living room dressed like a goat. I'm surprised there were no holos of that."

Nyota joined in the round of laughter. Soon Zuri's laughter became tears and she began to sob heavily.

"I don't know what I'll do if I lose him Ny," she said and Nyota could only hold her, her heart filled with sadness and pain.

* * *

They laid Anu to rest on the mountainside along with ten others on a cool, rainy morning. Zuri was catatonic and wouldn't respond to any overtures of sympathy and comfort, even from Nyota. In spite of the loss, Nyota could only urge everyone to continue moving forward. The armies were closing in and she was determined not lose the few people she considered family.

Zuri worried Nyota. She wouldn't eat. She wouldn't sleep. She'd only stumble a few feet before falling forward, crying out her baby's name. A Velurian male had decided to carry her the rest of the way, and she lay limply in his arms, her eyes focused on nothing in particular. Nyota was fighting her own grief. She had yet to properly give rites to Anu's spirit, and yet she had to lead her people away from danger. She was caught between states, and the stress began to show in the slope of shoulders and the tightness of her neck.

The advancing troops caught up with their party a day later, and Nyota fought with everything within her. She cut, kicked and slashed at their faces, her mouth twisted with fury and anger and her heart battling crippling sadness.

They reached a promontory, and waters swirled violently below, jagged rocks cut into the mountainside as winged Eroks grazed above them.

Nyota signaled for her team to move.

"Get everyone on one of the beasts now!"

Everything was fast and frantic. Nyota could not keep track of the action below her as she fought to save the defenseless. She watched as warriors grabbed hold of the Eroks and placed as many adults upon as many of them as they could. The Eroks squawked madly for a moment before calmly taking flight one after the other. Nyota searched frantically for Zuri.

"Where is she?," she screamed. Many of kinsmen didn't know and Nyota raced down a path, her weapon raised. She was standing with Atumra. Nyota narrowed her eyes and began to run forward. The warrior had no love in his heart for Zuri and he was showing his sentiments well.

Atumra was using her sister as a human shield while he slashed as several slavers, before cruelly throwing her into their grasp. Zuri didn't struggle, instead she stared stupidly ahead as they began to fondle and jostle her. Nyota screamed in rage.

"Zuri! I'm coming!," she yelled and then felt herself suddenly become airborne.

"No!," she yelled as the Erok clutched her in its taloned grip. She looked up into the face of the rider. It was her lead warrior, E'nnok.

"We have to go back! We have to go back!" Nyota yelled as tears rushed down her face.

E'nnok said nothing and continued pushing the beast upwards and over the rushing waters. She was their leader. They needed her alive. Even if it meant her sister's life.

Nyota screamed for a long moment, then contented herself with throwing her blade down and smiling in twisted grief as it struck a slaver's back.


	34. Chapter 34Part I

**A/N: Hey everyone, here's another chapter. I apologize for the wait. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

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The sea of weapons caught the sun, sending sparks of light into the air as the sound of footsteps echoed like approaching thunder. Attack vessels swarmed the skies and the cry of flying beasts burdened by riders rent the atmosphere as Nyota signaled for her ship to take its position.

Zuri's growing power was evident in the vast amount of ships bordering the areas of space and beyond the Nexus system. Fully equipped battle drones had been dispatched to areas with high density slave sites and the dismantling of communications between bases of operations where slaves were transported had begun. The Legion had sent their most heavily armed ships to destroy the threat to their economic investments, and had already failed miserably in sectors patrolled by the future queen. War was brewing; and each side was prepared to fight.

Zuri was dressed from head to toe in battle armor. Her eyes were lit with furious determination and the set of her mouth was angry and sure. Nyota stood beside her sister on the ship's bridge, her expression as equally fierce and determined, her battle gear was shined and sharpened, and her toned and muscled body was fitted in smooth, strong Carthurian leather.

The ship began to speed to low orbit, racing to the outpost near Centorion-5's equatorial line of trade, a place infamous as a resting place for slaves before they were transported to worlds beyond.

"Captain," Frenin commented, "We're being hailed."

Nyota nodded, "On screen."

A grisly bearded man sat imperiously upon a throne made of bone and ochre, his jerkin bore the symbol of the Legion's god, Thenos, the lord of chaos and destruction. His long braids scraped his broad shoulders and his hand clutched a golden rod, which depicted a maiden being devoured by a white worm.

"Pull back your forces and we will let you live," he spat and Zuri chuckled humorlessly.

"Will you desist in your depraved practice of ending innocent lives and selling sentient beings if they were no more than slime beneath your feet?"

The man chuckled and Nyota's mouth twisted in fury, "Then you'll prepare to die,"

"End communication," Nyota growled and spun, and looked to Spock, who stood with his hands folded behind his back.

"Commander," Nyota smiled cruelly, "If you may."

"Affirmative, Captain," he turned and initiated a series of codes, and Nyota's ship and her sister's armada pulsed green, then blue as chunks of the rare substance culled from Cerenos' life source ignited in a chain reaction that strengthened each ship's core.

"On my mark," Nyota commanded and Frenin nodded, "Fire."

The base ignited in a fury of flames and explosions. It was the call to arms and Zuri's armada followed suit by blasting a cadre of Legion ships. They returned fire, and soon the system was awash in heated battle. The ship rocked and lurched, yet Nyota remained coolly composed.

"Boost shields 53%. Return fire," she commanded and watched as the Legion ship exploded in a brilliant show of light and gas, the silent tread of debris trailing across the orbit as similar fates befell other Legion ships.

The ship then maneuvered past enemy fire and into higher orbit, leading the enemy ships into traps deliberately set by Zuri's people, as several ships dropped from warp to impulse and suddenly surrounded Legion targets with deadly fire.

A team of people including Nyota, Zuri and Spock then reported to the ready room.

"I've received reports from all over the sector," Frenin began and Zuri nodded for her to continue.

"The base on Delta-7 has been destroyed. Several battle cruisers have been rendered inoperable and are being prepared to board. Several slave trading species have surrendered. But it's not over; there is some trouble at a location at Delarion-9."

Zuri narrowed her eyes. "They've been trading Vulcans there. That's strange."

Incredulity crashed over Spock's face before being washed away calmly by an expression of calm control. "I was not aware that there are Vulcans in bondage at Delarion-9."

Frenin nodded along with a few others. "Oh yes. It's been going on for quite some time. Though, since the embargo, it's been a little hit or miss but...," she added hesitantly, "We've transported a few—Vulcan slaves through the system that were processed there."

Nyota could feel that Spock was disturbed. She turned to him, her expression filled with curiosity and concern. "What is it? Tell me what's going on, Spock."

He was quiet for a moment before he remarked, "Delarion-9 is the site of one of the largest colonies of the V'tosh Ka'tur," he continued, "The V'tosh Ka'tur are a people without logic. It is possible that they would—sell their brethren for profit,"

Frenin snorted. "Well, the way I hear it, it's not those V'tosh or whoever that are doing it. It's some of those high-up Vulcans back on that Vulcan planet that have been orchestrating it, and the colonies have been grumbling about war for awhile now, and the Visigoths have been trading weapons with them for the last few months."

Nyota could feel Spock's shock through their bond. "These are surely rumors. Rumors often have no basis in reality."

Frenin shrugged, "Well, whatever. We have to get an armada down there within the next standard day or two."

Frenin eyed Zuri then Nyota, "What should I tell the crew…should I-,"

"Tell them to prepare. We will be orbiting Delarion-9 and whatever they conquer, is theirs for the keeping," Nyota ordered and Frenin smiled greedily, "Yes sir!"

Zuri's mouth was set in determination, "I will inform a team of ships to follow you there."

Nyota turned to stand when the ship suddenly lurched.

She tried to keep her balance as the ship swayed and bucked. "Report!"

"We're being hit by some sort of—I don't know. It's an array I've never seen before," Frenin replied then her face became chalky white, "That's-that's impossible!"

"What's impossible?," Nyota demanded as the red alert sounded and sparks flew.

"We're being boarded! They're getting past our shields," Frenin exclaimed as she tapped into the console.

Nyota swore and followed Spock and Zuri as they raced out into the corridor.

A swarm of Legion soldiers were gathering further down the hall, their weapons raised high as they shot, stabbed and tackled several men standing at their stations.

Nyota's face tightened with anger. She pulled out a weapon and sprinted down the corridor. Zuri and Spock followed closely behind. Several people were already fighting the soldiers and had managed to take down three mercenaries, but they were still coming, and soon, they'd be overwhelmed.

Nyota plunged into the fray, her body moving in elegant motion as she hyper-extended and twisted her muscles and ligaments into lethal, furious kicks with the hard impact of her feet snapping necks and damaging nerves. A Legion soldier rushed her, his heavy axe slicing into the air above as she twisted sharply, her back arching and her body folding delicately, sliding nearly to the ground, and missing the sharp blade as it whooshed above her. She popped up quickly and threw her dagger in the flesh of his neck, watching for a moment as he gurgled and choked on his blood.

She looked over and saw that her sister was deftly maneuvering a sword and was slicing her way through a line of soldiers as they approached. Her brow was already slicked with sweat and blood stained the shiny, light weight chain mail of her armor.

Teams of fighters were dispersed across the grid, and they were battling hard, but it was apparent to Nyota that they were vastly outnumbered. She spotted Spock as he fought two huge men draped in skulls and the tell-tale scars detailing the number of beings they'd killed. One was nearly covered from head to toe in the criss-crossing webbing of old scarring. He was taller than Spock by at least two feet and Nyota was beginning to see that Spock was fatigued. Panicked and growing desperate, she jumped across the space and atop the man's back, lodging her death star into the sensitive area behind his neck. He fell, and Nyota rolled away from his weight. Spock quickly nodded his thanks and continued fighting.

More soldiers were beamed aboard and Nyota heaved a sigh of frustration. She pulled out an energy array and blasted as many as she could, the discharge blew gaping holes into chests and torsos, and for a moment the flow of soldiers seemed to stymie, only to quickly increase as they sought to detain her ship as well as the others.

_How did they get past the shields?_ She wondered as she slammed her fist into the face of the nearest soldier, who was no more than a child, but already had the hard, evil look of hatred etched upon his face. _I've got to stop them_….she thought helplessly as she raced through the sector, killing, slashing and throwing her sharpened weapons at enemy targets, trying hard to ignore the smell of death and blood.

"Nyota!," her sister screamed behind her and Nyota turned—and found herself trapped in the vice-like grip of a Legion warrior. She struggled and kicked, trying vainly to use her superior strength to dislodge his hold. He laughed and gripped Nyota tighter. Nyota tried to breathe as her air supply began to wane and stars danced before her eyes.

Zuri gave a whoop of angry fury and raced towards Nyota, Spock hot on her heels. Zuri's weapon was raised and she had the soldier's head in her sights. Before she could take a swing, a bright light burned hot and fiery, it pulsed and throbbed, temporarily blinding everyone and fighting ceased. And then—the two were gone. Zuri could only stare in horror at the space where Nyota had been, her wail high and keening.


	35. Chapter 34Part II

There was darkness. Darkness, cool dry air and the smell of unwashed bodies. Nyota took a deep breath and pushed forward, her eyes finally beginning to make out the door in the dim cover of gray light, and the circle of metal that made up the latch.

"You dona' wanna do that, lass," a voice called out to her and she turned, her eyes making out the faint shape of a man as he sat in a corner, his feet flat against the ground and his knees pushed up against him.

She ignored him and reached out to the latch, and was knocked backwards by a force, its impact rushing through her chest and back. Nyota lay on the ground sputtering and moaning, before getting up to her feet. She glared at the door and narrowed her eyes.

"Told ya. Though the last person that tried that ended up dead," the man informed her and she spun angrily before sitting upon the cold, hard floor.

The man reached out, his hand hovering in the air. "My name's Montgomery Scott. Nice ta meet yer acquaintance."

Nyota eyed him suspiciously before pumping his hand. "My name's—Uhura."

"Uhura," he said as if testing the name against his tongue, "That's it?"

"Yep."

"Well, Uhura. I guess this is it. I've had a short, albeit illustrious career with Star Fleet. Dying wasn't part of the plan when I woke up this morning. I can only assume that Scotland will mourn," he made a noise in his throat, "Then again maybe not."

"You're with Star Fleet?," Nyota inquired.

"Aye. Sure am, lassie," he replied as his shoulders straightened with pride.

"How did you end up here?,"

"We encountered a hostile group of ships near the border of the Deltax system. We gave those bastards a good fight, we did. But we got overtaken, and all other Starfleet ships were warned to keep out."

Nyota grunted only half-listening. Her mind was already calculating odds and angles as her eyes swept the room.

"Mr. Scott," she interrupted his diatribe and he stopped.

"Yes,"

"Have you seen anyone else?"

"Well, I was here with a Klingon. That wasn't very nice. And two other prisoners. One died trying the door. The other got taken away."

"By who?"

"I don't know fer sure, lassie," he told her, "He was wearing a mask and full body uniform."

"It was just one—man?"

"I believe so."

Nyota's mind was working over-time, then she glanced up at the ceiling, noticing that there was a door high above them, probably the entrance to a crawl space. She smiled.

"Mr. Scott," she said and turned to him, "Perhaps we'll die another day. Just not today."

He shot her a look of confusion and she ran to the wall, her hands and feet gaining purchase as she climbed.

The Scotsman looked up in astonishment as she scaled the wall like an insect, her fingers grabbing against the metal protrusions above.

"Ya gonna hurt yourself lassie."

Nyota ignored him as she pushed her fist into the crawl space door. Luckily there wasn't anything protecting it. Her captors must have dumbly thought no one would ever try escaping through the crawl space. _Idiots_, she thought.

She pulled the flimsy material downward, as slivers of metal rained down to the floor below. She glanced downwards and could see that Mr. Scott was now standing and shielding his eyes from the flying debris.

"I'll come back for you. Be ready," she told him as she ducked inside the small space.

The space was dark and slimy. Nyota crawled forward, her knees slipping once or twice before she found her center of balance. She kept moving, her eyes picking up bits of light before her. She found herself looking down between the slats of a metal grate.

Sure enough, there was only one guard posted before their door. And he was heavily armed. Nyota grinned evilly. Not for long.

She waited until he was directly below her before slamming full force into the grate and coming down upon his head.

He twirled and stumbled, confused and dazed as Nyota rained hard blows upon him. Then she jumped from atop him, punched him hard in the face and delivered a quick kick to his abdomen and followed through with a three fingered hit to his throat, which dislocated and crushed his windpipe.

He fell like a hollow tree and Nyota quickly collected his weapons. She then pulled at his body, using his hand upon the door scanner and disengaged the force field.

Mr. Scott gave a yelp of surprise as the door swung in. Nyota smirked and threw him a few weapons.

"Come on, Mr. Scott. We've got work to do."

He looked at her in awe and then grinned. "Lass, call me Scottie. That's what all my friends call me. And anyone who saves me arse is a friend fer sure."

He followed Nyota as they made their way down a dark corridor. The air was dank and musky. Nyota wrinkled her nose and waited as her eyes adjusted. She could pick out the distinct shape of the computer console ahead.

She nodded for Scottie to follow and she traipsed over to the console. She tapped in a few codes and gained access to the network.

"Okay," she muttered, "Let's see what I can do."

She tampered with the ship's log, and could see that there were about a hundred prisoners, sixty five armed guards and a few life signs were gathered on the ship's bridge.

She rerouted the computer calculations and commanded the ship set a course right for Zuri's armada in the next system. She dropped auxiliary power to the weapon's core and tried to sabotage and disable the systems operating the holding cells.

Suddenly the alarm sounded. "Shit," Nyota mumbled, only now aware that the computer system had a silent, but effective hacking program in place to dissuade intruders.

"_Intruder alert_," the computerized voice remarked, "_Danger. Intruder alert_."

"What do we do now?," Scottie asked her.

"We run," she told him and they took off down a corridor.

They ran quickly down a terminal and swung a left before Nyota ran right into a sting net. She found herself flying off her feet as pain surged through her. She was roughly dragged down the hall, her hands feebly struggling. She could hear Scottie shouting as they were ushered into a room.

Bright light pierced her retinas as she was deposited in the middle of the floor alongside Scottie.

"Very good, Vidar," a melodic voice rang out and Nyota looked up, and then her eyes widened as she was taken aback by surprise.

"_Sylek_?" she exclaimed and he nodded.

"Yes," he affirmed and sighed. "Assassin. You always were a wily one."

"That will be all Vidar."

Vidar growled. "I am not your henchman. I am leader of the Legion warriors. You promised me payment in exchange for what I've done for you."

Sylek smiled slightly and steepled his hands. "And you shall have it."

Sylek motioned to a guard who came in carry a tray. "You say I owe you three million credits as well as unlimited access to the slaves held on Telarius."

Vidar nodded and Sylek removed the tray covering, picked up an object and then before anyone could stop him, blasted Vidar in the head.

"And I believe I owe you nothing."

Nyota watched a Vidar's body dropped to the ground. She turned back to Sylek as he calmly leaned back in his chair. He regarded Nyota silently before responding.

"You have been as most Terrans would say 'a thorn at my side,' Ice Maiden," he told her and she sneered.

"I'm not exactly a thorn, Sylek," she spit and a smile nearly leapt from his Vulcan composure.

"No. You are a deadly weapon. More lethal than any thorn could ever hope to be," he commented and then said, "Tell me assassin, did you find Spock entertaining?"

Nyota's blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"

"I sent you to complete a rather urgent task. You did not complete it. Though keeping Spock out of the council's affairs for a while did wonders for me. But, then you end up taking over Cerenos' ship and aiding your sister in leading the rebellion. I had hoped to—'kill two birds with one stone,' by having you kill Spock, and then have you lead me to the whereabouts of your sister. And yet, you did none of these things."

He leaned forward in his chair, a gesture so human that it seemed wholly in contrast with his Vulcan appearance. "Where is your sister and what is she planning?"

She snarled and then snorted, "I'm not telling you sh-,"

"I am not asking. I am telling you," he commanded, "She has disrupted my empire for far too long."

"Empire?," Nyota asked curiously and he actually did grace her with a smile.

"Why yes," he said imperiously, "Once the Nexus system has been taken and the trade embargo has been lifted, I will be free to continue my slave trade."

"You?," Nyota gasped, "You've been controlling the slave trade all these years? But how—why?," she sputtered.

"I will not take the lion's share of the credit. With the help of several high-ranking Vulcans, a few emissaries, officials, and beings of power from other worlds and unfettered access to bases all over this galaxy, I have become powerful and influential these last few decades. As for why—well, my lifestyle does not afford itself."

"And these other "high-ranking Vulcans" who are they? Where are they?"

Sylek gazed at Nyota for a moment and raised his brow. "They are all dead."

"Dead?"

"Yes. This venture is not one in which I intend to share. I have only a few obstacles before my vision is complete. Your sister is one of them."

He seemed to sigh and then leaned back into the soft cushions of the chair. "I suppose I can use a human slave such as yourself. But you will need to be tamed. And Spock-," he stopped and Nyota's face became tight with anger.

"What are you planning on doing to him?,"

"I am going to have him eliminated. The council will soon be dissolved and I will have no use for him, especially after the Vulcan war."

Nyota glared and inquired angrily, "What Vulcan war?"

"The war between the V'tosh K'atur and the followers of Surak, of course. I've been inciting their bad blood for years now. Soon it will explode into a mix of chaos and war. I will rise as the voice of reason, and with no opposition, trade routes near Centorion-5 and the Vulcan home world will be reopened."

"I won't let you get away with this," Nyota promised and he shrugged softly.

"I am sure there is nothing you can do."

Nyota's mind began working, whirling and spinning. There was always something one could do. And she would make it happen.


	36. Chapter 35

**A/N: As usual, my life is crazy, so I haven't been able to post. Sorry about the wait! Enjoy!**

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They threw her into the brig, kicking, screaming, hissing and fighting. The guards were amused by her antics at first, but after her punches and kicks connected with their faces, broke jaws and twisted limbs, they grew wary and approached with weapons raised and ready. She found herself along with Scottie planted in the bright, white padded cell, with no means of escape.

"Damnit!," Nyota swore as she tried in vain to find an exit, but only succeeded in growing frustrated and angry.

"Well lass, at least we have better accommodations," Scottie joked and nodded toward the steel latrine and sink.

Nyota shot him an evil glare and continued perusing the room. She paced for a moment before dropping down onto the floor in a huff.

"There's no hope in getting' yerself all worked up, lass. We've got ta have our heads clear," he suggested and walked over to the latrine, while unzipping his pants.

"I've got ta relieve meself," he said as he pulled his back to her, "That doesn't bother you does it?"

Nyota shrugged. "Suit yourself."

While Scottie busied himself at the latrine, Nyota began walking over to the eastern end of the cell, her eyes taking in a slight crack in the padding.

She prodded the material and then ripped it down hastily. The smooth metal beneath pulsed with the light of circuitry and Nyota smiled triumphantly. If she could just find something sharp….

Nyota listened to the jingle of Scottie's belt and it was as if a light went on in her mind.

"Give me your belt," she ordered and Scottie looked over at her, surprise etched onto his face.

"I can't. It's attached to my pants."

Nyota rolled her eyes. "Well, give me your pants then."

Scottie looked down at himself and gulped. "I can't give you my pants! I'm not wearing me skivvies!"

"Don't make me ask you again," she warned and he reluctantly slid off his pants and handed them to Nyota. He covered himself with his hands while she set about her task.

She used the sharp end of Scottie's buckle to pry at a panel. It loosened slightly and Nyota began to tug at it in earnest.

After a few moments, she had made headway in prying the panel from the wall and had begun to dig into the circuitry when the lights in the room dimmed, flickered and then went out completely.

"What in the bloody hell-," Scotty swore and Nyota blinked rapidly, making her eyes adjust to the darkness.

The ship's systems went offline for a moment and Nyota could feel the ship list through space before the engines began to hum softly. Then the ship pitched to the side and Nyota fell over, and bumped hard into wall. She righted herself and stood. She could see Scottie sitting in the corner, still feebly holding himself when the door busted in.

Shadowy figures rushed in and Nyota struggled against the grip of hands as they pulled her from the room.

"Ice, it's me!," a voice trilled happily and Nyota ceased struggling and turned to see a laughing pair of eyes staring down at her.

"Gaila?," Nyota exclaimed incredulously.

"Yep! ," she concurred cheerfully.

"But how—I sent you to a safe haven. How did you find me?"

"I'm part of the resistance. I joined while I was on Mavala-IV. And finding you was just a big fat coincidence. I never thought I'd see you again," Gaila told her and her eyes filled with tears and her lips wobbled woefully.

Nyota let herself be wrapped into Gaila's embrace before the sound of a throat clearing interrupted them.

"Girls, I love reunions just like anyone else, but we've got to go and I've got to find my pants."

Gaila grinned coyly. "Who's the Scottish hunk over there?"

Scottie blushed furiously and Nyota rolled her eyes. She stepped back into the room, grabbed Scottie's pants and threw them at him. "Come on, we've got to get out of here. How many fighters are with you?"

"I brought with me 85 fighters, plus there are six armadas and seven armed envoys from Queen Zuri's camp. Hey— come to think of it, you look a lot like her. Are you guys-,"

"Yes, Gaila. She's my sister. Now stop chattering and let's go," she told Gaila, and surprised her by giving her a wide grin.

Gaila smiled back and they zoomed down the corridor, the sound of weapon discharge getting closer and heavier as they rounded the corner.

Gaila blasted a few soldiers as they came bounding fast and they met up with several fighters from her team. Gaila issued a few commands and they all sped off in disparate directions.

Fighters were beaming aboard in droves. Nyota, Gaila and Scottie sped across the sector, Gaila's weapon fire clearing a path to the holding cells. They turned into another terminal and ran into Spock. Shocked, Nyota found herself off balance and on the ground.

A light only Nyota could see sparked in his eyes. He held her a bit longer than necessary as he helped her to her feet.

"Ashal'veh," he said softly, "You are well."

"Yes. I'm fine."

A look passed between them and Spock softly traced his hands against her face.

Gaila grinned and jumped up and down excitedly. "Wow. You've got yourself a Vulcan work of art," she whistled and Nyota threw her an irritated glance.

"Icee's in love! Icee's in _loooveee_…," she sing-songed, while skipping away and gaily blasting away several Legion soldiers who had been headed in their direction.

"Oh, for Tor's sake!" Nyota rolled her eyes and muttered, annoyed that Spock's lips had turned up a notch at the corners before quickly smoothing out. Spock handed her and Scottie weapons, and they traipsed cautiously down the corridor, blazing a path past the Legion's line of resistance and taking out as many armed guards as they could find.

"This perimeter is secure!," a fighter yelled to Gaila and she nodded. "Take out the other sectors of the ship. See if there are anymore slaves on board."

The fighters hurried to obey her command and sped off down the terminal. Gaila turned to Spock and Nyota.

"I've got to get you guys off the ship. We've got shuttles in the area-,"

"No," Nyota told her and Gaila threw her a look of confusion. She turned to Spock.

"I have to find Sylek. He's the key to this mess. And I've got a score to settle."

Spock gazed at her silently for a moment and then nodded. "I will accompany you."

Nyota hid a smile and turned to Scottie. "Scottie, you go with Gaila."

"But-," Gaila sputtered and Nyota raised a hand gently, "We'll be fine Gaila. We'll meet you at this terminal in about an hour."

Gaila smiled, nodded and pulled Nyota into a quick hug. "Be careful, Ice."

Nyota nodded and followed Spock as he began making his way down the opposite corridor. They carefully tread into a maze of hallways and terminals before finding themselves pushing deeper into the ship's interior. Bright light spilled in disarray across the mesh of twisted and corrugated metal as they crossed into a vast space filled with capsules. Nyota walked up to a capsule and quickly jumped back in shock. The capsules were filled with—_things_, suspended in liquid.

Spock came up behind her and inspected the capsule. "It appears to be filled with a combination of saline, metroxythanol and an unidentifiable liquid gas."

"Okay…but what the hell is that?," Nyota pointed and Spock looked at the glass a moment more before stepping back.

"I do not know."

Nyota charged her weapon and raised it. "Something tells me we may have a problem."

They continued making their way past the capsules and moved past a series of cells. The cells appeared to be empty, save one. Nyota's eyes began to filter the darkness in the cage, her eyes narrowed a moment and then she gasped.

"Spock," she called and he turned.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?," she asked and he looked over into the cage, an expression pulled at his features before he composed himself once more.

The thing raised a high pitched scream before settling down on its haunches. It had the wings of a huge bird of prey, the body and face of a human female, with dark, obsidian eyes set into a snarling and menacing expression. Its fingers were curled into sharp claws and the clack of its talons across the cell floor set Nyota on edge and she raised her weapon once more.

The thing whined pitifully and sputtered before sitting cross legged along the floor. Nyota noticed that it was heavy with child. She lowered her weapon but spun when a voice interrupted the strange stillness.

"Are you admiring my creation?," Nyota spotted Sylek as he walked out a few feet from the beneath the shadows of an alcove. Nyota's mouth twisted in disgust.

"What have you been up to Sylek?," she spat and he shrugged. Spock's expression remained calm and serene, even as his hands tightened upon his weapon.

"I have been given special license to indulge in my rather—eclectic scientific pursuits. As I have been given a vast population upon which to further my research, this has been the result of many years of hard work and multiple errors."

Nyota nearly shook with anger. "You've been experimenting on the slaves haven't you? But why? Why would you do—this!," she exclaimed and indicted the cage.

Sylek glanced at Spock a moment before throwing her a cavalier smile. "Unlike my very stoic brethren, I live unencumbered by the teachings of an old and irrelevant philosopher."

Spock's face tightened only minutely from anger before he tilted his head to the side and spoke.

"It is only the most practiced, erudite and efficient of Vulcans that can follow the teachings of Surak. Perhaps you are not one of them."

Sylek grinned, "Insulting. But I like that. You have fire."

Nyota's weapon hummed and she charged it up to full power. "Why did you experiment on all those people, Sylek? Just because you could?"

Sylek's expression became very composed as he assumed a Vulcan appearance. "Partly. It has been more for security than anything else. Many of my creations have become invaluable to my empire. They act as guardians, soldiers and scouts in places that others may fear to tread. And they are unfailingly loyal," he answered as he sauntered close to the cell and patted the creature who purred softly before ducking its head beneath a wing.

"The manipulation of the genetic structure of any living being is contentious at most, and the genetic tampering of a sentient being is illegal and punishable by death in many quadrants," Spock told Sylek as his phaser too, began to hum.

"So many rules," Sylek commented tritely and paced casually about, "How would you like to live without rules? How about you Spock? Never having to be responsible for your actions and living for the moment. It must be hard always having to hide your emotions, to live as if what you feel is a disease, something to be excised," he told Spock and Spock's eyes hardened ever so slightly.

"You can become part of this great and illustrious empire. You can be at the helm of power."

The ship lurched and Nyota smiled. "It's over Sylek. Give it up."

"You have the chance to become part of something great. Are you not tired of killing for no other purpose other than your own gain?"

"You make it sound as if I'm just like you," Nyota glanced over at Spock and then back at Sylek, "I don't think I'm anything like you, Sylek."

"But that is where you are wrong, assassin. You have spent years killing for profit. How many people have you ruthlessly slaughtered? How many people have you tortured? You are a killer. It is what you are and always will be."

Nyota snorted. "No. I may have been an assassin, but right now, I'm your executioner. Have a great after life."

Before Nyota could fire Spock placed his hand upon her own. "No, Nyota. Do not kill him."

"Why not?," Nyota asked as angry tears welled up in eyes, "He tried to have you killed. He's the reason I've spent most of my life being hunted and always having to fight. He's the reason I am _the way I am_!"

"You have become what you are out of necessity. Do not prove him to be correct Nyota. Leave him be. He will be prosecuted in a fair manner, even as he does not deserve such treatment."

Tears streaked down her face as she steadied her weapon. "No, Spock. He has to pay for what he's done."

"He will ashal'veh," Spock told her as he took the weapon from her grasp, "He will."

Nyota allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace and the weapon clattered to the floor. Sylek, watching the tender exchange between them rushed to the other side of the room and found himself confronted by a very, calm looking, though angry Vulcan.

"You must face charges for your actions."

Sylek's face twisted in fury and he raised his fist to strike. Spock's fist shot out quickly and smashed into Sylek's face. Sylek fell into an unconscious heap onto the floor.

Nyota came to stand near Spock as they looked down upon Sylek's form. Spock cracked his knuckles and said "It may not be a Star Fleet regulated pay-day, but I believe I have collected a check."

Nyota face broke out into a smile. "Let's contact Gaila."


	37. Chapter 36

The surviving Legion guards, several emissaries to the slave trade, twenty of the most powerful people in the known galaxies as well as Sylek were led down a ramp in force-field infused bindings, followed by heavily armed guards, several high ranking Vulcan officials, ambassador and denizens of multiple planets and even two Star-Fleet administrators.

The investigation had uncovered mass conspiracies by many enemies of several governments. The leaders of many worlds had converged all week to see the judgments and even the executions of the men and women responsible for the pockets of unrest and bloody civil wars they had tried in vain to contain on their home worlds. Whole civilizations had been uprooted and some nearly exterminated in the years since the beginning of the slave trade; and governments, Star-Fleet and others began making plans to return the survivors to their place of origin and aid them through a period of adjustment and resettlement.

For a brief moment in time, races known to fear and hate the other set aside their differences to see the conspirators of the slave trade brought to justice. As Sylek and the others filed in, a deep silence befell the chattering crowd and everyone watched as Zuri, now Queen of the Nexus system, walked out before them on the raised stage.

The prisoners were set below her with the armed guards beside them. The ambassadors, officials and government leaders filed in on the sides of the room as the crowd looked on in anticipation, anger and for those who lost someone to the trade, sadness and grief.

"We are gathered here to witness justice bestow her wisdom upon us. These before you have conspired to create unrest and the vast destabilization of governments by the selling of sentient beings."

Zuri glanced at the officials gathered around her. "They have been found guilty of actions which violate many civil codes and that which interferes with personal liberties. We will charge you for your actions. There will be no re-trial. There will be no second chances. Counsel, what say you?"

"Aye," hundreds of voices confirmed in a variety of accents and timbres and Zuri nodded.

A court runner handed Zuri a data pad and she carefully read out the list of charges of each prisoner. With the blessing of the counsel, she sentenced some to hard labor on desolate planets, ordered some to years of confinement, and eventually for those who were responsible for the most heinous of the atrocities committed, immediate stasis with no chance of awakening on a harsh, dry planet in the Gala system of Itlax-5.

Nyota felt Spock's hand graze her own as Zuri began reading the charges levied against Sylek.

"Sylek, of the minor house of T'norgon on Vulcan, son of Synod, former advisor to the Vulcan council you have been charged," she paused as he began squirming then continued.

"The Vulcan houses have confirmed that you have conspired to incite war and unrest between the followers of Surak and the V'tosh K'atur. This charge includes seven counts of illegal weapons manufacturing and distribution, the bondage of thousands of Vulcans and also the murder of several Vulcan officials."

Some in the gathered crowd gasped and murmured and Sylek began trying his bonds. Sweat popped out along his brow as he shouted. "This is a travesty! I deserve my freedom! I deserve-,"

A guard stunned Sylek with an array and he quivered violently before stopping and then sitting silently upon the floor.

She turned to the small group of Vulcans gathered at her left. "I have found Sylek to be fit both mentally and physically for immediate dispatch to the planet Argnus-I. There he will toil in hard labor for a period of seven years, followed by three years of confinement upon the fire planet Thenos-IV and finally he will be placed in stasis with no chance of awakening."

"NO!," Sylek bellowed, "Please! Please!"

His show of emotion seemed to unsettle the unflappable gathering of Vulcans and they ignored his entreaties, as they nodded their assent to the charges and Zuri's judgment.

"You vindictive bitch! You are angry because you were a slave and the play thing of the king. But you enjoyed it, you enjoyed me too-,"

Sylek was once again stunned into silence and Zuri gave no indication she heard his rantings, and instead continued to read the charges.

Sylek quaked with anger as she continued to add on years of hard labor to his sentence and he screamed in rage when she also ordered that he undergo treatment in a machine that was of his own creation.

"You used this device to coerce thousands of slaves to your bidding. It is only fair that you receive the fruits of your labor," she told him as he pulled against his bindings.

Zuri concluded his sentencing with an edict that lifted the embargo on planets within and bordering the Nexus system and the immediate dismantling of Sylek's mansion and slave base on Norcadia Prime.

"Your vast amount of credits will be disseminated throughout the sector to aid in the re-establishments of devastated colonies and planets."

"But my sons! What of my progeny!," he cried and several young boys in the crowd lowered their heads in shame and sadness.

"I will not speak to the condemned or answer their entreaties. However, your sons and any others you have fathered will be placed in homes according to the wishes of the Vulcan council and there will be taught the ways of Surak," she answered and then moved her steady gaze from his sweat drenched face.

Hatred blazed across Sylek's face at the mention of Surak. He spat upon the floor and the Vulcan council looked away from his antics, their faces calm and unreadable. Sylek cursed them in Vulcan, the language sounding twisted and dark when tinged with so much emotion and rancor. The council continued to ignore him and no one noticed when Sylek slipped free from his bonds and grabbed a guard's weapon.

"For the empire!," he shouted loudly and fired.

Nyota screamed as the array discharged in her sister's direction. She found herself hurtling over benches and seats as she tried to race to her sister's side. Weapon fire erupted as Sylek's conspirators rose up from the crowd. People began shouting, screaming and running in all directions. Pandemonium threatened the orderly atmosphere and suddenly a blast rang out loudly over all the others, the bright light of the weapon blinding everyone in the vicinity.

A few more shots rang out and a quiet calm filled the space as the bright light faded. Zuri stood on the platform, her arm encased in a soft, pulse of light and the glowing embers of a liquid metal. She touched her arm lightly and the weapon recessed back into its glove. Sylek lay dead upon the floor, along with the conspirators in the crowd that had fired shots.

She looked at his body contemptuously before looking before her. "Silence!," she called out as the guards restored order and officials assured the panicked crowd, "Justice has been served. Those who seek to undo the work that has been done this day will face a stern and relentless resistance. There will be no tolerance of the dark and terrible deceits that formed the chains of the slave trade. So I have said it, so it is," And with that, the proceedings were dismissed, and Queen Zuri took her leave.


	38. Chapter 37

Spock stood silently as the officials read the charges against his beloved. He steadied his hands against the urge to clench and unclench them, and instead, let them hang at his side. He gazed ahead, noting that Dr. Minkus' body heat and perspiration had gone up by 5.3%, a sure indication that he was lying.

"It has nothing to do with our history Spock," he was saying as he mopped away the beads of sweat that popped up along his hairy brow. "I understand that we've had our—differences, but I am not doing this to spite you. I know that Ms. Uhura has aided you a great deal and you must hold some-degree of respect for her, but that does not change the facts of this case." Spock was not inclined to agree. He fought a frown and instead nodded.

"I am aware, that Star-Fleet personnel would never let personal matters color their decisions," he said calmly and the man flinched, looking all the part of the rat that everyone claimed him to be.

Admiral Pike looked over the stack of data PADDs and sighed. "Dr. Minkus, these are serious allegations and I for one, cannot stand behind them."

Spock shot Admiral Pike a short look that could have been part relief and part surprise.

"I too cannot. Though her past is—questionable, we cannot in all honesty call her an enemy of Star Fleet," Dr. Crayberry chimed in as she pushed her glasses back onto her nose and studied the PADD she held, "In fact, if she didn't have such a checkered past, she'd be perfect for our advanced corp. of Star Fleet secret operatives-,"

"No!," Dr. Minkus sputtered, "We cannot even think along those lines. Besides, she has been known to consort with—beings of a questionable nature," he added and gave Spock a pointed look. Spock ignored him, instead began focusing on Dr. Crayberry with a steady gaze.

"You are all aware as is most of the general populace that her blood sister, Zuri Uhura has been pronounced Queen of the Nexus system," Spock began and Dr. Minkus' sour expression became even harder and if possible, more sour than before.

"Commander, I hardly see what this has to do with anything," Dr. Minkus snapped.

"According to Star Fleet regulation manual, page 2,348, paragraph C, subsection II, those beings related by blood, marriage or decree to any royal, government or judicial ruling body are exempt from the rules and regulations of prosecution as set forth by Star Fleet law."

Dr. Crayberry turned to Dr. Minkus, a small smile playing upon her round, jovial face, "That means she has diplomatic immunity."

"I know what that means!," Dr. Minkus sputtered, "But Nyota Uhura is a danger to Star Fleet. She's a danger to half the galaxy, look at what she's done-,"

"If you mean aiding and assisting in the efforts to end the ignoble practice of slavery that lasted decades and consumed hundreds if not thousands of worlds thus leading to the arrests and prosecution of those found responsible, well," Admiral Pike interrupted, "Then I guess you have a point."

"And if may add doctor," Dr. Crayberry commented, "We could argue that as an assassin for hire, she acted no differently than a soldier who is paid to perform their duty, regardless of the politics involved. Perhaps she simply needs another avenue in which to—focus her goals."

Dr. Minkus was shaking his head. Spock was well aware for the man's distaste for all things alien and different, and how such a man could comfortably live in such a day and age and reconcile those thoughts often left Spock a bit puzzled, if not a bit unsettled by it all. Dr. Minkus was also known to be a rabid sexist, and could not stand to see a woman in a position of power as evidenced by the look of derision as he listened to Dr. Crayberry.

"I do think it's important though, for us to have someone with exactly these skills and abilities on board a ship. Our newest flag ship will be going in territory that has been previously uncharted," she tapped the data PADD. "She knows so many languages. Hell, she knows some I've never heard of before. Instead of us debating about whether we should charge her, we should be arguing over what her starting salary should be-,"

Dr. Minkus cleared his throat. "I don't mean to interrupt, but Star Fleet is not in the habit of hiring ex-convicts, killers or mercernaries."

"With all due respect Dr. Minkus, that is untrue. Admiral D'orn served as a trained killer for the A'manii for several years before being accepted into Star Fleet. And Lieutenant Dex spent several years as an enemy of the Cardassian government before reforming and coming to Star Fleet as well."

Dr. Minkus humphed and took a sip of his water. The atmosphere had changed a bit, Spock could tell, and Admiral Pike piped up.

"That actually would be-advantageous. The Nexus system is one of the largest empires in that quadrant, and having one of their own on our team could serve as great PR, not to mention she's a great fighter."

Admiral Pike and Dr. Crayberry became silent a moment before Pike remarked, "Commander, how would you feel about working with her on the Enterprise?"

Surprise and shock rolled through Spock's system before he firmly clamped down on the emotions. "You are—offering her employment with Star Fleet?"

"Well, she wouldn't be officially a part of Star Fleet, but she'd be sort of — an adjunct. If what Dr. Minkus states is true, then well—we can't have a loose cannon running around the galaxy, but if she was a part of our cause, then that would serve to our advantage. You should run it by her, see if she'd like it."

Spock could say nothing for a moment. From the time he'd awoken to the time he'd set foot in the room, he was sure he and his love would be separated, either by consequence or the inaction of those around him. He could not deny that such an invitation made him aware of his—proclivities toward Nyota. Offering Nyota a position upon the Enterprise would be a logical and tactfully potent strategy. He was certain she would perform her duties admirably and with a competency that would be 18.7% more efficient than the average cadet. And yet, what if she did not want the position? There was a 12.5% chance she could refuse. Where would that leave her? Where would that leave—them? He clamped down hard on those thoughts and nodded.

"I will bring the matter to her attention," he confirmed and Pike smiled.

"Good. I'll let the big boys in upper command know and they should be on board. Commander, it's great to see you alive and well. You had us pretty worried over here. We thought you'd never come home."

Spock was aware that human interactions often included mundane and redundant forms of observation of the obvious or overt. Usually such banalities struck him as—odd and of no use in the course of communication, however, Admiral Pike was an esteemed colleague, and in some ways, Spock considered him a friend. He was aware that Pike was not simply stating the obvious, but was voicing his relief and seeking assurance.

"I am well Admiral. I am equipped with many abilities that allow me to survive a number of scenarios. It is—a good thing to be home."

Admiral Pike nodded. "Well as far as I am concerned this meeting is adjourned. You're dismissed Commander. Don't forget to submit that report by the end of the week."

Spock nodded and turned on his heel and ignored Dr. Minkus' hiss of anger as he walked out of the sliding doors and into the walkway.

He made his way gracefully down the corridor and a small series of interconnected hallways to his chamber of suites. He had been given a larger set of rooms, a change from the standard set of efficiencies he had occupied in the past. He was aware that his status within Star Fleet had changed to some degree, even as his rank had not. Many female cadets had begun referring to him as the "Stud of the Galaxy," and several news outlets wanted interviews. The entertainment holocasts had begun courting StarFleet's agencies, and recruitment had increased by 67.7%. Internally, Spock had been given his top choice of ships to work with, and the Enterprise had been one of them. Originally, Spock had remained firm in his conviction that he would be given only a 10.9% chance at securing a position upon the Enterprise, and a small sliver of surprise that he had been given the opportunity coursed through his mind.

And now, Nyota would be given that opportunity as well. It was not constructive to muse about the possibility of whether or not she would indeed work upon the Enterprise, and yet he could not fight the small frisson of anticipation and nervousness slipping down his spine. He tried to focus his thoughts. And yet, they continued to push their way about Nyota's whereabouts, her safety, the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, the way she moaned when he was inside her—he stopped his thoughts short as he came to the front door of his suite. He quickly punched in the code and sauntered inside.

He made his way to his bedroom and stood there a moment, observing. She lay tangled in the sheets; her dusky features were dotted with sweat and her lean body was clad only in a short tee shirt and small shorts. She looked peaceful and at ease, and Spock admired the smoothness of her skin and the way her dark hair fanned about her in silky waves of raven. He memorized the way her long lashes fanned her cheeks and the full set of her lips.

She was by far the most intelligent person he had ever encountered. He had found her to be resilient, strong and though she possessed a hard, uncompromising exterior, she had a strident moral code and cared about the welfare of others. She had overcome circumstances that would have challenged and even killed most, and yet, she had survived. A deep sense of respect welled up inside Spock and he did not fight it. She had given him her body, and with it, access to the complexities of her mind. She had done so with no reservation and without the revulsion he had encountered from so many females of his kind.

He thought a moment more and then went out to the outer area. He quickly left a holomessage and took his leave to the cafeteria. He reasoned that it had been approximately 5.6 hours since his last meal, but deep down inside, nestled in the place reserved for only the darkest of his emotions lay fear. He did not want to be there when she awakened; he did not want to wait for her answer of whether to serve on the Enterprise. He did not want to be rejected.

He turned down the walkway, his long legs striding past hordes of cadets and the mingle of officers and civilians intent upon starting their destinations, and concentrated on the day before him.


	39. Chapter 38

Nyota tiptoed out of bed and traipsed gingerly around the confines of the suite. She didn't want to disturb Spock if he was meditating and was surprised when she found that he had already dressed and gone. She fought a sliver of disappointment and paced sullenly to the living area. She saw the blinking light of the holovid and pressed down on a button. She then watched as Spock's face and body took form in the living room. She watched his message three times, the import of it all going above her head a moment and then hitting her full in the face.

Up to that point, she hadn't given much thought to her future. She had never lived by a cogent and cohesive plan. She had always lived in the moment, her biggest goals and dreams outlined by the actions of the now and those things she could immediately control and account for. She sighed heavily. She had never thought she'd ever have the choice of being anything more than just an assassin, a trained killer. Now, she had been given an expense account courtesy of the Nexian governing body with more credits than she could ever hope to spend in her existence, and she would never have to work again if she so chose. But could she live that way? Never having to worry about the next job, the next assignment or the next kill?

It was a lifestyle she had never envisioned for herself. If she wanted, she could spend her days relaxing on the pleasure planet Isa-V, being pampered by the locals with expensive spa treatments and the attentions of their strapping, handsome pleasure men. She could go exploring on the terrain of Serutius-III, admiring the floating masses of waterfalls and almost tropical environs before taking part in diving and river expeditions. She could do things she had always secretly wanted. She could finally pay for the honor of honing her skills with the worlds' most experienced and deadly stealth fighters, learning the ways of diverse and ancient combat.

The galaxy lay at her feet. She could pick and choose her destiny. But what did she want? What did she _really_ want? She sighed. She could always live with Zuri on Centorion-5. But is that what she really wanted? She sat down on the couch and leaned back. The thought of being in one place made her antsy. As much as she loved her sister and was ecstatic that she was alive, well and prospering beyond both their expectations, she could never spend her life on one planet, having to do the same things everyday—

She paused. Was this the answer? Could it be? But—she paused once more. She'd have to see _him_ each day. And what if this was the beginning of the end? He was the son of a Vulcan ambassador. He had responsibilities and loyalties that did not include her. He had a life that revolved around concepts that could not, and would not conform to her human sensibilities. But by Tor, she cared for the man! She might even lov- _Hold on_, she told herself. What if he didn't feel the same way? She could never get a handle on his emotions when she was in his mind, and had never been privy about how he truly felt about her.

He'd probably just do what she'd heard most men often did; he'd use her body and her company until he finally decided to settle down—with someone else. Nyota groaned. Oh how she wished she hadn't spent so much time fighting and ignoring the girl talk that often ensued in her old village. While most girls were learning the ways of men, she was fighting beside them. Now she was at a loss as to how to proceed. Should she talk to him? Confront him? Go along with the flow? Or—leave? Wasn't it better to be the first to say goodbye?

Nyota quickly made up her mind and stood. It would all be for the best, she decided. Her footfalls echoed in the room as she made her way to the closets.

* * *

He did not hear her as she traipsed silently into the room, the soft whoosh of air nearly imperceptible beneath the sound of a transmission going through. She halted and then slipped around the corner and peeked a bit into the living area. Spock was standing in front of the comm. link with his back to her and his hands folded neatly behind him.

Two faces filled the screen, one of an older Vulcan and the other of a beautiful human woman, who looked to be in her early fifties.

"Spock!," the woman squealed, "I am so glad to hear from you. You don't know how worried I've been!"

"I apologize for the delay in communication mother. There has been an inordinate amount of work involved in dissolving the slave trade."

"Oh sweetie, don't apologize. I'm just happy you're okay. When they said you had left in that shuttle and they couldn't find you-," his mother's eyes threatened to spill her tears as they brimmed against her eyes.

"Mother, I am well. You have no need to worry."

His mother smiled sadly and the Vulcan male finally spoke. "It is a fortuitous conclusion that you are well my son."

Spock nodded. "It is indeed, father."

His father nodded and began, "Spock. Though you have done well in Star Fleet, such a career path is dangerous to your person and position. It is imperative that you begin plans for life here on Vulcan and—with T'Pring."

Nyota could not see Spock's face, but she could feel a tendril of apprehension floating on the waves of air before being abruptly shut down.

"Father, I have no intention of completing or consummating a union with T'Pring."

His father said nothing for a long moment then, "It is your duty to unite as the royal houses see fit, my son."

"It is not a duty, it is a choice."

"It is clear that you have chosen StarFleet over your responsibilities to this council."

His father was silent for a time and Nyota could see the nearly imperceptible line of anger around the elder Vulcan's mouth. "Spock, you are the son of an Ambassador. It is only fitting that you—continue in the tradition of a true Vulcan."

Nyota could see Spock tense only the tiniest bit before relaxing. "I have decided that Star Fleet is where I will remain. And as such, I will not marry T'Pring."

"You've found someone, haven't you?" his mother chimed in and Spock said nothing.

"Don't try to deny it son, who is it? Is it that gorgeous woman that was sitting next to you during the hearings?"

Spock continued to say nothing and his mother squealed with joy, "I knew it! You're in love. Oh honey. That's so wonderful. And the sister of a queen no doubt!"

"It is an unacceptable match Amanda," the elder Vulcan added in a quiet voice.

"Why?," Amanda replied, her voice thick with confusion, "He's in love. I think it's romantic."

"Romantic notions are wholly a human domain, Amanda. Spock is Vulcan, his sensibilities have no bearing upon his life outcome."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Stop being an old fart! The boy is in love! I'm glad he's not marrying that witch. She's snotty and rude-,"

"Vulcans are not capable of such—emotional displays."

Amanda snorted, "Well, that's a load of rubbish! She never liked my Spock. She always acted as if he should be_ grateful_ she accepted his proposal of marriage. As if he was somehow tainted!" his mother said scornfully.

"Unfortunately, his human heritage makes him a liability when choosing a mate, Amanda."

"As if that makes it right, Sarek! Why shouldn't he have what we have? He deserves a mate that respects and cares for him. You're always so stuck on ritual and tradition. Well, I for one will love any woman that will love my Spock," she stated emphatically.

"That is—a welcome sentiment mother," Spock replied.

"Give us a call next time you're in our neck of the woods Spock," his mother called out gaily. "I'm so happy for you honey. I would love to meet her. She must come to the gala next month. Oooh, I'm so excited," she chortled and Sarek paled a bit.

"Well Spock, I don't want to keep you, I know you're busy. You always have my love. I want to hear from you more often young man," his mother warned him sternly and Spock nodded.

"I will contact you as much as my schedule allows mother."

"Okay, honey. I'll talk with you soon."

"Goodbye mother."

"Bye, baby."

"Father," Spock acknowledged and the Vulcan begrudgingly nodded back.

"Live long and prosper."

With that, the connection was terminated. Spock turned and Nyota found herself looking into his face.


	40. Chapter 39

"Nyota," he said "You have removed all your clothing from the closets."

"I-," she began "I was going to leave."

"I see."

"I didn't think you—we—I didn't-,"

Spock crossed the room in a few strides and then pressed a passionate kiss against her lips before pulling away.

"Nyota, please stay."

Nyota blinked rapidly a few times. She had been rendered speechless. She finally found her voice and it came out small and unsure.

"But what about your family, I mean what kind of future could we-,"

"You are my bond mate. My future is your future."

"Well, your father didn't seem pleased with your decision. I don't want to stand in the way of your life-,"

"I am capable of making my own decisions, Nyota. And I have chosen a future with you. If you will have me."

Nyota opened and closed her mouth gracelessly a few times and then finally looked up into his eyes. Tears filled her own and she sighed.

"Spock, I can't. I mean, I've done so much—_wrong_ in my life, I wouldn't be good for you. I'm not good for anyone."

Spock said nothing for a moment, but his grip upon her hand tightened a bit. "Nyota, you are—an extraordinary individual. I am alive this day because of your efforts."

Nyota sniffled a few times and she angrily wiped away tears. "You're not afraid of me? Don't you think I'm evil?"

Spock tilted his head to the side and regarded her a moment. "I do not. I believe you are—a kind and caring person."

"I don't believe you," she said and stepped back angrily.

"I do not lie."

Nyota tried in vain to stymie the flow of tears. "I—I can't do this," she stammered and hiccupped, "I'll hurt you. I hurt everyone I love."

They both paused at her admission and Spock closed the distance between them. He gingerly reached out with his other hand and traced long, delicate fingers through her dark hair. She shivered at his touch but turned away.

"Ashal'veh," he said and pulled her hand onto his chest. "Have you hurt me? Is my heart not beating?"

She nodded and sniffed. "But look at what happened to Zuri because of me. And—and I know you saw what happened to Ari. And my mother and father—I should have been there. I should have helped! I should have-," Nyota stopped as a quiet sob worked its way slowly out of her.

Spock gently embraced her; his hands smoothed her hair and back as he fed her peace and waves of love. "You were a child. You could not have helped what occurred. There are times when events are beyond our immediate control. As for Ari, he chose his own destiny when he betrayed his people."

Spock held onto Nyota as she cried. She snuffled inelegantly and Spock tenderly wiped away her tears. She smiled sadly and then stammered, "You really don't think I'm evil?"

Spock responded by kissing her softly. He traced a delicate tongue across her full lips before slipping his questing tongue inside her soft, luscious mouth. Nyota moaned in response. Her breath hitched in her throat as he gently pulled away from her mouth and gave attention to the tender skin of her neck. She found herself lacing her fingers into his thick hair as he lazed a slippery path from her neck to the delicate shells of her ear.

Nyota's head spun as he nipped at her lobes, his hot breath fanning the skin there and his heart thumping hard beneath her roving hands. Spock bit back a groan as her hands slipped to the tip of his ears, her soft fingers brushing lazy circles across them. He slowly unlaced her top, and nearly gasped with delight as her breasts sprang free. He gazed at them reverently before teasing and kneading the skin and dusky, pebbly nipples. Nyota arched her back as he bent his head and lapped his tongue across her peaks. Wetness pooled in deep, dark and desperate places within her and she moaned as Spock continued his ministrations.

They pulled at their clothing, not caring that zippers, buttons and other sartorial elements went flying across the room; their only thoughts were of each other and the hot, burning passion that lay beneath the surface of skin, sweat and the light rustle of breath. Nyota smoothed her hands across the muscular expanse of Spock's perfect, olive skin. Her fingertips worried the hard pecs of his chest before moving further down to the patch of hair below.

Spock tried to fight the wave of desire that lanced through him as Nyota touched his manhood. He throbbed against her soft hands as she stroked and caressed him, making his member further engorged and rigid with need. He closed his eyes a moment and then opened them. He stared into Nyota's eyes, and saw the look of pure love and emotion that lay within them. He then gave in to the rush of pleasure as she kneeled before him and took his tip into her mouth.

Her tongue wrapped cloyingly around the slightly pointed head before slipping further down the shaft, her nimble fingers worrying the underside and causing minute and nearly undetectable shudders up and down Spock's spine. Spock reluctantly pulled himself away from her delicious mouth and slid down next to her on the soft, carpeted floor.

He kissed her hard. His mouth laced hungry nips of lust against her lips and neck before he pushed her down into the carpeting. He continued the exploration of body, his tongue finding its goal hidden in the downy brush of her hair below. She squirmed as his tongue did things she could never have imagined a tongue could do. She cried out as he lapped circles across her delicate bud and caused a deep ache to well inside her. She needed him, she wanted him. _Now_. As if he could sense the need within her, Spock rose up above her, then paused only a moment before plunging into her slick wetness.

He was nearly overcome by the crash of sensations as he moved in and out of her. She thrashed beneath him, her nails dug into his skin as she whimpered and sighed her pleasure. Pleasure moved in waves across them and their bodies were drenched in sweat and heat. Nyota could not stymie the tide of murmurings that rose to her mouth, declarations of affection poured into his ear as he moved above her, and only served to increase his ardor.

They rode the tide of hot, electric feelings to its climax. Their bodies strained and tensed, muscles bunching and contracting before they both fell into the abyss. Nyota's bit back a scream as she was bombarded by intense, rolling spasms of pleasure. She was vaguely aware of Spock opening the mental channel between them. She eagerly drank in the cool and unbridled ripples of his mind as their mental planes collided.

They were intertwined and connected, synapses and relays firing hard and fast. Thoughts, impressions and emotions whirled about them and Nyota gasped as she saw the truth. Spock loved her. Truly and really loved her. He cared for her in ways she had never known. His depth of feeling was shocking and awe-inspiring and at the same time she was humbled by his love.

They lay a long time entwined in each other's emotions, memories and thoughts. A feeling of peace came over them and Spock gently disconnected his mind from Nyota's, the low hum of his presence, the spark of their bond still resonating between them. It would never be extinguished and over time, would only grow stronger.

"I think I've made up my mind," Nyota broke the calm silence, her full lips pulled up into a smile.

Spock tensed for a moment. Would she still decide to leave? Would she stay now that she knew the truth?

"I guess—I mean. It's going to be a different experience, but I think I can handle it."

Spock was silent as she turned to him, his dark eyes studying her own.

"And yes. I will have you."

The corners of Spock's mouth lifted and he grabbed Nyota into a firm embrace before kissing her gently on the lips. His hands roved over her sated and relaxed body. He began to build a slow blaze that became a humming roar of desire as they made love again.

* * *

"I can't believe you're going," Gaila muttered unhappily and Nyota smiled sadly.

"I know. But you'll be off conquering the rest of the galaxy and probably most humanoid males as well," Nyota teased and Gaila grinned.

Nyota stood unsure for a moment and then grabbed Gaila into a big hug. "I'll see in two standard months," Nyota told her and Gaila nodded.

"Well, I guess that's okay. But you've got to bring the Hottie Scottie with you," Gaila blew Scottie a kiss. He stood on the other side of the port, his cheeks flaming as he blushed.

"I think he likes you," Nyota commented and chuckled.

"I think so too," Gaila chortled and then regarded Nyota a silent moment.

"Sooo, you and the Vulcan huh?"

Nyota didn't try to feign ignorance. Instead, she smiled lazily and gave Gaila a look.

Gaila nodded and smirked. "I knew you were in love, Ice."

Nyota sighed. "You don't have to call me that. My name's Nyota."

"Nyota," Gaila remarked slowly as if testing it against her tongue, "Okay, Ny. You'd better holo me every chance you get."

Nyota gave Gaila a sidelong glance. "You've gotten pretty bossy since this whole commander thing, you know that, right?"

"Well how else do you expect me to keep the boys in line?"

The final call poured over the holocom and Gaila hugged Nyota one more time before stepping away.

"I'll miss you," Gaila called out and Nyota nodded before walking towards the ramp. She had always hated goodbyes. But now the feeling within her was tempered by the knowledge that she would see her new friend again soon.

Spock was standing near the walkway, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. His lips quirked up at the corners as she approached and Nyota responded by giving him a small smile of her own.

She took one last look at the busy port and at Gaila standing far down the lane, her hands enthusiastically waving. Nyota waved back and then turned. She followed Spock onto the loading pad and felt a ripple of excitement as she was beamed aboard the Enterprise.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for their support! But it's not over yet! There's a little bit more to come. But I really hope you all enjoyed this. I will be posting a brand new story within the next week or so (It will be my fave couple Spock and Nyota of course!). Anyway, thanks again!**


	41. EpiloguePart I

**A/N: Hey everyone! It's been a crazy summer but here are the very last chapters. There will be about three parts. I will be posting my new story soon. Thanks for all the feedback. Enjoy!**

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The waning light of the first sun beamed in disparate patches across the forest floor, and Nyota tread carefully across the bracken, her ears attuned to the hum and rustle of the animals around her. She raised her weapon and felt the delicate vibration travel up her arm and back through her hands as it charged. It would only take a moment, she was sure, and she was itching to take out the hive and destroy the eggs. Sylek's legacy to the empire was close to being born, and there was no way in the great galaxy that she'd stand by and watch. She approached cautiously, aware that her comm. link had buzzed slightly. She ignored it at first, but then hastily engaged the device, and kept her voice low and steady.

"Uhura here," she responded.

"Uhura," Nyota rolled her eyes as the familiar voice called her out.

"Yes, _captain_."

"You have a choice. You can either tell me your first name or wait for back-up."

Nyota stifled a weary groan. James T. Kirk was fresh out of the academy, had an ego the size of Martius-III and despite several death threats, warnings of dismemberment and torture, he had gotten the idea in his head that he was completely, totally smitten with her.

"Well a negative on the former and I am choosing to ignore the latter."

"This is your captain speaking. I'm ordering you to wait."

This time, Nyota did groan. "Look, Captain. I have the nest in sight. The scouts are probably out right now. This is the best time to strike."

"Negative. You have your orders, Uhura. There are several operatives coming your way. They should be at your mark in approximately eighteen standard minutes. _Eighteen_. And not a minute less."

"That means no charging into a nest full of voracious, genetically engineered creatures that will try to rip your head off. You pulled that stunt on Icarus, and though you took them all out without a single fatality-,"

"Which," Nyota hissed slightly, "I thought was the point-,"

"You did not follow proper procedure. Do you know how much paperwork I had to do?"

Nyota rolled her eyes once more in exasperation. "Well, I am sorry I made you do _work_, captain."

"Ah, that's the spirit," Kirk replied cheerily, "I could get used to hearing you apologize."

Nyota let out an annoyed breath. "Yeah. I get that. Uhura out."

"I mean it, Uhura. Don't-,"

Nyota quickly disrupted the signal and waited once more in the eerie calm of the forest. She contemplated her options. She could wait patiently for help to arrive and by then the scouts—murderous, ravenous beasts that protected the nests and hives, as well as kept the slaves in line, would easily overpower her team and devour them. She nearly let out a sigh. And nothing would be accomplished. Or she could destroy the nest herself, while the scouts were gone and do a bit of preemptive coverage before the team arrived.

She mulled a moment and then paused as she saw several shadows cross her line of vision. She looked closer, with her eyes steadily adjusting and refining the increasingly meager amount of light. She could see hear the crackle of field enforced chains and the slide of tired feet along the forest floor. The slaves were returning from the mines! She smiled. This might be easier than she'd ever imagined.

She crept closer, her form silently made its way to the entrance of the cave. She smoothly traversed the distance and entered the dank, cool area of the cave. Sconces lined the walls and lit the way into the deep recesses below. She adjusted her arsenal of weapons and pressed forward.

She walked for a time before reaching a rocky alcove. Water trickled down from above and made the floor slick and damp. Luminescent life forms glowed lazily in the semi-darkness and Nyota stepped into the alcove a bit further. Her pupils became slits as the nanites fought hard to capture stray threads of light.

Nyota could then see that nestled between small hordes of the harmless glowing creatures lay eggs. As Nyota came into the recess further she could the eggs pulsing and palpitating madly as the lifeforms strained inside them. They were everywhere. She could easily estimate that there were at least a hundred eggs to the nest. She placed her weapon at her side and pulled out the sylphurix lance. The cool, blue metal pulsed lightly as she touched and Nyota raised it slightly and took aim. The first shot of the burning, laser like fire decimated most of the eggs.

A high pitched whine rent the air as she continued destroying the nest. Some of the creatures attempted to claw their way from their shells as the fire reached them and Nyota fought a shudder as she spied their strange, twisted sharp claws and talons and not quite humanoid faces. Pieces of coiled tentacles lay gnarled and burned as she continued working, the stench filled her nose and nearly made her gag, but she continued in spite of it all.

Soon the horde had been extinguished. Her comm. link buzzed. She responded. Her team had found her mark. But unfortunately, the scouts had returned. And they were angry.


	42. EpiloguePart II

"That's one ugly sonovabitch!," her team lead, Lieutenant Dan Thompkins called out, his thick Texan accent filling the air as she rushed from the cave. Firepower leapt around her as her team struggled to take out the scouts. Nyota took in a deep breath and steadied herself. Hyper-speed was a great ability to have, yet she tried not to do it often. It sometimes drained her energy and she had to be careful to use it sparingly. She took a deep breath and sped easily around the huge, hulking tusks the scouts boasted as they lunged at her comrades, quickly dispersing some of them while disemboweling others. Screams rent the air and Nyota rushed around one of the great beasts as it roared and shot it with her phaser. The weapon's discharge only seemed to anger it and didn't make a dent into its tough hide. It railed in anger as she ran around it, her quick speed bending the light around her so much that it couldn't track her movements.

"Fall back!," the Lieutenant called and Nyota stopped beside him, her sudden appearance threw him off and he shook his head as if trying to clear it.

"You could warn me if you're gonna do that, Uhura," he told her and she shrugged.

"Sorry."

"We have to get back to the Enterprise. This mission is a goner."

"We can't leave the slaves! We can't abandon them here!," she called out over the din of fire, fighting and the clash of bodies.

"It's not an option I like either. But I've already lost some good men and women. Fall back!," he warned loudly and Nyota looked at him a moment and then turned. She plunged headlong into the fray with Thompkins' voice straining above the clash of fire.

Her team was quickly pulling back, and she was continually moving forward. She unstrapped a cylindrical tube from her belt, a weapon she had acquired long ago from the planet Meridius. She unhooked the top and yellow light spilled out. She uncapped the other end and screwed the top back onto the tube, the elements of light and the grayish, light blue substance quickly mixing to create a biological explosive.

Nyota looked behind her and could see her teammates trying in vain to escape, the Lieutenant was shouting, screaming and yelling as he fought against the scouts. The creatures were braying and roaring as they easily ripped through uniforms and soft skin. The screams of her fellows was loud and insistent and Nyota closed her eyes, threw the device and waited.

The device detonated and the units within exploded outward. Blinding light stalled the massive creatures as they tore through the ranks of officers and fighters. The sudden cry of the creatures as the light ripped through their tough hides and into the soft organs beneath was loud in Nyota's ears. The organic elements within the bomb were eating away at their flesh, seeking out the silicon based elements in their skin and blood.

The noise was deafening. Nyota's sensitive ears were ringing and the feeling of sudden fullness in her ear canals became overwhelming. She grunted as the feeling increased and then suddenly as it came, it stopped. The only sounds in the air were the cries of the fallen and the movement of fighters as they moved through the trees.

"Uhura!,"

Nyota slipped from behind a tree.

"I'm here Lieutenant."

"Are you okay?," he asked and she nodded.

"And the scouts? Are they?," Nyota looked around at the smoldering bodies of the scouts that lay haphazardly about the ground.

"Gone. I don't know what you did, but you saved our asses back there."

Nyota blinked a few times. "I didn't—I just—I wasn't sure if it would work."

"Well it did."

"We have to make sure the slaves are okay."

The Lieutenant gave her a look and then smacked her on the back before gracing her with a rare smile. "We gotta get some crews down here. Take the survivors and do some quick reconnaissance."

Nyota was already assembling the surviving members of her team. She and the team were about to slip into the confines of the cave, but something caught Nyota's eye, and she paused. She turned to an ensign and pointed.

"I'm going to check something out. You all go ahead."

The ensign nodded and Nyota made her way around the edges of the cave. Her eyes adjusted to the fading light and she could make out the muted colors of a tattered uniform and a slumped body leaning against the trees.

* * *

She crept up slowly, her weapon raised halfway, unsure of what to make of the person before her. She came closer and could see that the shape was that of an old man. He turned to her and she gasped. His eyes were cloudy with glaucomic blindness and his voice was raspy and deep.

"I miss seeing the sunsets. I watched the sunsets all the time. Now I can't see anything. They will kill me soon, I know."

Nyota's eyes filled with tears as she came closer, her weapon fell to the ground as she came forward. She gasped and her breath caught in her throat.

"Baba," she called out.

"I used to be a proud man. I was a teacher once."

She suddenly shot beside him and grabbed him in a bear hug.

"It's me baba! Nyota!," she told him.

He stiffened at first, then melted into her embrace.

"Ny—Nyota?," he told her, his voice unsure and questioning. He stepped back and began touching her face, his fingers flying over the soft planes and grooves.

He smiled and his cloudy eyes began leaking tears.

"I—I—It's you. I—I never forget a face," he grinned, then his face fell into sadness. "I did not protect you."

He began to sob a bit and Nyota hugged him and placed a warm hand onto his back.

"No, Baba. I'm okay. Zuri is well."

He sniffed and wiped away his tears. "She is alive? And well? That is the best news I have ever heard. My children are alive!," He hesitated a moment, "And your mother?,"

Nyota said nothing for a moment and he laughed bitterly.

"She didn't make it. I knew it. Somehow, I knew it. They took her from us, didn't they?,"

"She—fought them. You would have been very proud of her Baba,"

He shook his head sadly. "She was always a fighter. You have so much of her in you."

Nyota grabbed his hand and led him away from the cave. He pulled back a bit, terror etching itself into his voice.

"If they find you, they will kill you. Run while you can!"

She gently took his hand once more and began to walk, "No, Baba, we can leave now. You're free."

"Free?," he asked wonderingly.

Nyota smiled, "Yes Baba, you are free."

The Enterprise had begun beaming up the survivors as well as the slaves. Crews had begun collecting the bodies of the fallen and teams were sweeping the area for any other hives.

Nyota led her father to their mark, she pressed her comm. link and said, "Two to beam up."

Nyota held onto her father's hand tightly, even as their bodies were disassembled and they were soon aboard the Enterprise.

* * *

Spock was livid. She could see it in the stiffness of his shoulders and the slight tightening of his mouth.

"Nyota."

"Yes, Spock," she responded.

"You disregarded a direct order. You placed yourself at risk."

"I saved the mission. And my father. I have no regrets."

"Nyota, there are procedures that all StarFleet officers must follow."

"Well, I'm not exactly a StarFleet officer, so I guess it's okay."

"Nyota-,"

"Look," she interrupted him, "I know you were worried, but I'm fine. I'm okay. And I will follow procedure in the future."

Nyota could tell that Spock was far from mollified. She reached out and touched him softly and smiled. "I promise."

She swung her legs over to get off the sick bay bed but Spock blocked her escape.

"You will need a thorough examination."

"Spock, I'm fine."

"It is a reasonable measure-,"

"I'm _okay_-,"

"Is this stubborn bit of woman giving you trouble Commander?," McCoy said as he came into the space, his customary frown in place as he looked Nyota over.

"Well, actually doctor, he's giving _me_ the trouble. He thinks I need a thorough examination."

"Well, normally I don't agree with stuck up hobgoblins. But I think he's got a point."

Spock narrowed his eyes so slightly that most humans would miss it, but Nyota caught it and stifled a laugh.

"Those damn nanites. They're spiking your glucose levels. Do you normally get regular injections to stabilize them?," McCoy asked and Nyota nodded.

"I usually do, but the man—err… the being I get them from is not an option right now."

McCoy nodded. "I'll cook up a serum for you. Shouldn't be too hard. And damnit woman, have you been taking those hypos I prescribed for you?"

"Well, of course I have. Why-," her voice trailed off as he glanced at a PADD in silence and then took a tricorder and ran it quickly over her body.

"Hmm," he told her and began walking away.

"McCoy, what do you mean by that?," Nyota called as he ignored her and began walking away into the next room.

"Damnit," Nyota swore, "That man is so damn—_cranky_."

Christine walked in holding a PADD, her perky grin and sunny disposition a stark contrast to McCoy's moodiness.

"Uhura. Commander," she greeted them and they nodded.

She busied herself with adjusting monitors and frequencies and then smiled at Nyota's expression.

"Oh don't worry. McCoy just wants you to stay here for a day or so."

"For what? I feel fine. I need to get out of here so I can see my father,"

"Well, he just came out of surgery. The deposits were successfully removed from his eyes. His vision should return in a few days, but he needs his rest."

Nyota pouted angrily and Christine placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "Right now we have to monitor your condition."

Nyota's face scrunched up in confusion and Spock's brow lifted up slightly. "Condition? What condition?" Nyota asked and Christine's perkiness dropped a notch.

"Oh-," she sputtered, "I'll go get the doctor."

McCoy stomped into the room followed by a contrite Christine. "I was busy. What is it now?"

Christine smiled and pointed and McCoy nodded and then grunted.

"Oh. Them."

Nyota shot McCoy a look that in the past, would have wilted even the most formidable foe. McCoy, however, was unmoved.

"I neglected a few things it would seem. You're about 11 weeks along. Congratulations."

"What? But I can't be-,"

"You're a healthy ovulating female. If you're having sex, it's possible."

"But-,"

"Don't worry, you'll have perfectly healthy little pointy eared babies. I'll get that serum made up today."

"But I—he's-,"

"Not the father? Well, that's not my area of expertise. We got a counselor for that-,"

"No. Of course he's—I mean-,"

McCoy gave them a look and then spun on his heel. "Get some rest young lady, I'll be back in an hour to run some tests."

Christine followed him out and Nyota looked over at Spock.

"I—Spock—I'm not ready."

Spock said nothing for a moment. "You would like to—terminate the pregnancy?"

Nyota gaped at him. "No! Of course not. I'm just— I don't know, Spock. I never really thought about having a baby. I just assumed I'd be alone for the rest of my life. I don't even have any real experience with them. I mean the last baby I even held was my sister's and that was an eternity ago. I think I'll make a horrible mother," she remarked and lay back on the bed in a huff.

Spock gently took her hand in his. "Nyota, I believe you will make an excellent parent."

Nyota snorted, "Yeah right. What do I tell our kid? That mommy used to kill people for a living? I mean really. It just wouldn't work."

"We will inform our children that as offspring of respected StarFleet members they must exemplify behaviors most befitting of that position."

"Children?," Nyota asked, her expression worried, "As in-more than one? Aren't we jumping the gun a little?"

"I am—unfamiliar with that expression."

Nyota sighed, rolled her eyes and murmured, "Look. The point is, I don't know if we can do this."

Spock cocked his head to the side and his lips quirked up at the corners. "We have survived multiple attempts upon our lives and injuries to our persons, as well aided in the dismantling of the slave trade. I believe parenthood will be—a far safer endeavor."

Nyota shot him a half-smile. "Shows what you know. My sister and I were hellions."

Spock's mouth twitched and he held her hand gently. She could feel his elation when he touched her skin and the underlying feeling of love, throbbing beneath the surface of his mind like a heartbeat.

"Ashal'veh," he said softly, "It is illogical to think of failure."

Nyota sighed and found herself somewhat relaxing, wondering at the small life growing within her.

zz


	43. Epilogue Part III PartABirth

Nyota strode down the walkway, her anger making her steps loud and heavy as she struggled to push past the pain in her abdomen.

"Stay on the ship, Nyota, he says," she muttered, "You will be safer onboard, Nyota. Yeah, right," she remarked and blasted away a Tyrian Rogue as he was about to attack. She spied another around the corner, Nyota's eyes narrowed in anger. He wore the colors of the lowlands, a region of Tyrus-VI dedicated to stealing and manipulating technologies. _Not on my watch_, she thought and pulled out her dagger. She was about to release it, only to find herself breathing hard past a contraction.

"Arrggghhh!" she roared, and looked up to see the Tyrian running fast in her direction. "It is not safe for you on the away team, he says," she murmured and sidestepped the Tyrian as he barreled toward her. "No one will bother you on the ship, he says," she commented beneath her breath, and clipped the Tyrian in the face and stabbed him hard in the neck. He twitched once and then lay still. She removed her dagger and wiped it across his uniform. She grimaced when she noticed that the dagger had been nicked.

"Damn!," she swore and looked down at the still form of the Tyrian and kicked him with her boot, "Thanks a lot, asshole. That dagger was brand new."

Rage flowed through Nyota in waves as she continued down the corridor, coldly taking out groups of Tyrians with her small arsenal of weapons, most of them not StarFleet approved. She made her way to the bridge, and took out two more soldiers.

Nyota then spotted Lieutenant S'Von struggling against a Tyrian rogue. Her punches were ineffective against his bulk, but before he could deliver the killing blow, Nyota interceded and blasted him with a small crystalline ray. His body quickly froze and fell to dark pieces against the ground.

The Lieutenant blinked, looked down at Nyota's protruding stomach and glanced back at Nyota's sweaty face. "Thanks, Uhura. Are—you okay?"

"I'm fine," Nyota snapped and moved to the controls. "We have to seal off the-,"

The ship lurched and Nyota narrowed her eyes. She overrode the emergency controls and contacted engineering. Scottie answered, his panicked voice was thick with his brogue.

"Scottie, what's going on over there?"

"They've infiltrated engineering, they're trying to eject the core! I can't talk right now, Uhura, I gotta-,"

Scottie was abruptly cut off and Nyota's anger moved up a notch. Her ankles were swollen, she was in pain, and the Tyrians were trying to eject the core. She was truly pissed.

She began stomping off and the Lieutenant chased after her.

"Uhura, where are you going?"

"Oh. I'm going to down there. And there will be _hell_ to pay when I get there."

"You're close to giving birth! You can't go down there! You should be in sick bay with the others. You should be preparing to evacuate!"

"And risked getting killed on my way there? That whole sector is swamped. Or maybe I should wait to get stuck in the pull of the core once it's ejected? I don't think so, Lieutenant. This is where I belong. I protect what's mine," she remarked as she rubbed her stomach.

"I'm ordering you to stop!," the Lieutenant commanded. Nyota turned around and gazed at the harried Lieutenant. Her uniform was splattered with blood and gore and her brown hair was disheveled from the Tyrian's attack. She snorted. If the Lieutenant thought she'd stand idly by and let the ship, along with her not-yet-born child be destroyed, she was seriously rattled.

"Okay. Let's talk about this later."

"I'm going to write you up! This is going straight to headquarters!"

"Okay, Whatever," Nyota said dismissively and was unsurprised when the Lieutenant hurriedly came to walk beside her.

"You're not going alone."

Nyota nodded as they stepped onto the lift. It descended several floors, paused a moment, bucked and then continued to engineering.

Before the doors opened the Lieutenant stepped in front of Nyota, her weapon raised. Nyota busied herself with loading her newest acquisition: a Mylian sonic blaster. She smiled. Starfleet regulated or no, this baby was going to see some play today. She grimaced as a small contraction hit her.

_Please baby_, she begged silently, _hold on. Mommy's going to wipe the floor with these assholes and then welcome you into the world._

As soon as the thought hit her, she wondered briefly if using a standard English swear word with a not-yet-born was good parenting. She didn't have time to think deeply about it as the doors finally opened and the Lieutenant began blasting Tyrians.

The Lieutenant fired a few more times before succumbing to a blast.

Nyota looked down. "Lieutenant?," she crouched, and shook the Lieutenant, and could see that part of the woman's chest had been blown away.

"Damn!," she patted her stomach. "It's just you and me, sweetie," she cooed, sadness flitted across her face before she charged her weapon. She had liked the Lieutenant.

Tyrians tried to attack and were blown into particles by the blaster. Nyota grinned evilly.

"Come on _my _ship, acting like you _run_ things...," she yelled, "Well, today's not. your. day!"

She punctuated each word with a blast, and soon the Tyrians were nearly vanquished save one. He stood by the controls and Nyota reloaded quickly and smirked.

"Not so fast, _grishak_," she said in Old Tyrian.

He smiled back at her. "What are you going to do you pregnant little human? Are you going to kill me? You do not have the wits the gods have given to a bull!"

Nyota rolled her eyes. It was the dirtiest insult one Tyrian could give another. But Nyota simply shrugged. She wasn't Tyrian. So she didn't care.

"Oh really? Well, this little weapon right here," the blaster began to hum as it powered, "Says differently."

The Tyrian eyed her a moment and then tried to quickly type in the code that would unlock the core. Nyota fired and watched as his body disappeared in tiny, harmless little particles.

The weapon then died. Nyota smacked it hard and cursed. "I should have known. I can't believe I paid eighty-five sheilix for this piece of crap," she sighed and shook her head, "Never trust a Mylian salesman."

Scottie and a few other Ensigns quickly dispatched the few Tyrians trying to escape. He finally rushed to her side as she collapsed.

"What's wrong lass, is the wee little one coming?"

"I think so Scottie. Help me up. I need to get to sickbay."

"Damnit woman! You should have come to sickbay as soon as the contractions started. You're not a superwoman!," he shook his head, "Damn woman wants to go and shoot up Tyrians. You're just crazy in the head. Being around that hobgoblin has affected your brain."

Nyota glared at McCoy as a contraction rolled through her. "Not now McCoy," she said through clenched teeth.

"I don't know if we can give her anything, doctor," Christine lamented, "She's too far along in labor."

Nyota's breath was knocked out of her by the force of a contraction. She bit back a scream and instead grabbed Christine's arm. "I. need. drugs. now!"

"Where's Spock? Where _is_ he?," she moaned. Christine hurriedly disentangled her arm from Nyota's steely grip. "He's on his way. He's on a shuttle now."

Nyota grabbed Christine once more as another contraction roared through her. "I _said_, I need drugs!"

McCoy shook his head. "Don't let her rattle ya, Christine. She's just in a little pain. You're having a baby, you shouldn't be one Uhura."

One of the birthing attendants came up and placed a pillow beneath Nyota's wriggling form. "Your baby will be born without all those nasty chemicals. Isn't that nice, dear?"

"Shut up! This is _not_ nice! I need drugs, damnit! You hear me? DRUGS!"

The elderly lady jumped back at the venom in Nyota's acerbic tone. "Well, I never! In all my years…" she harrumphed as McCoy shooed her out.

McCoy looked at a data PADD. "Oh, crap. These damn nanites. Get the team in here."

"What?," Nyota said in a panic, "What's going on? McCoy!"

He shot her with a hypo and before she knew she was sailing into darkness.


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: It's been a while guys, I have no other excuses except that life has been kicking me in the seat of my pants, but like Nyota in this story, I always kick back hard! So I'm now stress-free (relatively) and my muse is calling! So here is the end :-(. I may decide to write more about their adventures in this universe at a later date. But anyway, enjoy! **

* * *

Nyota slowly pried her eyelids apart and moaned. She ached in places she'd never known she had. She turned her head slightly and spied Spock sitting on a chair. He quickly rose and came to stand beside the bed.

"Ashal'veh," he told her as he swept soft fingers across her face.

"I'm fine, Spock. Spock," she began as panic crept into her voice, "Where's the baby, where is it?"

"Doctor McCoy is performing a few diagnostic exams on his systems to assure he is in good health. Yet, if one could surmise his status just by the pitch of his screams, he is well."

Nyota let out a breath. "It's a boy? I had a little boy?"

"Yes, Ashal'veh," Spock confirmed. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly and he ran his finger along the inside of her wrist. Warmth and love flooded Nyota's mind and she soaked it up eagerly, like a plant basking in the rays of the sun.

"You did not go to sickbay immediately," Spock stated and Nyota hung her head.

"If I had Spock, we'd be dead," she told him anger filling her voice, "They'd already taken over most of the ship. My escorts were dead, I had to fight just to get to the bridge, they were going to eject the core and if I hadn't gone-,"

"Ashal'veh," he soothed and fed her calm and tranquil thoughts, "I understand. You performed admirably."

He was quiet a moment. "Nyota. I believe it would be in our best interests if we—resettled elsewhere."

Nyota rolled her eyes. "We discussed this already. There's danger everywhere. Especially with you being the son of Sarek. I'd rather be on my own terms than weaponless on Terran soil or some other planet."

Spock took a slight breath and Nyota held up her hand. She sighed and said, "Can we talk about this later?"

He nodded and Christine hurriedly bustled in, a squirming bundle in her arms.

"Look who's awake," she cooed to the baby and Nyota could have sworn he cooed back.

She hurriedly rushed in and then gently placed her precious burden into Nyota's arms. Nyota reached for him, held onto him firmly and pulled back the blanket. She became still for a long moment.

She was in love, totally and irrevocably in love, with her little boy. He was looking up at her, his dark eyes wide and expectant for a moment and then he smiled. Nyota smiled back and gently moved her finger across his soft and tiny olive colored cheek. He was perfect.

He closed his eyes as Nyota pulled him closer to her and fell into a light slumber. Nyota explored his tiny pointed ears, the perfect round little face and ran her fingers lightly through his thick head of curly hair.

Tears ran down her face as she leaned forward to place a kiss upon his forehead.

"Ashayam, are you well?," Spock's voice was level and steady, belying the undercurrent of concern he was feeling.

"I—he's beautiful," she replied softly, "Thank you, Spock. Thank you for him."

"It is I who should be grateful to you, k'diwa," he responded and two spent the next hour admiring their new son and raining soft kisses and touches upon him.

"This place looks like a funeral home," McCoy muttered crankily as he walked in. Colorful assortments of plants and flowers littered the area and McCoy pushed past a collection of singing Ilyan Fruit Trees.

"Wish those damn things would stay quiet!" he exclaimed and Nyota smiled.

"Nice to see you too, McCoy."

"Ah, well, don't get too comfortable. You'll be getting out of here soon enough."

He quickly checked her vitals and looked up when Nyota's father came ambling in, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"McCoy," he drawled, "Will you be at tonight's game?"

"You betcha," McCoy told him as he adjusted his PADD, "Don't think just because you're older than me I'll go easy on ya."

"Well," her father said and laughed, "This time try to keep all your money. I don't want a repeat of last time."

McCoy shook his head. "This old man almost took me for all I was worth. I hadn't been beat that badly since my divorce, damned shark."

Nyota shook her head and smiled as her father stepped closer. McCoy rushed out of the room, already intent on other matters.

Her father kissed her softly on the cheek and smiled. "Ah, my Nyota! He is beautiful! My grandson is handsome, like his grandfather!"

He laughed and clapped his hands. They chatted for awhile, and Nyota basked in the glow of his love and attention. They were soon joined by Zuri, who came running into sickbay, her arms laden with gifts.

She spotted her father and squealed excitedly, and quickly placed her gifts on a shelf. She and her father embraced for a long moment before Zuri broke away, her face wet with tears.

"This is a great day," her father proclaimed and Zuri could only nod, she was choking back more tears and quickly wiped her face with her hands.

Christine came back with the baby and Zuri eagerly reached out for him.

"Let me see my nephew!"

Christine gently placed him in her arms and Zuri sighed with glee. A flicker of sadness passed over her face for a moment as she held him, as if she were remembering another child and another time. The sadness was quickly replaced with joy when he looked up at her and cooed.

"Oh, you are a little charmer!," she said and kissed his cheek.

For next day or so there a constant stream of well-wishers. Even O'tala Frenin, now a commander with the T'Lanian army sent her a R'hylan children's fighting stick. The grooves were just perfect for small hands and fingers and the smooth surface allowed the weapon to be concealed easily in a pocket or overcoat. Nyota smiled when she saw this. She knows me well, Nyota thought. Gaila had promised to come the next day, and Nyota found herself brimming with excitement, eager to see her friend.


	45. Chapter 45

Gaila came bouncing into Nyota's room a day later, her arms overflowing with gifts and candies.

"Ny!," she squealed as she quickly deposited her load on a nearby chair and rushed to Nyota's side. They quickly embraced and Nyota fought back a wave of tears.

Gaila stepped back and frowned. "Ny….are you…._crying_?"

"Yes," she admitted reluctantly, "It's these damn hormones! I've been so emotional lately. Yesterday I saw an animated holovid about a lost butterfly. I cried the whole time. I'm a mess," she replied despondently, and Gaila smiled.

"Awww….Ny…You're supposed to be emotional. You just had a baby," Gaila replied softly and rubbed Nyota's back in long strokes. "Besides, you're not Vulcan like Spock."

A nurse bustled in and her eyes caught sight of the unregistered weapon near Nyota's bedside. She approached quickly and before she could confiscate it, Nyota was growling in anger, her eyes glowing cold with malice. The nurse stepped back in surprise, yelped and quickly exited the room.

"See Ny, you're still the same old you. You almost gave that poor woman a heart attack,"

Nyota grinned evilly, her eyes lighting up with glee, "I did, didn't I?"

"Yep. You're still you. You're just a more emotional you," Gaila assured her and Nyota smiled.

"Ny, I held the baby. Spock let me. He's _beautiful_," she crooned and Nyota smiled even wider.

"I don't know if I'm just biased or not, but I think he is," she told her and Gaila grinned and Nyota sighed happily and lay back onto the mound of pillows behind her.

"So what did you name him?," Gaila asked, "Cuz Spock wouldn't tell me."

"That's because we haven't officially given him a name. We have to have a naming ceremony first. It's part of my mother's family's tradition. I wanted to honor her in some way."

Gaila nodded and remained silent a moment as Nyota's eyes glazed over in sadness before she turned to face her once more.

"Well, I'm going to be there for sure," she squeezed Nyota's hand and smoothed back an errant black curl springing out from behind her ear.

Nyota gasped and then reached behind her. "Oh, I wanted to give you something."

Gaila squealed. "Cool. I love gifts."

"Since you're now an ambassador, I figured you needed a weapon, one that packed a punch. Enjoy," she said and graced her with elegantly wrapped box.

Gaila looked at the box in awe and fingered it gently before ripping it open. In the center of soft layers of Bajoran silk lay a dagger, with a large jewel embedded with a glowing center. Gaila gave a gasp of surprise and glee and then gently lifted it from its housing.

"This is gorgeous,"

Nyota nodded. "That jewel has been calibrated to work with your own physiology, emits twenty five thousand quants of electro static interference and the blade is ten times sharper and more durable than cryminium lead. An ambassador has to protect herself."

Gaila's voice hitched as she continued staring at the blade. "Ny, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you."

Nyota found her heart swelling with happiness as her friend hugged her.

"Well, I guess now that you're a mom, you'll have to stay home and bake—or something," Gaila joked and Nyota wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"I'm horrible in the kitchen. Spock does most of the cooking anyway," Nyota replied and added offhandedly, "I don't think being a housewife is for me."

"Well, what are you going to do?,"

"I'm going to stay on leave for a while and heal. But the first chance I get, there's a colony on Isthus, there's been some reported slave trading. I'll go there, maybe check it out-,"

"With guns—I mean, blades—blazing, I'm sure," Gaila said, a note of disapproval creeping into her voice.

"You sound like Spock now," Nyota intoned, a hint of tired anger underlying her voice. "Am I that horrible that everyone wants to change me?"

Gaila's gaze softened. "Oh, Ny, nobody wants to change you. I just think you can be a little less—um-,"

"What?," Nyota challenged.

"You know—bloodthirsty?," Gaila ventured and Nyota sighed.

"Maybe you're right. Spock thinks I should see the ship's counselor."

"You still having nightmares?," Gaila wondered and Nyota nodded.

"Sometimes."

"Then maybe you should."

Nyota thought a long moment, feeling a tiny knot beginning to unravel within her. She had everything she'd ever wanted now: a career, friends, a mate, and family. Perhaps it was time to lay the ghosts of the past to rest.

"For the first time in my life, I'm happy. I mean, really happy."

Tears pricked her eyelids and she sought to contain them, "I just don't think I deserve it sometimes."

Gaila gave Nyota's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Yes you do. We all deserve to be happy. I think the ship's counselor might be a good idea, Ny."

Nyota fell into Gaila's embrace and for the first time in years, Nyota cried. Not for just for the past, but for herself.

That night, as she sat beside Spock, nestled in the circle of his arms, with the baby resting comfortably in her embrace, she thought that maybe, just maybe, she did deserve to be happy. All the things that had ever happened to her seemed to disappear as Spock traced his hands across her hair and touched the baby's cheek every so often.

The baby stirred, cooed and then readjusted its position before going back to a deep, unworried slumber.

"Ashayam," he whispered into her ear and she smiled widely and planted a kiss onto his lips.

"Yes, Spock," she answered.

"There is nothing I would not do to make your life pleasant and filled with all that you require."

"Sweetheart, you've already given me everything."

Spock's lips quirked up at the corners and Nyota smiled once more. She snuggled deeper into his side and sighed contentedly.

Yes, maybe she did deserve to be happy after all.

* * *

**A/N: This has been an awesome adventure! My new story will be coming up soon and it will be an early Nyota/Spock fic at the academy. Thanks for all the comments and reviews! **


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