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The Anckzinar Snare - A Star Trek-TOS story by Rielle

Summary:

A rescue mission on a 'boundary world' goes terribly wrong when Kirk and his away team encounter a new set of enemies, and an embittered old one.

Chapter 1: Chapter 1/12

Notes:

Disclaimer:

If you recognize any of the characters in this work of fiction, they belong to Gene Roddenberry and his estate, Larry Niven, Paramount Studios and NBC in something like that order. There has not been and never will be any profit taking from this work of fiction and no intent to breach the copyright holders legal privileges. Fredericka Stanleigh, and Arielle Travissier, Teyla Corlin and Thelanna of Z'nar are my own word-children, so please don't borrow them without asking. Rielle  Feedback, pls to riellecait@yahoo.com

Chapter Text

The Anckzinar Snare A 'Star Trek/ TOS story by Rielle


set 7 years after "Amok Time"

Part 1 The Anckzinar Snare

He knew what he must do, now. And as that knowledge took shape in his thoughts, James Kirk grew amazingly calm. He would not hesitate. He could not fail in this! Cold certainty told him that the plan was perfect. The wonder was that he had not hit on it before now. The chaos outside his shelter grew louder, closer. He would have to use his plan soon, or lose the chance.
"Spock," he called out, furious with the strained whisper he produced. "Come here."

The tall figure Kirk had been watching moved to his side. "Yes, Captain?" The Vulcan crouched, to bring his gaze level with Kirk's. The Captain lay propped on a legless divan, as far from the entry as the dimensions of the small room allowed.

"Spock, that noise... How far behind us do you think the searchers are?" Kirk rasped. He found his friend's close attention painful. And Spock would not look away, so Kirk did.

"No farther than the incarceration center where I found you, Captain. 2,349 meters, approximately. Without functioning instruments, it is difficult to be more precise." Spock told him. "The possibility remains, however, that your former captors well not press their search. Logic would dictate to them the assumption that we returned immediately to th.."

"They'll search!" Kirk snapped. "They *are* Slavers. And you've stolen valuable merchandise from them, Mr. Spock. Terrans are a rare breed of monster on their homeworlds."

"Captain, " Spock began.

"This communicator should raise the ship, now." Kirk interrupted him. "Try it, Spock."

The Vulcan hesitated visibly. There was no doubt in Kirk's mind that his First Officer had taken note of the Captain's withdrawn and angry manner.

"I can hardly talk. Call the ship, Mr. Spock." Kirk ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Opening the device, created a burst of static. Spock quickly adjusted that to a low buzzing. Still, the message he sent drowned in noise; along with whatever response it drew.
"No good." Kirk whispered. "I'll try again. It's not the transdater. I used to put one of these together at warp speed, when Finnegan..." Spock's silent patience in the face of human meanderings stopped the tale on Kirk's tongue. After several more minutes work on the device, Kirk opened the grid, to louder static than before. "Scotty must have gone to maximum orbit. This won't send a signal that far. It's primary circuits are all but burnt out. And I dont ..."

A coughing spasm tore through Kirk's frame, exacting pain for speaking too long. When it passed, Spock was still bracing him against the divan. Voiceless, Kirk acknowledged his friend with a weary nod. Kirk's head ached as though the saber cut he'd taken would split it. Clearly seeing this, Spock held a wine carafe up for the captain to drink. Purple red wine slid warmly down Kirk's throat, easing him.

"Captain," Spock said. "This communicator was activated outside the renegades holding area. It's signal led me directly to you."

"That signal, Mr. Spock." Kirk told him when he could speak again, " led you directly into a Slaver's snare!" Kirk fell silent again. Obviously, his First Officer wa listening intently, to something the captain could not yet, hear. "Spock, " Kirk whispered. "What is it? What do you hear?"

"Movement, Captain. Someone ... more than one in fact has entered the wine cellar below this room." Spock trained his phaser on the tapestry hiding the cellar's entrance. And now Kirk heard the footsteps below them too.

*No time now, for even a perfect plan!*

"Hush, kitts." a low voice came, muffled by the curtain. "Hush. I heard Mr. Spock. I'm certain of it. No, he's a friend. I told you."

"It's M'ress!" Kirk rasped excitedly. "The only Caitians with those Slavers were prisoners. Lt. M'ress!" he called out, straining his voice to its limits.

A felinoid mane and head emerged from behind the tapestry. Lt. Mress stepped out. For her own protection, M'ress wore the copper and brass body armor of a Caitian Huntress-Dancer, her false identity on this mission. Behind her, half a dozen Caitian children stopped and stared at the two men in the room, whining with fear.

"You seem to have acquired a following, Lt." Kirk grinned in relief at the sight she made.

"Lt. M'ress, did you encounter any difficulty on your way here?" Spock asked.

"No, sir. The Slavers ... are more interested in looting the core districts, now. Anckzinar is almost empty. Once I convinced these kitts that I would not harm them, the worst was done."

James Kirk's grin flashed again. But the laugh that followed it set him coughing, almost choking.

"Lt. M'ress," Spock went on, when Kirk's seizure eased. "You referred to the renegades here in Anckzinar as Slavers. Why?"

"They are Slavers, sirr. They have taken as bounty everry living being who did not evacuate the city, and the countryside for kilometers arround it."

"I see. Thank you, I shall take your evaluation under consideration. And of course, you will be making a full report of what you observed here."

Kirk glanced from M'ress to the kitts, to Spock and realized that the Vulcan was not giving M'ress or her companions his full attention. Looking up again, at M'ress, Kirk found her wide, amber eyes locked on him, in dismay. He knew what she saw. Beneath a straggling beard, Kirk's features were waxen, cold and clammy, just the way they felt when he brushed his hair back from his brow. That hair was dark with sweat, and his eyes burned with exhaustion.

An angry scar ran along his right temple. Another cut across his lower left arm, where a transponder had been hidden and clumsily removed. Kirk's right leg crooked out at a painful angle from his knee. And his clothing, once the gaudy robes of a Centaurii merchant, was now ragged, revealing more cuts, welts, and bruises. James Kirk did not wonder that M'ress stared and Spock nearly frowned in worry, looking at him.

Both of Kirks officers knew that the Enterprise had lost contact with the captain's evacuation team in Anckzinar. That happened three planet-days ago. Spock also knew why, now. Kirk and his four-member team were captured by the renegades who were invading this boundary world. Four young Enterprise officers, Lts. Andreann Neall, and Teyla Corlin, zeno-anthropologists and gifted linguists, Ensigns, Giovanni Anatti, and Li Yuan, Caitian/Kzinti experts, were dead now, tortured by the same renegades. And that last one, Lt. Teyla Corlin died only minutes before Spock found James Kirk.

Lacking a functioning tricorder, Spock could only speculate on the captain's condition. And Kirk relied on the Vulcan's reluctance to do just that. Spock might read Kirk's pallor and coughing, choking spasms, and near seizures as negative indicators. But he could not know how much of Kirk's strength was going to conceal the human's pain and emotional exhaustion.

"M'ress." Kirk said, "You're still in possession of the transponder Dr. McCoy implanted before we beamed down, aren't you?"

"Yes, Captain."

"And is there any safer place that you and your young friends can wait for rendezvous with the ship?"

"No, sirr. No lair, no house or building in the city will be any saferr than another, until the Slavers are gone."

"I see. Lt. Give Mr. Spock your phaser, please. And take your charges back as far into the cellar as possible. Mr. Scott will be looking for your transponder's signal just as scheduled."

"Yes, sir." M'ress answered; her tone mixing reluctance and obedience. The captain and first officer plainly expected trouble getting out of Anckzinar. Kirk's request for her phaser made that plain.

"Get below decks, then." Kirk ordered her, as firmly as if he held the con. "And do whatever you can to keep the kitts as quiet as possible. No, wait. I've picked up a little Caitian recently. Let me talk to them."

"Of course, sir. Kitts, this is my captain, Captain James Kirk of the starship Enterprise. That's where we're all going to go, any time now. Captain Kirk will explain it to you."

"Come on and sit down for a moment, will you?" Kirk asked the wide-eyed children. When they did he put on his best captain-on-deck manner and pushed all his fears aside for a moment. "We came to Anckzinar to get as many of you and your kin safely away from ... Some beings who want to take over here. That must have seemed like a good idea to someone at StarFleet, but right now, I'm not so sure." Kirk smiled, and pulled in another breath.

"M'ress brought you here, today, because we're almost done getting everyone to safety and this is where the Enterprise, that's our ship, will be looking for all of us. They will be here, soon, but what I want you to try to understand is that they won't be sending anyone else down to the city. Instead, they'll send a kind of ... energy beam that works like a ... an almost invisible turbo-lift. Have you seen one of those?"

"A transporterr beam? Weve seen those.." Three of the children said, nodding.

"Exactly right. It feels really funny the first time you go somewhere that way. But even though one of my two best friends doesn't think so, it's completely, completely safe. And when you're on the ship, I want all of you to have a snack, rest up and then head down to Sickbay to tell my friend, Dr. McCoy, that I said so. Will you do that?"

"Yeah!" all six laughed.

"Good. Now, M'ress is going to take you back to the cellar. When you feel a kind of tingling, like when your foot goes to sleep in school in the afternoon? Yes, that' when you'll know Mr. Scott has found you with the ship's sensors and the transporter is starting to work. All you need to do then, is sit really still and before you can blink, you'll be sitting on the transporter platform on our ship. Can you sit really still?"

"Not for very long." one of the kitts admitted. "Especially not Jarrri." she added, poking her companion in the ribs.

"Jarrri, I'll tell you what." Kirk grinned, fighting back another coughing spell. "I was a pretty ansy guy myself at your age. You're about thirty, right?"

If a felinoid could giggle, that's what Kirk and Spock heard coming from the male kitt named Jarrri, now. "No,  ... umm, no sir. I'm eight!"

"Oh, okay. Here's a trick I learned at Academy, anyway. When you're going up in a group, you'll feel like holding each other's hands. But with a transporter beam that's not such a good idea. So, you can just imagine sitting together, holding hands and wishing for the best things you can possibly imagine What would those be?"

"Cream! No, berries! No, cheeses, No, no , flapjacks, No, cashews!" they answered.

"Okay, well the next thing you do after you see Dr. McCoy is you go over to the wall in one of the rec rooms and tell the computer what you want to eat."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, wow." Kirk nodded, wheezing and fighting a cough.

"Kitts," M'ress said, watching Kirk closely. "Let's get downstairs again. Mr. Scott doesn't like it when someone isn't on his or her coordinates on time. Mr. Spock, Captain, sirs, I will see you on board ship."

"Good work, M'ress." Kirk told her, wondering why Spock had become so quiet.

When M'ress and her cohort were out of sight again, Kirk turned to face the Vulcan.
"Captain," Spock said. "Mr. Scott may encounter difficulty in keeping the rendezvous schedule. He reported several small vessels within optimum sensor range."

"They don't dare engage three starships!" Kirk growled. "The Yorktown, and the Hood are still"

"No sir, they are underway to StarBase 9. They had taken aboard a great number of seriously ill and injured evacuees."

"Then, we have to do something, Spock! We have to help the Enterprise, so she can help us. Scotty can't risk a fight with refugees on board. But we ..." Kirk's voice, thin with pain, failed again for a long moment. Then he went on. "Spock, we can decoy the Slavers here. With this communicator. We can get them here and cut them off from their ships. At least we can throw them off balance. They don't expect any hostile activity down here. How do you think their ships would react to weapon's fire, even an explosion or two? Suppose they read an explosion the size of a phaser overload?"

"I cannot say, Captain. However, I can tell you that such an explosion in these confined quarters would collapse this structure, and those on either side." Spock replied, and his tone seemed to Kirk measurably less calm than before.

"It would bring the house down, wouldn't it?" Kirk joked, mirthlessly. "But that is not your concern, Mr. Spock. You will be well and truly out of here by then."

"Sir?" Spock interjected, one black eyebrow flying up in clear alarm.

"By the time I have to decide, whether or not to blow this lair, literally; you will be on board ship. You will be waiting there, to beam me aboard on my signal." Kirk told him, as if he was telling the Vulcan that he would be sent on an errand to the commissary. Kirk's tone was coolly authoritative. And he realized his error too late to take it back. Spock looked ready to protest Kirk's decision as soon as he heard it. But the captain would not listen. "I will decoy the Slaver-chief here, Mr. Spock. You will beam us both aboard and he will guarantee the Enterprise safe passage away from this hellhole. It's that simple. Perfectly simple."

"Captain, " Spock said in formal mode, "you seem to be overlooking several aspects of our situation."

"And those would be what, Spock?"

"First, it is unlikely that the renegade leader would come here alone or unarmed. Second, being Kzinti, he is undoubtedly stronger than either of us. Lastly, if he finds you alive and that he's been lured into a 'snare' of your making, he will kill you, Jim."

James Kirk stiffened, but otherwise ignored Spock's verbal signal of deep concern. Instead, he let three days pain; weariness, self-loathing and rage flow to his tongue, unguarded. "You're wrong, Spock! That ... bloody handed bastard could have killed me at any time in the past three days. You saw Neall, and Li, and Gio ... and you saw what was left ..." Kirk shuddered violently. Unbidden, unwanted, his mind filled with the horror of four young lives brutally cut off.

"Captain," Spock began again, infinitely patient with the human grief he'd often insisted he did not feel.

"What probability did you compute for my survival after these past three days, Mr. Spock?" Kirk demanded. "These renegades, as you and StarFleet insist on calling them are engaged in taking slaves. Their ships are small, fast, trimmed down to the quick to hold a small crew and the 'harvest'  of the strongest living beings from every world they can reach. And they want only the strongest for 'breeding stock', for auctioning, for their tortuous idea of training. T

hey have taken over whole worlds for breeding, raising, training and auctioning off slaves. They boasted of it to me! And they murdered four of my officers by a series of torments they call 'Testing'! Spock, this Kzin can give us the proof of their actions that we need to stop them! And to get him, I need you on board Enterprise to make certain that only one Kzin is beamed up, not a boarding party! My orders are to effect the safe evacuation of Fleet personnel and civilians from this outpost. This plan will achieve that goal, without killing even one Slaver! Doesn't that satisfy you, Spock? Doesn't that fit your extremely ethical Vulcan code?"

Seeing that Kirk expected an answer, now, Spock studied his friend and commander for a long time. Then he asked "Do you want to kill any of them, Captain?"

"I'd be lying if I said otherwise. But more than that, I want my ship its passengers and crew secure." Kirk answered coldly. "Give me M'ress' phaser. And get behind that tapestry, now."

"May I ask .." Spock began.

"I'm about to begin the decoy signal, I do not intend that the Slavers even guess that M'ress and those children are still here. In fact, this won't work at all unless they believe I'm alone. Is that sufficiently clear, Mr. Spock?"

"Quite clear, sir." Spock nodded. He understood now, that Kirk was not to be dissuaded. The captain had begun the signal. Spock knew as well as Kirk did that it would reach no further than the communicator taken from Lt. Andreann Neall.  That device, as well as the one Spock lost in his altercation with Kirk's sole guard,   was very likely to be in the possession of the renegades.

"Kirk to Enterprise." the captain rasped, his voice terribly strained. "Kirk, to Enterprise. Acknowledge, Enterprise. Kirk .. Mr. Spock, I ordered you to take cover. Do I need to issue an order twice to the best First Officer in the Fleet?"

"No sir. Nevertheless, I cannot comply."

"What?"

"I cannot leave a superior officer in a life-threatening situation, unaided. I would be greatly remiss in my duty, to that officer, to the Enterprise and to StarFleet. Therefore, I regret, Captain .."

"Mr. Spock, I have no intention and little time to debate regulations in this situation. I will not even argue that this is an extraordinary case, because in my experience they all are. I will, remind you, however, that these renegades have stolen weapons and devices comparable to 40% of our technology. We cannot allow that situation to persist. If you have an alternative, for stopping them, by all means state it. Otherwise ..." Again, Kirk was racked by a choking, coughing spasm, leaving him shaken and voiceless. *Damn it, Spock.* he raged inwardly. *If you won't listen to me. If I can't  order you to safety ...I won't be able to get you or the ship out of this debacle alive.*

"Captain," Spock said, still alarmed and confused by Kirk's manner. "I would only suggest that we both take cover, before the renegades respond to your signal. In that way, we can conceal our presence here until it becomes possible to retrieve our devices. This would cause no further danger to M'ress and her charges, or to your plan to abduct the Kzin."

Kirk tilted his head back, as if to study the half ruined ceiling of their shelter.
*Stubborn stiff-necked, insubordinate Vulcan.*
he thought. *You'll stay here debating, no matter what I say, until this 'lair' is overrun with Slavers. And you'll die in transit to one of their breeding pens. Or do you really think I can't count back seven years to know why you put specifically for home-leave? Now I have a clear choice. I can go on with this farce of abductions and lies, losing your trust forever. Or I can keep you here, lean on your strength, and we'll both be dead in no time. SOL!*

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Kirk glanced at his worried friend, and decided.
"Very logical, " he began, pretending to acquiesce. A noise outside the main door froze Kirk in alarm. Spock set both phasers on heavy stun, and gave one to the captain without a word. They had no friends still on the streets and alleys of Anckzinar, only enemies. Without seeming aware that he'd done so, Spock now crouched half a step in front of the captain. The shutters of one window swung apart, with a screeching sound.

As the afternoon light and shadows sifted inside, a Rigellian female clad in tarnished chromium body armor, climbed onto the sill. Glancing quickly around, she saw first Kirk, then Spock. Her pale blue mane of hair swept back as her head snapped back in astonishment. Plainly she had never seen a Vulcan, and not many full-humans, either. Spock aimed his phaser and caught her in its beam. Before the Rigellian could move, or cry out, she was sprawling in a copper-hued heap on the dirt floor.


"Spock," Kirk rasped, ignoring the fact that his voice shook with relief. "She has a communicator ... "

Spock moved swiftly to retrieve the device and handed it to Kirk. "Captain, the Rigellian may have companions. We should .."

"Take shelter. I agree, Spock. Help me stand." Cautiously, Spock guided Kirk off the floor and towards the tapestry. It was, Kirk considered, an exercise in wordless diplomacy. He carefully ignored Spock's solicitude, however blatant. Spock just as cautiously paid no attention when Kirk shuddered and clenched his jaw over a cry of pain. Kirk knew and thanked G-d that Spock didn't, that his captain was bleeding internally, if the growing coldness in his chest was any sign. His broken leg and smashed knee were stiff and not at all numb. Worst of all, Kirk was dizzy, almost faint, after taking no more than eight steps. He could not wait much longer for McCoy's skilled help, and he knew it.

But four young officers had died while James Kirk was made to watch. He knew now that they had only died because they were witnesses to the Slaver's taking of Anckzinar, and their ally in that scheme. And Kirk knew he would never allow Spock, or anyone else in his command, to fall into another Slaver's snare. Fighting his dizziness, Kirk leaned on his left leg, against the inner wall, as much as possible away from Spock's steadying support. Now, wild, howling noise, like drunken laughter, reached both men from the street outside. Kirk had to get Spock away, and Spock would debate, delay and likely disobey every one of the captain's attempts.
*SOL! What I wouldn't give for McCoy's hypo right now!* Kirk thought. *If only Bones, or anyone else in the crew wouldn't beam down with it!*
Memories of another dilemma that proved nearly fatal, crowded Kirk's thoughts.

*If you will only recall why Bones tricked us both on Minara, then you'll understand what I'm going to do, my friend.*
"Spock," the captain whispered, as the noise outside grew. "Give me your arm. I'm dizzy,"

Immediately, Spock slid one arm behind Kirk's shoulders. He could easily have lifted the human, invalid style, to carry him into the cellar then, But Kirk was keeping half his own weight balanced on his left leg and the wall. With his right hand, the captain now shifted to Spock's opposite shoulder, seeking for a spot between his neck and shoulder blades. This held a juncture of nerve endings that Kirk had finally learned to work with, in more than one way. With all his remaining strength, now, the captain placed pressure on that vulnerable point; just as Spock had finally taught him to do. The First Officer of the Enterprise slid to the floor, like a dropped marionette.

Sliding down against the wall, Kirk opened the communicator and began a coded signal. 'QUEEN TO KING'S LEVEL ONE. CONDITION GREEN REPEAT CONDITION GREEN BEAM LT MRESS AND HER COMPANIONS, AND COMMANDER SPOCK ABOARD IMMEDIATELY.
SECURE MISSION AT ALL COSTS. REPEAT SECURE MISSION AT ALL COSTS. LEAVE ORBIT IF NECESSARY TO PROTECT OUR GUESTS FROM ANCKZINAR. REPEAT LEAVE ORBIT, IF NECESSARY TO PROTECT OUR GUESTS FROM ANCKZINAR. RESPOND AS CODED AND ENERGIZE. REPEAT. RESPOND AS CODED.'
QUEEN-TO-QUEEN'S LEVEL THREE. MESSAGE RECIEVED AND UNDERSTOOD. REPEAT QUEEN TO QUEEN'S LEVEL THREE MESSAGE RECIEVED AND UNDERSTOOD. ENERGIZING NOW AS ORDERED. SCOTT AIC ENTERPRISE. QUEEN TO QUEENS LEVEL THREE, OUT.'
'ENERGIZE IMMEDIATELY. CARRY OUT EVACUATION AS ORDERED. QUEEN TO KING'S LEVEL ONE. KIRK COMMANDING ENTERPRISE, OUT.'

As Kirk watched, a transporter beam hummed and caught Spock in eye-hurting dazzle, then vanished with the Vulcan in tow. Now, the heavy door to their shelter cracked and swung open. Half a dozen Slavers ran inside. There was no escaping now. There never had been, not for James Kirk. Not from the moment four young officers died as Kirk watched helplessly on.
At that second, his escape from Anckzinar ceased to matter. Instead, he became bitterly obsessed with ensuring that his ship and crew flew free of this nightmare world. A flickering grin settled on Kirk's face as the Kzin who called himself a Slaver-chief strode into the room. Beside him walked a dark, small-framed alien, in the woven body armor of a Romulan commander.
"You seem to be alone, here, Captain." she said.

"I'm quite alone. Commander." Kirk agreed.

"Silence, chatl!" the Kzin snarled. "Romulan, you agreed this Earther-chatl is mine. I will have him for the Grand Auction."

"Just as you agreed that the other humans found with Kirk must die, to keep our alliance secret, until the proper time. But, this human has a companion, a half Vulcan, who must not escape our snare. Where is he, Captain?"

"Out of your reach, Commander." Kirk replied, wanting to laugh, " Spock and about a thousand refugees from Anckzinar are on their way to a StarBase, now. Your agreement with this ..murderer is null and void without him, I believe? And in any case, it will not be secret for much longer. That much I can assure you."

Before the Romulan speak or move, the Kzin dealt Kirk another swift blow to the head. "Silence I said, Earther! We will find this other .. If he is to be found here. Trainers, strip the monster, Harness it for transport, Now." Two Slavers, an Orion and another Kzin rushed at Kirk with  a tangled array of leather straps.

"I'm not into that kind of thing, but thanks for asking." Kirk grinned tautly.

"Humans are probably the most perverse race in twelve galaxies, Captain." The Romulan sneered. "And I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot Pelagian."

In moments, Kirk was bound as he had been for more than three full days before Spock found him. His arms were strapped rigidly to his sides, and each leg bound to a leg of one of his 'trainers'. His hands and feet were likewise restrained and a muzzling mask hung ready in front of his mouth. Lastly, a choke collar as he'd seen only in museums wrapped Kirk's throat with the threat of a crushed larynx, even suffocation.

Otherwise, Kirk stood naked in the gaze of his latest enemies, and his older one. He was too exalted by the success of Spock's unwanted escape to care. And he was too familiar with these tormenters, not to expect what came next. He and his team had endured just such ruthless 'examinations' more times in three days than Kirk could now recall. Their only caveat, it seemed was that now he was to be trained and sold at Auction, the Slavers would avoid marring his skin with more bruising and welts. When this proceedure left Kirk laying back on his haunches, sickened and once more unable to move, the Kzin Slaver chief bent down to stare into his face.

"Now, hear me, my Earther. Your unnaturally born freak of a companion will be found and taken, just as you are now. But that is no matter to either you or I, now. You are mine, monster. You live and die by Chatl code older than the stars.
So you will learn it, now:
Any chatl raising its voice, unbidden forfeits speech.
Any chatl raising its eyes unbidden, forfeits its sight.
Any chatl raising its hands, Hear me, Earther!
Any chatl raising its treacherous, murdering hands to a trainer or master unbidden, forfeits its life. Chatl code as you can clearly discern, was made to harness your treacherous, vicious and power mad race!
Now, then. When I bid you speak, and only then, you will answer the Romulan as she bade you. Where is the Vulcan? Where is the cowardly, mealy mouthed, peace kissing ivory tower Vulcan hiding? Speak as I bid!"

Kirk fixed his gaze unwaveringly on the Kzin now, and said nothing. *Forfeit life?* he wanted to laugh aloud at what this Slaver thought a threat.

*I did that four times in three days, trying to save Gio and Li, Andreann and ... Teyla. And I did it again, to save my friend, my crew and my ship, as well as a thousand you would enslave, otherwise.*

"No, no, you won't find Spock in Anckzinar or anywhere on this forsaken world." Kirk answered. "And you won't take the Enterprise, either. They've flown the coop. It's an old farmland expression. And yet, I think you know what it means, don't you, Commander?"
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