Rison looked out the tall windows at the howling, torch, pitchfork, shovel, knife, and club-brandishing mob descending on his castle. His guards were already double-posted, but the crowd was large and growing larger. He couldn’t help but hear their shouts: “Freedom!” “To the Goddess!” “For the star people!” and “Destroy Rison and his foul allies!” A well-aimed rock flew through the opening, just past his head. Scowling, he stepped back and turned to the two aliens who stood a prudent distance away from the outer walls.

“When will your men join my guard?” he demanded.

“Our men?” Kor snorted. “Why should our men join yours?”

“This is, after all, strictly an internal affair,” Tal agreed. “If peasants give you trouble, it is hardly our concern.”

“But you gave me aid in the attack on the camp,” Rison protested.

“That was to secure the Antari. The rest of the rabble is up to you,” Kor replied disdainfully.

“Surely a man as great as you can quell this minor disturbance on your own, Lord Governor,” Tal added.

Rison looked at the amused faces of his alleged allies. Perhaps, he thought, it is time for me to rethink this arrangement. He turned disgustedly back to the window and the sight below.

The mob was rapidly approaching the palace. Spock had led, allowing Frey and Chekov to keep the zeal at a fever pitch with stirring, rousing speeches. He had arranged with Scott for divine intervention; the appearance of twenty scarlet angels with flaming swords, a security team with enhanced Cantian weapons that would give off a faint orange glow.

He scrutinized the castle fortifications. Rison’s men, twice the usual number, but no Klingons. He hadn’t expected to see Tal’s men, but… Perhaps a trap was being set. Or perhaps they had already left with Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Valley captive, or dead, or worse. He spoke softly into his communicator, requesting a second team with standard outfitting be placed on standby to be beamed down on his order. Then he told Scott to send forth the angels.

He stepped forward, raising his arms and shouted above the noise of the crowd, “Behold! The Goddess sends the aid she promised!”

Twenty pillars of shimmer coalesced before him. A gasp of awe and wonder went through the crowd, and just before the cries of “praise the Goddess!” broke out, Spock heard a shocked voice behind him.

“That is the clothing she wears! She is an avenging angel!”

He rapidly turned toward the voice, seeing the man who had spoken. Kelly and Chekov moved swiftly toward him.

“Of whom do you speak, my son?” Spock asked.

The young man paled. “Silver, Holy One, a girl we found wandering the streets nearly a fortnight ago. Forgive us, we did not know she was…”

“Silver… yes,” Spock murmured, then said, “Where is she now?”

“Safe, Holy One, at my sister’s camp.”

“Is Sulu there, too?” Chekov burst out.

The Cantian stared at them, his eyes widening in amazement. “Why yes, the one Silver called Sulu is with her. How did you…?”

“She called him Sulu?” Spock’s voice held a note of surprise.

The man nodded, his gaze now worshipful.

“What is your name?”

“I am called Crona, Holy One.”

“Crona, take these men to your camp. They will see to my people.” He nodded to Chekov and Kelly, then with renewed hope, turned to begin the battle.

Silver was curled up on a straw mat, her head nestled to Sulu’s chest. The two had been talking and she had gone from crying out in pain to soft whimpers. Sulu absently stroked her head, his eyes closed. Tomlan was digging a new waste pit. He glanced disgustedly at the couple.

“Why don’t you leave her alone?” he grunted. “Her headaches have gotten worse since you came.”

“I’m trying to help her remember,” Sulu replied. “She hurts because of what the dark man did to her.”

“And so she should remember it?” Tomlan returned. “Pain and hunger and his foul touch? That’s all she knew before I found her.”

“She has another life, something you couldn’t begin to comprehend.” Sulu’s voice was quiet; he concentrated on massaging Silver’s temples.

Tomlan sneered. “I can comprehend alright. We Outlanders know all about captive and favored women. Our own have had to turn to the beds of rich merchants or palace guards to stay alive.”

He watched as anger colored the stranger’s face. He had been trying to force the man to rise, to challenge him. It was the only way he would ever get Silver back.

“Are you saying she’s…” Sulu began.

“She’s not your wife, I know that,” Tomlan shot back. “I’ve heard your talks. She belonged to another, one who is dead.” He let his voice thicken with innuendo. “I have no doubts as to how – and why – he died.” He saw the other clench his jaw. Good, get angry.

“She’s told you she loves me, Tomlan,” Sulu said.

“I’m sure she does. I’m sure you star people have ways,” he made his words take on a salacious taunt, “beyond my comprehension to make a woman willing.”

“It bothers you more that I love her,” Sulu said, and there was an edge to his calmness.

“I've seen the way you ‘love’ her,” Tomlan scoffed. “She barely sleeps between her nightmares and tending to your wounds. She’s weak and cold and pain surrounds her. You bring her nothing but work and bad memories and aren’t even man enough to…”

“I don’t make love in front of an audience,” Sulu abruptly hissed. Tomlan threw down his shovel.

“Why not?” he mocked. “She wouldn’t refuse you. Surely you’ve got her well-trained enough for…”

With a swiftness Tomlan would not have believed him capable of, Sulu was on his feet. Tomlan smiled. This is what I’ve waited for, starman. Come and get me!

Silver’s eyes snapped open as Sulu moved from beside her. Her head was pounding, emotions tearing into her, adding to the fear. She sat up and saw Sulu charging Tomlan. What had happened? She saw Sulu’s back start to ooze blood and pus, and she screamed.

Surely you’ve got her well-trained enough for…

Well-trained.

Audience.

Sulu lost all caution, all sense. The words ripped into his mind and he had to shut them out. He had to silence the mocking voice. He leapt at it, knocking the body it came from to the ground. There was a pile of weaponry near him, and he reached blindly, grabbing a thin sword. Training of another kind took over, and he advanced on his opponent with lethal and determined grace.

Silver stared as the two men began circling one another. She’d seen Tomlan unsheathe his sword just as Sulu had grasped one from the weapons that had been stolen and were to be resold. She wanted to cry out to him, he was too weak, still too injured, Tomlan would kill him! But he seemed totally oblivious to it. His sword flashed as he thrust and countered, incredibly fast, responding to Tomlan’s varied moves as though he could read his thoughts. Tomlan wasn’t winning, not yet, but he wasn’t losing either. Parry and thrust and counter. The images danced in her head. Sulu with a sword, swift, cool, expert. A grin, a jest. “You do well for a maiden." “No maiden am I, good sir.” “How amusing would you find three feet of steel?” A metal room with pads on the floor and Sulu and a sword and the golden-haired woman. Her head thundered, the images coming fast but distorted. Memory clawed at her mind, an unnamed and uncomprehended something pulling at her, countering the pain. It gave her strength and she struggled to break through the cold, screaming agony. Remember, I must remember... Another room, still metal, but warm… a sculpture of double moons, sparkling jewelry. The something grew stronger, feeding her, and though it carried its own pain, it battled with that the dark man had given her. There was a self in that something, a self that knew who she was and remembered all she had been, how she had come to Canti. And it was all tied to Sulu... A samurai’s armor, a case of weaponry, books by Dumas... “Morning, silver one.” “Good morning…”

“D’Artagnan!” She screamed it, a mixture of joy and fear and pain.

Sulu jerked his head around at the sound, his thoughts crowded out by all the memory her using that name evoked. Then she screamed again, a warning, and he felt Tomlan’s sword slash into his right shoulder and down his arm.

Jilla - I know my name! saw the blow coming, knew it was her distraction that had done it. Sulu fell, crying out as his back hit the coarse grotto floor. Tomlan stepped toward him, his intentions obvious, and Jilla pulled her dagger. She launched herself at the Cantian, all the agony in her head crushed by murderous rage.

She gashed his sword arm and he screamed, dropping the weapon. He staggered backward under the force of her body slam. She slashed the knife again and he grabbed her wrist, using all his strength to snap it. She shrieked, a hoarse, angry sound and her other hand went to his throat.

Dimly she heard footsteps running and Crona’s voice yelling, “Silver!” and other voices and her fury abruptly subsided. She pulled away from Tomlan, leaving his gasping, and went to Sulu. He lay motionless, breathing hard, his face set in a tight grimace of anguish. She pulled him up off of his back, letting him lean against her, her arms gentle around him.

“Forgive me, my love,” she whispered. “I will get you to the ship. Dr. McCoy will…”

At her words, his eyes opened and he stared at her. Her head twitched to one side as a spasm of pain was ignored. Chekov knelt beside them.

“Sulu, are you alright?” he asked.

“Not really,” Sulu replied hoarsely.

“Jilla?” Chekov rejoined, turning to her. Sulu inhaled sharply and Jilla felt a searing flash through her mind, but she was able to reply calmly.

“I am well, Pavel,” she said.

“Ruth?” Jim gently shook the sleeping figure, hoping he had understood her message. He had pulled her torn robe around her, cursing the casual way the Klingon guards had tossed her into his cell. He didn’t want to think about what had happened to her before that. What you let happen to her, his captain’s guilt reminded him.

And just what could you do with your belly sliced open? They took her before I even regained consciousness.

He shook the useless emotion away and concentrated on the present. He had let her rest as long as he dared, weighing her need for sleep against their need to find a way to escape. Now he knelt beside her, his voice soft but piercing. “Ruth!”

She stirred and opened one huge purple eye. “Go away,” she groaned.

“Ruth, the ship, Spock, Sulu, are they alright?”

She mumbled something that could’ve been an anatomically impossible epithet.

“Lieutenant, I need to know what’s happening!”

Slowly she sat up, pushing tons of gold hair from her face. “Captain,” she began. “Kevin Riley was found in the same condition as Monique. Mr. Spock and I have stirred up the Outlanders so that they will rise and do our invading work for us so we can hold onto a semblance of upholding the Prime Directive even though with the Romulans and Klingons here there’s no good reason to. There is a call in to Starfleet explaining the situation with the Romulans and Klingons in case we end up blowing the Prime Directive all to hell anyway. No word on Jilla’s whereabouts as yet, though we assume she was the one who freed Spock and brought him to the café so I could find him and heal what the sauvrn of a Klingon did to his back and Sulu is missing but we kind of assume she took him with her wherever that is now will you go away. Sir.” She lay back down, curling up under her hair.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Jim muttered, ignoring the last few words of Ruth’s final sentence.

“The cavalry is already several hours late,” came from beneath the pile of gold. “Will you please go away and let me get some rest?”

Jim began pacing. He heard the tramp of feet and the sound of the key in the heavy door. Swiftly he knelt next to Ruth. “Just stay asleep and maybe you won’t have to give another command performance,” he whispered.

When Jim didn’t shout for joy, Ruth assumed it wasn’t the cavalry. His whispered advice made a lot of sense – particularly since that was all she wanted to do anyway. Tal’s voice prevented her from obtaining the blissful insentience she so desperately needed.

“Captain Kirk, I’m afraid we have some unpleasant news. We can no longer allow you to go free. Our intentions were to simply force you to break the Federation’s treaty with Canti, thus opening up their wealth to other offers. We did not wish our participation in the matter known, for reasons you can surely understand. However, due to the ineffectiveness of Governor Rison’s management – and, of course, the brilliant perceptive powers of your Vulcan First Officer, we were discovered.”

Ruth almost smiled, hearing the grudging admiration in the Romulan’s voice. Then she realized that it was actually a veiled insult to the rest of the non-Vulcan Enterprise crew. Wannabe, she sneered.

“Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to carry the tale back,” Tal was continuing. “Your ship will be destroyed, your men on the planet surface will be found, and we will then do to them what we must now do to you.”

Ruth opened a cautious eye and saw two brutal-looking Klingons which is a redundancy dragging Jim twoards Kor. She moaned silently. Zehara, what do you expect from one lone keheil?

Gathering her strength, she lunged at Kor.

Rison swiveled from the windows. “Federation soldiers!” he cried. “Now will you…!”

The room was empty. With a string of colorful curses against all aliens, he ran from the room to issue the order to attack.

“For the Goddess!” the crowd roared, and the governor’s palace was stormed. In seconds, the air was filled with cries and the sounds of clashing weapons as the followers of the avenging angels cut their way through Rison’s men. Spock motioned to Ordona, and they began making their way to the door. The young Ensign was relishing the sword play, and Spock recalled that he was one of Sulu’s favorite fencing partners. Spock himself used his blade almost as a shield, preferring to leave his opponents unconscious rather than mortally injured.

The defense was surprisingly weak, or the Outlanders surprisingly fierce. The guards fell quickly and Spock opened the huge doors to the palace. The mob poured in triumphantly and Spock immediately directed Ordona and the security team to begin their search for the Captain, Lieutenant Valley, and Lord Governor Rison.

He found the Cantian in his chambers, apparently planning an escape. Rison looked up as he burst into the room. He had drawn his weapon, but a Vulcan with a sword in his hand was a figure to be reckoned with, and Ordona simply looked too eager to use his own.

“Where are Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Valley?” Spock demanded.

“The dungeons,” Rison replied without hesitation. Then he stopped, startling, and Spock saw the realization grow in his eyes: this particular Vulcan should be in no condition to stand, let alone threaten the Lord Governor. An understanding of the possible reason for this transformation also came into his face, and Spock almost smiled. Yes, she healed me, providing a miracle for the Outlanders and a martyr to their cause – and the motive for your downfall.

“You will take us there,” Spock ordered, and Rison sighed.

Jim broke free from his captors the minute Ruth leapt up from the floor, knocking Kor to the ground. The first thing he did was slam the door shut. No one was going to leave to call for reinforcements. He heard Kor screaming Ruth’s name and chuckled grimly as the two Klingons hit him.

“Wrong, you son-of-a-bitch!” Ruth screamed into the startled look on Kor’s face. She balled her fist, ready to punch him squarely in the mouth. Then someone yanked her head back.

“Ouch!” she cried. Damn hair! She felt hands on her shoulders, Tal pulling her away from Kor. She glanced at Jim, but the captain seemed to be holding his own. Good. First things first. She turned to Tal, grabbing his arm and neatly throwing him over her shoulder. He crashed against the wall. Stay down! she telepathically screamed at him. He didn’t get up.

She started to turn back to the Klingon, but the door was open and there was no sign of him. She scowled. No redeeming features whatsoever, she snarled, then launched herself into the tangle that was one part Captain Kirk and two parts Klingon. After bare seconds of struggling, she felt what little strength she had giving out. Okay, the easy way.

Easy?

Quicker anyway.

Freeze! her mind voice shrieked. Then she realized she’d forgotten to exclude Jim from the command. She sighed, sorted herself out from the bodies, then carefully aimed her thoughts at Jim. It’s okay, Bwana, you can move.

Then she slumped to the floor.

“Thank you, Miss Valley,” Jim gasped. She nodded, a growing discomfort replacing her weariness. “Kor got away?” She nodded again, identifying the discomfort. They heard footsteps outside the door.

“It better be food,” Ruth muttered determinedly, “’cause I’m gonna eat it.”

Rison, followed by Spock and Ramon Ordona entered the cell. Ruth glared up at the Vulcan. “About time,” she grumbled.

“Captain, are you alright?” Spock asked.

“Fine, Spock," Jim replied. “A little worn out, but fine."

“He’s a little worn out,” Ruth muttered.

“Kor managed to slip away, and I'm sure he’s going after the mindsifter. He can’t have gone far, the interrogation room is just down the corridor.”

Spock turned to Ramon. “Mr. Ordona…”

“I’m on it, sir,” Ramon replied crisply and headed back out, calling for security back-up.

“We believe we have found Mr. Sulu and Mrs. Majiir,” Spock continued, turning his attention again to Jim. “One of the Outlanders claimed they were in a camp not far from the town square. Mr. Chekov and Mr. Kelly are seeing to their safe return.”

Ruth opened her mouth to ask “Are they alright?” but the captain beat her to it.

“Unknown at present, sir,” Spock answered, “but there is indication that Mrs. Majiir was not as severely affected by the mindsifter as Miss DuBois or Mr. Riley.”

“What indication, Mr. Spock?” Jim wanted to know.

“She called Mr. Sulu by – ” He stopped speaking as Ruth moved swiftly to Tal, removing the poison capsule from his fingers.

“Have Scotty beam him up before we lose him, too,” she suggested.

Spock arched an eyebrow at her, but took out his communicator and handed it to Jim. As the Captain called the ship, Spock crouched down beside her. "I am gratified to find you well, Lieutenant," he said.

“Well,” Ruth repeated. “Well!” She took a deep breath. “Mr. Spock, the way the scenario is supposed to work is that the cavalry comes over the hill in the nick of time, not three days after the woman and two kids have defended the fort from the entire Apache nation! The warp engines are supposed to come back on line before the ship falls fortuitously into the exploding star’s gravity well, flinging it safely beyond the lethal radiation! I mean, I know I’m Israeli, but it would have been nice to have two Jews on the hill! And in case you haven’t noticed, there’s nothing, nothing, not a goddamned thing to eat around here and I’m starving!”

“Miss Valley,” Spock answered dryly, “I fail to see the connection between the Apache nation, an imaginary exploding star, two Jews on the hill, this situation, and the fact that you are, again, hungry.” Ruth started to bristle, then caught the teasing gleam in Spock’s dark eyes.

You’re a womprat.

Indeed, Miss Valley? I am honored.

“Next time, Boss,” Ruth said out loud, “we either get more rehearsal or you find yourself another stuntman.” Spock’s face softened. And Jim started to laugh.

Half an hour later, sitting in the audience hall of the palace, Ruth was drumming her fingers on the table. The prisoners – at least Commander Tal and the two Klingon guards – were safety aboard the Enterprise, and while she’d been able to do nothing more strenuous than stay awake, she still hadn’t eaten. Her stomach felt like a matter/anti-matter reactor.

The captain had ordered ten security men to stay on Canti until diplomats could arrive to negotiate with the new governmental faction that Spock was certain would be arising. The Outlanders had been defeated, but hardly decisively. They were, Spock assured, merely regrouping. It would be best for Canti if the new Governor greeted them warmly.

Ruth looked up as Chekov and Ensign Kelly entered the hall, aiding a badly injured, limping, grimacing Sulu and a filthy, trembling Jilla Majiir. Jim was immediately on his feet.

“Get these two beamed up right away,” he began.

“Wait!” Sulu rasped out. “She – Jilla…” he glanced at her and Ruth saw her wince, “wanted to see how she would react….” His breath failed him.

“You were subjected to the mindsifter, then?” Spock asked gently.

Jilla stared at him, but nodded.

“Roy, you need a doctor,” Ruth murmured.

He set his jaw. “I’m not leaving her,” he managed.

“Do you know how the conditioning was broken, Lieutenant?” Spock was continuing.

“I… I am Vulcan,” Jilla stammered. “And I believe… Sulu’s presence… I may have had… resistance because of…” She flushed.

“I see,” Spock broke in.

“What do you see?” Ruth wanted to know.

Miss Valley, it is too personal a thing to be spoken of here.

Ohhhh, she’s talking about hormonal, biological…

Yes. If a Vulcan senses danger to one bonded...

But she's not...

Her emotions are. For an Indiian, that is the purest reality. Leave her her dignity.

“Captain,” a security man called from the doorway. Jim turned to him. “We’ve found Governor Kor, sir.”

“Bring him in, Ensign,” Jim said.

“Kor,” Sulu repeated, and the name was a growling, choked-off sound of rage.

Spock turned to him. “Revenge is illogical, Mr. Sulu,” he said quietly.

Sulu stared at him in frank disbelief. “After what that bastard did to Jilla,” he returned, “revenge is the best he deserves.”

Two ensigns came into the room, flanking the cold, disdainful Klingon. Jilla gasped, shrinking against Sulu, who despite his condition took a step forward. Ruth rushed to Jilla’s side.

“It’s alright,” she whispered, giving the words a slight empathic boost and making sure Sulu could hear her as well. “It’s over, it’s alright.”

The Indiian sobbed incoherently and Ruth led her away from the hall, nodding reassuringly to Sulu.

“You’re going to tell me exactly what was done to my officers,” Jim began with no preliminaries. The security men each had a hold of one of Kor’s arms, their other hands on their phasers. “And how to reverse it. And you’re going to tell me now.”

The Klingon’s eyebrows rose in mock surprise and contrition. “They were mindsifted, Captain,” Kor said simply. “I’m sure Mr. Spock remembers the procedure.” He smiled, but Spock did not rise to the bait. “As to the second half of your statement, I’m afraid that will be impossible,” he said. “The condition is irreversible, an unfortunate side-effect of our more intensive interrogation methods.”

“Not entirely,” Spock put in. “Lieutenant Majiir seems to have been able to break through the memory blocking technique as well as the post-interrogation conditioning. She remembered Mr. Sulu, Miss Valley and myself and she can even speak of it.”

“Well, well,” Kor returned, his lips curling into an ugly smile. “Who would have guessed that one so soft would be so strong.”

“Mother-fucking…!” Sulu rasped and lunged forward. Spock immediately took a step, catching the lieutenant by the undamaged arm. Jim heard the Vulcan’s calming murmur. “He is hardly worth reinjuring yourself, Mr. Sulu.”

“Kor, you’ll be aboard my ship for a week before I hand you over to Starfleet Command,” Jim rejoined. “If my people aren’t functioning normally within that time, you’ll be charged with breaking the Organian treaty, and under its terms the entire Klingon force will be neutralized. I expect your full cooperation.”

“That will be difficult to arrange, Captain,” Kor replied. “The mindsifter has already been destroyed.”

Jim glanced at one of the security men, who nodded ruefully.

“Moreover,” Kor went on, "I couldn’t possibly help your crewmembers even if your threat to contact the Organians was credible, which both you and I know is not. Explaining Mr. Spock’s ‘avenging angels’ might prove tricky, hmm?” He smiled again.

“It was the Klingons who involved the Romulans,” Spock pointed out, “and that was a clear first violation. What we did was in the confines of the cultures’ already-established mythology.”

Kor waved the argument away, but he was clearly uneasy. “Be that as it may.” He returned his attention to Jim. “I cannot help you, Captain. We don’t know ourselves how to break the conditioning of one who has been subjected to the mindsifter. Perhaps using the device again, but as I said…” He shrugged.

Jim stood. “Then I’ll simply have to recommend to Starfleet that they petition your government for the right to prosecute you under Federation law,” he said to Kor, “or submit to the terms of the Organian treaty. And Kor, old friend,” he smiled himself, but it was not pleasant, “I doubt if the Empire thinks that highly of you. Take him,” he snapped at the security team.

The touch of Jilla’s mind was cold and tenuous and fearful. Ruth exerted calm and warmth, reassuring and comforting as the images flashed into her thoughts from Jilla’s: the dark man, bright pain, hunger – that struck her already ravenous state with a particular sharpness – helpless terror, hands touching, bodies touching, then shame and guilt overwhelmed by the need to banish the feel, the memory of….

No, stop it, it’s over, Jilla, it’s over! Not now, he’s gone, they’re both gone, you’re safe!

The devastating truth of Indiian damnation flooded Ruth’s being and she steeled herself against the answering waves of humiliation in her own mind. She allowed it to roll through her, taking its horror and agony from Jilla’s mind, unable to banish it, but returning strength and forgiveness and acceptance. She sorted out all that Jilla had endured, the pain of the mindsifter, the brutal memory blocks, the violent and vicious conditioning, and let them melt under the soothing heat of a keheil’s power. She set each returned memory as a sparkling jewel, letting Jilla absorb the joy and renewed certainty of being and identity. Slowly Jilla’s torment faded, the pain that clouded her strength leaving her, and Ruth gently broke the link between them.

“You alright?” Ruth asked. Jilla nodded, then her grey eyes looked directly into Ruth’s.

“I am sorry we have something in common from this mission,” she said softly.

Ruth flushed, the memory of Kor’s rape burning between them. “Yeah, me too,” she returned, then cleared her throat. “Jilla, I know Indiians don’t have a real concept of forced sex, but…”

“An Indiian can only be forced insofar as being physically restrained,” Jilla broke in quietly, her head down. “Tia ensures, indeed, demands …”

“You’re not responsible, Jilla,” Ruth rejoined fiercely. “You can’t be held accountable for what someone else aims at you. Sulu certainly won’t…”

“And what of Tomlan?” The Indiian’s voice was barely audible.

Ruth grimaced. “For all the memory you had when you let him take you, that’s not your fault either.” She paused. “And if Roy thinks otherwise, have him come talk to me.”

Without looking up, Jilla whispered, “Thank you, Ruth.”

Ruth didn’t reply, but simply allowed Jilla to feel her affection and welcome. After a pause, she said, “Can I ask you something?” Jilla nodded. “Why did you leave Spock at the café? I mean, it was you, wasn’t it? You took Sulu with you, that I get, but…”

“I saw you in the crowd,” Jilla broke in. “I heard you calling Spock’s name. And I knew, somehow, that he belonged with you.” Her head tilted to one side in a very familiar manner.

Ruth blushed, and scowled. “Push,” she said irritably. “Push, push.”

“Captain, Admiral Komack from Starfleet Command,” Uhura reported.

Jim swiveled in the con. It had been four days since he had dropped the prisoners off at Starbase 9, and there were several crewmembers who were more than anxiously awaiting a decision on the fate of Governor Kor. With the help of Ruth’s keheil talents and Spock’s telepathic abilities, Riley and DuBois had been restored to their previous mental and emotional capacities. McCoy was planning on releasing Sulu from Sickbay in another day.

Jim glanced around the Bridge. Both Spock and Ruth had glanced up from their work at Uhura’s voice. At Engineering, Mrs. Majiir had visibly stiffened. Jim hit the com button. “Bones,” he said.

“Sickbay, what is it, Jim?” came the immediate answer.

“I think Mr. Sulu will want to hear this.” He turned to Uhura. “Go ahead, Lieutenant.”

Her fingers danced over her board, then Komack’s face appeared on the screen.

“Captain Kirk, pursuant to your inquiry regarding the Klingon Kor – he’s been returned to his people.”

“What?!” Jim burst out, hearing the same exclamation from the com link to Sickbay.

“I don’t like it either but we had no choice. The Cantian government threatened to counter-prosecute if we went ahead with the indictment.”

“Counter-prosecute?! For what?!”

“I did mention it, Captain,” Spock’s voice said quietly as Komack snarled.

“A technical breaking of the Prime Directive.”

“It would never stand!” Jim disagreed angrily.

“That’s not the opinion of the head of Planetary Relations. I’m sorry, Captain, but the matter is closed. Komack out.”

Jim slammed his fist down as Uhura closed the channel. “I’m sorry, Mr. Sulu,” he said to the com, then looked at each officer as he spoke, “And to you, Mrs. Majiir, Miss Valley, Mr. Spock – ” he paused, “and Miss DuBois and Mr. Riley... damn!”

The Bridge was silent, and after long minutes, Jim said stiffly, “ahead, helmsman, warp factor two.”

It was happening all over again and Ruth couldn’t stop it.

“Antari.”

She lay there, helpless, wanting to fight, to scream and kick and bite. But she did nothing, made no sound as he touched her. Her legs parted easily for him and he moved on top of her, thrusting over and over while she lay there; quiet, submitting, numb. His hands urged a response, his skin hot and dry, the taste and scent strong and sour. She felt his weight and the brute force and she whimpered, her eyes closing over tears that wouldn’t come as he pushed and pushed and pushed…

She woke screaming and nearly panicked when arms came around her; warm, strong, comforting. A voice that was deep and she knew should be familiar softly caressed her ear.

“It’s alright now,” it said. “It was just a dream, only bad memory. Think of good ones, zilama. Think of me.”

“Terry?” Ruth whispered in helpless awe. She felt the smile, the nod. Then she was holding on to his chest more fiercely than she’d ever held anything in her life. “Terry!” she cried, tears spilling from her eyes. “Goddess, Terry, Terry!”

He held her, kissing the top of her head, stroking her hair, her face, her temples and let her cry. She sobbed brokenly, able to be weak and frightened in his arms. She didn’t ask how and it didn’t matter. She just cried out all the pain and self-doubt and disgust and knew he’d take it and cleanse it and give her back her worth.

When her tears stopped, he lay down, pulling her head to his chest. “Tell me, zilama,” he said.

She didn’t question or protest. She laid her cheek on the warm, satiny skin, smelling and tasting the salt-tinged freshness. She closed her eyes, and began to talk. “It was a mission. We were looking for crewmembers, Kevin and Monique and Jilla. They’d been mindsifted.” Did his chest tighten? “I had to let myself get captured so that we could find the Captain before he got mindsifted too. I had to pretend to let the damn thing work on me so that… so that…” Fingers caressed her lovingly and she got the name out. “Kor wouldn’t know it was a trap. But he – Kor – had to be convinced so when he came and said my name I had to act terrified. I had to stop fighting and just let him…. We hadn’t found Jilla yet and he’d hurt Spock and Sulu so badly and I’d healed Spock but Sulu was missing and they had the Captain and I couldn’t endanger it all and I couldn’t let Spock walk into their trap so I had to lay there and not fight and let him touch me I had to let him get inside me… I didn’t have any choice, no more than if I’d really been affected by the damned thing… I couldn’t risk what they would’ve done if I… I did what I had to, I did what was right!” The tears started again, choking her words. “I keep telling myself I made the choice, I could’ve chosen to fight and betray the Captain, the ship, everything, I could’ve been that selfish, but I couldn’t, not really, but it was rape, it was and I feel helpless and vulnerable and I don’t know how to explain that to anyone…” His fingers again stroked her hair, his lips soft against her temples. “I could never have lived with myself if I hadn’t done it, but it hurts and there’s no one here to calm my fears, no one here to soothe away my nightmares, I’m alone and I’m afraid of the responsibility that made me just lie there! I don’t want to give like that again!” He kissed her softly, and she couldn’t stop a sudden, rueful laugh. “And you know the real bitch of it? I know that if I had to do it over again, I would.”

“Not alone,” Terry’s voice murmured. “Remember, zilama, never alone.”

Afraid… alone… no, Ruth. Not alone.

She clung to him, whispered the words she had only said to her parents and to him. She kissed the full, dark lips, tasting tears. She didn’t know if they were his or her own, but it didn’t matter. She let his passion heal the wounds the rape had brought her, let his emotion purge her soul of the shame and guilt, as she had done for Jilla. She lost her pain and her fear in his arms and his taste and his body. And when exhaustion overtook her at last, she rested beside him, safe and loved and secure.

When she woke, Daffy told her she’d been talking in her sleep. She smiled and in the shower shed a few, precious tears for memory.

Z, you shouldn’t’ve done that.
She won’t remember it.
Yes, she will.
She already knows.
Not consciously.
And she won’t until the proper time.
I won’t either, will I?
No, evan Jilla. Nor will I.

She was sleeping nearly peacefully. It hadn’t been an easy thing to do with Sulu in Sickbay; and the guilt at how difficult it was to sleep without him beside her only doubled it. That thought led to more guilt; that on Canti, any warm body sufficed. She had not liked sharing the pain and the horror with Ruth, as grateful as she was for the keheil’s healing touch. Empath though she was, Ruth could not understand. Her attempts as reassurance, you can’t be held accountable for what someone else aims at you. Sulu certainly won’t. proved that much. Still, her mind had hurt less after sharing the atrocity, the memories did not burn quite so hot. Knowing Sulu was due to be released from Sickbay enabled her to fall asleep with no silent tears and to stay asleep with no nightmares.

So it was with an abrupt shock that she found her senses assailed by seething anger, dark, bitter jealousy, palpable violence. Her eyes flew open. There was no light to see by yet a shadow loomed over her. She swallowed, whispering tentatively, “Sulu?”

The blow that struck her tore a cry from her throat. “Bitch!” came hissed fury in a thick mockery of Sulu’s normally deep voice.

She whimpered, trying to curl around herself. He grabbed her arm, yanking her to him.

“Whore!” he spat at her, and slapped her sharply across the face. “Damned, goddamned whore!”

She cowered, gasping at the rage he directed at her, not resisting when he pulled her into more abuse. She knew as clearly as if he had shouted it why he was angry; Tomlan, Kor – she stifled the name as a mindless scream welled up in her throat. Sulu’s words were guttural rasps of pain as he continued to beat her, open-handed slaps giving way to close-fisted punches.

“A year, you little bitch, a year I waited for you! Maybe I should’ve beat you into it. He did, didn’t he?!” He struck her again. “Didn’t he!”

“Yes…!” she inhaled, the word cut off as another blow nearly knocked her to the deck.

“And you loved it, you screamed with loving it, didn’t you?!”

She couldn’t get the denial out before he hit her again. Her lips were swelling, the skin beneath her eyes and over her cheekbones silvering. Tears streaked from her eyes, but Sulu didn’t seem to see.

“I can hear you, bitch,” he snarled. “I know how you shriek, you wail when you come. You wailed for your Klingon cock, didn’t you?!”

She did scream then, sheer horror and remembered terror. Sulu’s crude language, a thing she had grown used to during lovemaking, only added to her humiliation. She began to beg, sobbing through the blows that wouldn’t stop.

“How many others, slut?” he continued relentlessly. “Tomlan wasn’t the only one, was he? How many did you spread your legs for? How many more did you fuck? I begged you, god, I loved you… and you put out for anybody… how many, whore? How many?!?” He shook her, yanking her up by her hair, ripping her nightclothes from her. He pummeled at her body, furious tears stinging the dark eyes that bored their agony into her. He repeated, “how many, how many!?” as a litany of rage and anguish. She tried to answer, to plead that she didn’t know, couldn’t remember when he threw her to the deck. He forced her legs apart, driving into her with brutal passion.

“Take it, bitch,” he growled at her. “You feel this, you wail for me! It’s all you get, slut; no more tenderness, no more care and gentleness and patience. You like to get fucked? I can fuck you as hard as your Cantian bastard! Come on, you goddamned little whore, wail for me, for me!!”

She began to scream, her head pounding, the raw, searing pain battering at her precarious sanity. He grabbed her head and began smashing it to the deck, over and over, swearing at her, cursing her and his love for her. She screamed and screamed and screamed…

“Jilla! Hon, wake up!”

Sulu’s voice was urgent and full of fear. It pulled Jilla from the nightmare and she threw herself into his arms, clinging desperately to him.

“Forgive me!” she sobbed into his chest. “Forgive me, forgive…!”

“Hush,” he soothed. “It’s alright, there’s nothing to forgive.”

“Tomlan,” she whispered, then cried it. “Tomlan! My love, I am ashamed, so ashamed… forgive, please, I beg you…!”

“No, Jilla, there’s nothing to…”

“The Klingon, Sulu, I…!"

“Jilla, hush…”

“I do not know if there were… how many others…!”

“Jilla, baby, stop it!”

She broke into incoherent sobs and Sulu held her, letting her cry. He soothed her, whispering words of love and reassurance. He told her over and over that it didn’t matter to him, he understood. He didn’t blame her, didn’t condemn her. He forgave her, though there was nothing to forgive. He loved her. And finally, slowly, she calmed, and because tia demanded it, she believed him.

“No more nightmares,” he whispered. “Not tonight.”

“How can you…?” she began softly. He smiled and hugged her.

“Because I’m going to make love to you all night.”

She wept again, and Sulu kissed away her tears of joy and relief.

The End