Shining Light Through Darkness Shining Light through DarknessOr 'Surak's Day'By Karracaz in answer to the Sarek and Amanda Advent Calendar Challenge.O0oDeep in darkness we begin,dark outside and deep within.Now ignite a single flame,shadows form, let light remain.Flaming brightly, let love shine,flaming out through space and time…o0oAmanda, softly crooning the words of the Terran hymn, held her breath as she set light to the tapering candle that, one among many, crammed the low table. That first tiny flame appeared to hesitate, feebly glimmering before the wick caught, but then tenaciously clung to life even in the face of a sudden draught from S
Left Holding The Baby Title: Left Holding the BabyRating: G - suitable for all.Characters : Kirk and SpockDisclaimer: Star Trek is not owned by us. We merely borrow the characters for a time and write about them for pleasure and not for profit.Summary: Spock gets a sudden distress call from his Captain.O0o Spock entered the sleeping area of his cabin. Dressed in a long Vulkhanir robe instead of his familiar uniform he sank down on his knees before the glowing fire-pot. The fragrant smoke and the steady pulsing of the crimson embers, soon began to calm him as he entered the first level meditational state. The Enterprise, in orbit around
Chap 30: Debt of Dishonour Chapter 30: ConclusionTo see T'pavan and her daughter off his ship, Kirk played the diplomat instead of the soldier and arranged a formal leave-taking, which necessitated the inclusion of a full honour detail. Spock, face quite impassive, giving absolutely nothing away, requested that he be part of it and Kirk had swiftly agreed, having intended to include the Vulcan First Officer as a matter of course. Like everyone else on board he had known about Spock's preparations for his tête-à-tête with T'pavan the day before. It was a tight community, news travelled fast, and Kirk made it an aim that whatever current gossip was circu
Chap 29: Debt of Dishonour Chapter 29: The Game Concludes.In the peace and solitude of his quarters, Spock ceremoniously bowed to T'pavan who knelt opposite him, hands laid precisely on her thighs, head high, face serene, and heels tucked neatly beneath her. Between them and to one side stood a plain lacquered stand in black. Atop it sat a stack of three, tiny nested bowls and a wine flask. The porcelain was of the finest quality, paper thin, and ancient, prized possessions that Spock's Family had held for centuries.Without speaking, Spock removed the smallest bowl and held it out, offering it to T'pavan. In silence, she bowed, eyes downcast, and took it from him i
Chap 28: Debt of Dishonour Chapter 28: Backup CrewScotty, sitting in the Command Chair on the bridge of the Enterprise, the familiar crew around him, could have sympathized. Unnerved by his impotence, he stared at the view screen before him. The sound of his beloved engines rumbled in his ears, but all he could do was wait. The ship still circled in space, going nowhere rapidly. Without Spock's ultimate order, it would continue to do so unless the Klingons intervened. Moreover, the only way they could do that was to blast them to Kingdom Come. As time wore on, he was certain that was how the whole sorry mess was going to turn out."Mr. Scott?" Uhura turned from her
Chap 27: Debt of Dishonour Chapter 27: On the RunKirk fired a further salvo into the melee. The phaser bursts gave them a few seconds of precious time to dash out and smash the locking mechanism. However, it would not hold for long.The Human healer, McCoy, kneeling by Spock's prone form, was waiting further down the long corridor. Two more of Kirk's men, one carrying T'pavahna on his hip, joined them. Already they could hear blows hammering on the locked door of the interrogation room. It would not be long before the noise attracted unwanted attention."Jim, what about the ship?" McCoy questioned anxiously."Ship?""Scotty's waiting to beam us back. We've no rea
Chap 15: Ice and Fire Ice and FireChapter 15: Drum Beat Out Of TimeReldai Pesht'Ihai looked beyond Sanshoum to Mike and Amanda. A glint of what might be conjecture in the serene inspection, she met and held Amanda's concerned gaze. A strange quiet fell. Awed by the silence, Amanda's breath stilled in her throat, caught in the spell of the reldai's depthless, black-satin eyes."Come to me, Child."Amanda shivered in the heat of the small antechamber; found her feet moving toward the priestess without her conscious volition. It seemed a natural enough act to kneel before the tall and slender Vulcan woman."I would feel thy thoughts. Will thee permit this?"T
Chap 14: Ice and Fire Ice and FireChapter 14: Mind, Body and Spirit.The taller and eldest of the two women stopped before them, while her two companions flanked each side. Offspring most likely, Amanda decided for there was no mistaking the family resemblance. Amanda wondered if Professor Tolkien had ever crossed paths with a Vulcan or two before he had come up with his Elvish kin in Lord of the Rings. These three, definitely cast in the same mould, reminded her instantly of Celebrian's people.Transported from the Elven kingdoms of Laurelindórenan or Imladris, the high cheekbones, straight noses, and proud foreheads were identical on all three - though
Chap 13: Ice and Fire Ice and FireChapter 13 Vulcan Eyes Aren't SmilingAmanda's emotions whirled as Mike's mouth descended. Her senses swam.Light as a summer breeze, his lips brushed hers in tender deliberation. Sensation flowed through her veins, sweet molasses – luscious - thick and slow.In turn, Amanda savoured the taste of him, the scent of citrus in her nostrils. She luxuriated in the warm clasp of his arms, the subdued thunder of his heart against her breast. Yet, behind her closed lids, the face conjured out of the darkness belonged to Sarek. Even wrapped in Mike's embrace she still could not excise the perception of the Vulcan diplomat's finge
Chap 12: Ice and Fire Ice and FireChapter 12: Just One Kiss"Great, I was hoping he'd do that." Mike grinned at Amanda's open-mouth before he lightly grasped her hand, "Now the parents have left us alone we can have some fun."He turned to the Vulcan pilot - waiting with patient grace for them to depart so that he could return to the Insala - bowed perfunctorily, uttered a brief farewell, and then shepherded her through the airlock."But … what about the inoculations…and the decontamination, " Amanda stuttered, shuddering inwardly at what that might actually mean as Mike whisked her down a deserted, orange-lit corridor towards another intersection a
Ghost In The Machine Chapter 10:If you think the world owes you a ride,You'll never find the reason whyStand on your own two feetBecause can't you seeIf we are to stay aliveOnly the strong survive.o0oThe hollow amplification of his tread alerted Spock to the fact that he had reached an intersecting corridor. The coolness on his cheek confirmed it. He turned left automatically, confident with the choice. From there, he followed the hallway, counting doors until he reached his own. The access sensor recognised him without alarm.Despite the heat in his injured wrist, and the deep, penetrating ache in his lower back, it was the pounding behind his e
Ghost In The Machine Chapter nine:You have to search for the hero inside yourselfSearch for the secrets you hide,Search for the hero inside yourselfUntil you find the key to your life.o0oNo, he could not allow himself to fail. That thought reverberated like an echo from the past, reminding him of his childhood so many years ago. A childhood wracked by uncertainty and confusion, never knowing who he really was or where his true path lay. He remembered distinctly the time around his seventh birthday. Then, as now, he had much to prove to himself.The kahs-wan, an ancient test of strength and courage undertaken by all seven year old boys, was a rite fro
Ghost In The Machine Chapter eightWhen the sky turns black with thunderAnd you're adrift out on the seaWhen the sun stops shining on youAnd the night's eternityCall on me, call on me….O0oSpock refused to acknowledge McCoy's parting shot. His eidetic memory retained the details of the descent to the dining hall they had made from his room earlier. All he had to do was reverse the journey in his mind.His initial progress commenced slowly as he counted each step, his tread deliberate and his pace calculated. With fingers trailing the wall at waist height, the way McCoy had taught him, he found an elevator out of the array available in the recept
Ghost In The Machine Chapter seven:And in the mirror I glimpse as I pass,No reflection is revealed in the glass.Can't you see that the blood in my veinsIs as lifeless as yesterdays rain?I am nothing but shadow and mist,And for you I cannot exist….O0o"And you're sure it meant to harm you?"Kirk glanced towards the window, covered now by a draped curtain that McCoy had drawn to shut out the sight of the swirling fog, some obscure memory forcing its way to the surface of his mind. But the recollection sank again before he could examine it more closely."I'm telling you it attacked us, Jim. Came billowing over the balcony parapet straight for u
Ghost In The Machine Chapter six:In your eyesI see ribbons of colourI see us inside of each otherI feel my conscience merge with yoursFalling into you…..0o0Kirk, doing some exploring of his own, found a suitable distraction waiting for him on the dining balcony where he, McCoy and Spock had first beamed down.The ancient sun had started to set. Kirk realised with some surprise that he had spent the whole day sitting beside Spock's prone body willing the Vulcan to recover from the trauma suffered in the transporter malfunction.It had taken all of McCoy's reassurance to convince him that Spock's neural damage was superficial. But swayed at las
Ghost In The Machine Chapter 5:Success is failure turned inside outA silver tint on the clouds of doubtBut you never can tell how close you areIt may be near when it seems so farYou have to stick to the fightAnd when things go wrong don't you quit….o0oThe trees he walked amongst grew tall and thin. The only colour glowed in the parasitical moss that dripped from the overhanging branches in cascades of crimson, jade and amethyst against white bark and pale grey leaves. Low bushes abounded, choked thickly with distorted globular fruits of indigo, wound about with vines and strange climbing plants, all reaching for the translucent light glimmeri
Ghost In The Machine Chapter 4Oh, when darkness comes and pain is all around,I will take your part,Like a bridge over troubled waters,I will lay me down.o0oKirk, sitting in the Captain's chair on the bridge, flexed his back muscles to ease the pressure ache across his shoulders and turned to look at his First Officer.Spock, at the science station, leaned over his hooded viewer, transceiver placed precisely in one aristocratic satyr's ear, apparently absorbed in the flow of information the ship's sensors imparted. His performance could have won an award for method acting. But even from the centre seat Kirk could feel Spock's controlled tension. He gu
Ghost In The Machine Chapter 3When you are weary, feeling small,I am on your side,Oh, when times get roughAnd friends are just not around,I will comfort you…o0oHe stood above the mists on a ledge of rock, floating in a swirling ocean, a thick white blanket extending from horizon to horizon, a shimmer with foxfire, while ghostly breakers swelled about his feet. As pale as the mists, her strange eyes darkly aglow with some knowledge she did not wish to share, the girl standing beside him gestured toward the east where Wraith's huge sun rose above the vapour making a cerise and ochre spectacle of the dawn sky. The Enterprise, swan-like and mysteri
Ghost In The Machine Chapter TwoThere has never been a better time,There has never been a better place,For you and I together here,Alone and face-to-face….O0OThe door buzzer chimed a fleeting burst of sound. Spock ignored it, went on playing his ka'ithirah, an upbeat, distinctly Latin dance tune, his hands swift and accomplished on the strings, eyes closed, concentrating wholly on the music he made.The buzzer rang again, a longer surge, relentless and inescapable. Spock sighed with open impatience, put aside the ka'ithirah, before leaning over to release the door catch."Come.""Good evening, Mr Spock." Kirk, prominently haloed by the light f
Ghost In The Machine Title: Ghost In The MachineSeries: TOS (Kirk; Spock; McCoy)Rating: Contains some scenes of a sexual nature. Readers should be aged 16 and over.Disclaimer: Paramount/Viacom are copyright holders to Startrek. I just borrow the characters for a while.Summary: Spock falls ill on the way to an alien planet. There, Kirk is kidnapped by a strange, unknown lifeform. Will McCoy be able to help them both before time runs out?If you need a friend,Or a place where you can hide,I will always be there,Even though my hands are tied.o0o"Okay, you can dress now, Spock." Doctor McCoy stated levelly. "I'm all finished."The Chief Surgeon tu
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