Chapter 16

Dustin watched as Cort fell to the ground. He wished he could do something, but didn't know what. Nurse Chapel was on top of it though, so he turned back to the matter at hand.

He was still bothered at the fact that the smaller ship was preparing to fire. As soon as the Enterprise began to return fire, it wouldn't be much of a fight.

"I don't like this," Lieutenant Riley muttered. "Usually Orion traders would try for flight, they might have been able to get away safely as soon as their sensors picked us up."

That gave Dustin an idea, "Maybe I could try scanning outside, I was able to pick up more than the sensors in the ion storm." The bridge members nodded their heads, but the Lieutenant looked a little perplexed.

Dustin quickly explained, and she nodded, "That would probably be wise."

Dustin closed his eyes and tried to do whatever it was he did before, he was immediately met with two solid masses other than the traders' ship. He opened his eyes in alarm, even though it really wasn't that surprising.

"There's two large ships behind them."

"Klingons!" Chekov exclaimed. "Zey heewe a cloaking dewice zat cloaks zem from our sensors, makes zem inwisable."

"So that's why they feel so confident," Leiutenant Riley stated.

"So, what are the Klingon's planning? We can't let them know that we know, let them think that they're still a few steps ahead of us... So, what is everything we know about Klingons?" Dustin asked.

There was a slight jolt in the ship. "The traders have begun firing, but they aren't making much damage on our shields," Sulu informed.

"Are Klingon ships vulnerable while cloaked?" Dustin inquired.

"Ee don't know, ve haven't really fired on them while zey vere cloaked," Chekov answered.

"I think we should wait. Start firing on the trader ship, we'll observe the two Klingon ships and see what they do."

"Well, they're not really shielded ..." Sulu looked thoughtful.

"Zey are." Chekov shook his head, "Just not wery vell."

"Well, fire on them anyway, and put all our shields up, just in case the Klingons try to hit us from behind." Dustin ordered, feeling very official as he sat down in the Captain's chair. He watched Cort being taken out of the room along with McCoy, Kirk, Spock and Scotty. He hoped they'd be all right.

"Yes sir." Sulu nodded, adjusting different controls on the board in front of him, "Photon torpedoes ready fire on your word." He turned back a moment later, and Dustin nodded,

"Fire."

"Ze traders ships are damaged," Chekov observed. "Ee zink zey may be getting ready to transport off ze ship."

Dustin nodded. He closed his eyes, the Klingon ships were moving towards opposite ends of the Enterprise. He relayed the information. "I guess they're planning on abandoning the ship and hoping that we would still be focusing on their decoy, while they materialize and attack from both sides before we have any time to react."

Chekov nodded gravely, and Sulu said, "On stand-by for orders."

Dustin thought for a moment, "Continue firing on the decoy. Chekov, as soon as you notice the Klingon ships, they have to materialize before they can fire, right? Kay, then as soon as they do, Sulu, take the ship up as fast as it can go. With any luck they will fire on each other, but even so, we'll begin firing as soon as we're out of their line of fire. They'll figure it out quickly, so we need to be ready... I suppose now would be a good time to have Scotty in engineering, but we'll have to make do. About how long would our shields hold out with both of them firing at us?"

"Long enough, our ship ees superior. As soon as ve open fire, Ee know right vhere to aim," Chekov replied.

"Fire another photon torpedo," Dustin ordered.

"Zeir shields are destroyed," Chekov confirmed.

"Good, Sulu stand-by."

"Aye, aye."

"Now!!" Chekov shouted.

Dustin could feel the ship accelerating, "Fire at will," he told Chekov.

"Aye," Chekov said shortly, busily at work on his controls.

"Sir, one of the Klingon ships is hailing us," Uhura cut in.

"Put them on screen," Dustin said after a moment of hesitation. "Continue firing."

Uhura complied, and on the screen in front of him was the same man who had started it all. "Well done Dustin. I think you have successfully taken control of the ship, but where is Cort?"

Dustin opened his mouth to lie, but realized that there was probably no point to it. So instead he shrugged and stated, "He still hasn't fully recovered."

"Not surprising, what a pity, I would have liked to study him more, but what's to be done? Your fighting was very commendable, honestly. Now who's to say that you would actually win though, but your efforts so far have been amazing. But you are not a real captain, and I wouldn't like to place James Tiberius Kirk's crew under any more danger. As long as you swear that no one will enter engineering for the next ten minutes the bomb will be disabled. After that, you're on your own, good luck waking the captain. After this I think I will go see how your friend Jasper and your new friend Coal are doing." With those words the screen went dark.

Jasper and Coal? Dustin kicked the chair, hard, quickly regretting it, and yet remaining as calm as one could be with a stubbed toe. "I don't think I like that guy, whoever he is."

"Ze Klingons, zey are gone!"

Dustin quickly checked to see if they were cloaked, but Chekov was right, they had just vanished, physically.

"New orders Captain?" Uhura was very poised and calm, yet tense all at once.

"Tell engineering to return to their original stations after 10 minutes have passed fully."
Dustin sighed, "Then I guess Sulu has the com while I go to med-bay and check things there. With luck, you'll have your Captain back before the hour's over."

"Aye aye, sir." Uhura nodded.

"Dustin frowned. He wasn't too eager to go to med bay to wake up the Captain, First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, and the Chief Engineering Officer. Then he remembered that all of security was unconscious as well. So maybe he would have a while to explain before they could effectively call for security. "Any advice before I go confront the Captain?" he asked at last.

"Look innocent," Chekov suggested.

Dustin smiled, "I'll try... Maybe I should wait ten minutes so that at least everything is fine in engineering..."

"Just get it over with." Sulu advised, "Its easier that way."

"But I'm not to eager to be killed," Dustin smiled slyly. Finally he made his way to med bay. He knew the way by heart, he had went from the bridge to med bay often waiting for Cort to wake up. When he entered the room Cort was in his usual bed with all the anesthetics hooked back up. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty were laying on four beds right next to each other. No one had tried to rouse them, and Dustin even had the suspicion that the nurse had sedated them. He went and found the nurse.

"Is it all over?" Nurse Chapel asked. Casting him an inquisitive glance.

"Yeah, I'll explain it all later. I may need medical assistance after we inform the captain, and I think McCoy wouldn't help me out of spite."

Nurse Chapel smiled, "Yes, that would be plenty of time to explain. They should be waking up soon, what I gave them only lasts thirty minutes."

"Thanks," Dustin went back to the beds. He kept an eye on them, but sat by Cort.

Finally the four men started to stir. Spock woke up first, and sat up abruptly. "What happened?" his tone was purely inquisitive, if he was angry it didn't seep into his voice. Honestly Dustin had no idea if Spock was angry, he knew Jasper would've. He remembered what the man had said earlier and felt like kicking something again.

"Um well, I guess Cort and I took control of the ship and then battled Klingons."

Kirk was stirring, and must have heard part of that. "What?" He yelped, sitting up groggily.

Soon all four of them were standing around. Bones and Kirk were glowering. Scotty was trying to calm them down a little. Dustin decided now to follow Chekov's advice and was trying to look as innocent (and young) as possible.

"There was a bomb," Dustin said in self defense. "The man said if we didn't do it the whole ship would go."

"I didn't hear him utter a word," Kirk frowned.

"Why would he say that?" McCoy growled.

"I don't know," Dustin shrugged.

"The lad did claim all of this earlier," Scotty proclaimed.

"And what did you do about it?" Kirk asked.

"Ah, well, I didn't want the Enterprise at any risk ye know-"

"Your loyalty to the ship is touching," McCoy muttered.

"But, he decided to... Put security out of commission, and I couldnae agree to that-"

"You did what?" Kirk turned to Dustin.

Dustin cringed slightly, he really hoped that he would never have to come between this captain and his ship again. "I knocked security unconscious," he admitted.

"And everyone but Scotty went along with this?" Kirk inquired.

Dustin nodded with a small apologetic smile. Kirk responded by storming off, stomping to the bridge. Everyone followed him silently. When they reached the bridge Kirk started shouting. "Uhura, Sulu, Chekov! Everything that just happened was a complete breach in protocol. No, it was insubordination, it was mutiny! You deserve to be court martialed!" He looked completely betrayed. Dustin gave them all an apologetic look.

"Captain," Uhura stood. "Everything that we did was for the safety of the ship. Would you rather we all were dead?"

"The lad didn't finish telling his story, maybe we should let him finish," Scotty suggested. With the captain's angry breathing, Dustin was glad that Kirk wasn't too given to beating up teenagers.

"Maybe they should," Dustin suggested.

"All right." Kirk huffed, "But it had better be good."

"Eet vas pretty good," Chekov spoke up. "Zere vas an Orion Traders' ship, and zey began to attack us. Our sensors veren't picking up anyzing else, but Dustin could tell zat zere vere two Klingon ships zat vere cloaked. Ve vaited 'til zey vere on either side, and the went up at ze last second and zey fired on each other."

"And then we continued firing until they made contact," Sulu continued.

"It was the man that was on deck earlier. He said that they did what he asked well, and then the two ships vanished for real," Uhura finished.

"I think I have a headache." Kirk shook his head before looking sharply at McCoy, "Scratch that, I don't."

Dustin chuckled slightly but stopped and straightened up at a glance from Kirk. "Sorry sir. Really I am. Just, I didn't want a bomb going off in the engine room. I didn't enjoy it... Okay maybe a little, but I'm just a teenager."

"Yes, you're just a teenager!" Kirk exclaimed, "And you put my ship..." Kirk stopped. He was starting to calm down. "Do you know what?I remember being a teenager."

"Are you sure you're not still one?" McCoy muttered under his breath.

Kirk ignored him, "The ship is safe, but if this ever happens again it will be reported to Starfleet." He warned. Dustin nodded solemnly.

"What about Cassell?" McCoy had been glancing around the whole time and now Dustin knew why.

"He fainted, and Chapel took him to med-bay." Sulu spoke.

"Well, then I'd better get over there." McCoy started out, but was stopped by Spock,

"Doctor, Nurse Chapel is more than capable of taking care of him." There went his eyebrow.

"Yeah Bones, why do you have to go?" Kirk cocked his head, the look on his face saying that he had an inkling of the answer, whereas Spock's facial expression betrayed nothing, remaining carefully neutral.

"To check on 'im Jim! You know me!" McCoy rolled his eyes in irritation, beginning to leave once again, but Kirk blocked his path,

"Are you sure there wasn't any other reason?" His voice was so innocent it was guilty.

"Fine." McCoy stopped with his hands on his hips, "If you must know, I'm going down there to make sure the first person he wakes up to is me, so I can say I told you so and make sure he stays there!"

"I knew it!" Kirk pointed an accusatory finger as the Doctor unceremoniously entered the turbolift, an ironically coy look on his face.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about." He drawled with a thick southern accent before flashing a diabolical grin that the door whooshed closed on.

"I so knew it!" Kirk turned back to all of them triumphantly, then his grin faltered as he suddenly remembered his audience.

"Fascinating." Was the only word that filled the sudden massive silence.

The silence carried on a moment longer, and then Dustin broke it with laughter. Everyone turned to look at him. "I'm just imagining the doctor sitting besides Cort for an hour or two straight waiting, that was Nurse Chapel's estimate for how long he would be out of it."

Everyone smiled and began laughing as well, except for Spock, but he did look slightly amused. It was hard to tell, but it was definitely there.

"So tell me more about this test." Kirk got down to business.

"Aye, an' why the deuce there was a bomb!" Scotty agreed emphatically, "Why are ye gettin' tested? Do ye have any idea why?"

"No, I wish he did! All I know is that before the Klingons vanished the guy said something about Coal, and my best friend Jasper," Dustin scowled. "I really have no idea. He's testing Cort as well, maybe Cort knows something more, but I don't think he does."

"Captain, it is logical to conclude based on past experiences that another test will soon be impending." Spock spoke coolly and Kirk nodded,

"You're right Spock, except this time were gonna be ready for them."

"That would seem prudent." Spock agreed as Scotty broke in,

"Aye, they're nay goin' tae catch me an' th' Enterprise unawares again." He punctuated the sentence by leaving the room, presumably to prepare. Kirk merely gave a slight nod and then gave some very specific and succinct orders that had Chekov readying weapons, Sulu raising shields, Spock scanning for nearby anomalies and Uhura checking for possible threat warnings from Starfleet. It was all very efficient, so naturally, that's when McCoy interrupted with a call for Dustin.

"Hey Kid, your friends wakin' up. He must be like Jim, and sedatives don't last very long for him. But you'd probably better be here, I'm sick of answering questions! McCoy out." The transmission ended.

"He's always like that." Kirk gave a dopey smile. Dustin just shook his head,

"I know." Then the door swished closed behind him and he was on his way.

He ran to med bay, slightly eager to be off the bridge as he wasn't really needed there. The door swooshed as he walked in, Dustin was really liking all the automatic doors, they seemed dramatic and official.

"I thought you wanted to say, 'I told you so,'" Dustin said upon entering.

"Oh I will," McCoy agreed.

Cort, to his credit, woke up silently, although all of his facial expressions said 'pain' quite clearly. "Told ya so." McCoy delivered as promised, and Cort smiled weakly,

"Yes, you did."

To Dustin, that answer wasn't anything he had been expecting, and apparently neither had McCoy, from the look on his face, Dustin couldn't help but laugh.

"But I was needed on the bridge," Cort continued, "Othewise I would have stayed in bed."

"Well, I guess that's a step up from Jim," McCoy said grudgingly. "Though that's not hard to do," McCoy continued, "so don't go patting yourself on the back!"

"Wasn't planning on it," Cort replied.

"Why, 'cause it'd hurt?" McCoy asked it with a knowing smile.

"Yes," Cort smiled wanly, "How'd it end up going?" He looked straight at Dustin, who couldn't help but notice that his eyes looked and swirled just like his mist from earlier.

"Well. We had a bit of the upper hand when they made contact with us. It was the man, he was kind of disappointed that you passed out because he wanted to observe you longer. But he said something about Coal, and my friend Jasper."

Cort nodded curtly, his brows furrowed.

"Jasper?" McCoy now spoke up.

"Yeah, we grew up together. We have almost literally gone to hell and back together," Dustin said. "So apparently I have more than one friend who's pulled into all of this."

McCoy shook his head, "I'm just a country doctor, this is beyond me."

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't think you're a simple country doctor anymore. Don't know if you noticed, but you're kinda in space," Dustin countered.

"Oh, that's nothing special," McCoy frowned, not particularly liking being reminded where he was.

"Well, where I'm from that's quite extraordinary, and probably even more extraordinary where Cort's from."

"Where I'm from is hardly considered extraordinary." Cort snorted, "Though who I am might be considered that by some." He seemed to consider, "but that's all Kett's fault, although I would rather you didn't tell him." Dustin smiled slightly at Cort's misunderstanding of the conversation, and supposed that it had to do with whatever drugs he was on, as McCoy seemed hardly surprised.

"I doubt we'll get the chance." McCoy looked skeptical.

"Actually, at this rate we'll probably meet him next," Dustin frowned, "If I'm right, which seems likely."

"I hope you're not." Cort made a face.

"Why not?" Dustin had to press.

"Well, he's... Hard to get along with at times. Mostly when you discover your personal items missing," Cort admitted. "Especially if you have a pocket watch that you're fond of. You won't have it for much longer if he sees it."

"He sounds lovely," McCoy muttered. "So, did he get you into trouble?"

"Which time?" Cort's face said that he genuinely meant it, while Dustin had to choke back a laugh.

"Whichever time you think was the most interesting," McCoy countered.

"Then yes, he did. He ran away and my mother sort of blamed me." Cort nodded.

"Oh," McCoy was at a lost for words.

"Why were you blamed?" Dustin was intrigued

"We weren't exactly on the best terms when he left." Cort looked guilty.

"I know how that feels," Dustin sympathized.

"Yes, but the worst part is that I really kind of deserved the blame." Cort looked at his hands, twisting the sheet around his fingers on his chest, "So I went after him, and left my parents all alone."

"How'd that go?" McCoy was intrigued.

"They were devastated." Cort frowned, "But I was determined to find Kett and right the wrong that I'd done."

"It sounds like you found him," Dustin observed.

Cort nodded, "By then we were a lot different." Cort chuckled, "We also found a brother we had lost a long time ago."

Dustin could tell that Cort's tongue was loose due to the pain killers.

"Coal?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, he was kidnapped when he was a baby."

"Wait, what?" McCoy looked startled, but Cort just continued,

"The first night we had him was so awkward!" Cort smiled at the memory, "But it got better after that. Then we found out that we were the three most wanted people in our world. It was pretty crazy."

McCoy reiterated his previous statement and question. "You and your two brothers are wanted?"

"Yeah," Cort grinned, "We're also princes. How ironic is that?"

McCoy shook his head, then glanced at Dustin, "I'm getting curious on what you would tell me if you were hooked up to pain killers."

Dustin shrugged, "Not too much... I already told you about the way I won a war... Let's see... Nothing much."

"Doubtful," McCoy muttered.

"Wait what do you mean if he was hooked up to painkillers?" Cort looked confused.

McCoy shook his head reluctantly, "You're too young to drink, but I guess not necessarily where you're from... I'm sorry to inform you that the medication that is easing your pain has many similar effects as alcohol and such," the doctor came clean.

It took Cort a moment to process that, "So the stuff that's making me feel all funny is like getting drunk?"

"Not quite, but in an essence."

"Don't worry," Dustin assured him. "Nothing you've said so far is half as bad as what I've seen people say on videos while they were on laughing gas after having their wisdom teeth pulled. People like to record them and put them on YouTube... Never mind."

"Laughing gas?" Cort was obviously bewildered, then looked at McCoy, his expression hardening slightly, "And I'll have you know that I do not drink."

"That is good, one time..." McCoy stopped, having second thoughts about sharing stories with minors. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter. Don't drink."

"But you drink," Dustin pressed with a mischievous grin.

McCoy rolled his eyes, "I know where you're going with that, and I'm a doctor. I know all about the effects of alcohol."

Dustin shrugged, "Oh well... Is it just me, or is it too quiet?"

"Isn't quiet good?" Cort looked confused.

"Not on this ship." McCoy was now looking around suspiciously, "Not unless it's gamma shift ... So if I know Jim-"

"Bones!" Kirk waltzed into med-bay with an absolutely boyish look on his face, Spock following stoically behind, "We just came up on a beautiful planet, Class M of course, and Mr. Spock and I were planning on doing a little exploring!"

"I knew it." McCoy groaned, "Is it uninhabited?"

"So far as our scanners can tell, and the records say it is." Kirk shrugged, then wheedled, "C'mon Bones! It'll be fun!"

"Can I come too?" Dustin was not passing up this chance, because despite himself, he was a little bored, even if Cort's looniness was entertaining.

"I don't see why not!" Kirk beamed at him, his previous anger towards him completely forgiven and forgotten, "Besides, then your next test might be down there instead of on my ship." His eyes twinkled good-naturedly.

"Jim, you know I have a patient to look after." Bones was obviously grasping at straws.

"Chapel can do that easy! You and I both know it!" Kirk waved a dismissive hand, turning back to the Doctor.

"Or I could come too." Cort was obviously just as bored as Dustin, and itching to get up.

"Don't even think about it!" McCoy growled, pointing angrily at the young man, "Or I'll hypo your butt into next week!" Cort pouted, suddenly looking a lot like Coal, and Kirk laughed along with Dustin,

"I know how that feels!" He sympathized before turning back to McCoy, "So, you comin, or what?"

"I just know I'm gonna regret this." McCoy grumped while he stuck a medical kit on his belt and grabbed a Tri-Corder. Everyone but Cort smiled.

"It'll be great Bones!" Kirk slapped the grumpy doctor on the back, causing him to mutter a curse word that made Kirk laugh even harder than before.

"Chapel!" McCoy called, ignoring the Captain as the head Nurse traipsed in, "Watch this kid for the rest of my shift will ya, an' don't let 'im outta your sight!"

"Going somewhere?" Chapel inquired sardonically after submitting with a nod.

"Don't ask." McCoy muttered, then turned to start out the door, before looking back quite suddenly, "Oh and Chris, give M'benga the same orders I just gave you if I go over to gamma shift, will ya?"

"Yes sir!" Christine Chapel smiled as they all went out before turning back to her patient with a shake of the head.

Dustin felt bad leaving Cort alone, well with Nuse Chapel, but alone. But he couldn't pass by this opportunity. So, he followed the three to the transporter room and stood on one of the pads. "Beam me up, Scotty," he said quietly so no one else would hear him, a small smile on his face.

"All right," Scotty was focused entirely on the control board in front of him, "You should be doon in a relatively good spot, great view, lots of organisms ..." He trailed off as he flipped a couple more switches, then looked up, waiting for the word. Kirk nodded with enthusiasm,

"Beam us down Mr. Scott." Then with an almost delicate pushing of dials, their molecules were torn apart and reformed on the surface of the planet below.

The first thing Dustin notice was a stinging cold on his ears and nose. His eyes closed automatically, and he could feel snow gathering on his eyelashes. He blinked slowly.

"Mr. Scott, you failed to inform us that our destination would be one of arctic characteristics," Spock said into his communicator.

McCoy grabbed it, "He means it's cold," he complained.

"There's some sart of interference with th' communicators, I kin barely hear ya! I'll work on it though, ..." Scotty fizzed out. Kirk hardly seemed affected, but McCoy threw Spock's communicator into the snow, the First Officer picking it up straight faced.

"Of course this happens to us!"

"Now Bones, lighten up, a little snow never killed anyone."

"Oh, hypothermia definitely has," the doctor retorted. "Too bad I don't have it yet, I would feel warm."

Dustin had gotten over the snow, he'd been in worse. Now he was looking out. They were on the top of a smaller mountain, and a whole valley was spread out below them. It was absolutely breathtaking. A frozen river snaked through the valley, the trees were glittering with snow. All in all they were in a "winter wonderland". There were also hundreds of lights, they glowed and flickered in the snow. "Scotty was right, there it's an amazing view. And I see camp fires..." Dustin frowned. The way they were set up was familiar. "Why would an army be marching in the dead of winter?" he asked out loud.

"May I ask the background to that question?" Spock inquired.

"Yeah, well, the way those fires are grouped. That's a battalion, and those are two more, or I've never held a sword," Dustin replied.

"Well, I guess there's a lot of organisms near by as well," McCoy grumbled.

"We can investigate later," Kirk suggested, "For now let's find some shelter from the snow."

"I thought you said that it was uninhabited." McCoy grumbled.

"It is logical to assume that the storm was tampering with our scanners at the time, therefore a mistake on the forms of life on the planet was made."

"Of course." McCoy rolled his eyes, "Naturally. Why didn't I guess?"

"Come on Bones, isn't it more exciting when the planets are inhabited?"

"Oh yes. Why can't we for once land on a peaceful planet?" Bones asked as they all started trudging through the snow.

Spock was the one who found a cave first. "Captain, I believe I found sufficient shelter from the storm."

"That's great, Spock," Kirk rolled his eyes, but they all hurried inside.

"So should we make a fire, or do you think they'll see it?" Dustin asked. Kirk looked thoughtful,

"I think if we go a bit deeper, we should be fine with a small fire. But do you see any dry wood?"

"I can go get some wet wood and dry it." Dustin offered, and McCoy shook his head,

"You're not going out there alone, kid."

"Yeah, Bones'll go with you!" Kirk grinned.

"Some day, Jim, some day. Come on kid," McCoy grumbled.

When they stepped out of the cave, snow immediately accosted them, blowing from all sides. "Ooh, it's cold." Dustin suppressed a shiver as he began to search the vicinity for wood.

"Ya think?" McCoy growled, pulling his arms around him, "With our luck we're gonna die of hypothermia after getting lost for a day." Dustin just laughed as he began collecting sticks for the meager fire that they would soon be building, and couldn't help but miss Coal.

Five minutes in the blizzard was threatening to freeze Dustin's ears off, and yet he and McCoy both pushed on, picking up stick after stick till they each had an armful. Dustin was just starting to numb when they finished, and began the short, frosty trek back to the cave.

Dustin's instincts were all that saved his life when a sword came swinging out of the blizzard, and he caught it expertly on a thicker stick in his collection, dropping the others. He heard a shout from McCoy, and could only watch as the Doctor was dragged into the blizzard by at least a dozen pairs of hands.

He certainly tried to get to him, taking down a few of his attackers with some well placed thwacks. But there were too many, and he was soon dragged down into the snow, and tied hand and foot, then finally thwacked into oblivion himself, to stop his struggling.

Author's Note

That was pretty long. Again.