Walking the Stars

Shadows

Stardate 2259.56

Sala woke early in the day, as she always did. When she woke, she had found that she was closer to Jim than when she had fallen asleep. The young woman's cheeks started to heat again when she realized that Jim had a loose arm around her.

Carefully, Sala extracted herself from the bed, replacing the blanket in her place. She then picked up her shoes and quietly left the bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her.  Once in the living room, Sala placed her shoes beside the couch, and saw no messages on her communicator.

Letting out a small sigh, Sala briefly stretched before making her way into the kitchen. She got a glass of water before going to find a bottle of pain killers. Once both were found, Sala silently made her way back into Jim's bedroom, placing the glass of water and bottle of pain killers on the nightstand next to the bed on "his" side.

Once those were placed, Sala made her way back into the living room before taking a seat on the floor, across the coffee table from the sofa. After getting into a comfortable position, Sala started to meditate in the quiet apartment.

After meditating for a while, Sala returned to the kitchen in Jim's apartment and started to make breakfast for both Jim and herself. She made small portions of hashbrowns and pancakes. After the food was made, Sala covered them so she could wash the dishes she had used.

Just as she was finishing putting away the cleaned dishes, Sala heard footsteps behind her.

"Morning, Sala," Jim said, his voice sounding a bit dazed, "Honestly wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Based on your other habits, I believed that you would not eat at this time without someone else pressing for you to do such. So," Sala moved to uncover the breakfast she had made, "I made a small breakfast for you."

"Sala, you didn't have to."

"I know. But it was logical to do so, as I was already here," Sala said as she brought the food to the small table in the apartment, "Please, eat. I am sure that no one would wish for you to fast at this time."

Jim let out a small sigh before sitting down at the table, "Thanks, Sala."

"No thanks are needed, Jim."

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Sala had continued to spend her morning with Jim in his apartment, providing support for him in any fashion that she could reasonably manage. Most of that time was spent in silence, however. Sala did not press Jim to speak, for perhaps he still needed to come to terms with that happened before he can express his feelings on the matter.

At this time, Jim was watching drones outside his window repair the building he had been in that night; the building he had been attacked in and where Admiral Pike had died.

A soft chime sounded from Jim's communicator, signalling an incoming call.

It took Jim a moment before he opened his communicator, accepting the call.

"Yeah?" Jim asked in a worn down voice.

"Commander, Mister Scott has found something in the wreckage of Harrison's ship. He's asked to see us right away," Spock relayed in an even tone.

Jim took a moment before he spoke, "Okay. I'll meet you in front of Headquarters' main building."

"Understood," Spock answered before ending the call.

"'Harrison'?" Sala asked.

"The man who attacked the Daystrom conference room last night," Was all Jim said about the matter.

Sala gave a small nod before grabbing her shoes, "I shall go with you."

"Sala, you don't-."

"It would not be appropriate for me to remain here when you are not. And, this concerns both of us in a manner, does it not?"

Jim was quiet for a moment, "Yeah, okay."

Jim then pulled on his boots before the two young adults made their way to the front plaza of the Starfleet Headquarters' main building.

"Captain!" Scotty called as Jim, Sala, and Spock entered the plaza, "I found this in the crashed jump-ship, sir," Scotty then placed a large cylinder like object into Jim's arms, "This is how the bastard got away."

"What do you mean?" Jim asked, catching his breath.

"It's a portable, trans-warp beaming device."

"Well, can you find out where he went?"

"I already did, sir. And you're not gonna like it," Scotty said before tapping the device's display.

The display lit up to show the coordinates forty-three point eighty-nine point twenty-six point oh-five.

"He's gone to the one place we," Scotty took a brief pause, "We just can't go."

Jim was quiet for a moment, seemingly in thought, before handing the portable trans-warp beaming device back to Scotty. He then quickly and quietly took off towards the main Headquarters building, Sala and Spock behind him

"Commander, what are you planning?" Sala asked as they ran, remembering that as of then, his rank was still only Commander.

Jim then ran in on several Admirals and other Senior Officers who were having a meeting.

"Admiral, sir, he's not on Earth," Jim said, still a touch out of breath, while approaching Admiral Marcus, "He's on Kronos, sir. I request my command be reinstated and your permission to go after him."

Admiral Marcus looked at Jim for a moment before turning to all the gathered Senior Officers he had just been talking to, "Give us a minute."

The Senior Officers then started to clear from the room as Admiral Marcus walked towards, then slightly past, Jim.

"Kronos?" Admrial Marcus asked Jim, seeking confirmation.

"Yes, sir," Jim answered.

"So Harrison's gone to the Klingon homeworld. Is he defecting?" Admiral Marcus asked as they walked towards models that displayed Earth's history of flight.

"We're not sure, sir."

"He has taken refuge in the Ketha Province," Spock started,

"That region has been uninhabited for decades," Sala finished.

"He's gotta be hiding there, sir!" Jim concluded, "He knows that if we even go near Klingon space, it'd be all-out war. Starfleet can't go after him, but I can."

This caused both Spock and Sala to look at Jim with a slight look of confusion.

"Please, sir," Jim begged the Admiral.

Admiral Marcus, who had been facing Jim, Sala, and Spock, turned to face the models he had walked towards, "All-out war with the Klingons is inevitable, Mister Kirk. If you ask me, it's already begun," Admiral Marcus then started to walk the length of the model display table, "Ever since we first learned of their existence, the Klingon Empire has conquered and occupied two planets that we know of and fired on our ships half a dozen times," Admiral Marcus paused at the last model, which was of a ship that Sala did not recognize, "They're coming our way."