Snippet 4c

"Depending on how long it takes us to find the lawful support we require, it could be any length of time," Lesh'ar responded.

"Pike's gonna freak," Kirk muttered under his breath, looking nervously at Rosie. "When we disappear like that..."

"He might just be one of the authority figures we shall require to win our case," Lesh'ar told him. "We will contact him when we are certain that our location cannot be traced by the Federation medical teams. As soon as we are out of range, we may begin looking for assistance."

McCoy did not look convinced. "We sure we can trust Pike?"

"He has never given us reason to believe otherwise," Spock replied to the doctor.

"Yeah well this might be the perfect time for him to show those colors."

"Pessimism is unnecessary, Doctor," Lesh'ar said patiently. "The situation is grim enough on its own."

"So when do we leave?" Kirk asked, looking between Spock and Lesh'ar with a significant degree of anxiety. "Tomorrow?"

"As soon as possible." Spock reiterated, nodding.

"Then let's get on it," Kirk said, all but springing up off the couch and starting for the communication system at his desk. "I'll contact Sulu and tell him he's got the Bridge tomorrow. We'll leave first thing in the morning."

"We will also need to speak with Miss Chapel, Doctor," Lesh'ar said, looking to McCoy. "She will have Sick Bay on her hands for the duration of our leave."

McCoy nodded, looking at Kirk. "Better let Scotty know he's second up as well then."

"I can see to that." Spock replied.

"I'm on it," Kirk said, not looking up from the computer screen. "I'll have a shuttle prepped, too. Nardie. We'll need the fastest one just in case. Spock - do you want to head down with me to Engineering?"

Spock nodded.

"Give the kid to Lesh'ar then." McCoy said, motioning to the other Vulcan. "The machines can make their ears ring."

Lesh'ar exchanged glances with Spock, though he accepted Schaven without a word before nodding to McCoy. "We will go to Sick Bay, then. Let us meet back here when we have finished to discuss the remainder of our plans."

"Done," Kirk said, jumping up from his seat and motioning to Spock. "Let's go attack Scotty then, Spock. We'll need a few minutes to ward off his questions and get him to just do his job."

Spock reached out and touched his fingers briefly to Lesh'ar's as he turned to follow.

"Be careful." McCoy called after him, shaking his head before looking to Lesh'ar. "Let's go."

Lesh'ar nodded, and he and McCoy exited the room from the second door as Kirk and Spock moved quickly down the opposite hallway toward Engineering.

*

Scotty's reaction was exactly as Kirk had predicted.

"Yeh're leavin'? Why? When? Whass' happened? Shoul' we turn a'roond? Keep movin'? Should we notify Starfleet?" The Scotsman's questions came out so fast that even Keenser - who was used to Scotty's ramblings by now, started chucking bolts to get him to shut up. "GAH! Stop it, ya little monster!"

"I told you, Scotty, we're going to explain everything later," Kirk said, trying hard to skip over this babbling sequence and just get Scotty to understand. "We don't have time now. For the moment, just keep on the course we were going before, okay? Sulu's getting the same instructions. You guys will be fine."

Scotty blinked at him. Then, clearly not satisfied, he looked over at Spock. "Are ya in trouble, Mr. Spock?" he asked nervously. "Are ya runnin' from somethin'?"

"Yes, Mr. Scott." Spock said plainly. "And we do not wish to be found. Details further that cannot be given, but you will find out yourself in due time."

Scotty's mouth dropped open. "......okay."

"Right. So - yeah. Bye." Kirk turned around a second later, pulling Spock with him as he started back toward the turbolift. "Keep the ship moving, Scotty!"

"Will do, sir!" Scotty called after him, rather desperately waving. "An' good luck!"

"We're meeting back at my room, right?" Kirk said to Spock as they entered the turbolift, the doors hissing shut behind them. "D'you think Bones and Lesh'ar had enough time to talk to people in Sick Bay?"

"I do." Spock replied as the lights flashed in tight rows. "I will stop at my quarters and meet you and the doctor in the shuttle bay in ten minutes."

"Sounds good," Kirk said as the doors opened again, patting Spock on the arm before they started out in the direction they needed to go.

It seemed that they were right on time, too, because McCoy and Lesh'ar had evidently returned from Sick Bay not a moment beforehand. Kirk saw McCoy walking toward their quarters from the other end of the hallway, and jogged to catch up with him.

"All set?" he asked him quickly as he approached, keying in the code to the door since McCoy's hands were still full of baby Rosie. "How'd Chapel take it?"

"Like a lady." McCoy said, stepping into the room. "She only cried once."

Kirk gave a weak chuckle. "Right," he walked into their bedroom, threw a few things in a bag, before coming back out and reaching for Rosie. "Here. I'll take her - go lock up your med cabinets. I haven't memorized those stupid codes yet."

McCoy handed Rosie over and turned to leave the room. "You get Rosie's stuff together then."

Kirk nodded, moving quickly into the other room again to get another of the small bags.

Two minutes later, they met at the door again, this time ready to go out.

"I sent the bags down the chute already," Kirk said as they backed into the hallway. "Spock and Lesh'ar are meeting us down there."

McCoy nodded, guiding Kirk toward the door. "Let's go then."

"We are ready, Captain."

"Gotcha'," Kirk muttered into his communicator as they headed down the hallway, shifting Rosie slightly in his arms as they neared the turbolift. "We'll be down in just a - "

His words cut off abruptly when, at that moment, four flashes of light suddenly appeared right in front of them in the hallway. And when the light dissipated, McCoy and Kirk suddenly found themselves in the company of four - very armed - Federal officers.

"Captain, Dr. McCoy, stop," one of the officers barked out at once, stepping forward with his phaser in hand. "Give the baby to us."

"What the hell?!" Kirk almost spluttered, stepping backward - only to see more flashes of light out of his peripheral vision - and realized that more officers had appeared behind them. He whipped around, looking between the two groups and clutching Rosie closer. "What are you doing?! You can't do this!"

"Yes we can," the officer said flatly, the black metallic substance of his uniform glinting in the other transporter lights as he and the others began moving in. "Don't make this difficult. Your daughter has been requested by the care of the Federation Medical Department. We suspected you might try to avoid this procedure, so the necessary steps were taken. Give her to us now."

McCoy didn't waste a breath before tapping his communicator and backing behind Jim. "Scottie get us the hell out of here."

"Aye, sir!"

Acting quickly on the emergency procedure Spock had reminded him of, before any of the Federation officers could move, McCoy, Kirk, and Rosie were suddenly beamed right out of the hallway they were currently trapped in. A second later the shape of the shuttle bay appeared before them, transporting them to a space very near the shuttle they were going to take.

What they saw, though, did not in any way assure them that they were out of danger.

It hadn't dawned on Kirk that he had never actually seen Lesh'ar physically fight before. But there was definitely no mistaking that that was exactly what he was doing now - taking on a group of Federation officers that were nearly three times the size of the group that had just stopped him and McCoy. Spock and Schaven were nowhere in sight.

"Holy SHIT," Kirk breathed, instinctively taking a few steps back at the sight of the fight, holding Rosie - who was now crying in fright - closer to him. "What do we - where's Spock?"

The shuttle suddenly humming to life was their answer.

"Get Rosie to the shuttle." McCoy ordered, taking an infuser out of his pocket and jogging to where Lesh'ar was fighting the other officers. "I'm gonna go knock someone out."

Kirk wasted no time in obeying. Sprinting to the shuttle, he dodged one officer who'd been knocked clear across the room by a punch in the face from Lesh'ar, and quickly ducked into the cockpit, where he could already tell Spock was.

"Spock!" he said, quickly sitting down beside the Vulcan, who was working madly at the controls with Schaven on his lap. "What's wrong? Can you get it started?"