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The ship shook as it fought the pull of a tractor beam. Men shouted. The sound of phasers firing echoed through the halls, and plumes of smoke erupted wherever they blasted into the wall. Red-uniformed Federation security officers marched through the ship, leaving a trail of stunned men in black and grey in their wake.Behind the advancing front, another squad of Federation officers materialized in a column of golden light. At the fore was a middle aged man in the yellow uniform of a command officer. He had been handsome once, but the years had not been kind to him. His badly scarred face was set in a serious frown.“Round up everyone aboard,” he ordered.All of the officers around him gave a sharp nod and marched off into the ship. As they left, he was joined by a short Vulcan in science blues.“Sir, the plans are not in the computer system,” the Vulcan reported, his voice even and sharp.“Beam back aboard the Enterprise and await further orders,” the man instructed“Affirmative,” the Vulcan replied.A wistful expression ghosted across the the man’s face, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a low whistle. He flipped open his communicator as the Vulcan dematerialized beside him.“Bridge to Admiral Kirk,” a woman’s voice sounded over the speaker.“Yes, Commander,” the admiral replied.“They’ve jettisoned an escape pod, but we can’t detect any life forms aboard,” she explained.“Scanning for robots now,” a man with a Russian accent piped up. “The rebels are known to rely on them.”“Good. Keep an eye on it,” the admiral said. “Kirk out.”He flipped his communicator closed with a click and strode down the corridor. He could still hear some fighting in the distance, but most of the ship had been subdued. His security officers were busy rounding up the stunned fighters as he passed.“Sir” - four officers approached, surrounding a young woman in a long white dress.The woman stepped forward to face him. “Admiral Kirk, how dare you stop a diplomatic vessel? Doesn’t the Federation have better things to do with its flagship?” She demanded.“Firing at anyone who beams aboard isn’t what I’d call a diplomatic reception,” he replied with a trace of a wry smile.She did not smile back. “What cause do you have for attacking my vessel?”The admiral’s expression turned hard. “You received several transmissions from rebel spies. What did you do with the plans they sent you?”She held fast, her eyes wide in innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan.”She stared up at him, proud and defiant. Despite all the evidence against her, she would not say a word, not now at least. The admiral almost respected her loyalty to her cause, but the rebels had caused too much suffering already.“Take her away,” the admiral ordered at last.
You are safe.
Luke felt another presence in his mind, calm and orderly. It was familiar, though he could not place it, like a half-remembered lullaby.Slowly, he became aware of a dull ache that spread out from his head, down into his back, and out to his limbs, but even as he began to feel pain, the other presence noted the sensation and pushed it aside - inconsequential, to be dealt with later. He only noticed the warm hand on his face as it pulled away, and with it the other presence in his mind vanished.Luke’s eyes fluttered open and he found himself face to face with an old man in light robes and a long brown cloak whose severe features were not quite human. The man helped him upright, off the hard, rocky ground. Luke’s muscles ached, but he had a feeling that it should have been much worse.“What happened?” Luke asked, still dazed.“You were attacked by Sandpeople,” the man replied, his voice sharply level. “It was not your wisest decision to go wandering in the Jundland wastes alone.”It suddenly clicked. “Sam!” Luke exclaimed, “Boy am I glad to see you!”“Yes, it is most fortunate that I was able to arrive in time,” Sam said. “What are you doing so far from your uncle’s home?”“It’s this little droid,” Luke motioned toward a cylindrical white and blue robot, with a domed top, hiding in the shadow of some nearby rocks. It had evidently seen better days. “I think he’s searching for his former master. I’ve never seen such devotion in a droid before, there seems to be no stopping him. He claims to be the property of someone named ‘Spock.’”At that Sam’s eyes widened and his eyebrows rose in something like astonishment. “Fascinating,” he muttered.Luke jumped on the opportunity. “Do you know who he is? The name’s familiar, but I can’t place it!”Sam hesitated. “I have not heard that name in many years.”“I think my uncle knew him. He said he was probably dead,” Luke explained.The hint of a smile seemed to cross Sam’s otherwise straight face. “He is not dead,” he replied definitively.“You know him!” Luke exclaimed.Sam gave a single nod. “Yes. I am Spock.”“Then the droid belongs to you,” Luke said.“Not to my knowledge,” Spock replied. He glanced up at the cliffs. “The Sandpeople were merely startled and will soon return. It would be safer to continue this conversation inside; my residence is not far from here.”Spock helped Luke to his feet and beckoned over the small blue and white robot. Between the two of them, they located its counterpart, a gold plated android buried in the sand, and hauled both of the robots onto Luke’s dusty red sand speeder.“I expect you are a better driver than your father,” Spock remarked as he stepped into the passenger seat and arranged his robes around him.They took off across the sands and up the rocky formations, to a rough stone hut, hidden in the desert. Spock led the way inside his humble abode. It was practical and austere, decorated only by a few very alien effects: an ancient, almost demonic looking statue, a diamond-shaped instrument from which hung rows of small bells, a couple of unusual weapons, and a lyre. Luke’s eyes wandered along the walls, taking in each relic in turn.Eventually, Spock directed him to a ledge cut out of the wall where he could sit and repair the damaged android. Spock sat in a rough chair at a nearby table and watched him intently as he worked.“Did you really know my father?” Luke asked as he refitted C-3PO’s arm.Spock inclined his head. “He was a great captain and” - he hesitated - “A personal friend.”“My uncle said he was a navigator on a spice freighter,” Luke protested.“Your uncle lied because he disagreed with your father’s decisions and does not wish for you to follow in his footsteps.” Spock gave Luke a meaningful look.“I wish I knew him,” Luke said.“It is regrettable that you did not,” Spock acknowledged. “He was a great man; very human, but not incapable of logic.” For an instant, a hint of a smile seemed to tease at the corners of Spock’s lips.Luke hesitated, but met Spock’s eyes. “How did my father die?”Spock’s expression turned stiff and his voice dropped. “He died in a battle between the Federation and rebel forces. I searched for him for months afterward, but I never found his body.”Luke looked away. His eyes landed on R2-D2, the blue and white astromech droid that had been waiting patiently on Spock’s other side. It beeped in response.Spock turned to examine the robot. “May I?” he asked Luke.Luke shrugged. “He says he’s yours.”Spock bent over the robot and peered at it with sharp, brown eyes. “Fascinating,” he remarked. Finally, he pressed a button in the robot’s side.Almost immediately, a dial on the robot’s head began to glow and it projected a grainy blue hologram onto the table between Spock and Luke. The image coalesced into a young woman in a white dress. Luke stopped working on the android to stare at her.“Commander Spock,” she said, “You were one of the best officers in Starfleet before you defected. Now I beg you to help the Rebellion in our struggle against the Federation. I regret that I am unable to present our request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack, and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Spock. You're my only hope.”Then, she glanced over her shoulder as though she was being pursued and bent over to turn a dial, terminating the message.Spock considered the robot as Luke sat silently, staring at the table where the image of the woman had been.At last, Spock turned to Luke and said, “It seems the only logical course is for us to go to Alderaan.”His words jolted Luke out of his thoughts. “Alderaan?” Luke exclaimed with a laugh. “I’m not going to Alderaan. I've got to go home. It's late, I'm in for it as it is.” He just about jumped to his feet and started toward the door.Spock stood and fixed Luke with his piercing gaze. “You belong on a planet’s surface as little as your father did.”Luke hesitated. “I can’t, I’ve got work to do.”“Your uncle has given you work to prevent you from leaving Tatooine,” Spock said.“Oh, God, my uncle,” Luke said with a sigh. He turned away from Spock and paced across the room. “How am I ever going to explain this?” He put a hand on the offending droid’s domed head.R2-D2 answered with a whistle.“I will explain it to him and show him reason,” Spock replied. “Our elders do not always know best. My own father sought to keep me on Vulcan, but it was not logical. That was not where I was needed or where I belonged, so I left.”Luke turned back to face Spock. “Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you're going.”“Luke, what do you want?” Spock insisted.“Why are you back so late?” Luke’s Uncle Owen shouted as the dusty red sand speeder pulled up to the domed entrance to his home.Spock stepped out of the speeder as it came to a stop, his alien gaze fixed on Owen. “The responsibility is mine.”“What are you doing here?” Owen demanded. “I thought I told you not to come anywhere near him!”Luke stepped between them and tried to intervene. “Sam saved me from the Sandpeople,” he attempted.Owen turned on Luke. “What were you doing out in the wastes?”“It was this droid, see” - Luke gestured at R2-D2. “He thought Spock was his owner and wandered off. I had to go after him.”Owen turned back to Spock. “Trying to lure him out, were you? What are you trying to pull? Some of your Federation pals came by and were asking about those droids.”Spock ignored the accusation. “Luke is coming with me to Alderaan.”“Like hell, he is!” Owen shouted.“You cannot keep the captain’s son on the surface of a planet,” Spock’s voice was quiet with suppressed emotion. “He does not belong here.”“He’s better off here than dead halfway across the galaxy,” Owen retorted.“He will not be alone. I will protect him with my life,” Spock said.“Like you protected his father?” Owen demanded.Spock stiffened as Owen’s words hit him. His expression became taut with restraint. At last he admitted, “The captain knew the dangers of our mission.” His voice grew stronger as he said, “He would not have wanted his son kept safe, but imprisoned on the surface of a planet. He considered a life without the freedom to explore to be no life at all. Luke is no longer a child; permit him to chose.”Both Spock and Owen turned to Luke and watched him expectantly. He froze.“I-” he began. “Of course I want to go,” Luke exclaimed at last. He faced his uncle. “But you’re right, I can’t leave before the harvest, especially if you’ll be short a droid again.”Owen glared at Luke. For a moment it looked like he was going to shout. Finally he looked away and said, resigned, “Fine. Go!” And then he turned and went back inside.Admiral Kirk paced back and forth outside a cell in the brig. Behind the electric force field was the young woman in the long white dress, reclining on a hard bed that jutted out from the far wall.“Your rebellion has done nothing but kill and destroy. You’ve destroyed lives and livelihoods, for what?” the admiral demanded. He waved off an expected interruption. “I’ve heard your demands: freedom from the Federation, sovereignty over your planets. But any planet is in the Federation because it wants to be, because it wants our resources and protection. And we don’t interfere with the sovereignty of our members except in extenuating circumstances.”“You’ll take any circumstance you can get,” Princess Leia retorted.The admiral stopped and turned to face her through the force field. She looked up at him, her expression set in defiance.“The Federation’s mission is to provide for and defend its member systems; if there’s anything you need, that can be arranged through the proper channels,” the admiral insisted.“All we need is our freedom,” Leia said.“Your planets chose to join the Federation,” the admiral exclaimed.“It was hardly a choice between your Federation and the Klingon Empire - of course we ‘chose’ to join the Federation.”“Would you prefer if we had left you to the Klingons?” The admiral demanded.She sat up. “Maybe then we would have at least died fighting for ourselves instead of living to serve a planet light years away!”“You haven’t been made to serve anyone, you’re an equal member of the Federation!” The admiral pounded his fist on empty air.“Is that what you call being subjugated and stripped of anything you consider valuable, our cultures treated like experiments? We haven't forgotten what happened on Ekos and Zeon.”The aged admiral and the young princess locked eyes in a silent battle of wills. Both, stubborn and proud, refused to yield.The admiral made one last attempt. “Many will die if your rebels go through with their attack on the starbase. I was hoping we could avoid futile bloodshed.”“It’s too late,” Leia said, her head held high. “The plans aren’t in my hands any more.”Luke drove his speeder into the small desert city of Mos Eisley, widely known as the most wretched hive of scum and villainy on that side of the galaxy. They passed humanoids in long cloaks shuffling about their business and quite a few Federation security officers in red uniforms watching everyone who came and left.“I’ve never seen so many officers here,” Luke remarked, glancing around nervously.“There is no cause for concern,” Spock said as a pair of officers stepped into the middle of the street. One motioned for the speeder to stop while the other prepared to draw his phaser if things went south.Luke glanced over at Spock.“Do as they say,” Spock instructed.The speeder slowed to a stop and they were quickly surrounded by security officers.The man who stopped them asked, “How long have you had these robots?”“About three or four seasons,” Luke answered a little too quickly.“Let me see your identification.” The man held out his hand.Luke fumbled for his ID while Spock pulled a card out of the folds of his robe and handed it to the officer.The officer’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at the card and back up at Spock. “My apologies, Commander. Is there anything you need?”“I am on a personal errand,” Spock replied. “I will contact Starfleet if there is anything I require.”“Understood.” The officers stood at attention to let them continue on their way.Spock nodded at Luke to keep driving.“You really were with the Federation,” Luke said as soon as the security officers were out of earshot.“Yes,” Spock said. “I resigned not long before you were born.”Luke was bursting with questions, but he didn’t ask any more as they drove up to the entrance of a rundown cantina on the edge of town. Inside it was dark and smoky, filled with all manner of humanoid creatures, talking and arguing in more languages than Luke could count, all set to a lively tune.The robots waited outside while Spock led Luke over to a tall beast of a man with a monkey-like snout, who was covered in long shaggy fur. He talked in loud roars that Spock seemed to understand. After a quick exchange, he led Spock and Luke to a booth, where they were joined by a very human looking young man.“Han Solo,” he introduced himself as he slid into the bench across from them, “Captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system.”Spock gave a sharp nod. “Your co-pilot has informed me that you will be able to get us there quickly and without questions.”“Of course we can get you there quickly. You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?” Han asked, incredulous.Spock raised an eyebrow at him. “No, I have not.”Han broke into a smile as he boasted, “It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs! I've outrun Federation starships - not the local bulk-cruisers, mind you. I'm talking about the big Constitution class ships. She's fast enough for you, old man. What's the cargo?”Spock’s eyebrow rose even higher at Han’s claims.“That would be sufficient,” Spock acknowledged. “We require transportation for ourselves and two robots.”“What is it? Some kind of local trouble?” Han asked.“I believe that qualifies as a question,” Spock replied.“Hey, old man, I don’t have to take you anywhere if I don’t want to,” Han retorted. “And it’ll cost you extra if we don’t know what we’re getting into.”Spock nodded in assent, though his flat expression did not conceal his judgement.They came to an agreement on the price of the voyage, and then went their separate ways to prepare.“I don’t like him,” Han remarked to Chewie as Spock and Luke vanished into the crowd, “But this could really save my neck.”Preparations didn’t take long, and soon they all reconvened at docking bay ninety-four, where the battered disk of the Millennium Falcon was waiting. Han waved Spock, Luke, and the droids aboard and they slowly rose into the air, over the people and the buildings. The Falcon rocketed into the clear blue sky, which quickly gave way to the inky black of space, studded with stars.“Stop that ship!” Admiral Kirk shouted, leaping to his feet as though burned.“What ship?” Commander Sulu, at the helm, glanced around in confusion.“I detect one Corellian light freighter leaving orbit,” Science Officer Sonak reported.“Use the tractor beam,” Kirk ordered. “Now! Don’t let them get away!”“What on Earth are you doing?” Dr. Leonard McCoy demanded from his usual position, standing behind the captain’s chair.“We’ve got him, admiral,” Sulu declared.“Good.” Kirk turned to face Dr. McCoy. “I sense him.”The doctor took a moment to register the meaning of the admiral’s words. “That’s impossible!” He exclaimed. “No one’s seen him in years, not since, well” - he gestured at Kirk by way of explanation.“I sense him,” Kirk insisted. He turned back to face the viewscreen. “He’s on that ship.”“The vessel is the Millennium Falcon,” Sonak reported, “Property of Han Solo, a wanted smuggler. There are four humanoid lifeforms aboard and two robots.”“Beam them up,” Kirk ordered. “Sulu, you have the con.”Four humanoids and two robots materialized on the transporter pad. Han Solo was cut off mid word, Luke jolted in surprise, Chewbacca roared, C-3PO let out a yelp, and R2-D2 whistled. Only Spock took the whole scene in stride.“This is no good! No good at all!” C-3PO waved his arms in distress.“What’s going on here?” Han demanded.Chewbacca roared in agreement“Transporter room to bridge, we’ve got-” one of the red-uniformed officers behind the control panel began.Spock stepped off the transporter pad and cut off the man mid sentence with a pinch to the shoulder, and he fell to the ground. The other officer pulled out his phaser, but he was too late. Spock knocked it out of his hand and restrained him to pinch him unconscious as well.“What I’d give to learn a trick like that,” Luke marveled.“Great,” Han exclaimed, stepping off the pad himself. “Just great. This is the last time I agree to ‘no questions asked.’” He rounded on Spock, “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, oh high and mighty Vulcan.”“Stay here,” Spock ordered. “Lock the door and do not allow anyone to enter until I return.”“What do you mean?” Luke asked “What’s going on?”“That’s a great plan,” Han said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You go off and get captured and leave us to fend off the whole crew of a starship.”“I can sense a presence I have not felt in years,” Spock said. “If I am successful, our mission will end here. You are to wait until I return.” He met Luke’s eyes to ensure his obedience.“And now he’s gone crazy!” Han threw up his hands in exasperation.“Let me come with you!” Luke protested.“Sir,” C-3PO spoke up, “I hate to interrupt, but I believe the chances of successfully infiltrating the starship without getting caught are four hundred eighty five to one.”Spock faced the android. His eyebrows rose at the pronouncement. “You have miscalculated,” Spock replied. “My chances of success are much lower, possibly zero, but there is no risk of capture.”With that, Spock turned and left the transporter room.Almost as soon as he was gone, Luke exclaimed, “We can’t just stand here and do nothing!”Han leaned against the controls, his arms crossed over his chest. “I’ve gotten more than I bargained for on this trip already.”Before Luke could argue, R2-D2 gave a whistle and a series of beeps.“Sir,” C-3PO said, “Artoo says he could hack into the ship’s computer to release the tractor beam.”“Yeah,” Luke said, “Do that!”R2-D2 rolled over to the terminal and, with some difficulty, found an outlet that he could plug into to access the ship’s computers. He beeped and whirred as he processed a whole starship’s worth of data at an astounding speed.Suddenly he began to beep wildly.Luke stepped over to the terminal. “What is it?”“I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir,” C-3PO answered in R2-D2’s stead. “He says ‘I found her,’ and keeps repeating, ‘She's here.’”“Who has he found?” Luke asked.R2-D2 whistled frantically.“Princess Leia,” C-3PO answered as though he could not believe his own words.“She’s here?” Luke exclaimed.“A princess?” Han demanded.R2-D2 beeped and again C-3PO translated, “Apparently she’s being kept prisoner.”“We’ve got to rescue her!” Luke said.Han gave Luke a look. “No way. The old man said to stay here and that’s what I intend to do.”Dr. McCoy followed Admiral Kirk off the bridge and onto the turbo lift. “Jim, I don’t pretend to understand all that Vulcan mumbo jumbo, but the chances-”Kirk cut him off, “He’s here, on the Enterprise . I can feel it.”“Didn’t you say that psychic connection you had was gone?” Dr. McCoy demanded.“I don’t know,” Kirk said. “It’s supposed to hurt if the bond breaks, but I’m not in any pain - and didn’t he say it wasn’t broken before he left?”Dr. McCoy hesitated. “He wasn’t doing so well, none of us were, but your death hit him especially hard. I don’t know if he was entirely himself.”They stepped out of the lift, into a quiet corridor.“It doesn’t matter what happened then,” Kirk said. “It’s not as strong, but I can feel him.”“Where are we going?” Dr. McCoy demanded. “Wouldn’t he be in the transporter room?”Kirk shook his head. “I’m sure if I can sense him, he can sense me. He’d know where to meet me,” he replied with more confidence than he felt.They stopped at a closed door.Kirk took a deep breath to steel himself.“I’ll wait here,” Dr. McCoy offered.Kirk nodded and stepped through the door, onto the observation deck.The door closed behind him, leaving Admiral Kirk alone in the empty hallway, lined with view ports that looked out into open space. His heart raced. He could feel Spock approaching - he could only hope he wasn’t fooling himself. It had been too long.The opposite door slid open with a whoosh and he could feel Spock standing on the threshold looking in before he saw him. His face had turned gaunt and more heavily lined with the passing years, but Jim knew it was nothing compared to the sight he made, stitched back together by aliens.Their eyes met and neither dared look away. Jim felt a smile spreading across his stiff face, and his cheeks hurt a little from the unfamiliar expression.“Jim,” Spock said, his voice a hoarse whisper.Spock walked toward Jim as though in a trance, his long earthy cloak flowing around him. The corners of his lips turned upward in a small but definite smile. “Jim,” he said again, louder and more confident, though his voice was still rough with emotion.Jim stepped forward to meet him and grabbed him by the upper arms. Spock reciprocated the gesture, unwilling to let go.“I knew you could not be dead,” Spock said.Jim grinned. “It was a close thing, but something found me and pulled me back together.” His smile faltered. “I’m more machine than man now.”Spock’s eyebrows rose in astonishment.Jim withdrew one hand from Spock’s arm and used it to pull up the sleeve on his other arm. He worked open a panel in his scarred skin to reveal a tangle of wires and circuitry where flesh and blood should have been.Spock lowered his hand to rest on Jim’s hand that was holding the panel open. “You still have a human mind.”Jim smiled up at him. “Is that compliment, Mr. Spock?” He teased.“It is the truth,” Spock replied. His eyebrows rose to emphasize his words.Before Jim could say anything more, a whistle sounded from the intercom on the wall. “Bridge to Admiral Kirk,” Commander Uhura said.Very slowly, Spock let his arms drop to allow the admiral to answer the call. Jim gave him a grin and steered Spock over to the intercom.“Kirk here,” he said. “What is it?”“Some commotion in the brig, sir” Uhura reported.“Send down a security team, we’re on our way,” Kirk replied and turned to go.“Sir, we’re also locked out of the transporter room,” she said.Kirk glanced up at Spock for an explanation.“My overzealous companions,” Spock answered delicately. “The transporter room is my doing.”“Wait on the transporter room,” the admiral said. “Kirk out.”Kirk glanced back at Spock, who raised his eyebrows in mock innocence.“Come on, we’ll have time to catch up later.” Kirk ushered Spock out the door.“Spock!” Dr. McCoy exclaimed as they hurried past, “You’re still alive!”“Yes,” Spock answered.“What’s got you in such a rush?” Dr. McCoy demanded.“Trouble in the brig,” Kirk explained.Dr. McCoy glanced at Spock, but he provided no explanation.The three of them ran back to the turbo lift, which took them down to the brig. As the door opened they could hear men shouting and phasers firing. Smoke wafted down a curved hallway, lined with open doorways to empty cells. The admiral waved the other two on, toward the fray. A line of security officers blocked the hall. The admiral ordered them aside and followed Spock into the haze. Another line of officers fired into the hall, where Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia were pinned against the wall, firing wildly at the security officers.Spock stepped forward, past the line of security officers. “Luke,” he called out.They stopped firing, and Kirk signalled for his men to follow suit.“Sam!” Luke exclaimed. He looked ready to leap forward to make a reckless rescue attempt.“I am not a prisoner,” Spock attempted to preempt such an action. He waved the admiral forward, a hand on his arm. “This is Admiral James T. Kirk, my former captain and a personal friend. He is not your enemy, nor is his crew. There has merely been a misunderstanding.”“You defected!” Luke sputtered, “You used to work for the Federation, but-”“Princess Leia was mistaken,” Spock said. “I resigned because I thought the captain was dead and because I had a more important duty to you and your sister.” He pointedly looked from Luke to Leia. “I did not defect.”“You lied!” Luke shouted.“I did not lie,” Spock said.Luke raised his gun. “No! You lied to me! How could you work for them ?”Han took advantage of the distraction to fire at the line of security officers, and they fired back. Kirk pulled Spock out of the way and the hall erupted into chaos once more.“Luke,” Spock called out over the commotion, even as he let Kirk bring him back behind the Federation’s line, “There is much you do not know.”Han Solo grabbed the communication link out of Luke’s hand and shouted, “Get us out of here!”“Sir,” C-3PO began to protest.“Your pal is hooked up to their teleporter, isn’t he? Can’t he whisk us back up there?” Han demanded.“Artoo, transport them up here this instant,” C-3PO instructed.“Get on it!” Han exclaimed.“Wait!” Spock called out, but to no avail, as Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie dematerialized in a golden shimmer.“Luke and Leia are the children of Princess Padmé Amidala of Naboo.” Spock gave Jim a meaningful look.Jim nodded in understanding. “I see,” he said, though the words did little to capture the enormity of the realization.“Mr. Spock, do you mean to say that Jim is their father?” Dr. McCoy demanded.Spock inclined his head, but he did not look away from the admiral.Jim paced across the briefing room, empty except for the admiral and his two closest friends. “Twenty years is a long time,” he said at last.“Jim,” Spock began, a hand extended toward the admiral.Jim stepped forward to meet him. “Tell me everything.”“They are twins, born not long after your supposed death,” Spock replied.Jim nodded. “Yes, I remember Padmé.” He smiled a little at the thought of the princess from long ago.“Our bond was not broken by your apparent death, but it was dormant and I could not locate you,” Spock continued.“He was ready to tear up half the galaxy looking for you,” Dr. McCoy cut in.Jim gave Spock a look and he answered with a raised eyebrow as though to ask what else Jim expected.“You know, I can’t hear what you’re thinking,” Dr. McCoy protested.“Nor can we hear each other's thoughts. The bond is still dormant,” Spock replied, his eyes still locked on Jim.Spock resumed his explanation, “As I could not locate you, the duty fell on me, as your bondmate, to care for your children. According to the laws of succession on Naboo, Leia was taken to Alderaan to be raised by Prince Bail Organa. As a Vulcan, I am not equipped to raise a human child, so I took Luke to Tatooine, where your brother Owen has a moisture farm, and he agreed to care for Luke on the condition that I had no contact with him. Owen blames Starfleet and myself for your death and did not wish for Luke to follow in your footsteps.”“I’ll have a word with Owen,” Jim grumbled.“He cares for Luke in his own way, but he does not agree with your philosophy,” Spock said. “However, Luke has inherited some of your own recklessness.” He gave Jim a wry hint of a smile.Jim put a hand on Spock’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said with a smile of his own. “So you spent twenty years on Tatooine trying to keep my son out of trouble?”Spock nodded. “Affirmative.”“And you didn’t bother to even tell me he had kids!” Dr. McCoy exclaimed.“It did not seem necessary to burden you with them,” Spock replied.“You may not like children,” Dr. McCoy retorted, “But I would have been happy to help raise them! And it doesn’t excuse you vanishing without a trace!”Jim’s expression turned serious as Spock and Dr. McCoy bickered. “I’m sorry, to both of you.”Dr. McCoy rounded on him. “It’s not you who needs to apologize - you were preoccupied - it’s your pointy-eared husband that I’ve got a problem with.” He jabbed a finger in Spock’s direction.Jim smiled despite himself, but it quickly faded. “Spock, I’m sorry for leaving you to deal with my carelessness alone.”“It is my duty as your bondmate to care for your children if you are indisposed,” Spock replied. “If it were logical to have regrets, I would merely have prefered to be allowed more access to Luke as he was growing up, and, until today, I had not seen Leia since she was taken to Alderaan as an infant.”Jim waved it off with a sigh. “I think I’ve got more than enough regrets for the both of us. I had children and they grew up without me, and I didn’t even know it. Thank you for keeping an eye on them. I take it you’re responsible for getting Luke off of Tatooine?”Spock nodded. “I admit I may have miscalculated. I did not realize his uncle had turned him so solidly against the Federation. I believe he convinced Luke that the Federation was responsible for your death and may have neglected to mention that you had elected to serve in Starfleet. I did not know that Prince Organa had turned against the Federation as well.”“He hasn’t, not publically,” Jim explained. “But we’ve got a lot of evidence that he’s been secretly supporting the rebellion. Padmé wasn’t exactly on board with the Federation herself,” Jim admitted with a smile. His serious expression returned as he continued, “That’s why we took the princess prisoner. We had information that Prince Organa was using her to convey the stolen plans for the new starbase that the rebels took in their latest attack.”He paused in thought. “I didn’t know she was my daughter. She has her mother’s stubbornness.” A wry smile spread across Jim’s face.Spock brought the conversation back around to the situation at hand, “I have reason to believe that those stolen plans for the new starbase are stored in the memory banks of the R2-series astromech robot which escaped with Luke and Leia. They are currently bound for Alderaan to deliver them to Prince Organa.”“What I want to know is how you ended up with them,” Dr. McCoy demanded.Jim backed up the question with an encouraging nod.“Princess Leia specifically programmed the robot to seek me out,” Spock explained. “I believe Prince Organa was under the mistaken impression that I defected from Starfleet after your presumed death instead of merely resigning. He may have intended to use my knowledge of Starfleet protocol to plan their assault on the base.”“And you didn’t bother to correct them?” Dr. McCoy asked, incredulous.“I did not realize that Luke was under such an impression. You also forget, doctor, that I have not been in contact with anyone off of Tatooine or heard news of the Federation for nearly twenty years. I knew Prince Organa to be a reasonable man who had earned Princess Amidala's utmost respect. If he had anti-Federation leanings at the time, I was not aware of them. As I did not know what had turned him against the Federation, I concluded the only logical course of action was to go to Alderaan and hear him out. It also afforded me an opportunity to take Luke away from Tatooine and his uncle's influence.”“You were ready to deliver the plans for the new starbase straight to the rebels just because you were curious why they wanted them?” Dr. McCoy exclaimed.“Gentlemen,” Jim interrupted, before their debate could escalate further, “As relieved as I am to see that some things haven’t changed in my absence, the point is that the rebels now have the plans to the new starbase and are preparing to launch an attack. It’s our job to stop them. If we don’t, the hundreds of men and women aboard will die. However, I refuse to kill my own children. If only we could capture Princess Leia again, we might be able to make her see reason or at least force the rebels to consider a diplomatic solution.”After a moment’s consideration, Spock remarked, “I cannot guarantee you the princess. However, you may recall that mind melds are an important part of a young Vulcan’s upbringing and that typically a psychic bond forms between parents and their children. It diminishes over the course of the lifetime, but never entirely disappears. Leia was taken to Alderaan not long after she was born, but I was involved in caring for Luke for almost a year before his uncle agreed to take custody of him. In that time, the beginnings of such a bond were able to form, though it never reached the strength of a typical bond. That may be sufficient to enable us to locate him during the assault on the starbase, if not his sister.”“Good.” Jim nodded, the beginnings of a plan already forming in his head.“I can’t believe Sam betrayed us to the Federation,” Luke exclaimed.He was standing with Leia in one corner of a large hanger, lined with rebel spacefighters surrounded by pilots frantically preparing for the assault on the new Federation base. Han had already left with his reward.“Sam?” Leia asked, her eyes narrowed in confusion.“Spock,” Luke clarified. “That’s what I always called him. He was an old hermit on Tatooine for as long as I can remember. No one really believed he used to be in Starfleet, but he was nice to me whenever I saw him. Uncle Owen never liked him much. Apparently he was friends with my father - our father, if you believe what he was saying back on the Enterprise - but if they were friends, how could he have gone back to the Federation like that?” Luke exclaimed, the full weight of the betrayal coming back to him.“I don’t know,” Leia said. “My father - my adoptive father - just said that my mother trusted Mr. Spock and that if anyone could take down a Federation starbase, he could. My father thought he had defected, but maybe he was wrong.”“I can’t believe that he would just betray us like that! There has to be some reason! Maybe that admiral brainwashed him or was manipulating him somehow,” Luke suggested. “If I could just talk to him, I could remind him what we’re fighting against!”Leia nodded. “Admiral Kirk did have a reputation…”“I bet that admiral is behind it! If only I could get back on the Enterprise …” Luke trailed off.“One battle at a time,” Leia cautioned. “If this part of the galaxy is ever going to be free, we have to get rid of that starbase before they can use it to centralize power.”“You’re right,” Luke admitted. “Once we’ve destroyed it, then we can go and rescue Spock like we rescued you!”Leia gave him a skeptical look, but her smile ruined the effect.“The rebel fighters are preparing to make their first pass on the Starbase,” Spock reported.Admiral Kirk glanced over at his first officer, back at his station on the bridge where he belonged. Now, everything was as it should have been. He grinned at Spock before turning back to the viewscreen, which displayed the starbase floating in space ahead of them.“Maximum magnification, Mr. Sulu,” the admiral ordered. “We want to get as close to the rebel fighters as we can.”The viewscreen zoomed in on several X-wing fighters descending on the base in tight formation.The admiral turned back to face Mr. Spock, “Spock, do you sense him yet?”“Affirmative, but only that he is among the fighters. I cannot yet detect which,” Spock replied.“Sulu, bring us in between them and the base,” the admiral ordered.“Aye, sir.” Sulu said, and they swerved around the starbase, into position.“Luke is in the second fighter from the right,” Spock declared.The admiral shot him a grin. “Good! Sulu, bring us as close to him as you can; we’ve got to get within beaming distance. Chekov, plot his trajectory.”“Yes sir,” Chekov replied as both men at the controls complied with the admiral’s orders. “I’ve got a fix on him, admiral!”Kirk clicked on the intercom on the arm of his chair. “Kirk to transporter, beam him up.” He turned to Spock. “Let’s go.”They both stood, and Spock followed the admiral down to the transporter room.Kirk gave the transporter technician a nod and Luke slowly materialized on the transporter pad in a bright orange flight suit, complete with a helmet bearing the rebel insignia. He stumbled as his feet met the ground and he frantically scanned the room for something familiar. His eyes landed on Mr. Spock.“Sam!” he exclaimed.Spock stepped toward the transporter pad while Kirk went to the intercom. “Kirk to bridge. Uhura, contact the rebels, tell Princess Leia we have Luke and that we want to talk. Meanwhile, Sulu, do what you can to keep the rebels from reaching the starbase. I don’t want any casualties on either side.”“Understood,” Sulu replied over the speaker.Kirk turned off the intercom and approached the transporter pad so Spock was just a step ahead of him.Luke had pulled off his helmet and was holding it under his arm. “Why?” he demanded of Spock. His voice was calm, but there was an audible undercurrent of emotion. “Why did you betray us to the Federation?”“I did not betray you,” Spock insisted. “You have been misinformed by your uncle as Leia was misled by Prince Organa.”“What do you mean?” Luke exclaimed. “Is that what Admiral Kirk told you? Is that how he convinced you to betray us?” He glanced between Kirk and Spock. “Leia told me all about him, you can’t believe a word he says!”“Luke,” the admiral attempted.Spock made to interrupt and Kirk fell silent. “I assure you the admiral is completely trustworthy,” Spock replied. “I have been neither manipulated nor hypnotized. The truth is that I was never allied with the rebellion. For many years, I served in Starfleet by your father’s side and only resigned when it appeared he had died. I never defected as Prince Organa believed.”“But the Federation killed my father!” Luke nearly shouted. “You said you were his friend! How could you betray him?”“I never betrayed him,” Spock said. “Admiral Kirk is your father.”Luke looked from Spock to the admiral and back again. “No! That can’t be! Uncle Owen said-”“Your uncle has not been entirely honest with you,” Spock cut in.“You said-” Luke insisted.“I said that your father died in a battle between Federation and rebel forces. You assumed he was fighting on behalf of the rebels. He was not. He died in the course of his duty as captain of the Enterprise - or so I thought.”“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there when you were born,” Kirk said, stepping forward at last, “I wasn’t much better than dead for a long time. So, Spock took care of you and your sister on my behalf. If he says you’re my son, then I would believe him, though if you’re not convinced Dr. McCoy can run whatever tests you like once this is all over.”Kirk’s tone turned business-like. “In the meantime, we have a lot of lives to save. If the rebels go through with their attack hundreds of lives on both sides will be lost. We can stop them, but you have to work with us.”Luke stared, wide-eyed, at Spock and then Admiral Kirk as they spoke. Finally, he seemed to startle back into full awareness and stammered, “Even if you are my father, what about all the terrible things the Federation has done?”“Your rebellion is far from innocent,” Spock retorted. “They were the ones responsible for your father's near death.”Kirk frowned. “I admit, we're far from perfect, but violence isn't the answer. We're willing to talk, but we need your help to convince your sister, Leia, to call off the attack and come aboard.”“You want me to lead her straight into a trap!” Luke exclaimed.“No, not a trap,” Spock replied, “A parlay, I believe is the correct term.”Luke hesitated. Before he could speak again, the intercom whistled and Kirk answered the call.Uhura’s voice sounded over the speaker, “Admiral, Princess Leia would like to speak with you.”“Pipe her in here,” Kirk ordered. “Admiral Kirk speaking.”“What do you want?” the princess demanded. “Why have you taken one my pilots prisoner? There’s nothing you can get out of him!”Spock gestured for Luke to speak.Luke hesitated. Kirk and Spock exchanged a glance.“They said they want you to call off the attack and come aboard their ship,” Luke said at last.“Luke!” she exclaimed. “Are you alright?”“Yeah,” he said reluctantly. “They haven’t done anything yet.”Kirk nodded at Spock for him to pick up the conversation before Luke could continue.“Princess Leia,” Spock said, “I do not believe we have properly met, but I am Spock. I speak on behalf of Admiral Kirk. He would like for you to come aboard so that we may arrange a truce. We also have some information which you may find illuminating.”“I don’t care who you are, if you think I’m falling for that,” Leia retorted.“We mean you know harm, I assure you,” Spock said.“Prove it,” Leia insisted.“With the admiral’s permission,” - Spock glanced at Kirk, who raised an eyebrow at him in an imitation of his first officer - “I would like to suggest an exchange. I will beam over to your location at the same instant as you are transported onto the Enterprise .”“Spock,” Kirk hissed, none too pleased with the idea.“That way,” Spock forged on, “Each side will have a hostage to ensure the other’s safety.”“How do I know you’ll actually teleport over?” Leia demanded. “You already have Luke.”“If the admiral is amenable, I will beam over first,” Spock offered.“I cannot make this decision alone; allow me to speak with my generals,” Leia said.“Certainly,” Kirk replied and turned off the intercom. He rounded on Spock with a frown. “I don’t like it.”“I doubt I will be in excessive danger. Afterall, they believe me to be their ally,” Spock said.“What will you do when you teleport over there?” Luke demanded, glancing between Spock and the admiral.“I will serve as their hostage,” Spock answered. His gaze returned to Kirk. “Perhaps I will have an opportunity to speak with the leaders of the rebellion.”“Alright,” Kirk said, though he wasn’t entirely convinced.After a moment, the intercom whistled again and Kirk answered.“We agree to your exchange,” Princess Leia declared, and she provided the necessary coordinates.When she was done, Kirk turned off the intercom and faced Spock. Before he could make up his mind what to do, Spock held out a hand and offered it to him, his first two fingers extended in a once familiar gesture.“Spock,” Kirk said, his voice nearly a whisper, as he reciprocated in kind and allowed their fingers to brush together.“Jim, there is no cause for concern,” Spock said. “I will not be gone for long.”“I hope not,” Kirk said with a rueful smile.Spock inclined his head toward the admiral and made his way over to the transporter.Luke seemed ready to protest, but no words came out.“Be careful,” Spock said to both of them before he faded out into glimmering golden light.They did not have long to wait after Spock disappeared. The intercom to whistled yet again and Kirk punched it with the side of his fist.“Admiral, I am safely aboard the rebel vessel,” Spock reported efficiently as ever.The admiral let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Is Princess Leia ready to beam aboard?”“Yes, sir. She is precisely two point one five meters in front of me,” Spock said.Kirk activated the transporter and Princess Leia materialized in a shower of golden light.She got her bearings quickly and said, “I’m here, now you can send Luke back to where you got me from. You don’t need him any more.”Kirk shook his head. “He should be here for this.”“Why?” Leia demanded.“Because he’s your brother, and this concerns both of you,” Kirk explained. “You knew your mother, Princess Amidala?”“What does she have to do with this?” Leia glanced between Luke and the admiral, searching for answers.“According to him, he’s our father,” Luke said before the admiral could continue his rambling explanation.“What?” Leia exclaimed. “That can’t be!”“I didn’t know Padmé for very long,” Kirk acknowledged, “But we became very close in the short time that we did have. You wouldn’t remember it, but Spock watched after you on my behalf since I was indisposed.”“That’s impossible!” Leia said. “My father died before I was born!”“Almost,” Kirk said, “But not quite. The rumors may not have reached Tatooine, but you must have heard about my ‘miraculous’ return from the dead.”“That was just Federation propaganda,” Leia retorted.“As I’ve already told Luke, my chief medical officer can run whatever tests you want when this is all over,” Kirk said, returning to the business at hand. “But none of that will matter if we destroy each other now. We don’t want to fight.”“We refuse to surrender!” Leia cried. “We’ve sacrificed too much to give up now, and holding Luke and I hostage isn’t going to change the generals’ minds about that!”“No one else needs to die,” Kirk insisted. “I want you to call your generals and get them to see reason. Call off the attack and sit down to talk instead.”“And what if we don’t?” Leia pressed.Kirk grimaced. “Then we’ll be forced to fight. Spock can take care of himself.”“You don’t have to fight any of us,” Luke cut in. “The rebellion just wants freedom from the Federation. If you really are our father you should understand. Spock said you thought a life without freedom isn’t any life at all.”“Destroying a peaceful starbase and killing hundreds of people isn’t freedom,” Kirk said, “And I can’t allow it no matter what cause you claim to champion.” He rounded on Leia.“Fine,” the princess said at last, “I’ll call them, for all the good it’ll do you.”Kirk led Luke and Leia to the bridge. As they stepped off the lift he ordered, “Uhura, contact the rebel command ship. Tell them Princess Leia has something to say.”She pressed a series of buttons on the terminal in front of her and conveyed the message. It was not long before she received a reply. “The rebel generals are ready to talk.”“Good,” Kirk replied, “Put them on visual.”The view of the new starbase, surrounded by rebel ships, was replaced by a dark war room, lined with transparent screens. Front and center were an old man, a young woman, and a middle-aged Vulcan, all gathered around a table.Kirk grinned and Spock answered with a bemused quirk of an eyebrow before they both turned serious. Kirk waved for Leia to begin with exaggerated gallantry.She obliged, stepping forward toward the view screen. “Admiral Kirk wants the rebellion to surrender and enter into peace talks with the Federation,” Leia explained. She barely attempted to conceal her skepticism.“Yes,” the old man on the other end said, “Mr. Spock told us.”“Then he must have also told you that we don’t want to fight, but we will if we have to,” Kirk said.“Yes,” the woman said, “We know the Federation’s stance on the matter: no bloodshed and no change. All you want is to maintain the status quo.”“I don’t know what the diplomats will say - at the end of the day it’s up to them,” Kirk said, “But I do know that if you go through with the attack you won’t have to worry about diplomats.”Kirk fell silent as the rebel generals conferred in hushed voices that did not make it across the intercom.Suddenly, Luke spoke up and said, as much to Leia as to the generals, “I know the Federation has caused a lot of problems; Tatooine, where I grew up, sure isn’t better because of them, but maybe they’re not all bad.” He glanced over at Kirk. “Maybe war isn’t the answer, especially if my father is right, and the Federation really is willing to talk.”“I can certainly put a good word in for you,” Kirk added with a smile.“There is no harm in hearing what your diplomats have to say,” the woman on the other end relented at last.Still, Leia insisted, “How do we know you’ll keep your word if we retreat?”“Uhura,” Kirk said without looking away from the viewscreen, “Contact the starbase, tell them we have the leaders of the rebellion on the line and that they’re ready to talk.”It did not take long before Uhura replied, “The ambassador is ready, sir.”“Patch them through,” Kirk ordered.The inside of the rebel command ship faded, and the view screen displayed the starbase floating in space once more.“Sir, the rebel fighters are retreating,” Sulu reported from the helm.Kirk nodded. “Good. Keep an eye on them.”Spock materialized on the transporter of the USS Enterprise . “Permission to come aboard, admiral?”Kirk grinned. “Permission granted.” He took a moment to appreciate the sight of his first officer back on the ship where he belonged before he asked, “How are the talks coming along?”“They are progressing,” Spock replied with a quirked eyebrow.“I’m sure the ambassadors have their hands full,” Kirk said. “I, for one, am happy to leave them to it. What do you say, Mr. Spock?” He held out an arm to drape over Spock’s shoulders and guided him out of the transporter room, into the hall.“I find that I am likewise content to leave the ambassadors to their duty. I still have much to catch up on from the past twenty years,” Spock remarked.“You’re not alone,” Kirk said with a wide smile.Spock’s expression softened and he almost seemed to smile. “A most gratifying development.”