The Brave and the Bold Book Two - Keith R. A. DeCandido [83]
Spock stood face-to-face with Worf and placed his fingers on the areas of Worf’s face that were closest to the neural pathways to the cerebellum.
“My mind—to your mind. My thoughts—to your thoughts. Our minds—become one…”
Chapter Fifteen
YOUNG WORF STOOD IN THE DOORWAY of his ancestral family home on Vulcan. His father, Sarek, demanded to know where he’d been.
“I have been in the mountains,” Worf said.
“You are not to travel to the Llangon Mountains,” Sarek said.
Confused, Worf started to say that Father had taken his brother Sybok to the Ural Mountains only last week.
“Come,” Sarek said. “It is time.”
Young Spock stood in the doorway of the Rozhenko home in Minsk. His adoptive father, Sergey, demanded to know where he’d been.
“I have been in the mountains,” Spock said.
Father laughed. “We just went to the Ural Mountains with your brother Nikolai last week.”
Confused, Spock started to say that Father had forbidden him travel to the Llangon Mountains.
“Come,” Sergey said. “It is time.”
(My mind…)
“Oh, look, it’s the little human boy!”
“Stinking halfbreed!”
“Why don’t you go back to Earth?”
“You’re not a real Vulcan!”
Young Worf was angered at the insults the other Vulcan children threw his way. He wanted to kill them all—it wasn’t his fault that Mikel had died. He hadn’t sufficiently restrained himself in the soccer game, but it wasn’t his fault that their collision resulted in a broken neck!
“My God, he killed him!”
“Murderer!”
“Mikel’s dead!”
“Klingon savage!”
Young Spock was confused at the epithets the human teenagers on Gault threw his way. He wanted to fight back—it wasn’t his fault that his mother was human and that he couldn’t be like the other, full-blooded Vulcans.
(…to your mind…)
“Why do you reject the ways of logic, brother?”
Sybok smiled indulgently at Worf’s question. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Vulcan is your home, even more than it was ever mine!” Worf cried.
“You have made this your home,” Sybok said, putting a hand on Worf’s shoulder. “But I never truly belonged here.”
With that, Worf’s half-brother turned on his heel and left the house at ShiKahr. Worf would not see him again until many years later while serving on the Enterprise….
“Why are you leaving Starfleet Academy, brother?”
Nikolai smiled indulgently at Spock’s question. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
“You belong here, even more than I do,” Spock said calmly.
“No, this is where you were meant to be,” Nikolai said, putting a hand on Spock’s shoulder. “But I never truly belonged here.”
With that, Spock’s foster brother turned on his heel and left the grounds of the Academy. Spock would not see him again until many years later while serving on the Enterprise….
(…my thoughts…)
Images of K’Ehleyr’s broken, bloody form filled Worf’s head as he lunged at Jim Kirk. As they tumbled, Worf wrapped the ahn-woon around his old friend’s neck.
He had failed with the lirpa, but he would not fail now. As he lifted Kirk off of him and all but dragged him to the coal fire, his mind was ravaged with but one thought: K’Ehleyr will be mine forever! The needs of the Pon farr would be fulfilled.
Kirk made a last, desperate lunge, which saved him from the heat of the coals, but Worf never lost his grip on the ahn-woon. The light died in Jim Kirk’s eyes.
Victory was his….
Images of T’Pring’s serene face filled Spock’s head as he lunged at Duras. Spock deflected Duras’s tik’leth strike with his bat’leth.
He had failed to save T’Pring from Duras, but he would not fail now. As he parried another tik’leth strike and then moved onto the offensive, his mind was ravaged with but one thought: T’Pring will be avenged! The right of vengeance would be fulfilled.
Duras made a last, desperate parry, but it did him no good. Spock knocked him to the ground and then slammed his family’s bat’leth into his enemy’s chest. The light died in Duras’s eyes.
Victory was his