Dungeon

The rescue party arrived in the damp dungeon where the captain and his first officer were held prisoner. "Spock!" shouted Uhura, rushing to the chained up commander. He was covered in green blood, but still breathing. "Get the captain..." he gasped out as his shackles were broken off. "The torture was severe...his screams were painful to my ears."

Uhura's eyes filled with tears as she saw Jim's limp form completely held up by the chains, head sunk forward, blood all over his bare torso and alarmingly still. The fact that he hadn't moved since the away team had broken down the door led the communications officer to suspect the worst. Jim was a highly alert individual, especially when his crew was in danger. Evidently, his injuries had just been too much. The security officers with the team quietly checked the silent Captain and shook their heads, finding no signs of life. The lieutenant's heart broke at the devastating truth. The Captain of the Enterprise was now beyond their help.

"Spock, Jim's gone," she whispered, "He must have died shortly before we arrived. I'm so sorry." Spock closed his eyes and felt the horrible waves of grief wash over him.

"I attempted...to...keep him...awake. He was... determined to...survive. A lesser person would have succumbed hours...ago with the amount of injuries he suffered. Oh, Captain.." Spock hung his head.

Uhura nodded to the officers who began to remove Jim's body from the chains. They had already dealt with the aliens who had done this, now they had to return to the ship and break the news to the crew. It hurt her to see the pain still etched in his dead face.

She worked on bandaging Spock's wounds the best she could while the deceased captain was solemnly freed from his chains and lowered to the floor.

"It looks like he was kicked, bludgeoned, whipped, and who knows what else," muttered Hendorff grimly, looking at the gashes and bruises covering Jim. "There was head trauma as well." He pointed to a red stained patch of dirty blonde hair.

"Yes," confirmed Spock. They struck him when he would not answer their questions.

"We'll let Doctor McCoy figure that out," Uhura said decisively, not wanting to even imagine what had happened. "Let's get back to the ship. Meyers, help me with Spock. Hendorff and Lir, carry Kirk." They nodded and moved into position. Less than a minute later, they were back on the Enterprise and facing a horrified Doctor Leonard McCoy.