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“It should be an easy choice, Captain! Your whole crew, or one just measly crew member?” The man laughed, jamming the phaser gun a little harder into Spock’s side. “This one isn’t even human. Just say the word, and we’ll kill him and get out of here.”
Though the situation appeared dire, Spock did not doubt in Jim’s ability to fix the situation they have gotten themselves into. The captain appeared deep in thought, but Spock had seen him through enough situations to know that though James Kirk liked to have fun, he was the most dedicated captain in all of Starfleet. A small, desperately sad smile crossed Jim’s face, and then he nodded once.
“Make it quick, please.” Jim commanded, and the pirate captain jeered, and Spock felt an icy clarity, freezing him in place. He was going to die here, now- He was going to die. “I’m sorry, Spock.” He whispered, turning to face away as the pirate raised the gun to Spock’s head. “You weren’t supposed to die first.” And the sound of a finger on a trigger was the last thing Spock heard.
–
Spock had not anticipated an afterlife, but his eyes blinked open, and there was a phaser pressed against his stomach, and his captain was looking at him, nearly on the verge of tears. Spock suddenly turned and managed to wrestle the phaser gun away from the pirate captain, effectively reversing their positions. The other pirates lifted their weapons, but did not dare shoot at their captain. Spock backed up towards Kirk who looked blatantly shocked, and extrapolated a few things. That he was in a time loop, that Kirk was in a time loop, and that he had been for quite some time before Spock got stuck in it with him.
“Time loop?” Spock asked him, just to make sure. Kirk nodded, speechless. “You let him shoot me.” Spock’s voice was icy to his own ears, but the sense of betrayal was fresh. “I trusted you and you let him shoot me.”
“Spock-” Jim tried, but he shut up after a frigid glare from his first officer. He remained near silent as Spock ordered the pirates to leave their ship or he’d kill their captain, a crude reversal of the situation he’d just experienced himself. Luckily, it appeared that this crew had more affection for their captain than Kirk did for him, and they scurried off easily enough, warping away the moment their captain was back on board. Then, Spock stalked off to his quarters, leaving the aftermath of the situation in Jim’s capable hands.