Fic: "Crossfire"

[mijan]

Title: "Crossfire"
Author: mijan
Artist: vengefuldemon69
Fanmixer: ryuutchi
Betas: vixys , gone_ashore , and mga1999
Test Reader: shinychimera
Series: ST: XI
Character/Pairing(s): Kirk & McCoy, Pike, Scotty
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 140,000
Warnings: I beat the fucking shit out of Jim Kirk, and give you all the goddamned details. I also cuss a little bit.
Disclaimer: Gene Roddenberry is God, Paramount Pictures is Pope, and this is the blasphemy of a wayward faithful. My geeky spirit is rich, but my purse is empty.

Author’s Notes: This story is part of the Academy-era story arc, which includes ”Convergence” and “And All the King’s Men.” “Crossfire” is a direct sequel. Several things in this story will not make sense unless you’ve read AAtKM first.  If you haven't read the other stories, before you start digging into this monster of a fic, only to find yourself asking, "What the fuck is he talking about?" please read at least AAtKM.  Better if you read both.

Please also note that with AAtKM, "Crossfire" is the second in a three-part Academy story arc.  AAtKM was the first part of the Academy trilogy.  The final part of the trilogy will be posted sometime next year.

This was written for the startrekbigbang  challenge.  Therefore, I was teamed up with a fanartist and fanmixer who created art and a soundtrack, respectively, for this story.  Please check out their work at the links below!

Summary: Jim Kirk and Leonard McCoy are on top of the world at the academy until it all comes crashing down around them. Trapped in their own mystery of politics, sabotage, and possible murder, it quickly becomes impossible to know who to trust. Worse, Jim might still be a target. With a dangerous criminal on the loose and Academy leadership not doing enough, Jim and Bones have to get their lives back together and find out what happened... before it happens again.


The Fic

The Art | The Mix


Direct Chapter Links:
One        Two        Three        Four          Five       Six         Seven         Eight        Nine     Ten
Eleven   Twelve   Thirteen    Fourteen   Fifteen  Sixteen  Seventeen  Eighteen  Nineteen

Comments

[anruiukimi.livejournal.com]

Yep, definitely thrashed. I wish I had your concentration skills, I'm half-convinced there's some undiagnosed ADD in me somewhere. ^^; I will say on behalf on all your readers that we are thrilled that you finished it. :D

I had actually JUST finished reading when you replied to this, but I decided to shower first before I commented, so my thoughts are coming forthwith. :)

As for coffee? Don't drink the stuff. :P I actually am on a caffeinated drinks extended break to help me lose the almost 12lbs I put on over summer. ^^;

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I never used to be able to write so fast. The more I practice, though, the better I get. Plus, I was immobile some of the time, post-surgery, so it gave me plenty of time to edit and finish. But yeah, I work full time and usually have a life, so it's kinda crazy that I managed to finish this in just a few months. I'm... kinda proud, really. :D

Showers are good. I look forward to seeing your thoughts! :D

Awww, I love coffee. That's one of my own tiny character quirks I imposed on McCoy, although he drinks more of it than I do in the fic.

Wow, congrats on the weight loss endeavor! Here's to your continued good health!

[anruiukimi.livejournal.com]

I've actually been dictating my fic the last few weeks...helps me get it out of my head sometimes. Then I caught a cold and got derailed for a bit. ^^; Yeah, I work full-time too, but you definitely have more of a life than I. I don't have any excuse. :P

I love the smell of coffee, but the taste does nothing for me. I can drink it, but yeah, not my thing. :P I do the same thing with quirks of mine in Western Skies, (Jim making casseroles and thinking John Denver was boring as a kid are two I can think of offhand,) and it was easy for me area-wise as I actually live on the outskirts of the Mojave Desert when I'm not in Japan. :)

I'm already rather overweight, but this summer was just a hot humid mess, and I basically sat around munching the whole time. 5'3" and 192lbs is not generally a good number to be (my triglycerides are through the roof too, waaay too much carb intake.) Down to 180 at the moment, hoping to get rid of at least another 20lbs in the next 3 months or so. :) Thanks!

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Oooh, there's more Western Skies coming? Any estimate on how long until we get the next installment? *grins*

I like to think I have a life. I used to, anyway. Lots of activities, always out and about. I haven't much lately, between illness and surgery. I'm possibly going to have surgery again before the end of the year, so... I guess I'll be writing a lot of fic? :p

I've always wanted to see the desert. I grew up in the forests of New Hampshire, so I had a very different landscape. You've lived in some places that I would consider quite exotic. Paint me jealous - I want to explore!

Eeep... losing weight is not easy, but if you stick to your guns, you can do it. I had to do it once, and I've worked hard to keep it off. It's frustrating right now because I can't exercise the way I want to due to health issues (I'm going to TRY to go back to the gym tonight for the first time since September), but I applaud you for your efforts! Good luck!

[anruiukimi.livejournal.com]

::groan:: I was going to try and finish it up as my NaNo excuse, but we'll have to see. I wasn't planning on getting a cold. :P

Oh no, another surgery? :( I hope you don't have to deal with them for much longer. Definitely a cramp in the social calendar. ;)

Desert! I grew up in the not-so-exotic suburbs of Moreno Valley, but those suburbs are on the edge of the desert, so I can skedaddle to points all dusty and arid whenever. Where I live now in Japan is probably closer to the climate you have in NH...all trees and fog and shtuff. I enjoy it, but I look forward to going back to my 10% humidity all the time MoVal next year, ;) Feel free to come visit me anytime when I get back, I'll show you around. :D Heck, visit me here in Japan before I go, and I'll show you around too. :)

I hate exercising. It's a known fact, sadly enough. (I hate walking. My feet get sore super easy and I have "weak" ankles.) I like biking, but the weather has been mostly rainyrainyrainy....then the week it finally got decent, I got sick and turned into a lump. I've been mostly WiiFit-ing to at least get out of my computer chair for 30min or so every day. :P Good luck on your gym adventures! :D

...now to reply to the other message... ::wanders off::

<3

[mijan.livejournal.com]

If you could finish (or even write more) of Western Skies as part of NaNo, that would be awesome.

Yeah, POSSIBLY another surgery. Totally unrelated to the first one, actually. This one is from an old knee injury (Army injury). I got it scoped in 2006, but it never healed right, and keeps getting worse. My physical therapist found out that my right knee is partially unstable, the patella isn't tracking right, I've got damage to the articular cartilage, and my right ankle is COMPLETELY unstable. Based on his analysis, it'll probably need surgery, or it will continue to get worse. But we're working on physical therapy for now, and I'll meet with the surgeon in a few weeks. We'll see.

Well, you grew up on the outskirts of the desert. I've never even SEEN the desert. I've seen the open plains, the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific northwest, the California coast, the entire Eastern seaboard, the Great Lakes, the Canadian Maritimes, London, the English and Welsh countrysides, Germany, and Italy. I'm someone who likes to see everything, experience everything. I want to go camping out in the desert someday. And I also have ALWAYS wanted to see Japan, but I doubt I could afford the air fare. It's expensive. I have another friend in Japan that I'd really like to go see. Maybe I'll get there. I hope so.

I love exercising. I was a distance runner, competitive weight lifter, and intercollegiate athlete (on top of my military stuff). Unfortunately, I've had enough health issues in the past couple of months to put a damper on that. It's sad, because I was trying to start training for a half marathon again before it started getting bad. And with the joint problems (not just the knee), the inflammation around my heart and ribcage, and so on, it's been hard to get back after the first surgery. I didn't get there tonight (dizziness and chest pain tonight), but I'm going to try tomorrow. I'm determined to not let this beat me.

Anyway, stick around, yes? :D

[anruiukimi.livejournal.com]

I will do my best! <3

Yikes, now I feel bad about bitching about walking. :( I hope that physical therapy can do it, but if you need the surgery, sounds like you should go for it. It sounds really painful.

You've been all sorts of awesome places ::is jealous:: but yes, come visit when I get back to the states, we'll go camp out in the desert. :D Probably want to wait until Fall/Winter, though. Melting is never fun. ;) As for tickets to Japan, off-season from most places will average you $800-1000 roundtrip. Definitely not cheap, but not too insane either. Japan is expensive though (especially right now, with the exchange rate.)

I wanted to be a gymnast when I was younger, but that just sort of faded as I got older. I'm still decently flexible, though. Weight-lifting, huh? You'd fit right in at one of my HS's I teach at. They specialize in their weight-lifting program, and these kids are hardcore.
Inflammation? That doesn't sound good; is it something else you are receiving treatment for?

Not going anywhere, I just had to reply to our other conversation. ;)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Well, I had many good years of running. This auto-immune connective tissue disease has kinda come out of nowhere. Don't feel bad - we all have to play the cards we've been dealt. If surgery is what it will take to fix it, instead of letting it get worse until I need a knee replacement, then I'll do it. My knee doesn't bend right, it's stiff, it creaks and grinds, and sometimes it gives out. If surgery fixes it, then I can deal with the recovery period if that's what it would take.

I've seen some amazing things. I took a three-week solo road trip across the country, stopping everywhere, talking to people, seeing everything, experiencing everything. Just packed a bag, got in my car, and took off. I believe that everyone should do that. I've got a good life, but the key is that you make your own luck in life. ;)

I'd love to go camping with you out in the desert. Tell me when. It's fall/winter now. When are you coming back? Thinking next year?

With medical bills, I don't know if I can justify the expensive of a trip to Japan. I'd love to, but it might have to wait.

I like tumbling and stuff with gymnastics, but I liked competition and activity of any sort. I competed in bench press for a while. I set my state record in my weight class at one point. I'm 5'1, weighed 137 lbs. at the time of the competition, and at my best, I could press 215. And I was still training as a runner at the time, so not *just* weight lifting. And no, no steroids. No supplements. All natural. :D

And yes, inflammation. I'm on treatment for it, don't worry. It just takes time. A lot of ibuprofen, some aspirin, but also plaquenil to treat the auto-immune stuff systemically, plus other stuff for the low blood pressure. What's sad is that a year ago, I was perfectly healthy with no problems other than migraines.

We're really turning this into quite the ongoing chat, aren't we? Do you have g-mail, by any chance?

I'm faisons (at) gmail (dot) com, and I chat on there. :D

[anruiukimi.livejournal.com]

I don't know if chat will work while I'm at work (firewall, blocks AIM and Skype) but my work-accessible email is moogle0002 at aol.com. My regular one is anruiukimi at rocproductions.org, but it's blocked at work. XD; It's the one I signed up to Google with, though, so it might work. :)

I'll be moving back to the states in late July/early Aug of 2011, where my goal is to get a decent job asap, be a freeloader long enough to pay off at least one of the credit cards (I luff my parents,) and get my Japan pension refund. :P

As for the weightlifting, wowzers. :D That's amazing.

...and yes, email sounds good. XD