I'd like to thank kes7, and her free write challenge, 'Kill Your Darlings,' for inspiring this. While I wasn't able to do it for the free write - at least not in the way the prompt intended - it planted the kernel in my mind that led to this piece.

Beta: This piece is largely unbeta'ed (didn't want to subject any of my regulars to this), but Mackenzie Calhoun did read the first few pages for me to make sure the events of the episode on which it is based were adequately explained, and the last few to help me decide whether or not to include the epilogue. I'm still not sure I made the right decision. If anyone cares to weigh in, and don't want to do it in a review that might be spoilerific, feel free to PM me.

If you're unfamiliar with the TOS episode 'Errand of Mercy,' it might be helpful to read the synopsis at Memory Alpha - to be found here: en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Errand_of_Mercy_(episode)