Hero Worship (Star Trek: TOS story by Bersakhi)
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| K/S Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Hero Worship |
| Author(s): | Bersakhi |
| Date(s): | 2003 |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | slash |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: The Original Series |
| External Links: | |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Hero Worship is a K/S story by Bersakhi.
"The Kiss" by Linda Wan for Hero Worship
It was published in the print zine Beyond Dreams #6.
Summary
"Kirk and Spockʼs courage in the face of the Platonianʼs humiliation of them seen from Alexanderʼs pov."
Reactions and Reviews
This little story really made an impression on me, I was actually choked by the time I had finished it, it was so moving. This LOC contains plot details so don’t read further if you don’t want to spoil it.... The episode spring board used and indeed the premise of forced sex which it invites has been used many, many times in K/S before, but I have never read a story from this particular POV. One of the things I particularly admire is how the writer wasn’t tempted to fill in all the little details which made the POV just that much more realistic. As the reader you don’t know if the act of intercourse forced by Parmen is Kirk and Spock’s first time or not, you don’t know if they have a long established relationship or had just taken the first steps down that path. But that of course is just right as Alexander wouldn’t know these things either. You have to imagine the tender scene that takes place in the bathtub, but somehow its all the more perfect for being unseen. With so much you don’t see and don’t know this story could have been very frustrating, but actually it was one of the few stories that didn’t leave me thinking, ‘if only there had been...’. Again a sign of good writing, I felt I got a real sense of Kirk’s compassion and Spock’s vulnerability without knowing a single inner thought of either character. Despite this, the characters of Kirk and Spock with all their strengths and weaknesses seemed to just shine through Alexander’s at time conflicted thoughts. The ending lines are just perfect too I won’t quote them, but if you haven’t read this story yet I urge you to hurry and find out for yourselves, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! [1]
Gosh this made such an impression on me. It takes place inbw the events of Plato's Step Children. Through Alexander's eyes, we see Kirk's and Spock's heartbreak and healing after Parmen forces Kirk and Spock into a sexual situation. Because the story is told from a third party POV, we don't know for sure if this was a first sexual encounter btw Kirk and Spock or if they were established lovers. Regardless, it's devastating for them, more-so for Spock as he was forced to penetrate Kirk. What follows is a very tender and loving hurt/comfort scene from Kirk to Spock I won't soon forget. [2]
Plato's Stepchildren provides a perfect threshold for K/S, yet it is not often explored. Bersakhi has done a good job with it, really pouring on the squirm factor as Parmen and Philana put Kirk and Spock through paces not seen in the original version. Boy, would that have set the 1960's censors on their collective ears!The discomfort that the men feel when forced to perform with each other in front of a crowd of jeering onlookers is palpable to the reader—I actually found myself wishing it were over at one point.
All of this is told not in the usual third party form, but as if it were being narrated by Alexander. Alexander, who basks in Kirk's charm and unfettered acceptance of him and falls head over heels in love. He doesn't act on this love, however, or even long for it—he sees where Kirk's love is directed and senses the Vulcan returns it full measure. He is such a sympathetic and brave character, though he sees neither of these qualities in himself.
Bersakhi nicely and unobtrusively weaves Alexander's version of the story in with the aired episode, making a well rounded plot and a satisfying final act. I very much enjoyed the easy way that Kirk and Spock accepted what had happened and chose to move on with their lives without looking back. [3]
A short piece and unusual piece from the point of view of Alexander of Platonius after they have left the planet, on the relationship between Kirk and Spock from his perspective. Although I cannot say that Plato’s Stepchildren was one of my favourite episodes, it has certainly given rise to quite a few decent pieces of fiction, including this short but enjoyable one. Alexander gets a new perspective on things when he sees the Platonians’ cruelty in the light of the love and consideration he sees demonstrated by Kirk and Spock towards him and towards each other. In this version of events the cruelty of the Platonians is much worse than what we saw in the actual episode, especially when the Platonians discover and start exploiting their secret feelings for each other. The utter contempt which he feels for the Platonions’ actions is well portrayed as is his surprise when he realises that not everyone treats people like they do. His strong desire to escape and start a new life where people respect each other in spite of appearances etc is well told as are his feelings of hero worship towards both Kirk and Spock who have changed Alexander’s perceptions of the universe completely in such a short time. [4]
I debated whether to comment on this story or not, but since I've got a review for everything else in this zine, I couldn't just skip this. But, I'm sorry, I could not get into Hero Warship at all. First, I absolutely loathe the episode Plato's Stepchildren. Second, I do not like the character of Alexander—at all. Dwarf or not, I couldn't stand his personality. Third—K/S from an outsider's point of view is not really my thing. (Fourth—first person?) Sometimes it works, but with all those other things speaking against the story, I couldn't enjoy that either. Nothing wrong with the writing per se or the story idea, it just wasn't for me. [5]
What a wonderfully different little story told from such a unique point of view. Even though I hate the episode Plato’s Stepchildren, it has made for some excellent K/S stories such as this one. I loved Alexander’s observations on the relationship between Kirk and Spock, which perfectly conveyed the love between the two men. [6]