Bonded (Star Trek: TOS story by W.I. Calendar)

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Bonded
Author(s):	W.I. Calendar
Date(s):	2003
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Bonded is a Kirk/Spock story by W.I. Calendar. It is a sequel to A Thin Flame.

It was published in the print zine T'hy'la #23.

Summary

"In the Mirror Universe, Spock responds to Kirk's treachery with a forced bonding."

Reactions and Reviews

"Bonded" is by a friend of mine, W.I. Calendar. I hope I am not going to prejudice people when I let you know it is her first published K/S story. I mainly read it because she is a friend, and I was curious. Frankly, I am amazed. This story is great, and W.I. Calendar is definitely a writer I am going to hope to read more from. I can whole heartedly recommend this story.

I don't want to give away the plot of "Bonded" because part of the joy of this story is the twists and turns of it. It is a basically a Kirk as slave to Spock story, a story type I definitely enjoy. And these are the mirror universe Kirk and Spock. I like my K/S less romantic and sweet, so I prefer mirror type stories. Calendar makes this story interesting and original, despite using a plotline used in thousands of other stories.

One thing that makes this story distinctive are the details. At the beginning of the story, Spock's quarters smell of sex so he programs in "his favored fragrance, that of the desert which surrounded his home on Vulcan." Throughout the story specific details and various adjectives bring the story alive.

This is not plotted from A through Z in order so at times I was momentarily confused. This is not a criticism, but a comment that the story demands your attention to understand it. It is a complex story with various bit other players in it, both original ones and regular ones from the series—the mirror universe episode, that is. Sulu, Chekov, and McCoy are the main ML) cast ones. I really have no complaints about this story except to say that I was sorry when it ended. It might have been nicer to have had a few more pages to read.

There isn't a lot of prolonged sexual detail in this story, which suits me just fine. I definitely prefer a story with more plot and characterization over one where the emphasis is really on the sexual aspect and who does what to whom and how many times.

Since I don't read a lot of K/S any more (in the past I used to read every zine story ever done), I can't honestly compare it to the rest of the K/S fiction in 2003. But from what I did read, I'll say this is definitely one of my favorite stories of 2003.

“Bonded” is a sequel to the classic zine story, “A Thin Flame”, by Cynthia Drake, which was published in the out of print K/S zine “Golden Oldies and New Delights“. In that story, our Spock is transferred to the ISS Enterprise by the Mirror Kirk, (and his counterpart is sent to our universe), beaten, raped, and then forcibly bonded to that Kirk. Once the Mirror Kirk succeeds in bonding himself and our Spock, he sends Spock back, and the rest of the story deals with the aftermath in our universe.

The theory in “A Thin Flame” is that a bond between Kirk and Spock in any universe will transfer, so that by bonding himself to our Spock, Mirror Kirk is ensuring he’s also bonding himself to his Spock, which is the reason for his actions. When Spock returns to our universe he finds himself also bonded to our Kirk. There’s some great hurt/comfort in “A Thin Flame”, and I really like it, despite the rather weak Spock portrayal that Cynthia was known for.

“Bonded” continues the story in the Mirror universe. There‘s no preface to explain what happened in “A Thin Flame“, but I think there‘s enough information in “Bonded” so readers can follow the story without having to read “A Thin Flame“ first.

When Mirror Spock returns to the ISS Enterprise, he immediately discovers what Kirk has done through a mind meld, and informs him that there are three levels of Vulcan bonds. Mirror Kirk had initiated a mating bond with our Spock, which is the lightest bond, and the deepest is the third level warrior bond, the T‘hy‘la‘ren. There is also a second level bond, which Spock forces on Kirk. It’s an unequal bond and Spock is able to control Kirk with it since Kirk is the equivalent of Spock‘s sexual slave with this type of bond, and is even forced to wear a slave collar. (I thought the three levels of bonds was an interesting idea, and used effectively in the story.)

Spock has pulled some strings and gotten the Enterprise sent to Vulcan for a refit in Vulcan space dock. They are almost to Vulcan when Kirk collapses on the Enterprise and undergoes surgery on Vulcan. We learn that Spock is the Lord of Shi Kahr, and owns many slaves, and he brings Kirk to his estate to recuperate. The rest of the story is about Spock trying to tame Kirk, and win him for his t‘hy‘la, all while aiding in the rebellion against the Empire. “Bonded” is really too violent and dark for my tastes, but those that aren’t so squeamish, and like slave Kirk stories with a very dominant, controlling and manipulative Lord Spock will probably enjoy it.