Comes the Rain

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Comes the Rain
Author(s):	Sharon St. James
Date(s):	1990
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Comes the Rain is a Kirk/Spock story by Sharon St. James.

It was published in the print zine Way of the Warrior #3.

Summary

"A look at the K/S relationship from the viewpoint of an alien, Kirk and Spock are sold into slavery when, trying to see the ruler of a planet the UFP wants to contact, they are considered trouble makers and bought by one of the nobility who desires Kirk- and uses Spock as guarantee of Kirkʼs compliance."

Reactions and Reviews

1990

This is a wonderful, emotion packed story. It is told from a third person's point of view. Through Austene's eyes we come to see Kirk and Spock's deep commitment and affection for one another. We see also that no hardship endured can shake their faith in one another. Austene himself is no two-dimensional figure. He is portrayed as a man of depth, of feelings, conscience. Despite his desire for Kirk, there is an inherent gentleness in the man that prevents 'him from falling into the trap a man with power might so easily abuse. And because of this in the end one feels admiration and compassion for him. The writer has a wonderful way of presenting a story, very plausible, very satisfying. Visual images just leap out at one. It is always hard to explain why one story will touch an emotional chord and another won't. This story definitely Touched.

This is a harrowing yet tender story of Kirk and Spock, captive in a more primitive, alien culture. What was effective is that the captor isn't the usual cardboard lusting enslaver who violently abuses our heroes. Instead, he is a man who cares in his own way. The tender way he makes the mistaken assumption that Kirk and Spock are lovers is truly compelling; fortunately... I guess I shouldn't spoil the ending!

The rapport and love between Kirk and Spock was clearly shown through the perceptions of Austene, their captor/benefactor. I like Austene, a lot. I'm glad that he turned out to be an honorable man, who was instrumental in getting Kirk and Spock to acknowledge their love. However, I also felt that Austene should have simply taken the phaser and somehow figured out how to use it in the rescue attempt, rather than have Kirk agree to his use of it, in violation of the Prime Directive. Some reason should have been given to explain why the Enterprise hadn't been searching for their missing officers; what with Spock being the only Vulcan it would have been easy enough for the ship to locate him. And lastly, the fever and its connection with the rains was explained well, and the intense and deeply moving near-death scene was heart-wrenching.

1997

This is an unusual story. Nearly 70 pages, First Time K/S and yet not a K/S story as we are used to. The main character is Austene Vespan, a nobleman from an alien world. The reader takes part in his life. He just lost his lover and now meets two slaves, one of them an alien. The other reminds him of his dead lover and so he buys both. As this is Austene's POV, we can't understand the two "aliens" (the translator is gone!), but we feel the love between them—from the first looks till the final declaration. We don't actually see much but the K/S feeling is ever present. This story is a gripping and touching adventure. Sometimes I couldn't fight the tears. Really an extraordinary K/S story—far away from the usual.

2009

This is the final story in the zine, and my particular favourite as well as being the longest. It held me enthralled from the first page to the last and has a terrific pace with some excellent characterisation as well.

It is told rather unusually not from the point of view of either Kirk or Spock at all but from the point of view of Austene, the man who lives on a planet where Kirk and Spock visit. The story starts as he is walking through the market, recovering from an illness which killed his lover Lathan during the winter. Although recovering physically, he is still heartbroken over losing Lathan and to cheer him up, an acquaintance suggests he accompanies him to the slave auction to see two new and very unusual slaves there, one of whom has green blood and pointed ears! Once he sees the two slaves, he is immediately attracted to one of them (who is quite obviously Kirk) because he reminds him of Lathan. Once he has seen Kirk he decides to buy him and his companion hoping that Kirk will replace his now dead lover, but he immediately realises that his two new slaves are not like normal slaves - they both have dignity and care strongly about each other. Although unable to speak the language Kirk in particular has no trouble indicating his displeasure in being so treated. As the story progresses we learn that why Kirk and Spock have come to this world. Unfortunately, almost as soon as they arrived they were arrested and their universal translaters confiscated. Unable to communicate, they soon found themselves, captured and sold into slavery. Of course, it does not take their new "owner" long to work out that the only way in which he can control Kirk is by threatening Spock who soon finds himself separated from Kirk who remains in Austene's quarters as he tries to persuade him that becoming his former lover's replacement is a good thing, something which Kirk of course, views with horror.

Quite apart from its excellent characterisation this particular story is also interesting in its portrayal of the world where Kirk and Spock find themselves, a primitive and technically backward world where slavery is considered normal and where all the inhabitants live in fear of the winter season when it is rainy and disease is rampant. The descriptions of the world, and the palatial home Austene lives in are very vivid, and really bring the whole story to life as you read it. The portrayal of Kirk in particular is very good, as he struggles to communicate with Austene and convince him that he is not Lathan's replacement while at the same time, trying to find a way to escape. His dignity and calm persistence are very well described as he tries to learn the local language so they can communicate and at the same time, remaining alert to any escape opportunities as he continually tries to convince his "owner" that although he could indeed, force him to become his lover, he cannot make him love him like the now dead Lathan did.

Austene is also well depicted as a man who is still grieving for his lost lover and desperately trying to convince himself as well as Kirk that he would make an excellent replacement. He is clearly not really a cruel man, he is just acting the way all his people would do, because he does not know any different. He is a bundle of contradictions as indicated by his initial treatment of Kirk and Spock. He does not want to chain them up on the journey home from the market, because he thinks this is undignified for them, but is quite prepared to drug them without any idea of how the drug will affect them, so they will be easier to handle if unconscious on the way to his plantation. However, as time goes by, he gradually comes to realise that Kirk is not going to fall in love with him however much he wants him to -especially when he realises that Kirk already has strong feelings for Spock. Of course, in the end, things cannot continue the same forever, and with the approach of the winter rains, things do change. Kirk does manage to escape and what happens after that is a surprising and emotionally tense conclusion to a very well written story.