Sacrificial Lamb (Star Trek: TOS story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Sacrificial Lamb
Author(s):	Patricia Laurie Stephens
Date(s):	1990
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Sacrificial Lamb is a K/S story by Patricia Laurie Stephens.

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

Summary

"A/U, a chilling portrait of Spock's family, Sarek is killed and circumstances implicate Spock who ends up being sent to a Rehab colony after being found guilty of killing his father."

Reactions and Reviews

1990

A very interesting, harrowing murder mystery, with a twist ending. Poor Spock goes through the wringer and then some! My only complaint is that Kirk is a bit insensitive at times. "On the other hand, maybe this makes him human rather than all-perfect. I'd like to see a sequel.

I think this is one of the most amazingly insightful K/S stories that I've ever been appalled to read. That's meant as a compliment! What was horrible was that it was so very believable, all of it. How well she did Spock, caught in the trap of those who have been once diagnosed as mentally ill - knowing what was expected "normal" behavior, and always having to fit that standard to prove he was indeed "well" again. I have noticed that all of Ms. Stephens' stories zero right in on the psychology of the characters in a very perceptive and realistic way - her characterizations of psychotics are especially authentic. That too is a compliment!

1991

This was a chilling and disturbing story. At times. I felt as if I was reading about total strangers, without the comforting sense of character familiarity. It totally unsettled my sense of complacency with their accepted behaviors, particularly Sarek and Amanda, and that, perhaps, was its strongest appeal. I like the fact that Ms. Stephens often covers a different point of view. We ail know how everyone's supposed to act, and some times it's nice to see a greater range of emotional expression, no matter what the circumstances. Not that I agreed with everything in this story, but it certainly was food for thought...

2009

This is a very intriguing established relationship story, and starts with Spock incarcerated in the asylum for the criminally insane on Elba while Kirk, McCoy and his mother Amanda are desperately trying to find the evidence which will clear him of the crime for which he has been imprisoned - murdering his father Sarek. We then learn that prior to being arrested Spock and Kirk were lovers on the Enterprise and Spock went to Earth to tell Sarek about his new relationship with Kirk, in spite of the fact that Jim warned him not to go. Although this particular author's view of Sarek is very different from the one we are used to seeing, the portrayal is nonetheless, realistic and believable.

Sarek, typically, reacts very badly to Spock's declaration, and informs Spock that he intends to divorce Amanda because his relationship with a human has failed - he wants to be free to marry a Vulcan woman and have a full blooded Vulcan heir. He is also disinheriting and disowning Spock who he regards as flawed and not worthy to be his successor. This version of Sarek is very cold and not at all understanding of his son who he now regards with disgust, especially in the light of what he has just told him. Sarek coldly informs Spock that having a hybrid son is bad enough, but one who is in a same sex relationship is just too much to take! We are lead to believe that this is the motivation for Spock having some kind of mental breakdown and returning later the same day to this father's apartment and killing him, something which Kirk and McCoy simply cannot accept.

But even they begin to have doubts, when Spock escapes from a shuttle which is transporting him to a facility on earth killing three people in the process. In fact by the time the story reaches a conclusion even Spock has begun to doubt himself when he starts sleepwalking and leaving the apartment where he is hiding and cannot remember what he has been doing afterwards! In the end its down to Kirk and McCoy to find out who is behind what has been happening and unravel the mystery behind the death of Sarek once and for all.

This is a very well written story, with plenty of emotion and angst along the way as Kirk and McCoy struggle to find the evidence that Spock is not guilty after all - and there is a very unexpected twist at the end as well. The characters are well drawn, especially Spock who is struggling to understand what is happening to him and why. I also liked the way in which Kirk never gives up trying to prove his former lover is innocent while at the same time wondering in if his actions in the past were a contributory factor.