Burnham smacked her elbow against the Klingon eye making him let go of her figure. She snatched his bat'leth then delivered a fatal blow by marking a long, wide cut below the neck. Burnham darted after Georgiou. She saw the bat'leth being held by the tall, dark figure with forehead ridges. She lost her parents to Klingons. She will not lose her captain. She wasn't going to lose someone she loved, dearly. Burnham jabbed the bat'leth into the Klingon's side poking through the armor and metal. T'Kuvma tossed the captain away from himself then took out the bat'leth barely flinching or yelping. Burnham ham fisted her fingers together knocking it against the Klingon's abdomen knocking him down with a single blow. A unexpected but quick thinking move. Burnham flipped out a pair of stasis cuffs coming over to the Klingon's side. Georgiou came over then flipped out the communicator.
"Georgiou to Shenzhou, three to transport." Georgiou said.
The bloody bat'leth was laid beside the Klingon.
Burnham's hands were on the stasis cuffs as T'Kuvma swore in Klingonese, words that the woman was familiar towards, and not all of them were pretty. She felt her body being moved from the center of the Klingon vessel. Felt like her body was in two places at the same time. Her scenery slowly changed before her eyes. In a few seconds, Burnham was back on the intact transporter room where Saru stood with Landry and four security officers awaited them. Burnham looked up toward the captain. Her career as a star fleet officer was effectively over. She stepped aside allowing Landry and the officers to take her place. She watched the security officers take the restrained Klingon off the transporter padd.
"Evacuate with the prisoner," Georgiou said. "Saru, inform the remaining crew to evacuate."
"Yes, captain," Saru said, then he pressed on the transporter console and began to follow procedure.
The two remaining security officers remained while Landry escorted the Klingon prisoner out of the transporter room. The war, or more so, the battle had been short lived. It was over. Everything was over. Any chance of Burnham being in command was gone. Georgiou looked at the officer with heart break in her eyes. There was silence in the room. Georgiou wanted to reach out to assure that things were going to be all right. Her hands wanted to reach out toward her, yet she used restraint. The reserved, stoic look on her former number one's face easily read they were back on square one. Closed off. She couldn't tell how the human was feeling.
"Captain," Burnham said. "I believe you find a more suitable first officer in your next command." Burnham turned away taking the armor off her figure with a click. She placed her gear onto the counter.
"I believed saving you and the crew was more important than Starfleet's principles. Was it logical? Emotional? I don't know.." words that echoed back from what had been minutes ago. It was emotional. That is what Georgiou wanted to believed, and that is what she chose to believe.
"Escort Michael to a evacuation shuttle," Georgiou said. Georgiou watched the woman leave her sight for the last time escorted by two other security officers.
"Captain?" Saru said, looking up, noticing the longing stare at the doorway.
"The needs of the many outweigh the need of the one . . ." Georgiou said. She sighed, shaking her head. "This was never supposed to happen," She turned her attention toward the Kelpian. "Mr Saru, I expect to see you in the shuttle craft. I will be joining you shortly."
Saru nodded then turned off the comn after making the announcement.
Georgiou took the gear off then returned into her captain's uniform.
She made her way to the bridge passing by some of what remained of her crew from the corridor. The bridge was destroyed, and cackling. People were brushing past her. She made her way toward the ready room. Georgiou took the Chateau Picard bottle placing it into the make shift duffle bag. She retrieved her medal placing it back into the case putting it into the duffle bag as well. She took several of her prized beloved books. She picked up the Vulcan IDIC pendent that was left beside her desk on the floor. One piece of Burnham. Georgiou placed it into the duffle bag pocket then walked her way out of the ready room. She took one last glance at her ready room. She walked away toward the doorway. Georgiou could forgive Burnham but to the woman it wouldn't have been earned.
History would remember this day.
So would Georgiou; as the end of a promising career.
The next time Burnham would see Georgiou, it would be for a court martial.
The End.