Guardian
Kelvin didn't sleep. And she never would.
The ship designated by her masters as NCC-0514 didn't resent this fate. She embraced it, just as with her original fate of being regulated to the empty space (technically formerly empty space right now) between Federation and klingon territory. Her occupants hadn't forgotten their duty and neither would she. She would fly under the Federation and if her pilots deemed it necessary, she would die for it.
A possibility that, until recently, didn't seem that likely.
She barely noticed the black hole at first, so intent was she on the wellbeing of her crew, nor did she pay that much heed to the monstrosity of a vessel emerging from it. This wasn't a ship that had been crafted with love and care like she had, rather it had begun as something...different to what it was now and then corrupted to whatever the hell its purpose had become. A purpose that, as Kelvin soon discovered, involved a desire to send her and her passengers to the same hell that it had emerged from.
Kelvin's occupants were scared and she could understand that. They were living beings and unlike her, it was a certainty rather than a possibility that they would depart from this universe. Still, she had to admit, she was scared as well. For despite the best efforts of her and her crew, nothing could damage the ship that had emerged from the gateway to the abyss and nothing could mitigate the damage it was inflicting on them. Damage that began soon after a brief respite granted by her captain agreeing to speak with the commander of the enemy vessel.
And now, like her occupants, death had become inevitable. Those staying with her were going to die, staying with the new captain who was going to get Kelvin killed in order to save more than 800 lives. A fair trade in her estimates and one that she has no intention of seeing go to waste. Her captain is resigned to go down with the ship and in turn, she is willing to embrace the coming inferno with him. Her only regret is that she couldn't do the job herself. The autopilot destroyed, all she can do is act as the shield while her captain drives his last remaining sword forward at the demon in front of them.
There would be no happiness in these final moments. But Kelvin could tell that there was love. And while not directed at her, she was happy to safeguard it. Besides, she was just a ship. Her (former) occupants needed it more than she did. And giving her life to defend such feelings, Kelvin found she suddenly didn't need anything anymore.
She'd done her duty.
