A woman in love
Summary: What we didn't see in the movie: Kirk and Spock are on the Narada. Nyota's worried about Spock, Sulu's uncertain about his orders – and Sarek's on the bridge…
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. I just borrowed Spock, Uhura & Co.
Author's note: I wrote this story back in 2009. Recently, I was rewatching the Kelvin timeline movies, decided to pick up writing again and to revise my old Star Trek fanfictions. So, I replaced the original version with this one. But there are only a few little changes/adjustments... English isn't my first language. So (aside from possible typing errors) there might be grammar mistakes or clumsy/bumpy expressions.
After sending off Commander Spock and Acting Captain Kirk and very probably making her relationship to Spock public, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura returned to the bridge and her station. As promised, she began monitoring the frequencies they might be using to request help.
Lieutenant Sulu sat in the command chair and the bridge crew was anxiously waiting for any word of the Captain or the Commander.
Several minutes passed. Nyota checked and rechecked all channels. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Therefore she grew more worried every second. And she almost winced at the sudden opening of the turbo lift doors. Doctor McCoy and Ambassador Sarek entered the bridge.
"Ambassador", Sulu greeted and rose from the Captain's chair.
"I heard that the Acting Captain and my son transported to the enemy vessel."
"They did. But we haven't heard anything until now." Sulu turned to Uhura. "Right?"
"No transmissions", she confirmed and tried to banish her emotions from her voice.
"I see", the Ambassador replied.
"If you'd like to stay on the bridge…" Sulu offered.
Sarek just nodded and, to Uhura's surprise, stepped near the com station. Sulu sat down again in the big chair.
"I'm sure he's okay", was all that came into Nyota's mind. Sarek standing next to her made her nervous.
The Vulcan nodded and held her gaze. Slowly Nyota turned her head away and studied the frequencies again. Sarek remained at her side. She wasn't sure if he did so because of the possibility to hear instantly news about Spock… or because he knew about her relationship with his son. She didn't dare to ask him. After all, this was not the time or place for such conversations. On the other hand… She felt a slight nausea. She looked at the readouts on her monitors and almost hoped that staring long enough at them would bring a message from Spock... Or Kirk.
"Still nothing?" Sulu asked a few minutes later and startled her out of her thoughts.
Nyota just shook her head and Sarek's gaze wandered now to the main viewer. The Narada laid almost peacefully in space. A deceiving picture.
"I detect new energy readings", Chekov suddenly said. "From inside the Narada."
"Are they activating their warp drive?" Sulu asked.
Chekov looked confused and shook his head. "It is a warp signature, but it is not Romulan."
"There's a ship inside", Nyota concluded.
"It must be them", Sulu nodded. "At least I hope so… Still nothing on their frequencies?"
"No…"
"Damn…" Sulu rose. "Try to hail the Captain."
Nyota blinked. "The Romulans could detect them."
"Perhaps they already have", Chekov sighed.
She sighed too and reached out for one of the buttons in front of her. "Enterprise to Kirk."
No answer.
"Uhura to Kirk, do you read?" she tried again.
Still no answer.
"Uhura to Spock."
"To break the radio silence is unwise", the Commander's voice instantly replied.
Nyota almost jumped and the first shock of an immediate answer yield for a relieved smile. "Thank god", she whispered. "Are you okay, Spock?" she asked informally and didn't care what Sarek or the bride officers would think of it.
"Yes. The Captain and I separated. He is searching for Captain Pike. I have taken a ship, that was captured by Nero. It contains the red matter and the device for its use. I am about to fly it out and will disable the drill."
"Can you contact Captain Kirk? He didn't answer my call."
"There could be interferences… Or his communicator could have gotten lost."
McCoy muttered something sounding like "Typical".
"What now?" Sulu entered the conversation. He remembered Jim Kirk's orders and felt insecurity rising. Though asking this question he was afraid of the answer.
"Lieutenant Sulu, even when the drill is destroyed, the Narada will still be a danger for Earth. I have to lure Nero away."
"But…" Nyota began. She took a deep breath. She wanted to tell him that it was too dangerous and that he should get back to the Enterprise. But he was still her superior officer and she knew that his plan was the only way.
A few seconds of silence passed.
"Nyota…" Her first name gently echoed on the bridge and cut into the silence.
Everyone's gaze laid on her now. She closed her eyes for a moment. Adressing her on an open channel as Nyota wasn't a good sign.
"I am transmitting the coordinates to which I will lure the Narada. Hopefully Mr. Scott will be able to save both Captains in time."
"In time? What does that mean?"
"The Narada is far too heavy armed for the Enterprise or this little vessel. Or both together. Therefore I have chosen an uninhabited star system… I will plot in a collision course. Only the red matter can destroy Nero's ship."
"So we will simply have to beam you out before the collision", Nyota stated with a shaky voice.
"That will not be possible. Mr. Scott would have to beam three people from two different moving locations. There will be not enough time for an accurate transporter lock."
"He can at least try", Sulu threw in.
"Not enough time", Spock repeated. "Therefore it is highly unlikely that I –"
"No! Don't you dare to finish this sentence", Nyota cut in sharply and gathered astonished looks. "You'll make it."
She felt Sarek's gaze and met his eyes. To her surprise he almost… smiled. She didn't exactly know what to make of this reaction. He appeared to actually know about her relationship to Spock. And approved it? But she put those questions and thoughts away and lowered her gaze.
"Did you and Jim come to an agreement about that?" Spock's voice broke the static.
Nyota blinked. "What?... Why?"
"Never mind." Spock kind of sighed. "Nyota, listen carefully. You must save Jim Kirk and Captain Pike. They are the priority."
"Spock…"
"Two lives are more important than one."
Though he could not see her, she shook her head. "Pighead."
"Nyota…"
"Don't Nyota me!" she snapped very loudly. And she didn't even try to lower her voice again. "We will get you. All three of you... Understood?! All. Three. Of. You."
Silence.
"I am heading for the drill now. Spock out."
Nyota was tempted to call his name, but it was too late. He had ended the connection.
Sarek silently was still at her side.
She turned to the view screen and witnessed a little ship emerging the Narada and firing at the drill, separating it from the Romulan vessel.
"Yes!" Chekov called out.
Then the Narada began firing at the little ship.
"Shields up", Sulu commanded. "Bring us between the ships to..."
The little vessel piloted by Spock suddenly jumped into warp. The Narada followed.
"Chekov", Sulu just said.
"Following the ships", Chekov replied and the Enterprise also jumped into warp. "The next uninhabited system is ten minutes away."
"Uhura to transporter room. We are pursuing the Narada and another ship. The Captains Kirk and Pike are somewhere on the Narada, Commander Spock is aboard the other vessel. We'll drop out of warp in about ten minutes. You must lock on to the three of them as fast as possible."
"Uhm…" Scotty answered. "How much time do I have?"
"We don't know", Sulu replied.
"I need at least five minutes to properly lock –"
"You've got about two!" McCoy, who was walking to Uhura's station, cut in and reached for a button. The connection was terminated.
Sulu sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this..."
"I knew of Jim's talent for hopeless situations, but I didn't know how contagious he can be…" McCoy commented. "Or maybe that green-blooded hob–" Remembering Sarek's presence he didn't finish the word. "Maybe Spock is just as talented in that area as Jim…"
Sulu made an indefinable sound. His expression showed now his uncertainty quite clearly. He wasn't sure if he should go along with his orders or… stretch them… or even…
Nyota rose and approached him. "Scotty can do it. He brought Kirk and himself aboard the Enterprise. He can also do this."
Sulu slowly nodded. "You know, it's a pity that we left Earth without a Counselor… Right now, I could really need some advice. And I wished I didn't sit in this chair."
Lieutenant Nyota Uhura pondered a few moments, unsure if she should really say the words that formed in her mind and if she could cope with the repercussions.
"Then don't", she finally said in a soft voice.
Sulu blinked. He met her gaze and understood. She offered him to take over for she was next in command. He could see that she wasn't much more certain as he himself was. But there was a burning in her eyes. And Spock was the reason.
He rose and sat back at his station. Without hesitation Nyota took over the Captain's chair in the middle of the bridge.
McCoy rolled his eyes. "You gotta be kidding me. This is a starship and not a game of musical chairs…"
"If history tells one thing – don't mess with a Earth woman in love."
Everyone turned around in surprise and to make sure it really was Sarek who had said those words. That feeling in Nyota's stomach returned. She would have never expected to hear words like this from Sarek. From a Vulcan. And it scared her somehow that he placed this much confidence in her.
Sulu suddenly smiled. "Don't deny it."
Nyota unwillingly smiled back. "Fine. I won't. I'll just hope that none of you'll start a fight to prove me emotionally compromised."
McCoy grinned. "Yeah, well..." he barged in the conversation. „Sometimes emotions are exactly what's needed. And when even a Vulcan says so…"
Sarek made a step forward. "My wife taught me that female humans can occasionally be very logical and reasonable even when being emotionally affected."
McCoy looked to the Ambassador, then back to Uhura. "So… are you gonna kick Nero's ass or what?" he asked her.
"No", she answered. "We are gonna kick his ass and take our officers back. We'll teach him once and for all that you can't screw with Starfleet and get away with it."
"Okay, so, what's the plan?" McCoy asked.
Nyota just looked at him. "Bridge to transporter room."
"Scott here."
"We're about to drop out of warp. Are you prepared?"
"Yeah, I think so. But really, if it were not for that time traveling guy from Delta Vega, we would not have the slightest chance here."
"I know", Nyota said. The puzzle was incomplete, but all that mattered at the moment was that they had the opportunity to beam Pike, Kirk and Spock out of danger.
"Just for the record", Montgomery Scott added, "beaming three people from two different moving places… in such a short time… is not really possible."
"You have to", Nyota simply answered.
Silence. Sighing. "I can't promise anything… But I'll try everything."
"Bridge out", she replied quietly.
"Fifty seconds", Sulu informed.
Nyota took a deep breath and pressed her back in the chair.
"Uhm…" Chekov began. "What if…"
"Don't even think about that!" McCoy flashed. "We are talking about Jim Kirk. Not only stubbornness and bravery runs in that family – there's also damn luck and the talent to handle hopeless situations."
"Uhura to Scott. We're there."
"Acknowledged."
"Shields up", Nyota commanded. "And transfer shield control to the transporter room. Make the phasers ready. Fire at will when we drop out of warp. Take out their weapons."
"Aye… Coming out of warp in three…", Chekov announced, "… two… one…"
They all held her breaths when they saw the little ship with Spock aboard heading straight for the Narada - and the Narada firing at it. Spock didn't return the fire, he straightly pursued his collision course.
The Enterprise immediately opened the fire on the Narada.
"Enterprise to Kirk", Nyota tried.
No answer.
"Enterprise to Spock."
No answer.
"Transporter room?"
"Locking on to them…" Scotty informed. "I'll need a few more seconds for Spock..."
Nyota's heart beat faster seeing how the small ship was diminishing its distance to the big vessel. "Hurry…" she just whispered imploringly. She closed her eyes and gathered all of her strength. "Sickbay send some people to the transporter room. Sulu, lock the weapons on to them." She moved out of the chair and went to the turbo lift. "Doctor McCoy, you with me."
She saw that Sarek was tempted to follow her, but gave him a look that told him to stay on the bridge. So he did and proved once more trust in her saving Spock.
Nyota and the Doctor headed straight for the transporter room. The requested personal joined them in the corridor.
The moment they entered, they heard Scotty cheering about his successful beaming and – much more importantly – they were seeing Kirk, Pike and Spock, having just materialized.
"Are the shields up again?" Nyota asked automatically and welcomed Spock in her arms so that she didn't really see Scotty nodding.
McCoy took Pike immediately to the sickbay. When seeing Uhura and Spock hugging and kissing, Jim Kirk rolled his eyes and shook his head. He went by them heading to the next turbo lift.
"I'll be on the bridge then. Guess there's still some work to do. So if you don't mind joining me?"
Quickly Nyota and Spock headed after Jim Kirk.
"Update?" He asked when they stepped into the turbo lift. He held his side and made a grimace.
"Broken ribs?" Nyota asked back.
He just made a wincing sound.
"Well", she began, "Scotty got you all. Obviously. Shields are up. Weapons locked in for defense. But we are not shaken around, so they're apparently not firing at us."
"Yeah…"
"So", Nyota started, "for you are back, I return the command to you."
Kirk blinked. "I guess I've got a slight concussion, but… I do remember that I left Sulu in command?"
"You did."
Kirk blinked again. "Ah."
"Is Lieutenant Sulu alright?" Spock asked.
"Can I explain later?"
The lift stopped and the doors parted. They saw the Romulan vessel and its growing destruction on the main viewer.
"Keptin, the enemy ship is losing power. The shields are down, Sir", Chekov informed at once.
"Hail them." Kirk and Spock stepped in front of the main viewer.
Nyota sat down at her station and opened a channel.
The Narada rejected the Enterprise's help. So the Starfleet ship fired phasers and torpedos to make sure that the Romulans would neither end up in another time again nor be threat to anyone. The black hole devoured the enemy ship and tried to capture the Enterprise as well. The ceiling and walls of the bridge started to crack open.
Nyota suppressed a scream and suddenly felt a hand over her own on the consol. She turned her head and saw Sarek. He was radiating complete calmness and confidence.
Scotty ejected the warp core on Kirk's command and the wave of the explosion threw the Enterprise out of the anomaly's horizon.
Jim Kirk smiled.
Nyota rose and was about to walk over to Spock when…
"Thank you for saving my son", Sarek whispered in Vulcan. Barely audible he added a few words.
Nyota froze for a moment. Had he just called her 'daughter' and welcomed her to the family?