REDEMPTION
They could both hear the cracking of the poor link to the Enterprise. Looking about them they observed young Ensign Kifor lying unconscious at the controls, blood was coming from his month and his face was bruised. Nyota, faced Spoke and indicated she would attempt to treat his wounds. Going to the back of the shuttle she secured the med-kit and placed her
tri-corder over the young man's chest. The life signs were just barely audible. For a few seconds she could hear the faint whishing sound of a beating heart and then nothing. She looked up at Spoke and he turned his head away from her tear-brimmed eyes.
The crash had happened so suddenly-it was as if a freak lightening storm had trapped the vehicle in its mighty grip-taking it in its wake and causing the loss of control. This mission was to be an ordinary one, a sample securing adventure as it were. This moon, with its own weather system and a breathable atmosphere was an unusual find and after the landing, a few beacons would be placed, soil examined and rock specimens collected. What could be simpler than that? While on the Enterprise it was noted that wind-shear problems might be encountered, but they should be minimal because they always had thruster power to maneuver the craft.
In theory that was right, in reality, it was not. The small craft met with unrelenting forces that kept slamming it against the moon's rocky face. Lightening was flashing around them that made communication impossible.
And then, the unthinkable happened. The craft was hurled onto a precipice, the front of the craft collapsed and the console came crashing onto Kifor's face and chest. There was no doubt in Nyota's mind that the blood she saw coming from the ensign's mouth was indicative of his wounds and the cause of his death-a crushed chest cavity.
Spock communicated to her, "I must get to higher ground, perhaps I can make it to somewhere that is away from the center of this storm. Hand me the emergency kit."
She handed him two. He looked at her face, determined and fearless, but imploring, the silent message was, 'I do not want you to go alone. If we are to die, we will die together.' Spock nodded and lifted her out of the craft.
The wind was howling about them, fiercely battering them from their rear-it was not cold-just powerful. Spock motioned her to walk slightly ahead of him, bodies barely touching so as to allow his strength to act as a buffer for her body. She really wanted to hold his hand, to feel him and his thoughts but she could see the wisdom of his request. He was continuing his attempts to contact the Enterprise and she was able to discern through the howling about them that the transmissions were getting a bit clearer.
Kirk's voice was finally heard, "Spock what's going on?" With measured voice he stated their condition and told of the loss of their pilot. "We'll beam you two up first and then retrieve Kifor. Spock was about to say, 'Affirmative, Spock out,' when a bolder came crashing down and rolled past them sending Nyota down grasping for a grip on the rock face. She was hanging above a deep chasm. He could see her face, her eyes, beseeching him, so like his mother's. One of her hands clung to a jutting rock and he could see it slipping.
For the second time in his life he reached out to save a woman he loved,. In the first instance, his love reached her, but his grasp fell short. Now, with this woman, whom he loved, yes loved with his entire being, it would not happen. Spock grabbed Nyota's hand and as if she was weightless, he brought her up to his embrace as the beam caught them.