Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Anything Star Trek! I only own any original characters I create. First and foremost though, Star Trek is my inspiration and all credit goes to Gene Rodenberry and whoever else owns the franchise now. But really, thank God for Gene Rodenberry.
Chapter 2: It All Falls Apart
A commander was calling out names and ship assignments to the men in Jim Kirk's section. He listed off everyone, except for Jim. McCoy was already assigned to the Enterprise as one of the senior medical officers. He was certified as a civilian doctor when he came to the academy so he didn't have many course left and was thus assigned a higher place.
"He didn't call my name. Commander! Sir, you didn't call my name. Kirk, James T?" Jim told a short man in uniform.
"Kirk, you're on academic suspension. That means you're grounded, until the Academy Board rules," the man replied before walking away briskly to attend to more tasks.
"Jim, the board'll rule in your favor. Most likely. Look, Jim, I got to go," Bones said lightly.
"Yeah, get going. Be safe. Look out for Sammy too maybe?" Jim said distractedly.
McCoy turned and began walking away only to see Jim walk about in a circle and bump into an officer before standing still looking completely dejected. Bones couldn't watch his friend look off into the crowds with such a dour expression. he turned around, sighed, and grabbed Jim by the arm leading him towards the Medical Bay.
"Dammit. Come with me," Bones said.
"Bones, where are we going?" Jim asked.
"You'll see," he replied cryptically as they passed an angry looking Sam and a confused Pike.
Samantha Kirk had completed her degrees and training well before the required and expected time. She was top marks in all of her classes and had excellent relationships with her professors and peers. She was a model student. When Captain Pike asked her to join him on board the new ship the USS Enterprise she was flattered, overjoyed, and immediately compliant. She knew that Uhura had been assigned there as well due to the young cadet's astounding skills with language. Even McCoy had been assigned as one of the senior medical officers.
All of this lead to the absolute and utter surprise that Sam was displaying in the moment. Captain Pike had just informed her that there was a conflict with a fellow crew member aboard the Enterprise which would keep her from serving. For a moment Sam couldn't imagine who could possibly have difficulty serving with her as the Chief of Security. Then she realized who must have filed the quasi complaint.
"Spock," she said simply anger lacing her tone.
"He told me," Pike sighed. "You haven't told Jim I'm guessing?"
"After all that's happened I may never tell him, assuming I don't kill Spock for being so stupid first," Sam muttered darkly.
"He's worried he won't be able to perform his duties as first officer to the fullest if he can't separate his feelings for you from what's best for the crew," Pike told her.
"I'm going to be Chief of Security Captain. Spock will retract his complaint. I'll see you on board," she informed him.
Pike just smiled and watched her walk angrily away. He wondered for a moment how the other Kirk was taking the thought of being grounded. Christopher Pike was an excellent judge of character, but he couldn't believe how wrong he might have been about Jim Kirk. To think that the boy would go and cheat on the most widely known test in all of Starfleet and then try to talk his way out of it. Either Jim was a petulant ass or the most brilliant future ship Captain there ever was.
Sam saw Spock among the sea of people and approached him quickly. He posture was rigid and formal, so unlike how she greeted him usually. He instantly knew that she had been told by Captain Pike of his worries. Spock had no idea how to further address the issue and was slightly afraid of the fire burning in her eyes.
"I want you to let me die if for one second you think you can save other people. That's what I want. Problem solved, go tell Pike," she huffed out.
"I am assuming that you are referring to the grievance I filed against you in accordance with protocol dictating crew relationships. Officers in command positions are often burdened with difficult choices and our revelation of love has led me to believe that I will not be able to distinguish between my personal feelings and what is logically, and morally, sound," Spock explained.
"If I don't get on the ship because you can't handle our relationship then there might not be a relationship anymore," she replied defiantly.
"You do not mean that," Spock said with slight worry lacing his tone.
Sam sighed, "Of course not Spock. I love you, so much. But I know how to separate personal feelings and the needs of the crew. Please tell Pike you'll revoke your complaint. I need to be on the Enterprise," she pleaded.
He looked into her eyes for a moment before nodding slightly. He bent down and kissed her forehead in a very human gesture and turned away to find Pike. Sam left out an enormous sigh of relief. She had thought Spock was going to put up much more of a fight. She continued into the shuttle they had been standing near and strapped herself in, wondering how her brother was faring.
"What are you doing?" Jim asked as he and McCoy entered the Med Bay.
"I'm doing you a favor. I couldn't just leave you there looking all pathetic. Take a seat," Bones told Jim while he fiddled around with some of the medical supplies. "I'm going to give you a vaccine against viral infection from Melvaran mud fleas," he stabbed Jim in the neck with said hypospray.
"Oww! What for?" Jim asked.
"Give you the symptoms," Bones replied.
"What are you talking about?" Jim asked again pain now seeping into his voice.
"You're going to start to lose vision in your left eye," Bones informed him rearranging some equipment.
"Yeah, I already have," Jim said blinking and scowling in pain.
"Oh, and you're going to get a really bad headache and a flop sweat," the devious doctor told him.
"You call this a favor?" Jim gasped.
"Yeah, you owe me one," McCoy replied seriously.
McCoy dragged his drugged up friend to the shuttle they were meant to board. Jim had begun sweating and his face was contorted in pain, even showing signs of swelling already. They approached the door only to be stopped by the man checking people in.
"Kirk, James T. He's not cleared for duty aboard the Enterprise," the young man said.
" Medical Code states the treatment and transport of a patient to be determined at the discretion of his attending physician, which is me. So, I'm taking Mister Kirk aboard. Or would you like to explain to Captain Pike why the Enterprise warped into a crisis without one of its senior medical officers?" McCoy fibbed convincingly.
"As you were," the man said with a look of disgust shot Jim's way.
"As you were," Jim replied unstably.
"C'mon," McCoy said dragging Jim into the shuttle.
Once they sat down Jim crossed his arms and puckered his lips in agony. He was surely going into some state of shock from whatever Bones had given him. He, unfortunately, trusted Bones with his life and would continue to allow him to perform such medical tricks on him in the future. Bones had always been the one to fix him up after fights and keep him from getting worse. His own personal nurse, Sam would say.
"I might throw up on you," Jim told Bones sarcastically.
"Oh Jim, you got to look at this!" Bone said excitedly looking out of the shuttle window he was sat by. "Jim, look!"
"What?" Jim responded annoyed.
James Kirk was at a loss for words when he peered over his best friend's shoulder and out of the shuttle window. He saw space, and the Enterprise. The ship was beautiful and enormous. He only wanted to sit on the bridge for the rest of his life. Space was where James T. Kirk was meant to be. He continued looking with an awed expression. He wondered if his sister was already on board checking security and acclimating to her new position. Hopefully she would overlook him being a stow away and allow him to remain on board the beauty that lay before him.
Sam Kirk was too busy organizing her security teams to pay attention to the awed gasps of the crewmen on her shuttle. She was sure that seeing the Enterprise from space was a sight to behold but, she didn't have time at the moment. With Spock as second in command everyone would be evaluated critically. She had to make sure that her performance was perfect since their relationship was beyond professional. She would not let him find any flaws in her work.
Once she arrived on the Enterprise she headed straight for her office. Sam laid her few bags down by her standard issue desk and sat down to continue working. She heard the announcement detailing their mission but paid no mind as she had already been briefed on it. As she finished arranging protocols, teams, and emergency plans her office door chimed. Spock entered slowly and looked around at her still bare office. He knew she would waste no time setting up when she could be working. She always had to be the best and prove she was worth something more.
"The Captain requests your presence on the bridge for our initial launch. I believe he wishes you to view us taking off. He is quite unsuccessful in his attempts to hide his favoritism towards you," Spock told her.
"Well you make up for it sweetie," she said sarcastically patting him on the cheek and walking out of the office.
They walked to the bridge in a comfortable silence. Both senior Enterprise officers knew they had a lot of work set out before them. There were many new recruits that needed training and guidance. The Enterprise hadn't even had a launch ceremony. Sam could also sense the tenseness in her Vulcan lover at the thought of his planet, and his parents, being in danger. As she turned to peer at his face in an attempt to decipher his highly developed mask she caught a glimpse of blonde hair and a southern accent chasing after it.
Sam and Spock stepped onto the bridge and approached Captain Pike who sat in the Captain's chair. He was looking excited at the prospect of launching his newly commissioned ship. He looked to Spock and Sam with a proud smile. He was so glad these two were part of his senior staff. They were loyal, brilliant, and completely in love. Pike could see that now.
"So you two ready to watch her take off?" the Captain asked.
"Regulation states that I must be seated at my station for launch," Spock commented.
"Of course Spock, go take a seat and check in with Olson," he instructed. "Are you ready for this?" he added to Sam.
"As ready as I'll ever be. Just wish Jim could be here to see it, too bad he's an ass," she replied dryly.
"He'll learn someday I think. I believe in him Sam, you should try to as well," he told her. "Mister Spock," he called.
"Captain. Engineering reports ready for launch," Spock informed him.
"Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, the maiden voyage of our newest flagship deserves more pomp and circumstance than we can afford today. A christening will just have to be our reward for a safe return. Carry on," he said to the bridge crew.
"All decks, this is Captain Pike, prepare for immediate departure," he spoke into the ship wide communicator. "Helm, thrusters."
"Moorings retracted, Captain. Dock control reports ready. Thrusters, fired. Separating from Spacedock," the helmsmen said. "The fleet's cleared Spacedock, Captain. All ships ready for warp."
"Set course for Vulcan," Pike ordered.
"Aye aye, Captain. Course laid in," the same helmsmen replied.
"Maximum warp. Punch it," Pike said.
The young helmsmen, who happened to be a replacement, attempted to take the ship to warp. The ship made a groaning noise and stayed where it was. Spock lifted an eyebrow while the rest of the bridge stared the poor man down with judging eyes. Sam just giggled a bit, loving the controversy.
"Lieutenant, where's Helmsman McKenna?" Pike questioned.
"He has lungworm, sir. He couldn't report to his post," the helmsmen responded. "I'm Hikaru Sulu."
"And you are a pilot, right?" the Captain asked skeptically.
"Uh, very much so, sir. I'm, uh, not sure what's wrong," Sulu blushed pressing buttons frantically.
"Is the parking break on?" Pike joked.
"Uh, no. I'll figure it out, I'm just, uh..." he muttered.
"Have you disengaged the external inertial dampener?" Spock suggested.
"Ready for warp, sir," Sulu said after pressing the correct buttons to prepared the ship.
"Let's punch it," Pike ordered again.
Watching the ship go into warp was a magnificent sight. Sam had always been morbidly fascinated by space and anything to do with warp travel. She had excelled in her engineering course to the point where some of the instructors had begged her to switch her major. She wanted to be a security officer though. She wanted to rescue people and keep them safe. She was a protector at heart. She had always defended Jim growing up. He would get in fights with bullies all the time. Sam would always be there to back him up or call for help.
"Engines at maximum warp, Captain," Sulu informed.
"Russian whiz kid, what's your name? Chenko, Chirpoff?" Pike asked.
"Ensign Chekov, Pavel Andreievich, sir," he relplied.
"Fine, Chekov, Pavel Andreievich, begin shipwide mission broadcast," Pike ordered.
"Yes, sir, happy to," the young man replied.
"Ensign authorization code nine-five-wictor-wictor-two," he tried.
"Authorization Not Recognized," the computer stated.
"Ensign authorization code nine-five-vwictor-vwictor-two," he tried again.
"Access Granted," the computer allowed.
"May I have your attention, please. At twenty-two hundred hours, telemetry detected at an anomaly in the neutral zone. What appeared to be a lightning storm in space. Soon after, Starfleet received a distress signal from Wulcan High Command that their planet was experiencing seismic actiwity. Our mission is to assess the condition of Wulcan, and to assist in the ewacuations if necessary. We should be arriving at Wulcan within three minutes. Thank you for your time," Chekov informed the crew through the ship wide communicator.
During the announcement Jim had woken up from a synthesized sleep Bones had forced him into. He still felt the effects of the vaccine but, his mind had registered what the young Ensign was saying. He had sprung up instantly and ran into the corridor. He had to find Uhura and then inform the Captain of his theory, while Jim was avoiding the stabs from hyposprays coming from Bones.
Jim Kirk had always been able to put thing together faster than everyone else, even his sister. He could see tiny parts of a situation and determine the entire problem from it. Sam also had this ability but her brain had a tenancy to triage matters. If it didn't affect anything she was focused on in the moment her mind would brush it aside. Jim's mind collected all of the information at once and stored it for further use and evaluation. Both siblings were geniuses in their own way. In this moment though, the Enterprise needed Jim's genius.
"Jim! I'm not kidding, we need to keep your heart rate down!" McCoy shouted while Jim fiddled with the corridor computer.
"Computer, locate crew member Uhura!" Jim ordered.
"I haven't seen a reaction this severe since med school," Bones commented.
"We're flying into a trap!" Jim shouted.
"Dammit Jim, stand still," Bones grumbled.
Bones stabbed Jim with a hypospray causing him to yell, "Ow! Stop it!"
By this time the pair had made their way to engineering. McCoy was still scanning Jim and trying to get him to calm down but, he was only getting more annoyed and frantic. He knew what was about to happen and he wanted, no needed, to stop it.
" Uhura, Uhura," Jim badgered.
"Kirk, what are you doing here?" she questioned.
"The transmission from the Klingon prison planet, what exactly was..." he began but was cut off by Uhura making a startling discovery.
"Oh my god, what's wrong with your hands?!" she gestured to his highly swollen hands that he had discovered in sickbay already.
"It-it-it... look, who is responsible for the Klingon attack? Was the ship Romul..." he tried again but his words became slurred towards the end.
"Was the ship what?" Uhura asked.
"What's happening to my mouth?" he mumbled to Bones.
"You got numb tongue?" the doctor responded.
"Numb tongue!" Jim shouted strangely.
"I can fix that!" McCoy declared running to his medkit.
"Was the ship what?" Uhura tried again.
"Romulan!" Jim said, but it was garbled.
"What?" she asked in exasperation.
"Romulan," he spoke a little more clearly.
"Romulan?" she clarified.
"Yeah," he nodded vigorously.
Yes," she stated.
"Yes!" he cheered.
"Ahh... dammit!" he groaned as Bones shot him with another hypospray. Then he took off in a full on sprint, followed by Bones and Uhura.
"Jim!" Bones shouted as his friend got closer to the bridge.
"What's going on?" Uhura asked.
"Jim, come back!" McCoy continued to shout.
"Kirk!" Uhura tried.
"Captain!" Jim shouted running onto the bridge.
"Jim, no!" Bones yelled grabbing for him.
"Captain Pike, we have to stop the ship!" Jim declared.
"Kirk, how the hell did you get on board the Enterprise!" Pike asked angrily.
"Captain, this man's under the influence of a severe reaction of a Melvaran flea vaccine, completely... " the doctor rambled.
"Bones, Bones..." Jim sighed.
"...delusional. I take full responsibility," Bones finished.
Sam just stared at her brother and his best friend. She saw that Uhura had come onto the bridge as well. She could only imagine what her brother was referring to. She glanced at Uhura who sent her a confused look. Then she looked at Spock who had his eyes murderously trained on her brother. She sighed and stepped forward to assist in the handling of her brother.
"Vulcan is not experiencing a natural disaster. It's being attacked by Romulans," Jim stated.
"Romulans? Cadet Kirk, I think you've had enough attention for one day. McCoy take him back to medical, we'll have words later," Pike responded in awe.
"Aye Captain," McCoy agreed.
"Look, sir, that same anomaly..." he trailed off being interrupted by Pike.
"Mister Kirk..." Pike said.
Sam began to put the pieces together. Romulans, a lightning storm mentioned earlier, and her brother absolutely freaking out. She knew he must think that the same people who attacked the ship they were born on were responsible for this situation. She could only stare at him, jaw slack, eyes wide, as she realized what was about to occur.
"Mister Kirk is not cleared to be aboard this vessel," Spock interjected.
"Look, I get it, you're a great arguer. I'd love to do it again with you to," Jim commented.
"I can remove the Cadet..." Spock suggested causing Sam's eyes to widen further.
"Try it! This Cadet is trying to save the bridge," Jim yelled yanking Sam behind him protectively.
She fell into Bones who wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. This only frustrated Spock further. He understood that his suggestion implied violence but it was not directed towards Cadet Kirk's sister. Bones was happy to have his best friend's sister securely wrapped in his arms. Even if she could kick his ass any day, he still felt protective of her. Sam was stunned into submission for once. She had always been terrified of the ship that destroyed the Kelvin. If that was waiting for them on Vulcan she didn't know how she would cope. She shuddered and Leo squeezed her tighter.
"By recommending a full stop mid-warp during a rescue mission?"
"It's not a rescue mission, listen, it's an attack," Jim reasoned.
"Based on what facts?" Spock asked, his annoyance with Jim growing and the need to yank Sam from the doctor's grip reaching an all time high.
"That same anomaly, a lightning storm in space that we saw today, also occurred on the day of my birth. Before a Romulan ship attacked the USS Kelvin. (to Pike) You know that, sir, I read your dissertation. That ship which had formidable and advanced weaponry was never seen or heard from again. The Kelvin attack to place on the edge of Klingon space and at twenty-three hundred hours last night, there was an attack. Forty-seven Klingon warbirds destroyed by a Romulan, sir. It was reported that the Romulans were in one ship, one massive ship," Jim explained.
"And you know of this Klingon attack how?" Pike questioned.
Jim looked to Uhura who replied, "Sir, I intercepted and translated the message myself. Kirk's report is accurate."
"We're warping into a trap, sir. The Romulans are waiting for us, I promise you that," Jim said.
"The Cadet's logic is sound," Spock allowed. "And Lieutenant Uhura is unmatched in xenolinguistics, we would be wise to accept her conclusion."
"Scan Vulcan space, check for any transmissions in Romulan," Pike ordered to communications officer sitting at his post.
"Sir, I'm not sure I can distinguish the Romulan language from Vulcan," the Lieutenant replied.
"What about you? Do you speak Romulan, Cadet?" Pike asked Uhura.
"Uhura. All three dialects, sir," she told him.
"Uhura, relieve the lieutenant," Pike ordered.
"Yes sir," she responded gratefully.
"Kirk, Sam," Pike clarified, "hail the USS Truman."
"All the other ships are out of warp, sir, and have arrived at Vulcan, but we seemed to have lost all contact," Sam responded, brushing out of Leo's grasp and relieving the ensign sitting at the security station.
"Sir, I pick up no Romulan transmission, or transmission of any kind in the area," Uhura spoke.
"It's because they're being attacked," Jim claimed.
"Shields up, red alert," Pike ordered.
"Arrival in Vulcan in five seconds... four... three... two..." Sulu counted down.
The sight they witnessed when the dropped out warp was one of nightmares. There were broken ship parts scattered about space with bodies floating lifelessly in between. Sam stifled a gasp while Uhura let out a startled cry. The rest of the bridge crew looked on in horror and fear.
"Emergency evasive," Pike ordered.
"Running sir," Sam responded.
"Damage report," Pike requested after they had maneuvered underneath a large hunk of starship.
"Deflector shields are holding," Sam replied.
"All stations. Engineer Olson, report," Pike called through the comm. "Full reverse, come about starboard ninety degrees, drop us underneath and..."
They spotted an enormous and foreboding ship through the window. Sam stopped breathing for a moment as she recognized it to be the ship that had destroyed the Kelvin and killed her father. The rest of the bridge was silenced by their fear.
"Captain, they're locking torpedoes," Spock said breaking the silence.
"Avert auxiliary power from port nacelles to forward shields," Pike instructed.
Torpedoes began hitting the Enterprise all over. Sam read the destruction at her station. There ship was failing, their people dying, and she couldn't think of a single security protocol that would help stop it. She hit the console in frustration.
"Sulu, status report," Pike said.
"Shields at thirty-two percent. They're weapons are powerful, sir. We can't take another hit like that," Sulu reported.
"Get me Starfleet Command," the Captain tried.
"Captain, the Romulan ship has lowered some kind of high energy pulse device into the Vulcan atmosphere. It's signal appears to be blocking our communications and transporter abilities," Spock explained.
" All power to forward shields. Prepare to fire all weapons," the captain replied, never letting his resolve waiver.
There was a tense moment where the weapons fire paused. The crew didn't breathe or think in these few precious seconds. They all worried for their deaths that were about to be delivered by the massively destructive ship before them.
"Captain, we're being hailed," Uhura said.
The Captain nodded at her to respond. He sat in his chair waiting to see how he could resolve this situation and get his crew out of the mess alive. Sam was tense, guessing that whoever appeared on the screen would only further their torture before there impending deaths.
"Hello," a bald man with Romulan markings said as the view screen came up.
"I'm Captain Christopher Pike. To whom am I speaking," Pike responded.
"Hi Christopher, I'm Nero," the man taunted.
"You've declared war against the Federation. Withdraw. I'll agree to arrange a conference with Romulan leadership at a neutral location," Pike tried to reason.
"I do not speak for the Empire. We stand apart, as does your Vulcan crewmember, isn't that right, Spock?" Nero sneered.
"Pardon me, I do not believe that you and I are acquainted?" Spock said stepping forward.
"No, we're not. Not yet. Spock, there's something I would like you to see," he spoke darkly.
This made Sam anxious and she stepped forward as well. She had intended to subtly gesture for Spock to move out of view. Instead she tripped, no so subtly, on a loose wire and fell into Spock. He sensed her movement and turned around to catch her, before moving her behind him.
"Ah, I see the two of you are the same at least. Samantha, how are you feeling?" Nero asked.
"I am quite positive that you have not met Lieutenant Commander Kirk either. It would be unwise to engage in frivolous communication with our crewmen at this point in your demands," Spock said in a low voice putting a hand behind him. He needed to touch Sam, just to keep calm.
"Very well Spock, you want my demands. Captain Pike, your transporter has been disabled. As you can see by the rest of your armada, you have no choice. You will send Samantha Kirk on a shuttle to come aboard the Narada, for negotiations," he ordered.
"I'm the Captain of this ship, I know everything that's needed for negotiations. Kirk had just been commissioned," Pike responded.
"Very well Christopher, you come aboard then," Nero said smirking. "I'll be seeing Samantha again."
"He'll kill you, you know that," Jim said.
"Your survival is unlikely," Spock added moving away from Sam.
"Captain, we gain nothing by diplomacy. Going over to that ship is a mistake," Jim tried again.
"I, too, agree. You should re-think your strategy," Spock said.
"I understand that. I need officers who have been trained in advanced hand-to-hand combat," Pike announced to the bridge.
"I have training, sir," Sulu spoke up.
"Come with me. Kirks, you too. Jim's not supposed to be here anyway. Chekov, you have the conn," Pike stated walking off the bridge.
"Aye aye Captain," the young Russian replied.
"What the hell did he want with Sam?" Jim asked breaking the ice.
"He's crazy, that's all," Sam responded. Pike sent her a knowing look while Spock remained silent.
"Well I'm not letting you out of my sight until he's dead," Jim said.
"I'm the Security chief not you," she argued back.
"Okay, moving on. Without transporters, we can't beam off the ship, we can't assist Vulcan, we can't do our job. Mister Kirk, Mister Sulu, Engineer Olson, will space-jump from the shuttle. You will land on that machine they lowered into the atmosphere that's scrambling our gear. You'll get inside. You'll disable it, then you'll beam back to the ship. Mister Spock, I'm leaving you in command of the Enterprise. Once we have transport capabilities, communications back up, you'll contact Starfleet, report what the hell's going on here. And if all else fails, fall back, rendezvous with the fleet in the Laurentian system. Kirk, I'm promoting you to first officer," Pike said.
"Which Kirk?" Jim asked jokingly.
"You," Pike responded.
"What?" Jim asked shocked while Sam let out a sigh of relief.
"Captain, please, I apologize. The complexities of Human pranks escape me," Spock said loudly.
"It's not a prank, Spock. And I'm not the Captain, you are. Let's go," Pike said stepping into the transporter with Sulu and both Kirks.
"Sir, after we knock out that drill, what happens to you?" Jim asked.
"Oh, I guess you'll have to come and get me," he responded to the new first officer. "Careful with the ship, Spock. She's brand new," he encouraged.
The lift doors slid closed and Acting Captain Spock stood staring at the cold metal for a moment. His Captain, and friend, Christopher Pike was surely flying to his death and the woman he loved was not far off. He was having extreme difficulty controlling his disbelief in their abilities and the strong sense of foreboding at the thought of their deaths. Regardless he had an enormous responsibility thrust upon him and he would perform admirably.
Sam was silently brooding at the decision to put her brother, who was currently on academic suspension, in a high command position. She wondered for a moment if Captain Pike didn't trust her, but then she remembered what he had told her about having faith in Jim. She would put her trust in her brother as she always did and follow his lead. They arrived in the shuttle bay and the tension among them was clear. They went their separate ways to change into flight suits and returned to take their seats in the shuttle. Engineer Olson was with them by this point.
"Shuttle eight nine, USS Enterprise. You are cleared forward..." a crewmen spoke over the intercom.
"You got the charges right?" Jim asked Olson.
"Oh yeah. I can't wait to kick some Romulan ass. Right?" Olson replied.
"Yeah," Jim responded half-heartedly.
"Oh yeah," Olson said cheerily.
"Just make sure to stay on target Olson," Sam instructed.
"Understood," he nodded unconvincingly.
They felt the shuttle disembark from the ship and saw space outside the window. Captain Pike was piloting the shuttle with nothing but confidence. Sam, Jim, Sulu, and Olson were all sitting ready for launch from the shuttle in their shiny suits. Olson wore a red suit for engineering, Sulu and Sam goldish yellow ones for command, and Jim a blue science suit even though he was just a stowaway.
"So, what kind of combat training do you have?" Jim asked.
"Fencing," Sulu replied with a desperate look on his face.
"Pre-jump," Pike announced.
The four starfleet officers put their helmets on, secured their gear, and prepared for the jump. All had concentrated looks on their faces and nervous twitches gracing the rest of their body.
"You are clear from USS Enterprise airspace..." a crewmen spoke over the comm.
"Gentelmen, and Sam, we're approaching the drop zone. You have one shot to land on that platform. You may have to fix this to pull your 'chute as late as possible. Three... two... one. Remember, the Enterprise won't be able to beam you back until you turn off that drill. Good luck," Pike informed them before pulling a lever and sending them hurtling out of the shuttle.
Back on the Enterprise Spock had returned to the bridge. Uhura was still sitting at the communications station and the young Russian genius was holding down the fort from his navigation post. McCoy had since left to assist with the many injuries aboard the ship. Spock sat down in the Captain's chair and struggled to keep his face emotionless. He was terribly worried for Samantha. If he could have had a moment to think he would have suggested a logical reason as to why she should stay on board.
"Away team is entering the atmosphere, sir. Twenty thousand meters," Chekov reported.
The four brave and reckless individuals in the away team were plummeting from the skies of Vulcan. They were nearing the atmosphere and knew it would be hell to punch through. They tensed for a moment before they felt the slight burning sensation as the descended upon the drill.
"Approaching the platform at fifty-eight hundred meters," Chekov said.
"Kirk to Enterprise," Jim said. "Distance to target, five thousand meters."
The comm was the only link they all had to each other and they continued to speak through it even though constant reports were unnecessary.
"Forty-six hundred meters from the platform," Chekov said.
"Forty-two hundred meters to target," Sulu said.
"Four thousand meters," Jim spoke again.
"Three thousand meters," Sam said.
"Two thousand meters," Jim said.
"Pull your chute," Sulu shouted a moment later.
Sulu was the first to open his chute, quickly followed by Jim. Sam tried hitting the button on the front of her suit but nothing happened.
"Two thousand meters!" Olson shouted.
"C'mon, pull your chute, Olson! Sam, what the hell are you doing?" Jim yelled.
"It won't open!" Sam shouted desperately.
"Not yet! Fifteen hundred meters!" Olson yelled with excitement as Sam was finally able to open her chute.
"Open your chute!" Sulu tried to instruct Olson.
"Yeah!" Olson screeched in excitement.
"Olson, pull your chute!" Jim ordered.
"One thousand meters," Olson said more calmly this time.
Olson finally pulled his chute only to slam drastically into the platform and bounce off directly into the energy beam. Sam and the others watched in horror knowing he had surely died. Sam was coming in faster than Sulu and her brother so she had to focus on landing without falling.
"Olson!" Jim screamed.
"Olson is gone, sir," Chekov said in shock.
Sam landed first, roughly hitting the middle part of the platform and cracking her helmet so badly it flew off her head. He chute was ripped by the cables and she fell in a heap as her head started to spin. She quickly leaped up as she saw Jim land and nearly fall off like Olson had, but he retracted his parachute and ripped his helmet off. Two Romulans cam busting out of the door she was near and the fight instantly started.
" Both Korks has landed, sir," Chekov said.
One of the Romulans began shooting only to miss and hit Sulu's chute causing him to fall faster towards the platform. His chute caught on the top and he swung under for a moment, pushing off the siding, and retracting his chute to pull him back up. Jim was hanging off the ledge by now as a Romulan tried to step on his hands and Sam was full on battling the other Romulan and another that had appeared. Sulu jumped in the fight with Sam.
Sam used only her fists as weapons, delivering blow after blow to the weak points of the Romulan's physiology. She knocked his feet out from under him and landed on top of him straddling his waist and began punching him in the face repeatedly. She stopped when she realized he was completely unconscious and possibly dead from the multiple angry blows.
Sulu had tricked his opponent into standing atop a vent that flared and burned the attacker alive. He then stabbed the Romulan attempting to kill Jim and helped Jim up off the ledge.
"Give me your hand! C'mon!" Sulu shouted lifting Jim up. "Olson had the charges!" he continued.
"I know!" Jim replied.
"What do we do?!" Sulu yelled.
"Sam! Grab his gun!" Jim shouted at his sister.
The Kirk siblings began blasting inside the operations room of the platform until they were convinced that they had damaged it enough for it to be inoperable for a while at least. The stepped back to admire their handy work and receive news from the bridge.
"The jamming signal is gone. Transport abilities are reestablished," Uhura reported back on the Enterprise.
"Transporter control is reengaged, sir," Chekov said.
"Chekov, run gravitational sensor, and I want to know what they are doing on the planet," Spock ordered.
"Aye commander, ack, Captain. Sorry, Captain," the young ensign replied.
"Kirk to Enterprise. They just launched something at the planet, through the hole they just drilled," Jim reported. "Do you copy Enterprise?"
"Yes, sir," an officer replied as the bridge was experiencing a flurry of activity.
"Captain, gravitational sensors are off the scale. If my calculations are correct, they're creating a singularity, that will consume the planet," Chekov told the acting Captain Spock.
"They're creating a black hole at the center of Vulcan?" Spock asked shocked.
"Yes sir," Chekov answered.
"How long does the planet have?" Spock barely breathed out stunned.
"Minutes, sir. Minutes," Chekov said shrugging.
"Alert Vulcan command center to signal a planetwide evacuation on all channels, all frequencies," Spock instructed Uhura. "Maintain standard orbit," he ordered another bridge officer.
"Yes, sir," the officer replied.
"Where are you going?" Uhura asked.
" To evacuate the Vulcan High Council. They are tasked with protecting our cultural history and my parents will be among them," he informed her.
"Can't you beam them out?" she asked with concern.
"It is impossible. They will be in the katric ark. I must get them myself," he told Uhura. "Chekov, you have the conn," Spock told the young Russian.
"Aye," he replied. "Uh, yay," he said to the side.
"Kirk to Enterprise. Beam us outta here," Sam ordered.
"Standby, locking on your signal," the transporter chief replied.
Sam and Sulu were standing at the edge of the platform looking for whatever had been launched into the planet. Sulu reached out an arm to steady Sam who was teetering dangerously due to her head injury. Just as she began to faint and Sulu caught her the platform began to move and the fell off the edge, Sulu holding onto Sam tightly. Neither had a parachute to use and were now plummeting towards their deaths.
"I can't lock onto you. Don't move. Don't move!" the transporter chief yelled frantically.
"Kirk!" Sulu shouted grasping Sam tighter.
"Sulu! Sam!" Jim shouted back before jumping completely off the platform after them.
"Sulu! Hold on!" Jim shouted realizing that his sister was unconscious.
"I got ya! Now, pull my 'chute!" he shouted.
Jim was wrapped around Sam, grasping Sulu's shoulder's as they continued to fall. Sulu finally managed to hit the button on Jim's front and the chute came flying out. Then it severed from them and the continued to fall, holding on to each other in desperation.
"Kirk to Enterprise! We're falling without a chute! Beam us up!" Jim ordered.
"I'm trying. I can't lock on your signal, you're moving too fast," the transporter chief said sadly.
"I can do that. I can do that! Take the conn!" Chekov yelled on the bridge as he leapt up and ran towards the transporter room.
"Aye, sir," the officer he had spoken to replied.
"The black hole's expanding. We won't reach minimum safe distance if we don't leave immediately," a female science officer said to no one in particular.
"Move, move, move, move, move! I can do that, I can do that! Move, move, move move!" Chekov yelled running through the corridors.
"Give me radio control, I can lock on!" he said when he had reached his destination.
"Beam us out!" Jim shouted over the comm.
"Enterprise, where are you?" Jim continued to yell.
"Hold on, hold on!" Chekov replied.
"Now, now, now!" Jim said hurriedly as he began to see the rapidly approaching ground. "Do it now! Now, now, now!"
"Don't move! Hold on! Computating gravitational pull and... gotcha!" Chekov shouted triumphantly.
The three Starfleet officers landed in a heap on the transporter pad with a loud bang. The force of the fall woke Sam up and she groaned pushing Sulu off her and rolling to the side, standing up.
"Oh! Yah-my-oo!" Chekov cheered.
"God," Jim sighed.
"Thanks," Sulu said to Jim.
"No problem," he huffed out of breath as he approached Sam to check her for injuries.
Spock entered the transporter room and focused on not rushing to Sam in worry to determine what ailed her at the moment. Instead he sent her an inquisitive look which she returned with a small smile.
"Clear the pad. I'm beaming to the surface," the Vulcan Captain ordered.
"The surface of what? What, are you going down there? Are you nuts? Spock, you can't do that?!" Jim shouted as he and Sulu stepped off the pad.
"As security chief it's my job to accompany you," Sam declared.
"You're in no condition," Jim began but was cut off by Spock. "Energize," he ordered.
"Spock! Sam!" Jim shouted.
Spock and Sam were transported just outside the building they were set to enter. He gestured towards the cliff they would have to climb and Sam pressed a button to relieve her of her gear instantly, leaving her in federation issue spandex under garments. Spock took off his command shirt and handed it to her to put on over the skin tight outfit. They then proceeded to scale the cliff, rather quickly, and run through the halls on the cavern to the council chamber.
"Spock? Sam?" Amanda Grayson spoke in confusion as she saw them enter.
"The planet has only seconds left. We must evacuate. Mother, now!" Spock ordered.
They began running towards the unshielded area outside of the cavern, losing several members of the council on their way. Amanda was glued to Spock's side as they ran, with Sam right next to the pair and Sarek, Spock's father, following directly behind. Once they reached the surface they could see the destruction taking place rather quickly.
"Oh!" Amanda gasped as she peered over the edge.
"Spock to Enterprise. Get us out now!" he shouted.
"Locking on you," he replied. "Don't move. Stay right where you are."
They began glowing from the transport rings surrounding them . Sam and Amanda were standing right on the cliff's edge tensing as they felt the ground begin to shake.
"Transport in five... four... three... two..." Chekov counted down.
The cliff cracked and Sam reached out for Amanda attempting to pull her back despite the transport rings. Amanda fell anyways quickly and with a horrifying scream. Sam tried to run to her, jump off the cliff and fall with her as her brother had done with her and Sulu but her body was being scrambled by the transporter.
" No, no!" Spock shouted realizing that his mother was certainly dead and Sam was close to being next.
"I'm losing her. I'm losing her, I'm losing her! No, I've lost her," Chekov shouted. "Commander Kork stop trying to move the transporter is damaging you," he added.
The group was transported onto the enterprise to a waiting Sulu, Chekov, and Jim. Amanda was missing and so was Sam. Chekov began frantically pushing buttons and she appeared crumpled in a heap, unconscious again, and bleeding in several places. Jim ran to her while Spock stared at the spot his mother should have been. He could not believe that he had just lost his mother. Words could not describe the anguish he felt, but could not allow himself to express. Jim lifted his sister gently from the floor and ran to sickbay with Sulu and Chekov on his tail. Spock and the council members followed immediately.
When they arrived Bones let out a startled cry at seeing Sam so battered and gestured for Jim to set her down on a biobed. He instantly began working on her. She had multiple fractures, breaks, cuts, bruises, and contusions. Her head had suffered a serious blow and he brain was very much at risk. He sedated her, gave her a high dosage of pain meds, and began surgery. Other nurses and doctors attended to the other injured individuals while Spock paced around the room waiting for the verdict on Sam.
"Acting captain's log, stardate twenty-two fifty-eight point four two. We have had no word from Captain Pike. I have therefore classified him a hostage of the war criminal known as Nero. Nero, who has destroyed my home planet and most of its six billion inhabitants. While the essence of our culture has been saved in the elders who now reside upon the ship, I estimate no more than ten thousand have survived. I am now a member of an endangered species." Spock recorded in the ships logs while he waited.