Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., Bloomsbury, and Scholastic respectively. Star Trek is owned by Gene Roddenberry, CBS, and Paramount Pictures. All canon characters, plots, and situations are not owned by me, and I make no profit from this story.

Many thanks to my beta, amazing Insanity-Red, for all the help with this chapter.


Chapter 7

Stardate 2258.42 – the Narada

Harry wasn't wrong when he guessed that more Romulans were on their way to capture them. As Pike categorically refused to Apparate unless it was absolutely necessary – he hated the feeling and being unable to properly defend himself for first couple of minutes afterward. Instead, they ran deck after deck, sometimes encountering dead ends and seemingly running around in circles, all the while firing at the Romulans and at any equipment they could target, and nearly getting injured in the process. Somehow, Pike and Harry reached an unspoken agreement to wreak as much havoc as they could while they were on the ship, in hopes of slowing down or stopping it. So far, the decks they have been on seemed to house the living quarters of the crew, a cargo bay full of some unfamiliar load, another mostly empty hangar bay, and a deck with what looked like science equipment – xenobiology, judging by the glass containers filled with pale blue liquid that had creatures suspended within it.

Finally, they were able to lose their pursuers and take cover in one of the service tunnels off the side of one of the decks. They didn't know how long they had been running for, but it must have been a while because the alarm had stopped blaring – the Romulans had probably gotten fed up with the sound of it as well. Only the blinking red lights all around the interior of the ship indicated that there still was a problem.

"So, what's the new plan?" inquired Pike, still breathing heavily. He sat down on the floor as Harry cast protective enchantments around the area.

"Well, first we need to send the message," Harry replied, after he finished with the spells and took a seat next to Pike. Christopher opened up his mouth to say something, but Harry continued, "I know we haven't got the shuttle anymore, but I have a way to do it anyway. I didn't suggest it earlier, because I thought that your way would be faster and more reliable. I have no idea whether my method will work or not."

"And what method is that?"

"A Patronus. It's a powerful defensive charm, but it can also be used for sending messages. I just wasn't quite sure how well it might work given the fact that we are in bloody space and travelling at this speed . . ."

"Yes, their warp drive is very advanced. Just like everything else on this ship, it seems."

"Warp drive?"

"It's the technology that allows space travel at faster-than-light speeds."

"We're travelling faster than light?" asked Harry, his tone disbelieving. Pike nodded in confirmation. "Bloody hell! Now I'm even less certain that the Patronus will get there. But I'll give it a go anyway. Just in case."

With that, Harry stood up and closed his eyes in concentration, focusing on a happy memory. He waved his wand and whispered, "Expecto Patronum."

A shining silver stag burst out of the tip of his wand, eliciting a gasp of awe and admiration from Pike. The animal circled around Harry once and came to rest in front of him, as if waiting for instructions. Harry and the stag looked at each other silently for a few moments, and then the stag took off, disappearing beyond the walls of the ship.

"That was . . . beautiful," Pike admitted. "Did you send the message?"

"Yes, I can communicate it non-verbally." Harry took a seat again. "So, it's sent. I wouldn't rely on it getting there, though. We should continue looking for the Red Matter."

"I don't suppose you have a spell that can just point us towards the Red Matter, do you?" asked Pike sarcastically.

"No, I'm afraid not," answered Harry in all seriousness. "There is the Four-Point Spell, which points the caster north. But again, we are in space, so . . ." he trailed off, putting the wand flat on the palm of his hand, and saying, "Point Me." The tip of his wand spun and pointed to the right. "Huh. It works. I'm assuming that it's pointing to the north of the ship. At least, we won't be wandering around in circles. Hopefully."

Pike nodded, and asked curiously, "So, I'm assuming that not all witches and wizards possess these Legimilency skills, do they?"

"It's Legilimency," Harry corrected. "And you are right – proficiency in the mind arts is not very common. I could probably learn them if I really wanted to, but I had a bad experience with them when I was younger, so I never wanted to study them again. But Hermione . . . well, she's not known as the Brightest Witch of Her Age for nothing," he finished with a smile, pride for his best friend evident in his voice.

Pike shook his head and chuckled, "Brightest Witch, huh? Now, that's a phrase I never thought I'd hear."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and then conjured two glasses and filled them with water. He handed one to Pike, who accepted it gratefully. They both were parched – not only from being chased around the ship, but also from its elevated temperatures.

Pike said in all sincerity, "I love magic."

Harry smiled, "So do I."

After a few minutes of silence, during which they drank more water and just rested, Harry thought of a question to ask.

"Nero wanted some frequencies to disable Earth's defenses. What happens if he reaches the planet without them?"

"Well, I don't think he'll try it. If you haven't noticed, we are currently travelling at a slower warp speed than before."

Harry shook his head, for he didn't notice. He didn't have the experience that Pike did regarding travelling in space at warp speeds. He had no point of reference to help him determine which one was faster and which one slower.

"If Nero heads to Earth without the codes – which isn't entirely impossible, mind you, given his mental state – he'd be hit by strikes from remnants of the fleet and local planetary defenses, and his ship would be damaged. Given the advanced technology of the Narada, I doubt that the Earth's defenses would be strong enough to destroy it, but they might cripple it. And our ground-based aircraft and missiles will take care of the drill, if Nero gets that far. But a lot of lives would be lost in the process. We've already lost six Federation ships with a lot of people on them . . ." Pike trailed off, closing his eyes.

"So, what you're saying is that we need to make sure that Nero doesn't get the frequencies from you and that this ship never reaches Earth, right?" summarized Harry after a pause.

"That would be ideal, yes."

"Okay, brilliant. Well, I could obliviate you – it's a charm that can erase those frequencies from your memory. That way, if they capture us, they won't be able to get them because you simply won't remember them. But you should know that it isn't completely foolproof. The memory charm can be broken through torture," Harry finished, shuddering.

Pike gave Harry a long look, contemplating what he had said.

"I'm not giving them the frequencies voluntarily. I'd rather die. But there are certain substances, like sodium thiopental, that can act as a truth serum. And given what we've seen of Nero, he's a sadist and an extremist. He seems to be the type to have something similar – or worse. This might have been a mining vessel, but it's equipped for war now. War against the Federation. I wouldn't put it past the Romulans to use whatever means necessary to obtain the information they need to achieve that goal. And if this spell of yours can help me not reveal that information while under the influence of a truth serum – then I say do it. After all, if they have to torture me, it would only buy us more time before help arrives . . . if it arrives at all," Pike finished, closing his eyes.

Harry nodded solemnly. But he was familiar with this brand of determined loyalty, so instead of making a big deal over it, he brought up a different topic.

"One more thing. I say we continue sabotaging the ship while we search for this Red Matter. However, there is a risk that we might accidentally blow it up . . . I mean, we don't know exactly what it looks like, other than the fact that it is supposedly red, and we have no idea where it's located. It may not be out in the open. It could be hidden anywhere. And if we accidentally blow it up . . ." Harry trailed off.

"There's a chance that a black hole, like the one that destroyed Vulcan, will be created and we'll die along with the ship," finished Pike.

"Exactly. The Patronus may or may not get to help. We might be on our own till the end, whatever it might be . . ."

"If I have to give my life to save countless others, then I'm ready for it," Pike said resolutely, looking Harry straight in the eyes. "When I joined Starfleet, I knew that it might be required of me one day. I enlisted in Starfleet because I believed in it, in the Federation, and everything they stand for. I stand by that belief to this day. The only thing I regret is that I dragged you into this with me . . ."

"Not like I haven't been in a similar mess before," Harry said quietly, sighing and closing his eyes. It seemed that the Fates were mocking him, placing him in another situation where he might have to die to save others. The irony of the circumstance wasn't lost on him, especially given Nero's similarities with Voldemort. Harry's survival the last time this had happened was nothing short of miraculous. He doubted that he'd be so lucky a second time. Nonetheless, he agreed.

"Let's do this then. Ready?"

Pike nodded.

"Think of those frequencies . . . Obliviate."


"Prod Nero, we have detected an unfamiliar energy signature on the ship," reported Ayel, Nero's second-in-command, to his Captain. "It is like a magnetic field, but unfamiliar. It was detected earlier as well on Deck 47, shortly after the human Captain disappeared, and then again in the hangar. The weapon carried by the other human that was with that Captain seems to be the source of it."

Nero, who had been pacing the Bridge, anger mounting with every report of disaster regarding his crew and equipment, slammed his palm down onto the nearest console. Sparks flew out from it as he raged, "Why did it take so long for you to realize this?"

"Apologies, Captain, we have been trying to capture the humans. This magnetic field did not seem relevant at first. We thought that the ship itself might have been generating it, as the field was not very strong. After tracking the path of the energy signature, as well as that of the humans, we have found reason to believe that the two are connected."

Pike was right. The Narada used to be a mining vessel. It wasn't anymore. What Nero didn't tell Pike is that the ship, after the destruction of Romulus, had been taken to the Vault – a top-secret military facility and the rendezvous point for whatever remained of the Romulan fleet, the Empire's last chance. There, it had been retrofitted with experimental Romulan technology, in addition to salvaged and reverse-engineered technology from the Borg. These upgrades gave the Narada enhanced warp capabilities, advanced weaponry, and a self-repairing nanotechnology that could anticipate threats and adapt the ship to face new challenges. This ability to adapt was responsible for the ship's relatively ugly appearance – it was a matter of function over form. It never stopped growing, adding new capabilities and areas to itself. It had become a Dreadnaught. Unfortunately for Ayel and his fellow crew members, this same technology was also the reason why the energy signature of Harry's wand had been so confusing – the ship was known to generate strange energy fields of its own volition.

"Where is the signature now?" snarled Nero, barely restraining himself from lashing out at someone.

"Deck 15 service tunnels."

"Go after it! Track that signature and kill the one who wields the weapon projecting it. I need Christopher alive. I need those frequencies!" Nero screamed, enraged that his plans were in danger of being thwarted by some humans, and that the Narada had been made to slow down on its way to Earth. He began to pace again, clenching and releasing his fists.

"Yes, sir," said Ayel and walked away, throwing a cautious look at his captain.

As much as he respected Nero, as much as he held him in awe, he knew that his captain would not hesitate to kill him the instant he thought his trusted second-in-command might have faltered in his conviction toward their common purpose. Not to mention, their captain had been known to take out his rage on those around him. It was in Ayel's best interests to find those humans and find them quickly; otherwise, some of the crew members might pay the price.


Stardate 2258.42 – Delta Vega, Vulcan system

Just when James Kirk didn't think that his day could get any worse, he got marooned on Delta Vega – a Class M frozen planet with nothing but empty skies, barren wastes of snow, and natural monuments of ice that stretched as far as the eye could see. He might as well have been dropped off in the heart of the Arctic on Earth, for all the difference it made.

No, scratch that. The Arctic would have been better. At least the Arctic didn't have the two creatures that Kirk had encountered shortly after leaving his escape pod.

First, he'd been attacked by a drakoulias – what looked to be a cross between a polar bear and a gorilla – that came charging right at him out of nowhere. Just as the drakoulias was gaining on him, paws pounding thunderously, the ice that their chase had just run across exploded upward and outward. Kirk went sprawling on the ground, and pieces of ice and packed snow rained down around him. He looked up, just in time to see a hengrauggi emerge from the newly made hole.

This new creature was red and monstrous, with three sets of limbs – two used for running and one was smaller, hand-like – and hundreds of eyes. Moreover, it had a strange tentacle-like appendage that extended from its mouth like a grasping whip.

The hengrauggi, having quickly dealt with the drakoulias, turned its attention to Kirk.

Kirk ran fast enough that he didn't notice the ground disappear from beneath his feet until he tumbled down the steep slope of a mountain. The monster squealed shrilly in frustration and, losing its footing, went flying after Kirk, flailing its many limbs in the process. By some miracle, Kirk managed to miss most of the protruding rocks as he fell and landed relatively intact. Hitting the bottom, he rolled to his feet and resumed running. Looking around frantically, Kirk spotted an entrance to a cave and headed towards it at full speed. The hengrauggi followed, smashing its way through ice and packed snow to chase him inside the cave. It gained on him, enough to wrap its whip-like protrusion around his leg, and began dragging him towards its mouth.

Becoming a meal to some many-eyed Delta Vega monstrosity was not what James Kirk had been expecting when he joined Starfleet on a dare from Pike.

Enlist in Starfleet. Do better than your father. That's right! Get eaten by a monster on Delta Vega, my ass! Kirk thought wildly, as he was dragged closer and closer to the creature.

Suddenly, a figure holding a blazing torch appeared, driving the hengrauggi away with the fire. Once the monster was gone, the figure turned to the disbelieving but greatly relieved Kirk. As his vision cleared and his heart rate settled, Kirk could see that his savior was a . . . Vulcan. A Vulcan named Spock, nonetheless. As in the Spock who had marooned him in the first place. Granted, this Spock was 129 years older, but nonetheless it was the 'pointy-eared bastard' himself.

Yep. Just when I thought that things couldn't possibly get any more unbelievable! Magic turns out to be real. Time travel is apparently a thing that happens. Crazy Romulans from the future can destroy an entire planet! And now there are two Spocks! I must be going out of my mind, Kirk thought, giving his head a shake.

The situation was so absurd – it was borderline hilarious. If the circumstances weren't so dire, Kirk might have found himself rolling around on the ground and laughing his ass off. As it was, laughing was currently as far on Kirk's mind as the Enterprise was from the Laurentian system.

The older Spock – Spock Prime – turned out to be much nicer than the younger one. For one thing, Jim definitely didn't want to punch him or rip out his damn eyebrows – which were seemingly younger Spock's only means of expressing himself. After all, this Spock was in the same predicament himself. And the longer that Kirk talked to Spock Prime, the more he liked the older Vulcan, and could see how they could have easily been friends in another lifetime. Everything else made sense too, regardless of how impossible it seemed. In fact, the very notion of impossibility seemed to fade away.

Is there nothing that is impossible anymore? Kirk thought in amazement. It certainly seemed so. Next thing I know, I'll be told that vampires, werewolves, dragons, and giants are real! Oh, and how about Santa Claus and elves?

And then Kirk experienced something else that he had never experienced before – a Vulcan mind-meld. Kirk was still in the cave, but at the same time – he wasn't. He could see everything that the older Vulcan saw, he experienced everything that he experienced, and felt everything that he felt – fear, loneliness, tremendous pain, loss, despair, overwhelming guilt, just to name a few feelings. And Spock Prime's voice guided him through it all, providing him with explanations to everything.

When the connection was finally broken between them, Spock Prime closed his eyes in grief. Kirk, overwhelmed with the torrent of emotions, was gasping and physically shaking, with tears running down his cheeks.

"Forgive me," Spock said in a soft voice. "Emotional transference is an effect of the mind-meld."

"So, you do feel," gasped out Kirk, turning away from Spock.

"Yes," answered Spock simply.

"Going back in time, you changed all our lives." Kirk's tone was almost accusatory.

"And yet, remarkably, the events within our different timelines – characteristics, people – seem to overlap significantly. I am assuming that you were indeed on the Enterprise before you were marooned, since you said that Pike was the Captain of the ship?" At Jim's nod Spock continued, "I cannot restrain my curiosity. Tell me about the rest of the crew. What of Chekov, Uhura . . .?"

"Tactical and communications."

"Sulu?"

"He's the helmsman."

"McCoy?"

"Bones just inherited responsibilities of a CMO." Kirk gave Spock an odd look. "Why?"

"Fascinating. It would seem that our meeting here is not simply a coincidence, but rather an indication of a higher purpose. That same crew emerged victorious many times when faced with crises. And it is faced with one right now."

Spock suddenly became purposeful, "Jim, we must go. There is a Starfleet outpost not far from here," and he turned towards the cave's exit.

"Wait!" Kirk suddenly exclaimed. "Where you came from, did I know my father?"

"Yes," answered Spock, turning towards Kirk again. "You often spoke of him as being your inspiration for joining Starfleet. He proudly lived to see you become Captain of the Enterprise."

"Captain," repeated Jim with a faint smile on his lips.

"A ship we must return you to as soon as possible," said Spock, tuning towards the exit of the cave once more.

"No, wait! Wait! Is this – is this your first experience time travelling and meeting time travelers?"

"No, it is not. However, I am reluctant to give you any information that could potentially alter your destiny."

"I understand that. Just – just can you tell me if in your timeline there ever was a witch by the name of Hermione Granger and a wizard, Harry Potter?"

"Jim, witches and wizards do not exist," answered Spock neutrally. If he thought that his old friend was going insane, he didn't show it in any way. "Magic is not real."

"But they do! It is! I have seen it! Hell, I have even felt it. Look, I know that it sounds completely unbelievable. Before today, if someone told me that magic was real, I would have sent them to Bones to get their head checked. But I know what I saw and felt. I just – I just wanted to find out if you have ever encountered Hermione or Harry . . ." Kirk trailed off, looking at Spock expectantly.

"No, I have not. They did not exist in my timeline, Jim."

"It's just all these time-travelers . . ." started Jim, giving his head a shake. "Romulans who obviously want to destroy the Federation . . . And now these magical people . . ."

"How far in the future are they from?" inquired Spock.

"They aren't from the future. They're from the past," clarified Kirk.

"Fascinating."

"Yeah, well, do you think I can trust them? I mean, I'm pretty sure I can, I just . . I don't know . . . they appeared out of nowhere . . ."

"Jim, humans, and you in particular, tend to trust in your feelings. It is a characteristic that has always been difficult for me to understand. Yet, in several cases, I have found that this tendency has proved fruitful. What does your heart tell you?"

Yes, this Spock was definitely different. Kirk could not imagine words like those ever coming out of younger Spock's mouth – he seemed way too logical. Kirk looked at Spock Prime in bewilderment for a moment, contemplating his question.

Finally, he answered, "That I can trust her. Yes, I can trust her," he repeated, nodding to himself, and then added hastily, "I mean, I think I can trust the wizard too, but I haven't really spent much time with him, you know? He went to the Narada with Pike right after I met him."

"He did? Of his own accord?"

Kirk nodded and continued, "And she saved your mother. Jumped off the cliff after her while your planet was being destroyed and then somehow teleported them both back to the Enterprise without the use of a transporter . . ."

"Fascinating."

"You know, you say that word a lot?"

"Indeed. I cannot help but notice that these witch and wizard have something in common with you. They seem to have a similar instinct to leap without looking. Few possess it."

Kirk laughed weakly, shook his head, and said, "You know, Pike told me the exact same thing, when he was recruiting me three years ago. He said that my father had that same instinct and dared me to do better than famous George Kirk . . ." he trailed off, sadness creeping up into his voice.

"Which is why we must go, Jim. I have one last word of advice, before we go. Although this timeline has much in common with mine, they are still very different. Your path is yours to walk and yours alone. Do not let what could have been hinder you. Your heart has led you well in my timeline, so trust it now."

"Trust my heart," Kirk repeated with a thoughtful look on his face. "I can do that," he confirmed with a nod and a small smile.

Spock mirrored the nod and turned around to walk away. They had to return Jim back to the Enterprise. They had a mission to accomplish.


Kirk and Spock Prime reached the Starfleet outpost in good time. There, they met Montgomery Scott and Keenser, who showed them to the only transporter on the planet. Mr. Scott – who turned out to be another of the people that Spock knew very well – was a brilliant, boisterous, and rather outspoken engineer who postulated the theory of transwarp beaming. However, his equation for achieving said transwarp beaming was incomplete, which, when first tested, had caused him nothing but problems. Said problems were how the engineer wound up assigned to such a remote and obscure outpost – officially, it was a transfer; unofficially, a punishment for losing Admiral Archer's pet beagle in a freak beaming accident.

Spock Prime proved capable of completing the equation and presented it to the engineer.

"Get out of it," Scotty muttered, as he sat down at the terminal to examine the equation.

After a few moments, his mouth fell open in incredulity and his eyebrows rose toward his hairline.

"Imagine that!" he exclaimed. "It never occurred to me to think of space as the thing that was moving."

"You are coming with us, right?" Kirk addressed Spock.

"No, Jim. That is not my destiny."

"Your des . . ." Jim controlled the urge to scoff and roll his eyes at the older Vulcan. "He . . . The other Spock is not gonna believe me. Only you can explain what happened –"

"Under no circumstances can he be made aware of my existence," Spock Prime interrupted. "You must promise me this."

"You are telling me I can't tell you that I'm following your own orders?" Kirk asked in disbelief. "Why not? What happens?"

"Jim, this is one rule you cannot break," was Spock's firm response.

Kirk then remembered the conversation on the Enterprise just before he was marooned. "You can't be seen by your past self . . . Terrible things happen to those who meddle with time," Kirk repeated under his breath the words that Hermione had said earlier, nodding to himself and finally fully understanding what she meant.

Spock lifted a questioning eyebrow at this, to which Kirk said, "It – it's something that Hermione said earlier . . . when we asked her about time traveling . . . it's . . . it doesn't matter. I get it. I won't tell him."

Spock looked like he wanted to question Kirk further, but thought better of it, given their lack of time. Instead, he gave Kirk a nod and said, "Jim, to stop Nero, you alone must take command of your ship."

"How? Over your dead body?" asked Kirk sarcastically, in a very McCoy-like manner.

"Preferably not," responded Spock immediately. "However, there is Starfleet Regulation 619. Six-one-nine states that any command officer who is emotionally compromised by the mission at hand must resign said command."

"So, you are saying that I have to emotionally compromise you . . . guys," Kirk added the last bit uncertainly. Having two Spocks was a bit confusing.

"Jim, I just lost my planet," said Spock, grief evident in his voice. "I can tell you, I am emotionally compromised. What you must do is get me to show it."

"Aye then, laddie," interrupted Scott, getting up from the terminal, where he finished his calculations for beaming onboard the mid-warp Enterprise. "Live or die. Let's get this over with."

He then went to stand on the transporter pad – one very different from that on the Enterprise – and his little alien friend, Keenser, followed him.

"No, go," Scotty nudged Keenser back from the pad. "You cannae come with me. Go on."

Kirk went to stand on the other side of the pad, separated from Scotty's by metal bars. He looked into Spock's eyes and said, "You know, coming back in time, changing history – that's cheating."

"A trick I learned from an old friend," answered Spock with a slight nod, barely missing a beat.

Jim's lips pulled up in a faint smile in response.

Spock activated the transporter and lifted a hand in a customary Vulcan farewell, "Live long and prosper."

The golden light of a transporter enveloped both Kirk and Scotty, and the next instant they found themselves on the engineering deck of the Enterprise, facing yet another problem – Scott had been beamed inside the cylindrical coolant tank full of water.

Only Jim's quick thinking saved Scotty from drowning and being sliced up by the water turbine's sharp blades. Kirk ran to the nearest terminal, fingers slightly shaking as they danced around the screen, and activated the turbine release valve. The engineer, alongside a torrent of water, was dumped unceremoniously on the floor, where he coughed, expelling water from his lungs. Apart from being slightly bruised, battered, and completely soaked, Scotty seemed in relatively good shape.

They quickly made their way off the engineering deck, only to be intercepted by several security officers who had phasers pointed at them.

"Come with me, Cupcake!" one of them barked out.

Oh, you gotta be kidding me, groaned Kirk internally, as he recognized the voice and the man to whom it belonged – the one and only Lieutenant Hendorff.


Stardate 2258.42 - U.S.S. Enterprise

Kirk remained calm and collected as he and Scotty were pulled along to the Bridge. Spock Prime must have been right about his/their emotionally compromised state, because it seemed pretty illogical for Kirk and Scotty to be escorted to the Bridge. If Spock was in his right mind, he would have ordered for them to be sent to the brig and then interrogated. Instead, Jim was being taken to exactly the place where he needed to be.

The doors slid open and Kirk and Scott were practically pushed inside the Bridge. Spock turned from where he was standing beside the secondary science station (he and Uhura were explaining certain terms and concepts to Hermione, who, having finished helping in the Medbay, was back on the Bridge to do more research) and walked quickly towards them.

"Who are you?" he addressed the engineer.

"I'm with him."

"He's with me," answered Kirk evenly.

"We are travelling at warp speed," stated Spock calmly. "How did you manage to beam aboard this ship?"

"Well, you're the genius, you figure it out," challenged Jim.

"As acting captain of this vessel, I order you to answer the question," demanded Spock, and Kirk could see cracks starting to show in his ever-cool demeanor.

"Well, I'm not telling, Acting Captain," was Kirk's taunting response, as he kept his eyes firmly trained on Spock, who he could tell was fuming inside and was ready to burst.

"What, did . . . What now, that doesn't frustrate you, does it?" Kirk taunted him more, with a smile this time. "My lack of cooperation? That – that doesn't make you angry . . ."

"Are you a member of Starfleet?" Spock changed his attention to Scott, trying to ignore Kirk.

"I . . . um . . . yes," the engineer responded hesitantly. "Can I get a towel, please?"

"Under penalty of court martial, I order you to explain to me how you were able to beam aboard this ship while moving at warp."

"Well –" started Scotty uncertainly.

"Don't answer him," commanded Kirk.

"You will answer me," seethed Spock.

"I'd rather not take sides," said Scott, blinking and looking between Kirk and Spock.

"What is it with you, Spock?" interjected Jim, taking a step forward into Spock's personal space and narrowing his eyes at him. "Hm? Your planet was just destroyed, your mother almost murdered. Your whole civilization was wiped out – and you aren't even upset . . ."

"If you are presuming that these experiences in any way impede my ability to command this ship, you are mistaken," Spock's tone was hard, but also a bit defensive.

"And yet, you're the one who said fear was necessary for command. I mean, did you see his ship? Did you see what he did?"

"Yes, of course, I did," replied Spock, his voice hitching.

"So, are you afraid or aren't you?"

"I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion."

"Then why don't you stop me?" Jim continued taunting him. He knew Spock was close to breaking, and he felt bad about having to do this – he really did. But Spock Prime himself had told him to do this, and he really didn't have much of a choice, given that the fate of Earth and the Federation was at stake.

"Step away from me, Mr. Kirk," Spock's tone was dangerous and infused with venom.

"Tell me," continued Kirk. "What's it like not to feel anger? Or heartbreak? Or the need to stop at nothing to avenge the death of billions of Vulcans who were murdered in cold blood? You are now a member of the endangered species, Spock!"

"Back away from me –"

"You feel nothing!" Jim was shouting now, and his voice sounded too loud on the now quiet Bridge, where everyone was silently watching the exchange with shocked expressions. "It must not even compute for you! You don't love your mother or anyone else!"

That was it. Mentioning his mother – the only person who always accepted him for who he was without condemning him for his half-Vulcan/half-human heritage, the only person who always supported him in any circumstance, the only person who always seemed to understand him and love him no matter what – was a big mistake. Stating that Spock didn't love her was the last straw.

Spock charged at Jim with a roar and threw him backwards, showering down blow after blow that Kirk could barely block. Kirk was top of his class and the assistant instructor in advanced hand-to-hand combat; however, Vulcans were three times stronger than humans, and Jim really didn't stand a chance against Spock's fast, powerful, and rage-fueled strikes.

Finally, Kirk was thrown against a terminal at the helm of the ship, glass cracking beneath him, and Spock wrapped a hand around his throat. Narrowing his eyes, Spock tightened his vice-like grip, cutting off Kirk's supply of oxygen. Everyone on the Bridge stood frozen in shock, not daring to intervene for fear that the enraged Vulcan might turn his anger at them.

However, one person was not afraid. All this time she had been watching, waiting for the crew to intervene, since she was only a guest on the Enterprise. After all, wasn't a situation like this the reason why they employed security officers? Apparently not, for no one moved or did anything. So, she decided to take the matter into her own hands.

"Stop it! Can't you see you are killing him?! Stop it!" Hermione's shrill voice resounded throughout the Bridge as she stepped forwards, her wand tightly gripped in her outstretched hand in case she needed to act immediately.

Spock reflexively let go of Kirk, his rage fading quickly as the realization of what he had just done sank in. He stepped away from Kirk, who was gasping for air and struggling to stand up, and met Hermione's eyes. There was no judgement in them, only understanding and compassion, and he knew she understood his feelings, even though she didn't support his actions. This was exactly what she had warned him against earlier.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I had to do this. It wasn't out of spite, or malice, or revenge. I know how you feel. I am sorry, Jim thought, clutching at his throat and gasping for air, as he barely managed to remain on his feet. Though his face was bloody and bruised, Kirk felt no anger towards the one who inflicted the injuries.

Spock walked to where McCoy was standing and addressed him, looking down instead of at the doctor.

His voice slightly shook as he spoke, "Doctor, I am no longer fit for duty. By order of Starfleet Regulation Six-nineteen I hereby relinquish my command, based on the fact that I have been . . . emotionally compromised. Please, note the time and date in the ship's log."

He then turned towards the sliding doors, and with one last glance at Uhura, left the crew on the Bridge in tense silence.

Everyone still had shocked and solemn faces. That is – everyone, except for Scotty. He looked around at the brand new, bright and shiny Bridge, at the stressed out and tired faces of the young officers, and grinned like a nutter despite the fact that he was dripping wet and surrounded by security officers. He was on the Enterprise! And he arrived here by means of transwarp beaming! He was so full of joy and happiness over his suddenly realized dreams that everything else paled in comparison – even the fact that they were obviously in the middle of some kind of crisis, and the lad that he had brought with him had the gall to not only try, but also succeed in provoking the young Vulcan officer, and got nearly killed as a result. Scotty felt like he was a young boy again receiving a long-awaited and desired gift from Santa Claus.

"I like this ship!" he declared joyously, breaking the silence, arms still raised high in surrender. "You know, it's exciting!"

"James!" Hermione exclaimed, scandalized, ignoring the gleeful engineer, sparks flying out of her wand, tightly held in her hand. "What on Earth did you do that for? I could just hex you right now!"

Kirk looked at the agitated witch and her wand, and quickly raised his arms in surrender, saying, "Please, don't do that."

"I had to do this," he added quietly, his voice full of regret, as his eyes locked with hers, willing her to believe and understand him.

Hermione must have gotten the message, for her eyes softened at that admission.

Never relinquishing his gaze, Jim walked up to Hermione and put one hand on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze, "We are going after them."

There was no need to specify who 'them' were, as everyone understood exactly who Jim meant. Hermione nodded, conveying her support.

"And how the hell are we going to do that?" asked McCoy in exasperation. "We've got no Captain and now, thanks to you, no damn first officer to replace him."

"Yeah, we do." With a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Kirk purposefully walked towards the command chair and took a seat.

"What?" McCoy asked, stunned.

"Pike made him first officer," Sulu stated, jabbing his thumb in Kirk's direction. "Hermione was there too, when he did." He looked to her for support.

"You gotta be kidding me," the doctor said in disbelief, looking between Sulu and Hermione, but she merely nodded in confirmation.

"Thanks for the support," said Jim, sounding slightly offended.

Uhura came up next to him. "I sure hope you know what you are doing, Captain," she said, her tone challenging, and walked back to her station to be at the ready.

"So do I," was Jim's quiet response.

He pressed a button on the arm of the command chair, opening ship-wide announcement channel, and spoke confidently, "Attention, crew of the Enterprise. This is James Kirk. Mr. Spock has resigned commission and advanced me to Acting Captain. I know you were all expecting to regroup with the fleet, but I'm ordering a pursuit course of the enemy ship that we believe to be headed for Earth. I want all departments at battle stations and ready for combat in ten minutes." He paused for a heartbeat. "Either we're going down – or they are. Kirk out."


A/N. A special thank you to my reader twztdwildcat for letting me bounce some ideas off for this, as well as next three chapters! That was very helpful. Thank you!

Thank you for reading!