"Incoming transmission from the Columbia Captain." T'Pol said and played the voice recording.
"This is the Columbia, we have sustained heavy damage. The enemy ships seem to have halted their attack. Our weapons are knocked out. We can't seem to penetrate the enemy vessel's hull. The bigger vessel is already upon us. We need assistance now or they will overrun us!"
"Why did they stop attacking?" Archer asked himself out loud.
"It happened right after we killed that ship, captain." Mayweather said. Archer thought about it for a second. He then pressed a button on his chair.
"Bridge to Dr. Phlox." Archer said, a second later Phlox was on the line. "Doctor, can you give me any idea as to why they might have stopped their attack?" He asked Phlox because there might be some physical or psychological reason to it. Dr. Phlox confirmed his suspicions.
"I think their collective mind got a serious hit after you destroyed one of their ships. Imagine it feels like your ears popping, no sound anymore. They heard all the thoughts and voices on that ship and suddenly its not there anymore. Can be quite confusing." Phlox said. Archer nodded.
"Alright. Thank you doctor." Archer replied and wanted to cut the feed but Phlox meant to say something else.
"Captain, i have been studying their physiology, there are some records in the database about augments. I think lieutenant Green was right, they wouldn't willingly give up their individuality, yet they are a part of this collective. Khan seems to believe he is in control however. Perhaps we can take advantage of that by revealing his true position." Phlox said. He had been studying their connection as well with Tucker, see if they could intervene in this collective link.
"Understood doctor, keep working on it, you have my authority to use whatever means you have to disrupt their communications. Keep going ensign, we must reach the Columbia before they get their act together again." Archer said. The minutes crawled by until they actually reached the Columbia before the enemy ships responded. The Seleya and Enterprise flanked the Columbia together, first thing they needed to do was protect the Columbia and get the wounded to safety. The enemy vessels will have to wait.
"Columbia, transport your wounded onboard the Seleya. Give me a damage report." Archer said. Hernandez came on screen. She had a big gash on the side of her face, blood was coming out fast.
"Captain, our shields are down and we have several hull breaches all over the ship. We are also leaking warp fuel. If we take one more hit we have to abandon ship. The core is unstable. Weapons and sensors are still active though." She spoke with a harsh tremble in her voice, it has been tough on them.
"Understood, focus on repairing the fuel leak, take up positions behind us. Captain Voris, target Khan's vessel. We have no choice but to attack."
"Captain, the enemy ships are still hanging still." T'pol mentioned.
"Good, take up positions in front of the Columbia, lets not..." Before Archer could finish his sentence and order the attack a call came from Dr. Phlox.
"Captain, Tucker and i have made a direct link to Khan. He can hear you and you can hear him. Talk to him, captain. It appears their moment of doubt is caused by him." Phlox said. Archer though for a second.
"Alright, if we even have a slim chance to a peaceful solution we must take it. Put him on."
"Captain Archer, it appears i owe you an apology." Archer heard Khan speak, his voice small and hoarse.
"Why is that?" Archer asked, still trying to figure out what to say to him to get him to retreat or surrender.
"I am not in full control, i came to this conclusion finally. The other ships, they don't respond to me like this ship does. We aren't equals on them. I have been deceived." He said.
"End this now Khan. Surrender, lower your weapons and turn off the engines. Can you do that?" Archer had a feeling Khan was much weaker than before, probably in a state of shock.
"Of course i can captain. But what of my people? My family. I left some behind, a lot are dead. Some are here with me of course, some you killed on that ship. I can't give up on them, can't let them die." Khan sounded desperate, as desperate as it gets.
"We will help them, we can. We have medical facilities and the technology to rid you of this infestation in your body." Archer said, hoping he could reason with him.
"But we are all connected captain. You can't sever the link, they won't listen. I'm not in contol, i told you. You must run!"
"Khan, we can't run, the Columbia is too heavily damaged. Isn't there anything you can do? Khan? Khan?" Archer didn't hear anything anymore, not even static. He was about to ask Phlox what was going on but then T'Pol made him look at the screen.
"Captain, the enemy ships are moving, they are targeting weapons." She said. Archer quickly sat down.
"Focus on the most damaged ship. Captain Voris, knock out Khan's engines."
"Our shields are still at only half strength captain, we can't take much." Mayweather said as he maneuvered the ship expertly to attack the other vessel. They took hits from both ships on their front and top, the shockwaves were violent and fires erupted on the bridge, several injured had to be taken off the bridge from the hits.
"Evasive manuevers, Mayweather focus fire on the smaller vessel. All power to shields and weapons. Lieutenant Reed, we are going to need torpedos." Archer said whilst holding on as the weapons fired all banks and they got hit on critical spots on the ship, the shields weren't holding.
"I can't get torpedos ready Captain, the tubes are damaged, i had to evacuate 2 torpedo chambers for fear of hull breaches." Reed was heard on the comms.
"Stay in front of the Columbia, get that fire out! Captan Voris, we need your assistance."
"Khan's vessel is holding us up, it can manuever faster and seems to be predicting our movements, we can't break off or we will expose our weak spots. We are causing a lot less damage to the ship than before, but once we penetrate their armor we can break off and help out. Hold on Captain, just hold on."
"We don't have the time. Ensign Mayweather, prepare for... What is that?" Archer asked before giving the order to ram the enemy ship. He saw it now, it was the Columbia, it had steered itself in front of them and taken the fire from the smaller vessel.
"Captain Hernandez, steer clear. Your ship is too damaged, you can't..." Captain Hernandez came on screen. Her face was blackened, beat up and bleeding. The bridge was on fire, several bodies around her.
"We have sustained too much damaged Captain. It has been an honor serving with you. Hernandez out." And she was gone from the screen.
"Captain! The Columbia is steering towards the enemy vessel!" T'pol screamed.
"On screen Commander." They watched as the Columbia plunged itself on the enemy ship. They both blew up with tremendous force, the shockwave knocked the Enterprise out and it tumbled towards the planet.