Disclaimer: If I owned Star Trek, would I be this broke? Think these things through!
Ch. 21:
Lydia rushed around her apartment, getting her things together. Kirk and Spock had gone to Marcus, and she knew that even if they had to steal the Enterprise, Kirk was going after Pike's killer, and she'd be damned if she was going to stay behind.
As she threw the last of her things into her bags, she went to her computer and hit the icon with Julie's name under it. A few seconds later, her best friend's face appeared on the screen.
"What the hell is going on?" Julie demanded in lieu of a greeting. "I just saw on the news that Starfleet Headquarters was attacked?!"
"Well, it's good to know the press is on top of things." Lydia replied, sitting down.
"Liam, get in here!" Julie called over her shoulder before turning back to Lydia. "Are you okay?"
Lydia sighed and rubbed her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall again.
"I'm fine." She said with a sigh as Liam's face joined Julie's. "But a lot of people died last night, including Admiral Pike."
"Oh, Lydia, I'm so sorry." Liam told her softly. "I know how much you liked him."
"Thank you." Lydia replied. "Where are you guys?"
"My parents house." He told her. "They were happy to take us in, but I think they'd like to know how long we're planning on staying."
"I can't tell you much." Lydia replied. "All I can tell you is that the attack in London and last night's attack on HQ were by the same man. Until this is all settled, I want you guys to stay out of San Francisco."
"Do you really think there'll be another attack?" Julie asked.
"I don't know." Lydia replied. "Kirk's meeting with people right now to get permission to hunt this guy, but until he's brought in, I want you two and Grace where I know you're relatively safe."
"You're going after this guy?" Julie demanded.
"Someone has to." Lydia replied.
Julie sighed and looked at Liam before turning back to Lydia.
"Promise me you'll keep yourself safe." She told her.
"I'll do my best." Lydia replied with a small smile. "You just keep my niece out of harm's way."
"We will." Liam told her. "Stay safe. And tell Kirk, if you come back in less than pristine condition, he's never getting a free drink again."
He reached towards the screen and then it went black before she could reply. Lydia sighed and stood up, taking one last look around her apartment to make sure she had everything before grabbing her bag and heading towards the door.
As she headed downstairs, her communicator beeped.
"Jones." She answered it.
"It's Nyota." Came the response. "Have you heard from Kirk?"
"I know he's meeting with Marcus, trying to get permission to go after Harrison." Lydia replied, strapping her bag to the back of her bike. "Why?"
"Because I just got a recall order with Kirk named as Captain again." Uhura replied.
"Give me a second?" Lydia asked.
She quickly pulled up her messages and saw that she had a similar message.
"Shuttle bay 3?" she asked her friend.
"Yep." Uhura confirmed.
"Marcus must have given him back the Enterprise." Lydia surmised. "I'm about to pull out of my apartment. See you soon?"
"I'm just throwing the last bit of my stuff together." Uhura replied. "See you soon."
Lydia closed the communicator and shoved it in her bag before pulling on her helmet and putting the bike in drive.
Lydia handed her bag to an Ensign as she saw Kirk and McCoy approaching.
"Where the hell were you?" she heard McCoy demand as she fell in step with him.
"Waited?" Kirk asked, nodding to Lydia as he ignored his Medical Officer's irritation. "For what?"
"For the going-away banquet Starfleet's female contingent prepared in your honor." McCoy replied sarcastically, making Lydia chuckle. "For you pre-departure medical exam – what'd you think? You didn't show up! And don't think I didn't notice you weren't there either, missy!" He turned his glare on the Security Chief, who looked properly ashamed, unlike her Captain. "You were both in a damn firefight less than 10 hours ago. Subsequent to which neither of you were checked out. Now you, Jim, are resuming command of the Enterprise without so much as having your blood pressure taken. What kind of ship's doctor do you think I am? It's my duty to – "
"Bones, I'm fine." Kirk cut him off.
Instead of arguing, McCoy simply grabbed Kirk's arm and made him stop, concern showing on his face instead of irritation.
"The hell you are." He said softly.
For a second, it looked like Kirk might actually let his friend in, but a second later, the cockiness was back and he shrugged indifferently.
"You wanna examine me? Examine me." He told McCoy. "But not until we're under way."
McCoy sighed heavily.
"And the point of giving you a check-up when we're already halfway to who knows where would be what?" He demanded in frustration. "I may do it anyway, just to satisfy myself."
"Satisfy yourself about what?" Kirk asked, grinning. "Whether I'm crazy or not?"
"No, I already know the answer to that one." McCoy replied. "C'mon, move, Captain. You're holding up the queue."
As Kirk moved along, McCoy stopped Lydia.
"I really do need to check you." He told her softly. "After all the physical damage you've sustained in the last few months, I want to make sure you're alright."
"You can check me on the shuttle." Lydia told him. "But I feel okay. Really."
"Get on board." He told her, exasperated. "You and Jim are going to be the death of me."
"But if we weren't around, what would you do with yourself?" she replied, grinning as she swung herself through the door of the shuttle.
"Probably have less grey hair." He muttered, following her.
She and McCoy went and sat in the row behind the one Kirk and Spock were already sitting in.
"The Enterprise should be ready for departure by the time we arrive." Spock was saying. "I anticipate no delays in leaving orbit."
Kirk nodded and opened his mouth to continue, but was stopped as McCoy began scanning him.
"Hey!" he protested, leaning away from the Doctor. "I said you could do this once we were under way."
"Technically, as soon as the last door closes, we're officially underway." McCoy told him, not looking away from his device. "You want to lodge a complaint about my resoning, file it with Starfleet Medical once we return. In the mean time, open your mouth and stick out your tongue so I can scan your teeth. And keep laughing, Commander, you're next."
Lydia did her level best to look meek and contrite.
"Yeah, try it on someone who hasn't ever had to treat you." McCoy muttered.
Kirk reluctantly allowed McCoy to go about his business.
"Captain." Spock said, seizing this moment of quiet. "I would be remiss were I not to thank you for requesting my reinstatement to the Enterprise. While I could as easily have remained with Captain Abbott's ship or requested assignment to another vessel, my preference is to serve aboard the Enterprise in the company of a crew with whom I am already familiar."
"If you're going to say something about 'familiarity breeding contempt'," McCoy said, still not looking up from his work, "I may be forced to make a note in your official medical record."
"I would not think of doing such a thing, Doctor." Spock replied evenly. "The very notion leads me to suggest that after you are through examining the captain, you might consider examining yourself for symptoms of paranoia."
"Oh, we already know he has those." Lydia replied, grinning.
"And for that, you just earned yourself a full work up, Commander." McCoy told her.
"Oh, for crying out loud, Bones!" Lydia complained.
"Keep pushing me, missy." He shot back.
Lydia huffed, but kept her mouth shut.
Ignoring them, Spock turned back to the captain.
"It would also be remiss of me if I did not now strongly object to your mission parameters." He told him.
"Of course it would," Kirk replied, trying unsuccessfully to pull away as McCoy brought out a new device and pressed it against his neck. "Consider your objection so noted."
"There is more."
"And he thinks I'm paranoid." McCoy muttered under his breath.
"While I harbor only the ultimate disdain and contempt for the individual known as John Harrison, and desire strongly that he receive the punishment due him, I must point out there is no Starfleet regulation that condemns a man to die wouthout a trial – no matter how egregious his offenses." Spock continued. "On a completely different matter of concern, I must say angain that preemptively firing one or more torpedoes at the Klingon Homeworld goes against every – "
"What?!" Lydia exclaimed as McCoy finally pulled his device away and gaped at them. "You want to fire what at the what?! Have you not listened to a word I've said the last few months about relations between Starfleet and the Klingons? And now we're firing torpedoes at their homeworld?! You're going to start a damn war!"
"No – technically, yes, but no." Kirk told her. "Because we're actually – look, Lyds, it'll be explained in detail once we're at warp and clear of Earth's system."
"Clear of Earth's sys – You listen to me, James Kirk." Lydia told him angrily. "Tell me what is going on right now!"
"Seriously, insubordination means nothing to you, does it?" he replied with a sigh.
"Jim!"
Kirk ignored her and glared at his first officer.
"Look, you yourself said the area's uninhabited." He told Spock. "And there's only going to be one casualty. And in case you weren't listening, our orders have nothing to do with Starfleet regulations."
"Regulations aside…" Spock said, refusing to be dissuaded.
"'Regulations aside'?" Kirk sputtered. "When did you ever put regulations aside, Spock – even for the sake of discussion?"
"What I mean to say, Captain, is that however justification for our mission may be rationalized, such an action is morally wrong."
Kirk let out a humorless laugh.
"Regulations aside, pulling your ass out of a volcano on the verge of erupting was morally right and I didn't get any points for that either." He told the half-Vulcan. "as it seems that I'm wrong no matter what I do, I'd just as soon go with something that has a worthwhile purpose."
McCoy glanced at his main readout, which was now beeping alarmingly.
"Jim, your vitals are spiking, and we're not even off the ground." He told him. "Calm down."
Kirk whirled around to face his best friend.
"I'm not gonna take ethics lessons from an emotionless robot who – "
"Reverting to childish name calling suggests you are defensive," Spock observed calmly, "which suggests you therefore find my opinion valid – any ass-pulling-out-of notwithstanding."
Kirk, at that moment, looked like he would rather be on any shuttle in the bay rather than this one.
"I didn't ask for your opinion." He told Spock before reaching up and swatting at the tricorder McCoy was now passing across his face. "You think my vitals are up now? If you don't get that thing out of my face…"
"Captain," Spock continued, sounding resigned, "our mission is, by its very definition, immoral. Perhaps once we are on board and under way, you might find the requisite time to reach the same conclusion on your won, as it is amply apparent that you are not going to listen to me – or to anyone else."
Spock may have been finished, but Kirk apparently wasn't – or he wouldn't have been if something else, more interesting hadn't passed through his field of vision.
As the door began to close, one more arrival appeared. A young, blonde, blue eyed arrival, standing in front of the Captain, smiling down at him.
"Captain Kirk?" she asked in light British accent. "Science Officer Carol Wallace. I've been assigned to the Enterprise by Admiral Marcus."
"Isn't it a bit unusual, Wallace, for a senior ship's officer to be transferred aboard at essentially the last minute?" Kirk asked.
"Especially without the Chief of Security being notified?" Lydia muttered behind him.
He glanced back at her to see her glaring at the new comer and swatted at her, prompting her to swat right back at him, before turning back to the new officer.
"As you are aware, Captain, Commander, certain recent events have resulted in an atypical acceleration of asset application." Wallace told them. "It seems that I'm included."
"That may be true, Lieutenant." Lydia said coolly as she looked over her crew list on her tablet. "But your name is not included on the roster anywhere."
"An oversight, I'm sure." The other woman replied, smiling just as cooly. "I'm sure it will be rectified in the next update."
Lydia started to open her mouth, but was distracted by McCoy turning his attention to her.
"So help me god, Len." She growled, but he just ignored her and shoved a device against her cheek.
"Ha!" Kirk exclaimed. "See how you like it!"
"You're going to see how you like having my foot shoved up your – mmfh!"
She glared as McCoy put his hand over her mouth and continued his readings calmly.
"Sir?"
Kirk refocused on Wallace.
"You requested an additional science officer, Captain?" Spock asked, with almost a hint of being hurt.
"I wish I had." Kirk replied, smirking.
Moving closer, the Lieutenant offered a tablet to the Captain.
"Lieutenant Carol Wallace." He read aloud. "Advance d doctorates in applied physics, astrophysics, materials science. Starfleet specialist in advanced weapons systems."
"Impressive credentials." Spock commented without emotion.
"Thank you." She replied.
"Though redundant now that I am back on the Enterprise, as well as Commander Jones." He continued.
"Thank you, Spock." Lydia said, reaching forward to pluck the tablet out of Kirk's hands, who let it go with a sigh.
"Have a seat, Doctor." He said, motioning to the seat between him and Spock.
As the new officer got settled and the shuttle took off, Lydia leaned forward and rested a hand on Kirk's shoulder.
"You will tell me what's going on the minute we're underway." She said softly and seriously.
He turned slightly so he could see her and took in her serious expression.
"I promise Lyds." He said, reaching up to squeeze her hand. "Now, did you talk to Jules and Liam?"
Lydia sighed, but allowed him to change the subject.
"They're at Liam's parents' house." She said softly. "It's in backwater nowhere Ireland, so they should be safe. Liam said to tell you that if I, and I quote, 'come back in less than pristine condition' you're never getting a free drink again."
Kirk gasped and clutched his chest.
"Hit a man where it hurts, why don't you?!" he exclaimed, making her chuckle.
He looked her over and took in the tight lines of her body.
"You know I won't let anything happen to you, right?" he whispered.
Lydia sighed and moved her hand down his arm so it was gently wrapped around his wrist.
"It's not me I'm worried about." She replied, just as softly.
Neither officer noticed the newcomer watching them carefully.
When they left the shuttle, they found themselves in a whirlwind of turmoil. Every place you looked, crew members ran to and fro, getting the ship ready for departure. And at the center of the whirlwind stood the Chief Engineer, yelling loudly at a pair of foreign security officers, who stood next to a hover palette that obviously contained Scotty's point of contention.
"No." he was shouting at them. "Absolutely not. I'm not signing anything!"
He angrily shoved a tablet back at the nearest of the two officers. "I'm not puttin' me retina stamp on anything that's a blind delivery, especially on behalf of a load like this!"
He motioned to the palette, which contained a stack of gleaming photon torpedoes, the likes of which Lydia had never seen, making her instantly sympathize with the engineer.
"Get those bloody things off my ship!" he shouted, turning and spotting Kirk, Spock, and Lydia walking towards him. "Captain!"
Kirk took a deep breath.
"Mr. Scott." He acknowledged. "Is there a problem?"
"You bet your…!" Scotty calmed himself with visible effort as Lydia reached around him to pluck the tablet from the Security Officer's hand. "Aye, sir – there's a 'problem'."
He gestured forcefully in the direction of the two security officers.
"I was just attempting to explain in the most calm and rational way possible, that I cannot authorize additional weapons comin' aboard unless I know exactly what's inside them." He gestured to the palette and its ominous load. "Especially when those weapons are of a new and unfamiliar type."
"Where are the specs?" Lydia demanded, flipping through the pages on the tablet.
"Exactly my question!" Scotty exclaimed.
"Mr. Scott and Miss Jones raise another concern." Spock said.
"Mr. Spock," Kirk said, stopping him from continuing, "report to the bridge. Now, if you please."
"Yes, Captain."
For a being that did not show emotion, Lydia noted, practically every line of the half Vulcan's body screamed out how he felt about being dismissed.
As soon as the first officer was out of earshot, Kirk turned back to his Chief Engineer and Security Officer.
"Mr. Scott, I understand your concerns," he told him, "I sympathize with your position, and I admire your adherence to procedure – but we need those torpedoes on board."
"Why?" Lydia demanded. "Sir, we are fully armed. The weapons bay doesn't even have room left for a load this size!"
Kirk glared at her and she glared right back.
"I'm sure you can find space, Commander." He told her tightly. "Aren't you needed on the bridge?"
"Not yet." She replied sharply. "O'Neill has everything in hand, I'm sure."
"It isn't even the space, sir." Scotty interrupted. "Photon torpedoes run on their own miniaturized drives, each specific to a type an' model. But I kina get a readin' on any o' these because their drive compartments are shielded. And the sections that are supposed to be open to inspection and repair are combination locked down. I could force one – "
"But without knowing what's inside, that's a tremendously bad idea." Lydia interrupted.
"Exactly." Scotty agreed. "I asked to have the operational specs transferred over, and when I did, he said – "
"It's classified." The Security Officer said on cue as Scotty pointed at him.
"It's classified." Scotty parroted sarcastically. "To which I said: No specs, no signature!" His voice turned pleading. "You talk to them, Captain. Try to make them see reason from an engineering standpoint. Each of these little ship-busting packages has its own drive. If I don't know the specs on those drives, how am I supposed to be certain that when they're activated, they won't interfere with the Enterprise's own drive, or some other critical component of the ship?"
"Come on, Scotty." Kirk protested. "D'you really think Starfleet would put a new type of torpedo on one of its vessels without first testing to make sure it wouldn't cause any problems?"
"You mean like they wouldn't install a new weapons system without making sure it fired correctly every time?" Lydia asked innocently.
"I'm sure they've tested it, Captain." Scotty said as Kirk glared at Lydia. "And just maybe me refusal to blindly accept them is part o' that same testin'. I dinna know what tests Starfleet has run on them or with them, but I do know that none o' them 'ave been run on the Enterprise, and I'm not 'avin' those things on me ship unless I know what's inside them besides maybe gerbils runnin' nowhere inside little metal wheels!"
"Captain," came Sulu's voice over the intercom, "the ship's ready for departure on your orders."
"Thank you, Mr. Sulu." Kirk called back. "Scotty – "
The engineer took a step back.
"If you'll excuse me, Captain, I've got a core to prime."
He looked around and spotted his first assistant sitting on one of the new torpedoes, checking the storage instructions imprinted on its top.
"What are you bloody gapin' at, Keenser?" He demanded. "Get down!"
He strode off, the smaller Roylan struggling to keep up, and Kirk watched him go before one of the Security officers prompted him.
"Captain? We need a decision regarding this cargo."
"I know what you need." Kirk shot back, annoyed. "I'm trying to decide what I need. Stand by."
"Jim," McCoy said, unhappily from behind him, "these numbers aren't good."
"Scotty…" Kirk called, ignoring McCoy. "Dammit."
He took off after the Chief Engineer, leaving Lydia and McCoy alone.
"Your numbers don't look good either." He told her.
"Yeah, well our illustrious Captain may very well order me to fire a missile soon that I have no idea as to what it will do." Lydia shot back, staring after Kirk. "I mean, I like explosion more than the next person, but only when I'm controlling them! Without specs, I have no idea what these things will do when I fire them at, oh I don't know, a populated homeworld! Tell me, how should my numbers look?"
"Lower." He replied, ignoring her outburst. "Forget what the torpedoes will do, what are we supposed to do if you or the Captain start to stoke out?"
"Let Spock and O'Neill handle this mess?" Lydia suggested before sighing. "I need to go make sure he isn't doing anything stupid. You should get to your station."
McCoy sighed, but nodded and headed off. Meanwhile, Lydia motioned to two of her officers to join her.
"Make sure these two do not move from this spot." She told them, motioning to the two unknown officers.
Her officers nodded and took up guard positions, to the obvious annoyance of the other two, but Lydia just ignored them, opting to follow the path her Captain had taken.
She found them still arguing in Engineering.
"Mr. Scott, I'm not interested in arguing the matter any further." Kirk was saying. "Sign for the torpedoes. That's an order!"
"An order, sir?" Scotty replied. "You're asking me to violate me own principles, t'go against me own judgment?"
"Don't make such a major issue out of it, Scotty." Kirk told him, exasperated. "It's just a palette of new weaponry. Such deliveries are made all the time."
"I kinna sign for them." Scotty shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'd be twa bubbles aff the center if I did."
"You will sign for them, Mr. Scott." Kirk ordered. "You have no choice in this matter."
"Is that so, Captain?" Scotty replied. "You're right about one thing: I do have no choice. No choice but t'resign me duties."
This answer shocked Kirk visibly.
"Scotty." He said. "Come on, you can't be serious."
"As you say, you leave me no choice, Captain." Scotty answered.
"You're not leaving me a choice." Kirk said, frustrated. "I don't have time – "
"D'you accept me resignation or not?" Scotty pressed.
"Will you as chief engineer sign for those torpedoes?" Kirk tried one more time.
"I will not."
"Then I accept your resignation." Kirk replied, surprising not only himself, but Scotty and Lydia. "You are relieved of duty, Mr. Scott."
Scotty stared at him in shock for a second before flushing in anger, which he just as quickly suppressed to replace with concern.
"Jim – " He pleaded softly, "for the love a' God, whatever happens, do not use those torpedoes."
With no other option, he handed his tablet over to Kirk and marched away.
"Scotty." Lydia said softly, stopping him with a hand on his arm.
"Keep him safe, Lydy-girl." He told her seriously. "Keep them all safe."
"I will." She promised.
He squeezed her hand before moving away, only stopping to glare at Keenser, who marched up to Kirk and handed over his own tablet before following his superior.
Kirk watched them go for a moment before turning and marching off in the opposite direction.
"Captain!" Lydia called, following him. "Kirk. Jim, stop!"
At the use of his first name, he did stop, turning back to look at her.
"What?" he demanded harshly.
"Did you just fire Scotty?" she demanded incredulously.
"Technically he quit." He replied.
"Don't you dare argue semantics with me, James Kirk!" she said angrily.
"I don't have time for this." He told her, turning away.
"Then make time!" she said, grabbing his arm and forcing him to turn back to her. "Christ, Jim! Scotty is one of your closest friends and would never go against you without a very good reason, so, please, stop and think about this!"
"I am hunting a dangerous criminal who blew up a building full of innocent people, and then shot up another room full of innocent people." He told her angrily.
"No, you're hunting the man who killed Christopher Pike." Lydia shot back. "And it's blinding you to the reality of the situation."
"This from the queen of being blinded." Kirk sneered. "Remind me, who was it who let a psycho capture her after he had already gutted her once?"
"Jim, Spock told you this is a bad idea, Scotty just quit because this is a bad idea, and now, at the risk of my own job, I'm telling you this is a bad idea! You're going to start a war!"
"You told me once you would support your friends, no matter how crazy the plan, because that's what they need you to do." He reminded her.
"I didn't think it would ever come to helping my friend attack Qo'noS!" she replied, exasperated.
"This is my duty." Kirk told her. "These are my orders!"
"It doesn't bother you that we don't know what those weapons are?" Lydia demanded. "It bothers me! I have no idea what those think will do when you order me to fire them at a hostile homeworld. What's their yield? I don't know because I have no specs. How far away is a safe firing distance? I have no idea because I have no specs! Scotty was right not to sign for those things. I wouldn't either!"
"So quit like him." He said harshly.
"Don't push me, Captain." Lydia growled. "You're running dangerously low on allies. You need to think, Jim. Think about why you're doing this. Are you doing this because this man is dangerous and should be brought to justice, or because he took Pike from us? And if it's the first, doesn't he deserve due process? And if it's the second," she sighed, "you yourself once told me vengeance wasn't the answer. And you were right. Take it from someone who knows, it won't make you feel better."
Kirk was silent and Lydia sighed again.
"I'm needed on the Security Deck and you're needed on Command." She said softly. "Please, Jim, just think about what you're about to do. Please."
With one last pleading look, she turned and walked away, and after a moment, Kirk turned and walked to the turbolift.
A/N: Look at this! Another chapter! Well how about that!
Let me know what you think! Am I changing enough to make it interesting? Let me know!
Abbey