"Miss Kirk, Mister Spock, Starfleet's mandate is to explore and observe, not to interfere," Admiral Komack said.

"Actually, sir, Starfleet's mandate is the advancement of Federation knowledge about the galaxy and its inhabitants, the advancement of Federation science and technology, the military defense of the Federation and the practice of Federation diplomacy," Jim said. They really shouldn't play this game with her, her mom and Chris taught her well.

"You violated the Prime Directive," Admiral Jenson said.

"Yes, sir. I did. If there was a Federation colony on that planet instead of the Nibirans, what I did would've been expected," she said.

"But it wasn't a Federation colony, Kirk," Jenson said.

"I'm aware of that, sir, I'm just stating a point. What makes us any more important than them? The Nibirans are an intelligent species. Who's to say that they wouldn't be warp capable in the next few centuries? All we did was give them a chance. They didn't even see us," Jim argued.

"That's a technicality," Komack said.

"I am Vulcan, sir. We embrace technicality," Spock quipped. Jim was gonna have a good laugh at that one later.

Komack glared at them, "You two seem to think the rules are for other people."

"No, sir. I think the rules as they are, aren't working. The Prime Directive is a blanket regulation that promotes inaction. Sit back and watch," she looked at Admiral Marcus. His eyes widened slightly at the use of that last phrase. It was something that Bob said, probably to both of them. "It's not our lives and not our children so why should we care, right? Except, one day, it will be."

Komack opened his mouth to say something but Admiral Marcus spoke up first.

"Kirk has a point. You execution leaves a lot to be desired but I get what you were trying to do, Captain. You remind me of my old CO. Bob was always trying to help, even it got him into trouble." Marcus looked at her for a long moment. "If you were anyone else, you'd lose your command, however, I can't punish you for doing what got you command in the first place. So, an official reprimand will go in your file, Kirk. I advise keeping your nose clean. You're both dismissed."

"Shouldn't you be with your boyfriend?" a voice asked behind her.

"He's over there," Jim pointed to the end of the bar. Xi and a few of his friends pulled Gavin away. She didn't mind, she wouldn't want to hang out with a captain either and she was one.

"He keeps looking over here," he said. Jim looked in Gavin's direction and, sure enough, he was looking at her. "God, that man loves you. It's written all over his face."

"Well, I love him. Who knows, maybe one day I'll stop playing hero long enough to get married, have a kid," she said with a shrug.

"I guess that means Mister Hendorff and I are gonna have to have a long conversation," he told her before looking at the bartender. "I'll have whatever she's drinking. Top her off while we're at it."

"Eagle Rare," she said.

"The good bourbon. I think you spend too much time with McCoy," Chris said as their drinks were poured.

"Can never have too much time with Bones," Jim chuckled. "He keeps me honest."

"So I've heard," he sighed. "I can't believe you went off on the brass."

"Yes, you can. I do what I have to in order to get shit done, even if it means pissing the Admiralty off. I'm the one that wants to change the universe, I always have been," she said.

"That's true. Someone once said that well-behaved women seldom make history," the admiral said.

"Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. She's one of mom's favorites," Jim said.

"I think you're well on your way to changing the world we live in, kid," he told her.

"Really?"

"Yea. I believe in you, Jim. I always have," Chris said.

"God, you're starting to sound like mom. I'm supposed to have lunch with her tomorrow, you should come with," Jim said. She didn't get an answer because that's when her communicator went off. "When's the last time they called an emergency session?"

"It's been a while," he said. "Time to suit up?"

"Yea. I gotta get back to HQ," she said.

"I'll drop you off," Chris told her.

"Thanks. Let me…" she motioned towards Gavin. Chris gave her a nod and she grabbed her jacket as she slid off the bar stool.

"Oh, Captain, my captain," Xi called when she walked over.

"Not yet, Xi, but I am working on it," she chuckled. Scotty needed the best of the best in engineering and Xi fit the bill. Now that he could see again, there was no reason why he shouldn't be on the Enterprise.

"You should have a drink with us, Captain Kirk," one of the guys she didn't know said.

"I'd love to, guys, but I can't. I just got called into an emergency meeting. Yay me," Jim told the officers.

"I'll walk with you," Gavin offered.

"No, stay. I'm gonna ride with Pike. Have fun… not too much fun though," she said.

"Of course not, I'll save that for later," he said with a wink.

"You're a mess," Jim laughed.

"Maybe. But I'm your mess," Gavin chuckled. "Stay outta trouble."

"Now, you know better, Cupcake."

"Jim," her mother grabbed her arm as Jim walked through the lobby of the main headquarters building.

"Hi, mom," Jim said. "I'm guessing you got called to this meeting?"

"Captain Nelson is already upstairs," Winona looked around. "Something is very wrong, sweetie. I don't know what, yet. Just… keep your eyes open."

"Yes, ma'am," the younger woman whispered as Spock walked up to them. Her mom has killer instincts and if she's telling you to be careful, something was really bothering her.

"Captain, Commander," he greeted them.

"Spock," both women replied.

"Clear the room!" Jim yelled. Officers all over the place tried to run or hit the deck when the shooting started.

Admiral Marcus called this meeting to address the bombing of the Kelvin Memorial Archive in London. According to Marcus, an officer confessed to carrying out the bombing, claiming that he forced to do it buy another officer. Jim didn't buy that for one second. The fact that Marcus wanted them to hunt the guy down and kill him also rubbed her the wrong way.

Spock only added to Jim's unease when he pointed at something in the holograms from London. The pair of officers noticed that Harrison was carrying a bag of some importance and it seemed likely that the bombing was either a misdirection or something else was going on like her mother suspected. Jim had barely voiced her thought that the bombing was only part of whatever was going on when she noticed the red light flashing behind her. It was a jumpship.

"We need an air defense team, Daystrom conference room!" Captain Nelson called into his comm. Jim was only half paying attention to him, Captain Brubaker went down a few feet away from her and Jim made a dash to help the other woman.

"You're gonna be okay," Jim said as she pulled the other captain to an alcove at the back of the room.

"Stop this guy, Kirk," Brubaker grunted. Jim gave the other woman a nod and looked around the room.

She sprinted out of cover, swiping a rifle off the floor and started shooting at the ship. While she was shooting, Jim noticed the turbines and came up with an idea. She ran over to an emergency panel on the wall and ran over to it. Jim opened the panel and pulled out the fire hose, tying it to the rifle and tossing it at the jumpship. Like she thought it would, the ship sucked up the hose, pulling it off the wall and into the turbines. After it sputtered, the whole ship shut off and started to fall out of the sky. Harrison beamed out at the last second.

"Spock, are…? Mom," Jim ran over to the two commanders. Winona was still breathing but it was labored. "No, no, no, no, no. Mom."

"Still kicking," her mother whispered.

"Stay with me. Please, stay," Jim didn't know what to do. Spock was keeping pressure on her mother's chest wound, so Jim just held the woman who gave her life as the medical team got there.

"They have to take her, Jim," Spock finally whispered. She kissed her mother's head before they put her on the gurney and beamed her to the hospital. Jim didn't realize she was crying until Spock wiped off her face. "She is in good hands, Jim."

"Are you okay?" Gavin asked as his arms wrapped around her. Jim didn't have enough energy left to say anything, she just held onto his jacket like it was her lifeline.

Her mom was still in surgery. Bones went off to check on the surgery's progress and Uhura was on the comm with Sam. Jim had been pacing the the waiting room when Chris and Richard got there. The two men took turns letting her cry on them until Gavin and Xi got there.

"What is taking so long?" Sulu asked. Jim honestly had no idea.

"She's a Kirk woman, even unconscious, she's stubborn," Gavin quipped and Jim couldn't help but chuckle. "Ah, there's our girl."

"My mom is in there dying and you're making jokes," she whispered.

"Oh, please, Winona is gonna outlive all of us," Chris muttered.

"She's gonna be fine, sweetheart," Gavin said. She looked up at him. "There is nothing in this universe that can take that woman from you until she's good and ready. Doc's back." Jim turned around in Gavin's arms and looked at her best friend. Bones looked like he aged a decade in the last few hours.

"Jim," he sighed. Please don't say it. Please don't say it. "She's gonna be a pain in Boyce's ass until he releases her..." Jim didn't hear the rest of what he said.

"She's okay?"

Bones took a breath, "She's got some rehab in her future but she's gonna be okay. You, on the other hand, are covered in blood and I should take a look at the gash on your head."

"You can do whatever you want. I just want to see my mom."

AN: I almost, almost, killed Winona. I literally changed my mind right before I posted this, I just couldn't do it.