I wish I couldn't feel, I wish I couldn't love
I wish that I could stop cause it hurts so much
And I'm the only one that's trying to keep us together
When all of the signs say that I should forget her
I wish you weren't the best, the best I ever had
I wish that the good outweighed the bad
Cause it'll never be over, until you tell me it's over

These battle scars don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle scars don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle...

Battle Scars Featuring Lupe Fiasco – Guy Sebastian


"So, Harrison has gone to the Klingon homeworld? Is he defecting?" Marcus asked her.

"Uh… we're not sure, sir," she answered honestly.

"He has taking refuge in the Ketha Province, a region uninhabited for decades," Spock said.

"He's gotta be hiding there, sir. He knows if we even go near Klingon space, it'll be all-out war. Starfleet can't go after him, but I can," Jim said.

"All-out war with the Klingons is inevitable, Miss Kirk. If you ask me, it's already begun. Since we first learned of their existence, the Klingon Empire has conquered and occupied two planets that we know of, fired on our ships more times than I can count. You've had your dust ups with them. Your work on Ajilon Prime and Capella Four was impressive," the admiral paused. "London was not an archive, it was a top secret branch of Starfleet designated to Section Thirty-One. They were developing defense technologies and training our officers to gather intelligence on the Klingons, and any other potential enemy that means to do us harm. Harrison was one of our top agents."

That was an interesting bit of information. If Section 31 was in play, that meant all bets were off. Harrison could very well be acting on orders, which actually pissed Jim off. She wasn't gonna voice that to Marcus though.

"He's a fugitive and I wanna catch him," she told the admiral.

"Mister Spock, you said that the Province where Harrison is hiding uninhabited?" Marcus asked.

"Affirmative, sir."

"As part of our defensive strategy, Thirty-One developed a new photon torpedo," he told them before activating a holo of the torpedoes. "Long range and untraceable, it would be invisible to Klingon sensors. I don't want you hurt but I want to take him out. You park on the edge of the Neutral Zone, your lock on to Harrison's position, you fire, you kill him and hail ass."

"Permission to assign Mister Spock as my first officer," Jim said.

"Granted, Captain Kirk."


"Jim, where were you?" Bones asked as he caught up with her in the shuttle bay.

"For what?" she asked.

"Your medical exam. Ten hours ago, you were in a damn fire-fight. Now, it's my duty to exa…"

"I'm fine, Bones."

"The hell you are."

"I'm fine."

"You could say that until you're blue in the face but it wouldn't matter. I'm your husband and I've known you for fifteen years. You are not fine. Your dad's in the hospital. One of your step-moms is in the hospital. Chenowyth and Gaynor were killed…"

"Bones, I'm fine," she cut him off. He was right, she wasn't fine but she wasn't saying it out loud. Jim gave him a look and boarded the shuttle. "A status report, Mister Spock."

"The Enterprise should be ready for launch by the time we arrive," her first officer told her. That was weird, ten hours ago she was the first officer.

"Good."

"Captain, as your first officer, it is my duty to strongly object to our mission perimeters. There is no Starfleet regulation that condemns a man to die without a trial, something you and Admiral Marcus are forgetting. Also, preemptively firing torpedoes at the Klingon homeworld goes against…"

"Your advice is noted, Mister Spock," Jim sighed.

"Wait a minute, we're firing torpedoes at the Klingons?" her husband asked from the seat behind her.

"Regulations aside, this action is morally wrong," Spock pointed out.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion. Bones, stop scanning me," she glanced back at her husband and, sure enough, he had his tricorder pointed at her. "Pippa already checked me over. She needed something to do while Genie was in surgery so I let her torture me."

"Oh. Good," Bones closed the device.

"Captain, our mission could start a war with the Klingons," the half-Vulcan next to her said. "And it is, by its very definition, immoral. Perhaps, you should take a requisite time to arrive at this conclusion for yourself."

"Captain Kirk," a crisp British accent interrupted them. "Science Officer Wallace. I've been assigned to Enterprise by Admiral Marcus. These are my transfer orders." The woman handed Jim a PADD.

"You requested an additional science officer, Captain?" Spock asked, she could almost hear the hurt in his voice.

"I did not," Jim sighed. "Lieutenant Carol Wallace. Doctorate in Applied Physics, specializing in advanced weaponry."

"Impressive credentials," Spock said.

"Thank you," Wallace said.

"Redundant as I am aboard the Enterprise," her first officer said.

"Yes, and yet, the more the merrier," Jim said. She wasn't dumb and Admiral Marcus had plenty of holos of this woman on his desk. The fact that she faked her name meant that Marcus didn't really send her and he probably had no idea that his daughter was trying to get on the Enterprise. "Have a seat, doctor."


"Jim, I'm so sorry about Captain Chenowyth and Commander Gaynor," Uhura said as they walked to the turbolift.

"We all are," Jim sighed. She did get to talk to Jankowski for a few minutes but she didn't want to keep the other new captain away from her crew. She also had a short talk with Genie's second officer, Lieutenant Commander Tyler. Right now, he's the acting CO of the Yorktown.

"Are you okay?"

"You mean, aside from the fact that one of my friends and one of my mentors were killed and I almost lost two more parents? I'm fine. Thanks." They stepped into the lift. "Actually, I just had to talk Scotty outta quitting. Oh, your husband and mine have decided to join forces and second guess everything I say." Jim took a deep breath. "Sorry, that was inappropriate. It's just sometimes I wanna... Hell, maybe it's me."

"It's not you," Uhura chuckled.

"It's not? Wait, are you guys… are you guys, fighting?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"I've known Spock for like a decade and I've never… Oh, my God. What is that even like?" Jim asked. Uhura didn't get a chance to answer as the doors to the lift opened and Spock was waiting on the other side. Uhura gave him a look that could cut glass and walked past him. "Ears burning?"

"Captain, I must…" Spock started.

"Retract all moorings, Mister Sulu," she ordered, ignoring her first officer.

"Yes, sir," Sulu said as Jim sat in the command chair.

"Lieutenant Uhura, open a ship wide channel," Jim said.

"Yes, sir," the communications officer nodded.

Scotty alerted her that they were ready for warp. The captain looked at her helmsman, "Sulu, let's ride."

"Channel open, sir," Uhura told her after the warp core engaged.

"Attention, crew of the Enterprise. As most of you know, there have been multiple attacks on Starfleet facilities and personnel in the last few days. The man responsible has fled our system and is hiding on the Klingon homeworld, somewhere he believes we are unwilling to go. We are on our way there now. Per Admiral Marcus, it is essential that our presence go undetected. Tensions between the Federation and the Klingon Empire have been high, any provocation could lead to an all-out war. I will personally lead a landing party to an abandoned city on the surface of Qo'noS, where we will capture the fugitive John Harrison, and return him to Earth so he can face judgment for his actions. Alright, let's go get this son of a bitch. Kirk out."


"This isn't gonna work," Jim muttered.

"It is our only logical option. And if you interrupt her now you, will not only incur the wrath of the Klingons, but that of Lieutenant Uhura as well," Spock told her.

Jim, Spock, Uhura and Security officers Hendorff and Jacobs went down to the Qo'noS. She left Sulu in command of the Enterprise, gave him orders to threaten Harrison and left Bones with him on the bridge. She would've left Scotty in charge but there was something wrong with the warp core that he and Chekov were trying to figure out. Jim knew it was sabotage. Section 31 is messed up like that. The question is; who gave the order? Marcus is the only one who knows that the ship was out here. She really hoped it wasn't him.

Uhura talked with the Klingons, then one reached out and grabbed her. At that moment, someone started firing on the Klingons. Jim, Spock and the security officers spilled out of the small trading ship they were in and joined the firefight. That's when she spotted the hooded figure as he killed the Klingon patrol. He pulled his hood off and pointed a rifle at the small team of Starfleet officers. Harrison.

"Stand down!" Spock yelled.

"How many torpedoes?" Harrison asked.

"Stand down!" Spock repeated, his weapon aimed at the man they came to arrest. Harrison shot it out of Spock's hands.

"Your torpedoes! The weapons you threaten me within your message. How many are there?" Harrison asked again. Jim just glared at him.

"Seventy-two," Spock said.

Harrison looked at them for a moment before he dropped his weapon, "I surrender."

"On the behalf of Art Chenowyth and Jack Gaynor, my friends, I accept your surrender," Jim said. Before she could think better of it, she pulled back and punched him in that perfect face. He didn't react or fight back and it pissed her off even more. Jim kept punching him. At one point, she grabbed his hair with one hand and kept hitting him.

"Captain!" Uhura yelled. Jim let Harrison go.

"Captain?" he asked.

She glared at the terrorist before addressing her officers, "Cuff him."


"Ignore me, and you will get everyone on this ship killed," Harrison said as Jim, Bones and Spock walked away from his cell. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Captain, I believe he will only attempt to manipulate you. I would not recommend engaging the prisoner further," Spock told her.

"Give me a minute," she said to her friend and her husband before walking back over to Harrison's cell. Both men knew better than to try and stop her. "Let me explain what's happening here, Harrison. You are a criminal. I watched you murder a bunch of innocent Starfleet officers. I was authorized to end you. Not that I needed permission, you hurt my dad and I've killed people for a lot less. The only reason you're breathing, is because I am allowing it. So shut. Your. Mouth!"

"Oh, Captain, are you going to punch me again, over and over, until your arm weakens? Clearly you want to. So, tell me, why did you allow me to live?" Harrison asked.

"You're a murderer, I'm not," Jim said.

"Of course, it's why I surrendered to you. You have a conscience, Miss Kirk. If you did not, then it would be impossible for me to convince you of the truth. Two-three-one-seven-four-six-one-one. Coordinates not far from Earth. If you want to know why I did what I did, go and take a look."

"Give me one reason why I should listen you," she told him.

"I can give you seventy-two. And they're on board your ship, Captain. They have been, all along. I suggest you open one up," the terrorist told her.


"Have you lost your damn mind? You're not gonna actually listen to this guy. He killed Jack, he almost kill you, and now you think it's a good idea to pop open a torpedo because he dared you to?" her husband said.

"The doctor does have a point, Captain," Spock added his two credits.

"Don't agree with me, Spock. It makes me uneasy," Bones said.

"Perhaps you too should learn to govern your emotions," Her first officer told her husband. "In this situation, logic dictates that we have…"

"Logic! My God!" Bones said. "There's a maniac trying to make us blow up our own damn ship, and you're talking about…"

"Hey, fellas, I do know what I'm doing. I think. The Admiral said that the torpedoes were special. I don't think it's a coincidence that Marcus' daughter, who's a weapons specialist, faked her transfer onto the ship and then Harrison mentioned the torpedoes," Jim said.

"Wait," Bones looked at her, "Marcus' daughter?"

"Doctor Wallace," she told him. "She's Carol Marcus. If the admiral had assigned her to the ship, she wouldn't have faked her name. I'm guessing that he doesn't know she's here."

"Why?" her husband asked.

"I know this is gonna sound crazy," Jim sighed, "but I think Admiral Marcus is trying to kill us."