━━ Cupid Screwed Up
System Loading... Reagan Kelley... 47%

Reagan leaned against her console as the crew of the bridge discussed their next mode of attack. She could see Bethany was visibly upset with all the arguing taking place as she sat in Reagan's chair and read the reports from Med Bay. The weapon's specialists crossed her hands over her chest as she looked over at Leonard, only to see him scoff at something Spock was saying.

"Have you confirmed that Nero is headed for Earth?" Spock inquired.

"Their trajectory suggests no other destination, Captain." Uhura responded.

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

Jim sat comfortably in the Captain's chair as he pondered out loud, "Earth may be his next stop, but we have to assume every Federation planet's a target."

"Out of the chair."

Jim moved to stand behind Bethany at Reagan's console and gently placed his hands on the girl's shoulder. The girl leaned her head to the side against one of his hands causing Reagan to raise an eyebrow. She knew that Bethany had developed a crush on the womanizer, but she hadn't realized he returned the sentiments.

"How long has that been going on?" Reagan nodded her head to the couple as Leonard came to settle beside her.

"Do I look like Cupid?"

Reagan snorted, "I hope not. You would be awful at it."

The two turned their attention away from Bethany and Jim to focus back on Nero and the fight to save Pike. Reagan was more determined than ever to save him, especially after seeing the destruction of Vulcan. The girl leaned her head against Leonard's shoulder and the doctor stood still so as not to disturb her. Neither of them saw the smiles of their friends as they watched their interaction with great interest.

"Well, if the Federation is a target, why didn't they destroy us?" Chekov pointed out.

"Why would they? Why waste the weapons? You know... we obviously weren't a threat." Sulu replied.

"That is not it. He said he wanted me to see something. The destruction of my home planet." Spock deduced.

Reagan nodded, "He stated he wasn't a part of the empire. To him this was personal. A vendetta almost."

"How the hell did they do that, by the way? Where did the Romulans get that kind of weaponry?" Leonard asked, but no one had a straight answer.

"The engineering comprehension necessary to artificially create a black hole may suggest an answer. Such technology could theoretically be manipulated to create a tunnel through space-time."

"Dammit man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist. Are you actually suggesting they're from the future?!" Leonard asked Spock in anger.

"If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

"Sherlock Holmes."

"How poetic." Leonard started with a roll of his eyes.

"Then, what would an angry, future Romulan want with Captain Pike?" Jim asked.

"As Captain, he does know details of Starfleet's defenses." Sulu pointed out.

"But if he wanted to hit Starfleet then why start with Vulcan?" Reagan added.

"What we need to do is catch up to that ship. Disable it, take it over, and get Pike back."

Many members of the crew agreed with Jim's idea. Even Reagan had to admit she wanted Pike back and at all cost. However she worried about manpower against the kind of technology they were wielding. It was unlike something she had ever seen before and she was unsure of how her torpedoes would match to it.

"We are technologically outmatched in every way. A rescue attempt would be illogical."

"Doesn't mean don't try though." Reagan said and Spock raised an eyebrow at her. "I want to get Pike back, alive if possible. However, I am unsure of how our weapons will compare to those of futuristic vessels. If that is what it actually is.

"Nero's ship would have to drop out of warp for us to overtake him." Chekov backed her.

"Then, what about assigning engineering crews to try and boost our warp gear?" Jim asked.

"Remaining power and crew are being used to repair radiation leaks on the lower decks…"

"Okay, alright. There's got to be some way…"

"...we must gather with the rest of Starfleet, to balance the terms of the next engagement." Spock finished as Jim glared at him.

"There won't be another engagement. By the time we've gathered, it'll be too late. But you say he's from the future, knows what's going to happen, then the logical thing is to be unpredictable."

"You are assuming that Nero knows how events are predicted to unfold. To the contrary, Nero's very presence has altered the flow of history, beginning with the attack on the USS Kelvin, culminating in the events of today, thereby creating an entire new chain of incidents that cannot be anticipated by either party." Spock explained.

"An alternate reality?" Uhura muttered.

Silence once again befell upon the crew. Reagan shared a curious look with Leonard, but he gave no indication of where he stood. If anything he looked more irritated that they were standing here discussing rather than taking action. Reagan looked over at Bethany only to find her looking up the USS Kelvin file. She was deep in reading and analyzing the report, and Reagan thought it best not to disturb her.

"Precisely. Whatever our lives might have been, if the time continuum was disrupted, our destinies have changed. Mr. Sulu, plot a course to the Laurentian system warp factor three."

"Spock, don't do that. Running back to the rest of the fleet for a, a, a confab is a massive waste of time…"

"...orders issued by Captain Pike when he left…"

"He also ordered us to go back and get him. Spock, you are captain now! You have to be…"

"I am aware of my responsibilities, Mister…"

"Every second we waste, Nero's getting closer to his next target."

"That is correct and why I am instructing you to accept the fact that I am alone…"

"I will not allow us to go backwards instead of hunting Nero down!"

"Jim!" Leonard yelled trying to get the man to calm down as he and Spock's argument grew less friendly by the minute.

The crew watched in dismay as Jim tried to stop them only for Spock to pinch a nerve in the man's shoulder, effectively knocking him out.

"Get him off this ship."

Bethany appeared from in front of the security stopping them in their tracts. Reagan hadn't even realized she had stopped her research into the Narada. Now she was standing in their way looking more than determined.

"We need him and you know it." She stated.

Without even looking at her Spock stated simply, "Get them both off my ship."

Leonard had to hold Reagan back as she watched her sister and friend get shot out of the Enterprise in an escape pod toward an unknown planet. She would never forgive Spock for this. Never.