I don't own anything to Star Trek. It is all property of Gene Roddenberry and whoever has the rights to it. I don't make money with it. I'm writing fanfictions about Star Trek because I love this story. So I ask you not to sue me.

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Oh my God! I did it and started a long story. Phew! This will be interesting for me!

Thank you Caro for your lovely words. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thanks to you, I found the courage to really publish the beginning of this story. I will try and do my best! Thank you!

Unlike in the movie, Jim is not sent to an ice planet and does not meet Spock Prime.

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The World is changing

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White. White. White. White. ... is there a spot of off-white? ...No. It is white. White. White. White.

Jim groaned. If one day he were to be captain, he would change the monotony of the cells on the Enterprise significantly. Everyone in here had to be crazy and he was just sitting here because of that pointy eared bastard. If he ever grabbed the Vulcan, he would show him his nerve pinch. That damn-

"It's good to see you're not making any nonsense", said his buddy 's familiar voice across the cell and Jim had to smile.

"Bones!" He would even have hugged him, but jumping against the force field wouldn't have been a good idea. "Please tell me that you will get me out of here."

His friend's grin disappeared immediately. "No chance, Jimmy."

"We have to do something!" Jim's mood changed just as quickly. "Nero will destroy the earth like Vulcan if we don't-"

"Nobody will listen to you! God, Jim! You're here because you knocked down the security guys!"

"And then I was exposed to an annoying nerve pinch", he answered annoyed. "Bones, Spock's plan is wrong! We have to stop Nero and save Pike! Let me out!"

The good doctor rubbed his face before approaching the force field and whispered, "Then what? The boys won't let you out and if I do they'll catch you and lock you up here again. Even if you don't like it, there is nothing we can do at the moment. You can be glad that the pointy ear didn't leave you on an ice planet."

"Maybe it would have been a smarter idea", he scoffed, taking a few steps away from his buddy. The situation began to frustrate him more and more. That was just stupid! Why couldn't anyone see that?

He heard Bones sigh, but didn't turn to face him. "The captain's plan is the only one we have right now, Jim."

That wasn't true. He had a plan.

His buddy sighed again. "Just try to see it that way. You are safe here for the time being and if there is anything new I will update you."

He didn't have a lot of options, did he?

"Do that ..." Jim replied quietly without looking at Bones. He listened to the sound of his footsteps until he could only hear the silence of the cell.

... that was all wrong ...

In the end, he didn't even understand how he did fall asleep. It had to be because of the boredom this room, there was no other way Jim could explain it. The eternal waiting must of course also have played a role.

In his sleep he remembered how many times he had the strangest dreams as a child. Of course, it wasn't uncommon to find himself in the most bizarre situations, but in each of these dreams he had memories that were so real to him that it always took a moment after waking up to become aware that they were not real.

When Jim opened his eyes and saw only red light illuminating the whole room, part of him had wished that this was still part of a dream. He took a deep breath and waited for the knowledge that this wasn't real. But Jim was already breathing too long and his eyes never stopped seeing that nerve-wracking red. Like it or not, it was real.

He went to the force field to find out what was going on, but his watch dog was no longer at his post. Jim was alone. Before he could even think about the situation, the Enterprise winced violently. The whole ship was shaken so badly that Jim was quickly stretched out on the ground. He felt his blood run cold in his veins.

That wasn't good at all.

Something hit the Enterprise again and Jim knew it was due to a violent explosion. Something must have gone very wrong. If only he had a communicator to find out what was going on. But in the end it didn't matter. Jim could have made as many plans as he wanted, in the end he was tossed around in his cell. He couldn't tell why. His body kept banging against the walls. It wasn't long before he passed out.

The next thing he remembered was his pounding head and how the blood was already flowing into his eyes. It was almost difficult for him to perceive the room. Only after a while did he notice that the force field to his cell was switched off and the whole room looked as if someone had set off fireworks. After a few seconds he heard the distant screams and phasers . If his head wasn't buzzing like that he would get up and look, but all Jim could do now was lie down and breathe. Everything hurt so bad...

He blinked uncontrollably when a pair of black boots appeared in front of him. Somebody said something unintelligible. It wasn't until Jim looked up that he realized why he hadn't understood anything. A Romulan stood before him. Phaser rifle aimed and ready to fire.

Jim's mind screamed to move, but his body was still too numb. At that moment he really believed that he would die. A shot was fired and Jim felt his breath go away. He felt his body being pushed down.

A sigh of relief escaped him when suddenly the pressing pain was relieved and he heard his name. Jim looked up and couldn't tell how glad he was to see his good, old buddy Bones.

... phaser in hand ...

... a Romulan dead next to him ...

Only then did he realize what exactly had happened. Bones had shot the guy before he could kill Jim and the body had fallen on him.

... What was a Romulan doing here anyway?

Jim's thoughts didn't get far when Bones roughly pulled him to his feet and pushed him to his side. He repeated his words over and over again. When the good doctor noticed that Jim didn't understand, he grabbed his shoulders and shook him well. And someone like that was a doctor ... But his head was pounding too hard for this joke.

"Jim! We have to get out of here!"

The words started to make sense, but this situation didn't. Was that one of Nero's people?

"You shot ... a Romulan ... what ... is a Romulan doing ... here?"

Bones cupped his face and his next words were more urgent than ever. "Jim, more is going wrong here than you can imagine, but now we have to get to the escape pods. Did you understand that?"

He just nodded and the next moment he was supported by his buddy as best as he could. Jim tried to stand on his own two feet, but just trying was painful. Was he the only one shaken that well, or why was Bones still moving so flawlessly? He almost asked him that question, but immediately noticed the wound on Bones forehead, the abrasions and the bruises. All in all, his buddy must have looked just as battered as he.

As if Bones had read his mind, he suddenly pressed him against the nearest wall and pulled a hypospray out of his pocket. "That will keep the pain down until we hopefully get out of here."

Jim hissed when he felt the sharp needle on his neck, but was grateful for it the next moment. The pain faded into the background and he now found the opportunity to sort his thoughts.

Every corridor Jim saw looked ruined. Screams and phaser fire echoed off them. He knew they didn't have time for questions and answers, but Jim needed the most important information.

"What's happening?"

Bones shook his head and tried to pull him away. "Later!"

Jim pulled away from him. "Short and sweet!" He asked.

His buddy looked around hastily. "Before we could meet with the others, there was an emergency call from Earth. In short, the Romulan Empire found out about the Nero affair and quickly decided to join him. The Romulans are fighting Starfleet, Jim!"

All the Romulans were on Nero's side so quickly? Why should they? That didn't make sense ...

"We are near the earth. The Enterprise was attacked as soon as we appeared. Spock already gave the order to evacuate. The ship is lost, and I can only guess what the Romulan soldiers are doing here."

Jim felt his heart beating faster and faster. That was so fucked up!

"Okay! Got it! The explanation was already too long, Bones! We have to go!"

He ignored his friend's grumbling and urged him to keep going. Who knew how many crew members had already fled? Perhaps they could save as many as possible on their way. That's what Jim actually wanted. After all, his father had saved hundreds of lives so he should be able to save at least a handful. But walking down the hallway with Bones, he found nothing but corpses. He saw the burns in the bullet holes and could see into the cold, staring eyes. Nobody lived here and Jim's heart contracted painfully. Some security guards even had their throats cut. The deceased's phasers had been rendered unusable.

From then on, they would have liked to run, but they still heard the firing of phasers and instead proceeded cautiously. Jim would have been more comfortable with it if he too had a gun. But he didn't want to ask the good doctor for his. He had to be able to defend himself and without him Jim would have been dead already.

There was only one moment when they paused. They heard screams from the next room and Jim couldn't help but storm inside. Somebody needed help!

... Looking back, he wished he had been more careful.

There was an armed Romulan in the room and must have already shot 3 security guards. Only a blonde woman in a blue uniform stood before him. But his attention was immediately drawn to Jim as he ran inside. If the woman hadn't taken the opportunity and tried to take the gun out of the soldier's hand, Jim might be dead by now.

... instead the Romulan grabbed the woman by the hair, yanked her head back and before Jim could scream, he stabbed her in the neck with a knife. Blood turned her blue uniform red in seconds. She held her hands to her neck in panic and gurgled more blood.

Jim reacted instinctively and yanked the bastard off his feet. The rifle slid across the floor as they both fought for the knife. Again it was Bones that saved his life and killed their opponent with one aimed shot. Sometimes Jim forgot that everyone was trained in self-defense, including his buddy. But he might be impressed by it later. He crawled quickly to the bleeding woman and put both hands around her throat. A desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. However, the blood flowed through his fingers and the woman's gurgling grew weaker. Still, Jim believed they could save her. After all, Bones was a doctor. He could heal her. This injury was nothing. They would go together-

Jim visibly winced when he felt the doctor's warm hand on his shoulder.

"Jim" came it just softly from him and Jim knew what he wanted to say to him. There was nothing they could do. The woman was dead. Of course, as a doctor, Bones recognized the hopeless situation more quickly. He could do many things, but not miracles.

Jim started to tremble as he took his hands off the bloody throat. He rubbed his face and forgot the blood. His breathing went faster and faster.

It was his fault. It was his fault. It was his fault.

This sentence haunted him like a mantra. In his head he was already imagining other scenarios by acting differently and saving the woman.

"Your father was a spaceship captain for 12 minutes. He saved the lives of 800 people, including your mother's and including yours. I dare you to do better."

After Pike's words, all Jim could hear was the rustling in his ears and the loud pounding of his heart. His gaze was fixed on the moveless figure of the woman. On their way they had only found corpses and the only living person died before their eyes.

"Your father was a spaceship captain for 12 minutes. He saved the lives of 800 people, including your mother's and including yours. I dare you to do better."

Pike's words haunted him and kept repeating themselves. Jim didn't notice that Bones kept pulling him. Getting them out of the room. Reaching available escape pods. Only when he was pushed in and his buddy took a step back from the door that Jim came to his senses.

"Bones?"

"See you on Earth!" The doctor called through the closed door and gave him one last encouraging smile. Before Jim could answer, the capsule had already fired and was in infinite space. How he finally landed unharmed on planet earth was incomprehensible to him. He had seen the spaceships fight each other through the window. Torpedoes were fired and entire ships were shredded. Yes, it was a miracle. But when the door opened and Jim could breathe fresh air again, he wondered if he had really been lucky.

The air didn't smell fresh. The smell of fire and ashes wafted around.

The image that spread before him was one of chaos and horror. There was fire and smoke everywhere. If he thought he heard people screaming on the Enterprise, it was nothing compared to the city. He heard the suffering as if someone were standing next to him and screaming his agony to him.

... as a child he had the strangest dreams and after waking up it always took a moment before he realized that they were not real.

... He really wanted to wake up and find himself in the academy. All memories of Nero were false. They had to be wrong.

Jim didn't want to admit that this battlefield belonged to Earth ...

... and when he looked up, at that moment he had wished for nothing other than shooting stars that fell from the sky ... and not the ships of Starfleet, which fell to the earth with burning tails and smashed to pieces.

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In my story, Jim has never had the experience of Tarsus, which is why he is still so shocked by the situation. He hasn't seen many people die in his life.