((Author's Note: Okay, so first of all, I apologize for the delay. College took over and started kicking my butt. I couldn't pay enough attention to my lovelies in Out of The Cold. Second, there was some question to how everyone in the Firefly is so non chalant about the Federation, presence of aliens, etc. I'd like to first toss in that I am screwing with timelines or else I don't think the two worlds could co-exist. Asides from that, there is also literally nothing in Firefly that indicates they *couldn't* have something like the Federation in existence. All we know is the Earth got crowded and people started drifting. In the newly settled planets there were wars. But that said I don't see why they couldn't have co-existed. Firefly was a short lived series, sadly, and it was also created by a different writer. So for the sake of this fiction, I am going to say the Federation just stuck to the central nine planets, and allowed individuals to settle distant planets at the knowledge that they will take no responsibility. In the distant Solar Systems, the Alliance was able to take root. This isn't to say there wasn't any contact, just that in the course of Firefly and Serenity they did not speak all that much of the other side of the Universe-ditto in the new Star Trek verse. This is the nature of Crossovers. As for other concerns (which wound up in my email spam for some reason ) they will be addressed through the course of the story...
And in terms of why can't they be at Miranda tomorrow. Um...I shall amend that plot hole now.))
It had been two weeks since the uneasy union of the Star Ship Enterprise and the Serenity. The crews were getting along fairly well in reality. Well, Jayne had been slapped by more then a few ensigns, but overall it was going well. Simon was in the bridge, speaking with Spock about a variety of topics in science, things he hadn't been able to speak about with in over a year. It was quiet for the time being, as it had been for two weeks. He looked forward to the coming months, that would not be filled with crime. Stable food resources, slightly larger quarters. He was even working on taking some extra course work to catch up on new medical breakthroughs.
Granted, he was a little worried about the Enterprise's Engineer and how he'd been looking at Kaylee. Namely, it was how Kaylee had been looking at him for months before they got together. River had briefly spoken to him about the dangers of jealousy when he went to pick up some things on the Serenity, but then she'd been busy ricocheting a tin of canned fruit into Kahn's head at such an angle to knock him out.
Simon was worried about River, too, and what his kid sister had gotten herself into. Spock had allowed him to see the records they had on Khan, and none of what he had read comforting him. He was considerably unnerved by the fact that his sister seemed to consider the man similar to her in some way. He supposed neither of them had any say in how they came out, scientifically engineered to be better, but Khan and River had responded differently with it. River hadn't hurt anyone, only saved people, and Khan had killed so many people, and caused the deaths of so many more.
He wished they could be at Miranda sooner, but when the question of using instant transport into Reaver space came up, Scotty seemed resistant. He'd sworn about the concept quite a bit, commenting something about they could arrive and be fired upon in an instant if they weren't careful. Additionally despite his sister's wishes, the Enterprise could not just be hijacked. It seemed Kirk wanted to be stubborn and assert his authority, insisting they had to explore the planets and space between where they were and Miranda, perhaps make connections for the Federation to make contacts in the more distant space quadrants that contained Shadow, White Fall, Persephone, Osiris, and Ariel.
Simon was trying not to consider the ramifications if they had to stop at any alien planets, and was seriously concerned about why Kirk's stubbornness about his sister outdid concerns about the man called Kahn.
"Spock?" Urhura noticed something on the radar. "We have a ship trying to make contact..." Her voice was unneasy.
SS Enterprise Training Room: 30 Minutes Before Impact
Inara had found an opponent to practice fencing against in Helmsman Sulu. Jayne was having a good time watching them at it, almost as much fun as he was having watching the Captain get flustered. That of course meant Mal-not "Junior" as Mal had dubbed Kirk. Mal was leaning against a wall in the training room, observing as the companion fenced across the room with Hikaru.
"You don't thinks she's...thinking of anything, do you?" Mal asked.
"Cap, in my experience a woman is always thinking of something. Especially Inara." Jayne laughed. "Right now she's just messin' with ya."
"You think so?" Mal mulled it over as he considered it. "I reckon you might be right about that."
"Frankly I'm more worried that lil crazy has stayed on the ship with her playmate the whole damn time." Jayne added.
"You insinuating something about our pilot?" Mal cocked a brow at him.
"Only she's getting on eighteen and a teenage girl, whatever else she is. And it's not like her first choice responded positively to her proposition." Jayne snorted. Mal winced as he recalled the incident Jayne was speaking of, shaking his head.
"Jayne, do me a favor, shut up."
"Someone got their panties in a bunch?"
Malcolm answered with a glare as he turned to Kirk. The other captain had come in, stripping his shirt as he antagonized the older man.
"Yeah, yer mother's." Jayne guffawed and Mal winced before facing Kirk.
"Training some, are you?" He put on a smile, though it was strained.
"I try to keep fit," Kirk replied, "I'd hate to get old and out of shape."
Jayne whistled as he leaned back, observing the scene unfold. Malcolm tensed, folding his arms.
"Is that a challenge, pretty boy?"
"If you're worried about ruining your nice jacket, I'll accept your surrender." Kirk smirked.
"...Jayne, hold this."
Malcolm pulled off his jacket and tossed it to the other man, who cocked a brow as he observed the scene unfold. Mal pulled his gun off his hip next, an odd contrast to federation fasers, and much more dangerous if you asked Jayne. There was no means of setting a pistol to stun.
"Let's dance, sonny."
As Kirk moved and Mal side stepped, the entire ship suddenly jerked and everyone in the room toppled over. Malcolm groaned and clambered up as the power flickered for a moment, looking around.
"Inara! Are you all right?" He shouted.
"I'm lighter on my feet." Inara replied, for she'd managed to avoid falling. "Captain Kirk, what was that?"
"Bridge, report!" Kirk had grabbed up his communicator. "What was that?"
USS Enterprise: Medical Bat, 20 minutes before Impact
"Well you've got a happy little baby growing in you."
McCoy looked over the stats as Zoe snorted in response.
"Happy, huh? You can tell his emotions already?"
"Well huh." He lifted a brow. "How'd you know it was a boy?"
"Good instincts." Zoe shrugged. "And River told me."
"River...your medic's sister? How is she qualified?" Bones furrowed his brow in response now.
"River Tam is more then you can imagine." Zoe answered bluntly. "She's been through hell and came out tougher for it. She came out gifted."
"...Gifted in what way?" Bones sat on his stool. "I know she can take Kahn, and that's an impressive feat in and of itself..."
"On top of physical combat training and being extremely intelligent, River Tam is a reader." Zoe rolled her eyes again. "Not that you'd believe me."
"A reader? Of books?"
"Of minds."
McCoy looked at her again and set down the clipboard, rubbing his brow.
"Are you having at me?"
"No. Now my turn to interrogate. Is your lead engineer in love with our mechanic?" Zoe inquired. Bones couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.
"Scotty isn't exactly subtle about that. He adores her. He gets she's seeing your Doctor but..."
"He should keep trying. Simon and Kaylee are sweet but they're from different worlds." Zoe stretched. "It took them forever to pair off, and then only because they nearly died together."
"...You want to break them up?" Bones questioned.
"No. I just know it's going to happen."
"Well thats just..." He was about to say cynical when the ship jerked suddenly. Zoe held onto the exam table and gave him a look.
"Well. Now I feel right at home."
USS Enterprise: Engine Room, Ten Minutes Before Impact
"So you designed it? The Beam Me Up technology?
"Well, I call it Transwarp beaming, but yeah."
"That is so cool! I would have never figured out how to work it."
Scotty flushed as he watched Kaylee look over the aspects of the engines. He was trying really hard not to think of her in a romantic fashion. She made it increasingly difficult by existing. She wasn't even actively flirting with him, not at all in fact. She just...admitted to admiring his intellect. It was something a man could get used to. She was incredibly smart herself, sweet, and beautiful. He'd seen her work relays and rework bits to make them more efficient in the last few weeks as if it were breathing. Things he wouldn't have thought of, not really, because she did it as hands on work and by math and science reasoning he wouldn't have concluded.
So the bubbly girl in her overalls was climbing something as she spoke to him, laughing a bit.
"You know, you should really meet Simon. I think you two would get along." She commented, because in reality Kaylee just wanted to talk to them both at the same time. She adored Simon, but she really liked talking to Scotty about engines. It was nice to have someone to talk to about Engines. She hadn't realized how much she really missed it. Simon tried to listen, but he obviously had no more idea what she was talking about then she did when he started talking in medical terms.
The jerk of the ship was sudden and she yelped, falling from the ladder she was holding onto.
"Kaylee, are you-ack!" Scotty turned and was cut off when she fell on top of him in a heap with a groan.
"I'm okay..." She smiled bashfully, "Fine, really...you?"
"Uh..." Scotty swallowed and nodded. Without meaning to he reached a hand to tuck back a loose lock of her hair. "Uh huh."
"Kaylee?"
Kaylee turned her head and beamed as she scrambled up, spotting Simon clinging to the side of the doorway.
"Simon! Thank goodness you're okay...what happened? Do you know?"
"I was on the bridge when they made contact..." Simon hugged Kaylee, and gave Scotty a surprisingly aggressive look over her shoulder. "We have Company."
The Serenity: Cargo Pay, One Minute After Impact
The sudden shift had Khan emerging from the quarters he'd been granted on the smaller ship and raising a brow. River Tam was standing bare foot on the railing above the hold, like they hadn't had to deal with a hit. She was oddly calm, but he could see a trunk beside her, and combat boots beside it. He'd realized by now if River Tam was putting her boots on, she was getting ready to deal with trouble.
"So who comes knocking?" Khan inquired as he approached her. "And what's in the trunk?"
"Weapons." River answered his second question first, but to his surprise, in perfect Klingon. He raised a brow as she continued. "The Enterprise has come under fire. They are attempting to left shields. I am intent to take one of the Serenity's shuttles up, to Klingon Ship attacking us, and end the battle before the Enterprise or Serenity suffer any fatalities."
"You think you can take a Klingon ship and crew on your own?" Khan was amused at the image of the petite girl offering such threat.
"I think Klingon's think through their strategy in a moment before they act and that is how I could defeat them." She was speaking in English again and tilted her head. "And while I could handle it, I'm not going alone." She dropped down and opened the trunk. "Make your selection."
Khan raised a brow as he watched her pull on her boots, a chest of guns and explosives revealed to him. There were a few bladed items as well, haphazardly constructed, but they did not draw his focus.
"You're arming me."
"I'm equipping you to assist me. Your family is in as much peril as mine." River straightened up. "If you attempt to veer from the plan or bring harm upon the Enterprise or mine, I shall stop you before you start. Are we clear?"
"...Pristinely." He was already calculating as he collected several high powered guns, one of them large, others smaller, gaining a balanced selection.
"Good." River simply collected what appeared to be a blade and axe as she approached the spare shuttle. She glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. "Shall we begin?"