A Crew United
"The digging machines uncovered a tunnel that goes into the crater," Jaylah told them as she pressed a rounded object at the corner of a table full of odds and ends to represent Krall's base, this one symbolizing the tunnel, "That's how I got out."
"So that'll be our way in," Kirk nodded, "An away team will beam to the other side of the tunnel, follow it to Krall's base, get inside the building, and break out the crew."
"Uh, Captain," Chekov interrupted quietly, "We cannot lock onto anyone inside ze crater in order to beam zem out."
"The geological interference," Cora recalled.
"I could rig up pulse beacons as pattern enhancers," Scotty offered, "That'd get the signal out of the crater."
"Alright," Chekov nodded, it should work. On the Enterprise, the interference wouldn't be enough to block their teleport technology, but the Franklin was ancient, it just needed a little more of a boost.
"How many people can the Franklin transport at a time?" Kirk looked over at Scotty.
"Uh, with a wee bit of modification," Scotty considered it, "20? Max? But I'm not sure how long it would hold out."
Kirk nodded, letting out a breath as he began to draw up a battle strategy, "Bones, Mr. Chekov, Jaylah, Cora, you're with me on the away team. Mr. Scott, modify that transporter and then do everything you can to get this ship operational."
"Captain…" Spock began.
"Mr. Spock," Kirk sighed, turning to him, "Cora will be needed if the crew are weakened or injured. We don't know how many hostiles Krall has working for him and we'll need her to help sense them coming. I know she's your mate, but this is not up for negotiation."
Spock blinked, "Captain, Mr. Chekov's technical acumen makes him more valuable aboard the Franklin with Mr. Scott."
"Seriously?" Kirk stared at him, "THAT's the part you had an issue with?"
"Cora is more than capable of standing on her own," Spock defended his mate, recalling how she had stood against him a time or two before, when she felt her abilities would be needed and would not allow even his concern for her to keep her from protecting others. She had more than proven she could endure, and might even be on the path to use her abilities against a hostile if the situation called for it, when she'd faced Khan. Everyone underestimated her, that was always their downfall. But he knew her, he had seen her grow so much over the last near-eight years that he had known her. He had no doubts she would be able to handle this mission in the capacity Kirk intended, "My mate is strong and skilled, and she will have her crew to help her. She will have me."
"I don't recall putting you on the away team," Kirk reminded him.
"It is logical that I would replace Mr. Chekov on the team."
"Why is that logical Spock? You just got back on your feet."
"If my mate goes into that facility, Jim, I do too," he stated, not backing down about that, but also, at the same time, sounding like he was merely pointing out a fact, "You will need someone to keep guard while she and Dr. McCoy help any of the injured."
"I'll keep an eye on him," McCoy promised Kirk.
"We both shall," Cora agreed.
Kirk looked between the three of them, "Understood."
"But his soldiers are everywhere," Jaylah reminded them, "We won't pass unseen."
"What we require is a diversion," Spock reasoned.
Kirk looked around the room, before his gaze landed on the motorcycle in the corner, "I think I have an idea."
~8~
Spock reached out a hand to still Cora as she moved to follow Scotty, Chekov, and McCoy into the teleport room where they were going to ready the pads for Jaylah's signal. She looked up at him, her head tilted in question.
"I am sorry," he murmured to her now that they had a bit more privacy.
"For what?" she seemed genuinely confused. If he was speaking about his injury, it was not his fault and she very much doubted he intended to get hurt…
"I was not there," he explained, "I should have been. You did not deserve to endure the deaths of the crew alone."
Cora took a deep breath at the reminder of what she'd experienced when her pod had finally landed. She didn't have to ask how he knew about it, he had seen first hand how death around her affected her. It would only be logical to realize that some of the crew had died in Krall's initial attack and for that to turn to what it would mean for her. He had seen some of them, she assumed, lining the halls of the ship, she had as well. The fact that he remembered, that he felt so poorly to have not been there for her, meant much to her.
"I was not entirely alone," she offered, "James T. Kirk found me quickly enough. He attempted to help me push past the pain and let it run its course."
"I am glad he was successful," Spock spoke, "However, I cannot help but feel guilty that I was not there."
"It was not your fault, Spock," she reassured him, "It could not be helped."
Spock let out a breath at that, nodding. Logically he knew there was no way he could have been lost in the woods with her, not given the events that led up to he and McCoy ejecting themselves from the ship and then crashing. But he still could not stop himself wishing things had been different or trying to think of ways that he could have found her faster.
"I wish I had been there."
Cora smiled at his words, "You were," she told him, "You are always with me," she moved her hand to rest over her heart, looking for a moment as though she were going to touch her necklace before realizing it wasn't there and flattening her hand to her chest, "I can always feel my mate. And it was the thought of you that helped me endure."
"It was the thought of you that helped me endure as well," Spock told her, "When Leonard was tending to my wound, it was one of the more painful experiences I've had. But my mind turned to you in the aftermath and it was as though I did not feel the pain quite so sharply any longer."
Cora blinked, something about his words striking her as odd, "You were harmed by a piece of metal near your heart."
"Yes," Spock nodded.
Cora tilted her head in thought for a moment, she could not recall McCoy or Spock himself telling her that piece of information. Anyone might assume he'd been struck by an enemy weapon or had fallen and cut himself, but it was like she knew what had harmed him. And yet he had not told her of it.
"When we have secured the crew and dealt with Krall," she began, looking up at him, "It appears we may have much more to discuss than before."
"Of course," he agreed, knowing they both did need to talk about the things they'd learned over their separation when there was more time. He gestured to the door to the teleport chamber, allowing her to step in before him, his hand falling to the small of her back as they entered.
"You sure you're up for this?" McCoy asked gruffly as he, Spock, and Cora took their places on the teleport pad of the Franklin.
Kirk's brilliant plan had been to ride the motorcycle into Krall's camp, with Jaylah on the back of it. If it all went to plan, he was going to drop off Jaylah just inside the camp and she would use one of the beacons that Scotty had rigged up for a location to beam them in to join her. Once they were in, she was going to cover Kirk while they focused on getting the crew out of there.
"I am well, Doctor," Spock answered, "You and Cora have done exceptionally."
"Yeah, yeah," McCoy muttered, "The second we're back at Yorktown I'm hauling your ass to medical for better treatment."
"If he feels the injury reopen, I will inform you, Leonard McCoy," Cora promised him.
They were all aware that Spock wouldn't speak a word about anything of the sort until the crew was safe once more. It wouldn't be a lie, it would be withholding the truth. Cora, at least, knew that for him to reopen his wound at this point could be dangerous for him and she would not risk his life for the mission nor, she was sure, would any of the crew want to jeopardize one of their rescuers either. If the worst came to it, she and McCoy could handle getting the crew out while beaming him back too. Kirk was meant to continue being a distraction and drawing fire, Jaylah picking off those firing. If it went well, then no one should notice them freeing the crew. Spock was coming for more protection and cover.
McCoy let out a breath and glanced over, "What about you, Red?"
Cora looked up, "I will be ready."
And she would be. It took doing, more than it should, to draw up the more negative or crippling emotions, like fear with Kalara. But preparing ahead of time, she would be able to use it at the base too. She was not tired, she had not over exerted herself by tending to Spock. The use of her abilities didn't tend to leave her feeling exhausted, only when the emotions were themselves the ones that would tax the body, such as pain or weariness. She had been very careful to avoid those emotions and while the escape from the ship had been taxing, as had being confronted with the remnant emotions from her crew and Spock, she felt she could at least muster this task. She was sure, once she was there, once the crew was around her once more, the energy and emotion off them would help give her a boost.
"Good," Scotty called over, "Cos I'm gettin' a signal from Jaylah right now."
The three of them looked at each other and nodded, positioning themselves on the teleport pad, McCoy and Spock on either side of Cora as they readied themselves with their phasers. They looked over at Scotty, giving him and Chekov a nod before they were beamed out.
They appeared crouched down behind Jaylah just at the edge of the base. There were a series of structures with flat roofs, circular in appearance, with rocks around them. They could see Kirk already within the base, just starting the diversion, using some tech Jaylah had provided him with to duplicate himself so there were dozens of Kirks riding all around the base to draw fire.
"This way," Jaylah murmured, starting to creep along the walls of the enclosure, heading in the same direction Cora could feel the emotions of her crew coming from. They ducked low when Kirk began to stream a cloud of the brown gas that had trapped him and Chekov earlier, giving them more cover when the gas hardened into a wall.
"I've got to admit," McCoy muttered as they crouched below a series of rocks, "That's a hell of a distraction."
"Your friends are over there," Jaylah pointed over to the side, before she got up to head in her own direction to continue with her part in this plan, giving Kirk more cover.
"This way," Cora whispered to the two men, turning to lead them herself, able to sense if there were any hostiles ahead of them.
They managed to reach the part of the base where the others were being held, any hostiles who might have been in their way quickly drawn into the fray with Kirk as Jaylah began to fire at them too, drawing more and more out. But the sound of the firing was nearly drowned out when the crew caught sight of them through the gate holding them in, letting out cheers and calls as they rushed over.
"I've got it," McCoy moved forward, aiming his phaser to break the lock while Spock kept watch for any enemies that might try to fire at them from a distance.
Cora watched as Kirk continued to distract their enemies anxiously, she knew he didn't want her with him to engage the enemy herself due to the proximity it would have her to being fired at, the risk it would put her for getting injured. Anesthesia and other chemicals to knock someone out or dull pain were useless on Empathics, so the crew was always very careful to try and keep her from being harmed in a physical sense. If she was on the back of that bike to try and knock out their enemies, it would be difficult to put that much focus while driving every which way. And she also knew that he wanted her to focus on helping the crew if any needed more strength to get back to the Franklin.
"They took her," she heard Sulu speaking as she turned back to her crew, moving to help them out of the pen when Sulu reported one missing, "Uhura, they took her," he nodded past them, back the way they'd come, towards another base.
"Damn it," McCoy muttered, looking at Spock and Cora before making the decision, "Get the rest of the crew to the Franklin," he ordered, before going after her himself. Spock was still injured and he wasn't about to send Cora out there alone. ONE of them had to go after her and, from what he'd glimpsed, none of the crew looked fatally injured, Cora would be able to handle any weaker pains.
"Understood," Spock replied as the man ran off.
"Come, quickly," Cora returned to helping the crew out, making sure to touch each one on the shoulder or arm as they passed to give them a boost of relief, courage, and strength just to be safe.
"Over here," Spock led them to a flat area and pressing the beacon Scotty had rigged up into Sulu's hand, "Press this and Mr. Scott will be able to determine the specific coordinates to beam them out. Only 20 at a time. Cora and I will keep cover."
Sulu nodded, gathering 20 of the crew over to a flat area, "Stay in the circle," he told them, pressing the button and stepping back as they were beamed out.
Cora gasped and looked back, feeling a spike of pain and fear strike her. She doubted that one of the hostiles would feel such a thing, she feared for a moment that it was McCoy or Uhura, but the signature behind the emotion wasn't one she was used to feeling from her crew. Her gaze flew up above them.
"Jaylah!" Cora breathed, seeing that Jaylah had been discovered by an alien and was being attacked.
Spock reacted instantly to her call, turning and firing his phaser in the direction of the alien who had kicked her off the top of one base, forcing her to roll down to a lower level. But the alien had already jumped after her, avoiding Spock's blast.
"Next group!" Sulu called, teleporting another round of the crew.
Cora glanced between where Jaylah had disappeared within one of the base structures, and to her crew as Sulu continued to try and evacuate them.
He was doing a commendable job. Between Kirk distracting the guards and herself and Spock keeping watch and acting as defense, the crew was making great headway in escaping. By the time the next group had positioned themselves, the transport would be recharged enough to get them out.
But Cora wouldn't lie and say she was not nervous for the others. Jaylah was facing a man she could only assume was Manas on her own and in an area where they couldn't see her or help her. Kirk was driving around as the other hostiles picked off his duplicates one by one and it was only a matter of time before they got to the last him. And McCoy and Uhura were somewhere else, on their way here judging by how she could sense their emotions growing closer, but still out of sight.
"I believe this will be the last set Mr. Sulu," Spock spoke, pulling Cora's attention back. She had been keeping her senses open in case any of the crew needed her help, but they all appeared a mixture of relief and eagerness to escape. They knew they would be safe momentarily and it was allowing them to keep their calm better though she was still sure to add to their sense of security.
"We are ready for the last transport, Montgomery Scotty," Cora called into the comm. she was gripping in her hands.
"Aye, Lass," Scotty replied back, "Ten seconds until the transporter's recharged, then you're good to go."
Spock reached out a hand to turn Cora to the last few of the crew, calling out to Sulu, "Wait for my signal."
"We cannot leave without the others," Cora warned as they gathered together, not about to run to the transport location until they were all together.
Kirk and Jaylah should be ok, they both had their beacons with them, if anything grew to be too much, they would be able to beam out.
"Agreed," Spock looked around, "Can you sense them?"
Cora nodded, "They are close…there!" she pointed, seeing Uhura and McCoy coming around a corner and heading towards them, though they were being fired upon by other hostiles.
"Go," he urged the others, opening fire with his phaser to give them more cover until they could reach the group.
"Move!" McCoy shouted as he passed Spock, pushing the man towards the others along with him, "Come on!"
Just as they reached the pad, Kirk flew over them on the bike, circling them with the brown gas to give them more cover now that the attention had been drawn to them. It was just enough for them to beam out safely and back onto the Franklin.
"James T. Kirk and Jaylah are still at the base," Cora told Scotty as she rushed over to them.
"Aye, Lassie, I'm on it," Scotty told her, bringing up the comm. that he'd given Kirk and Jaylah along with their beacons, "We're ready for you next, Captain. Just turn on your beacon."
"Scotty, do you have everybody?" Kirk called back.
"Aye, sir. Everyone except you and Jaylah. Hit the beacon and we'll grab you."
They waited, listening intently for any communication from Kirk or Jaylah, but there was nothing. Scotty frowned as he looked at the readings from the scanners, none of the instruments reading any sign of the beacons and he couldn't help but feel like what he'd feared had come to. The systems were dying on him and they'd have no way to get to Kirk or Jaylah.
"Captain, your beacon!" he called through the comm., hoping that it was just that Kirk and Jaylah hadn't activated them yet. He looked at Cora, "Lassie…"
"James T. Kirk is alive," Cora reassured them, not having felt the pinprick disappear, "I believe Jaylah is as well."
Cora looked around at that, at the crew as they left the room, heading out after McCoy to be examined quickly for any injuries and to check the ship. She frowned, reaching out to Uhura and Sulu as they encouraged the others off, "Where is Ensign Syl?" she asked them, she had not noticed the woman among those teleported yet they had reported that everyone had been secured.
Sulu and Uhura looked at each other for that, before Sulu squared his shoulders, "Krall tested the artifact on her."
Cora let out a breath, "She was among the fallen."
"This was all that was left of her," Uhura reached into a pocket of her uniform and held out a necklace with a teal blue pendant on the end, "I know it belongs to you."
"Yes," Cora reached out to take it back, "It is what helped us find you."
Spock could only watch as Cora lightly touched the amulet, sorrow clear on her face for the fate of Ensign Syl. He reached out to take it from her, moving to put it around her neck once more, resting his hand on the back of her neck in comfort.
"There it is!" Chekov shouted suddenly, pointing at the monitors as they picked something up.
"Energize!" Scotty called, activating the teleport. The crew that had remained in the room, herself, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, and Chekov looked over to watch as Kirk and Jaylah appeared to beam in mid-air before falling down onto the pad.
Cora winced, feeling the jolt of pain from them both when they hit the ground.
"Ok..." Kirk groaned, "Let's never do that again."
"I agree James T.," Jaylah winced as she pushed herself up.
"Please, I am begging you, call me Jim, please," Kirk huffed, if he had another person on board the ship calling him by his full name, he was going to go mad.
"I will, Jim Please."
"No, Jaylah, just Jim."
"Ok, Just Jim."
Kirk looked at her, honestly not sure if she was toying with him or genuinely being serious about his name, "Jim."
"Jim," Jaylah repeated with a firm nod.
"Thank god," he muttered under his breath as they cleared the teleport pad. Now he just had to get Cora to…oh, that wouldn't really matter much would it? If he left for the vice admiral position, it wouldn't matter what Cora called her captain, because it wouldn't be him.
"You alright?" Sulu called as he and the others rushed over.
"Captain!" Uhura began quickly, "This thing he has..."
"The bio-weapon?" Cora offered when Uhura seemed at loss for what to call it.
"How do you…"
"Kalara told us the truth," Cora replied, "With some persuasion. Krall means to target Starfleet bases and…"
"Yorktown," Sulu cut in, "He's gonna destroy Yorktown first."
The crew looked at each other for that, alarmed.
Jaylah stepped up, looking to Kirk, "You take my house and you make it fly."
Kirk nodded, "Scotty, can you get this thing started?" he asked as he began to head out of the teleport room and towards the Bridge.
"Started, yes," Scotty called as he rushed after them, "Flying, sir, that's a different thing. These old vessels, they were built in space. They were never supposed to take off from atmosphere."
"Make it happen."
"They're called starships for a reason, Captain."
"You're telling me this now?"
"Because I didn't want to disappoint you, you know, in case you didn't make it back."
"How thoughtful, Mr. Scott," Kirk rolled his eyes as they reached the Bridge.
Cora stopped short, looking through the main window, her hands coming to her mouth in alarm. Spock glanced from her to the window, stiffening when he saw what had caused such a reaction. Krall's ship was launching, his swarm-like force spiraling up after the ship like a twister.
"Captain," Spock called out, drawing the others' attention to the swarm.
"He's launching," Kirk breathed.
"The attack on Yorktown may be just the beginning," Spock warned, thinking about what the amulet had revealed. Ensign Syl, there was nothing left of her but the amulet. It was logical to assume this bio-weapon had destroyed her flesh and clothing, but not the metal of the amulet. Which meant that Krall may intend to use it to empty Yorktown, but not to destroy it entirely, the metals and tech would still be accessible to him, "Armed with this bio-weapon, he could rid it of all life and use the base's advanced technology to attack an untold number of Federation planets."
Kirk let out a breath, he hadn't even thought of the tech on the base, just that the bio-weapon could be used on the people. But Spock was right, it would be entirely possible to wage war from the base if they didn't stop Krall first, "Then we're just gonna have to get this thing flying."
"We cannae just jumpstart it, sir!" Scotty huffed, but Kirk just gave him a smirk.
"I believe Captain Kirk has a plan," Cora remarked to Scotty quietly, feeling an immense amount of smugness radiating off him and it wasn't just from the fact that she could call him 'captain' once again now that he had a ship and a crew.
"Yeah," Scotty sighed, "That's what I'm afraid of."
~8~
Cora took a deep breath as Spock checked the straps of the chair she'd claimed on the Bridge, making sure they were secure given how old they were. He nodded his head and moved onto the seat nearest to her, strapping himself in as well. Everyone throughout the ship were being given the order to strap in as they prepared for takeoff.
Or as they prepared to attempt to take off. Not a single one of them knew if this would work. Kirk had even gone so far as to offer any of the crew that wanted off the chance, promising them a return trip to rescue them once they had (hopefully) stopped Krall. None of the crew had taken it.
"Ok!" Chekov cheered over the comms., "All systems online. Dilithium chambers at 70% and climbing. Primary support engines standing by."
"Mr. Sulu," Kirk began as he leaned in to speak to the man stationed at the pilot's chair, "You can, you know, fly this thing right?"
Cora had to smile when Sulu turned to give him an incredulous, and almost offended, look over his shoulder, "You kidding me, sir?"
"Fantastic," Kirk nodded, leaning back in the chair and opening the comms., "Scotty, how we looking?"
"Ready as she'll ever be, sir," his voice replied.
"That's what I like to hear. Alright. Bones, where are we with the crew?"
"I could use a functioning med-bay," McCoy complained, "But otherwise we're secure down here."
"Cora?" Kirk called out.
"The Bridge is secured, Captain Kirk," she reported, having made sure everyone was strapped in before she allowed Spock to assist her.
"Mr. Sulu," Chekov looked to the man, "We hawe to achieve terminal welocity in order for ze stabilizers to prowide lift. Are you sure zis drop is high enough to do zat?"
"We'll find out," Sulu murmured as the ship began to power up around them.
"Cora," Kirk called out, "Maintain the calm, god knows we're going to need it."
"Yes, Captain Kirk," she agreed.
"Call it, Mr. Sulu," Kirk gave the order.
"Aye-aye, Captain," Sulu readied himself, "Mr. Chekov, be ready to hit the forward stabilizers full on my mark. One quarter impulse."
" Aye," Chekov began to fire the thrusters, the entire ship shaking around them.
Cora gasped for a moment when one of the devices Jaylah had been using to keep the ship hidden fell from the shaking, flying past the window of the Bridge. It was a good thing Krall had taken all his forces with him, for the ship was sure to be visible now. She took a breath and closed her eyes, knowing if she was startled by the shaking, the rest of the crew would be as well. She began to bring up the calm within her, spreading it out through the Bridge as she felt them grow the most tense as they had the better view of what they would be facing in trying to take off.
She tried to do one better. The Franklin was not a large ship, not compared to the Enterprise, she could feel the rest of the crew closer to her. She tried to spread the calm out more, farther, wanting it to reach those without a view of what was coming, so they wouldn't be frightened.
"One half impulse, Mr. Chekov," Sulu called out.
"Aye," Chekov replied as the shaking got worse.
"Easy, Mr. Sulu," Kirk warned them, "Let's not break her in half," he took a breath, feeling calm fill him even as they saw the ship begin to approach the end of the cliff it rested on, hanging over it precariously. He should be frightened when they tipped forward to fall off, they were freefalling, if he was wrong about this, they could almost certainly fall to their deaths. He should be terrified, but Cora was doing her job, he felt a stillness and a calmness, a reassurance that everything would be alright.
And if he was wrong, that would be what he wanted his crew to feel right to the end, that it would be ok.
He nodded to himself, "Any time, Mr. Sulu."
But Sulu made no move to take the ship up, watching the velocity on the screen intently instead of the looming bottom of the cliff. The moment it reached terminal, he shouted out, "Now, Mr. Chekov!"
Chekov pulled a lever back and the ship soared!
They dipped low, but the speed worked in their favor, sending them pitching over the trees and heading for the sky, hitting a few rocks along the way, but easily breaking through the atmosphere.
Cora inhaled deeply as she opened her eyes, feeling an exuberance that wasn't something from her and smiled, laughing happily, when she saw they had reached the stars once more.
A/N: The crew is safe! :D Poor Syl though :'( She didn't deserve what happened to her :'(
But lol, Kirk and Jaylah :) I honestly could see Jaylah mistaking his requests as his actual name :) And Spock and Cora! They just keep racking up the topics to talk about don't they? But at least we'll get a really meaningful conversation out of them ;)
And, just to note, a few chapters back I snuck in some lines inspired by Frank Herbert's Dune/1984 movie. The lines were in reference to heading into the trap. "The first step in avoiding a trap is knowing of its existence." "But, if it is a trap, then why are we going?" and then a bit of an allusion to another quote "A human would remain in the trap, endure the pain, feigning death that he might kill the trapper and remove a threat to his kind" with Kirk's response that if they don't deal with it, someone else could get trapped instead :)
Some notes on reviews...
Lol, I can admit I don't think I could ever do away with Spock's ears on a child, especially not when Cora considers them to be cute ;) I can also picture either Cora's eyes or hair because those are the noticeable features of her people :) I saw that scene too, it was adorable, she loved the ears too :D
We'll have to see if a Chekov/OC jumps out at me one day ;) I agree, it's not just about how much Cora's grown, I tried to show how Spock has grown too in his comfort around Cora :)
