Chapter 15 – Time to Kick Some Romulan Ass

She focused on the console in front of her and the coffee she'd retrieved. She stared at the screen and tracked Nero's progress to Earth while sipping her coffee. The drink wasn't helping her in any way, she just liked the comfort of the mug in her hands.

"Cadet Abbott." She glanced up and her heart almost stopped at the sight of an elderly Vulcan with a stern face. Beside him, Spock stood rigidly. "Allow me to introduce my father, Sarek."

"It is good to make your acquaintance," Sarek stated, his voice devoid of any feeling. Had this Vulcan completed Kolinahr?

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss." She really was. Emotion clouded Spock's eyes for a split second, but it left as quickly as it had appeared.

Sarek continued to meet her gaze. "I do not recognise you from Vulcan."

"I was not born or raised on Vulcan," she told him. "I was raised on Earth."

That made him frown. "That is not the Vulcan way."

"No, it's not," she agreed, "but your son has been teaching me as best he can."

"Do you know your Vulcan parents?" he asked. She shook her head. "Perhaps I can see if they survived."

"Don't bother. I won't want to see them anyway."

Spock's mouth twitched. "Father, may we continue our discussion elsewhere?"

"Of course," Sarek nodded. "I have met the Vulcan, and now we may talk."

They left, and Zia sculled the rest of her coffee. Uhura appeared and sat back at her console. "Uhura," Zia said, "you've got the console."

"Where are you going?"

Zia sighed. "I need some more coffee."

o.O.o

What a surprise when Kirk strolled onto the Bridge, three redshirts behind him and a waterlogged man shivering beside him.

Spock looked ready to murder someone. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm with him." A Scotsman.

"He's with me," Kirk said arrogantly.

"We are travelling at Warp Speed," Spock said, his voice low. "How did you manage to beam aboard this ship?"

"You're the genius, you figure it out," Kirk shrugged. Was he mocking him? Zia shifted in her seat. There was no way this was going to end well.

"As Acting Captain of this vessel, I order you to answer the question."

"Well I'm not telling, Acting Captain." There was a tense pause. "What, now that doesn't frustrate you, does it? My lack of cooperation… that doesn't make you angry-"

Spock focused on the Scotsman. "Are you a member or Starfleet?"

The Scotsman gaped like a fish, his eyes wide, "I, um, yes. Can I get a towel please?"

He was ignored. "Under penalty of court-martial I order you to explain to me how you were able to beam aboard this ship while moving at Warp."

"Well-"

"Don't answer," Kirk interrupted.

"You will answer me," Spock said, his voice dangerously low.

"I'd rather not take sides," the Scotsman said nervously and stepped back. Smart.

"What is it with you, Spock?" Kirk asked, stepping right up to Spock's face. "Your planet was just destroyed, your mother murdered and… you're not even upset." There was something… purposeful about the way he spoke. Like he selected every word carefully. Spock's mother… If Kirk wanted to make him angry, that was the best way to go about it.

"If you are presuming that this experience does in any way impede my ability to command this ship, you are mistaken," Spock replied, struggling to keep his voice even. A dull pain entered Zia's head and she fought to keep it down.

"And yet you were the one that said fear was necessary for command," Kirk said evenly. "Did you see his ship? Did you see what he did?"

"Yes, of course I did."

"So, are you afraid, or aren't you?"

"I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion."

"Then why don't you stop me?"

"Step away from me, Mister Kirk."

"What is it like not to feel anger, or heartbreak? Or the need to stop at nothing to avenge the death of the woman who gave birth to you?"

The pressure built. Oh, it hurt. "Back away from me," Spock said quietly.

"You feel nothing!" Kirk shouted. "It must not even compute for you! You never loved her!"

Spock roared, swung his fist and punched Kirk right in the face. Kirk fell, his arms pin-wheeling, and Spock grabbed his shirt and threw Kirk against a console. He wailed on Kirk with a rage no one had ever seen before and fastened his hands around the brunette's neck and squeezed. Kirk struggled to breathe but Spock increased the pressure and saw red.

"Spock!" Sarek exclaimed. Yet he still did not stop.

Zia clutched onto her chair with one hand and held her head with the other. 'SPOCK!' she screamed.

Her cry cleared his mind and he let go of Kirk's throat and stepped back, staring at the brunette. Kirk coughed and just lay there as life returned to him. Zia collapsed in her chair and raised a shaking hand to her nose. Her fingers came away covered in blood and at that moment Spock turned and looked at her. Pure horror flashed across his face and he crossed the Bridge and paused in front of McCoy.

"Doctor, I am no longer fit for duty. I hereby relinquish my command based on the fact that I have been… emotionally compromised. Please note the time and date in the ships log." He took a breath and left the Bridge.

If only they could feel his turmoil, his anger, shame, guilt, pain. If only they could, then they would know why he hid them. Zia watched Sarek leave the Bridge after his son, and she approached Kirk.

"I know you," he said.

She slapped him, then turned on her heel and stalked from the Bridge. Everyone watched her go, just like they'd watched Spock, and then all eyes were on Kirk again. She spotted Sarek turning a corner and chased after him. People she passed stared at the blood and looked away, as if they'd committed some crime.

"Attention crew of the Enterprise." It was Kirk, over the comm. "This is James Kirk. Mister Spock has resigned commission and advanced me to Acting Captain. I know you were all expecting to regroup with the fleet, but I'm ordering a pursuit course of the enemy ship to Earth. I want all departments at battle stations and ready in ten minutes. Either we're going down, or they are. Kirk out."

Zia followed Sarek to the Transporter room and waited outside. She couldn't intrude on a private moment between father and son. It wasn't right. Minutes later, Sarek exited the room and rested his gaze on her.

"He is waiting for you." Then Sarek turned and swept up the corridor. Zia ducked into the Transporter room and approached Spock. He no longer tried to hide his emotions and allowed the shame to crease his face.

"Look what I did to you," he said softly. He stepped forward and touched her face.

"Don't worry about me," she said. "Are you okay?"

"No."

"Spock…"

He closed his eyes and his feelings flooded her mind. His entire essence poured into her and she nearly cried with the force of his emotion.

"I cannot bring her back," he whispered, "but I can be grateful for what I have, and what I have is you."

She blessed him with a watery smile. "You'll always have me." He wiped the blood from her face and they embraced tightly, their grief mingling again. They stayed like that for a minute as Spock calmed and his thoughts returned to logic.

He slowly pulled back and they shared a tender smile. "You're ready to go back now," she murmured. "Let's go kick some Romulan ass."