Chapter 12: An Emotional Promotion
Layla's head pounded like a drum and her stomach churned horribly as the beams of swirling light faded from around her.
Man! this is why I hate transporters
She shuddered in self-disgust as she swallowed the bile that had just come halfway up her throat, only for it to come up again as someone shouted from beside her.
"Mr Scott!" it was Jim and he was grinning around in wonder at the place they had all landed in.
It was, Layla quickly recognised the Engineering decks on board the Enterprise. In fact almost the same spot she had just been walking in barely several hours ago on the way to her post.
It looked almost like a factory industrial space, fitted with many pipes and-
HOLY SHIT!
Layla squeaked in terrified surprise as she saw the short red head of Montgomery "Scotty" Scott zoom through the water right past her as it got pumped through a large glass pipe beside her. a couple of seconds later another figure zipped past, this one tall and with white blond hair.
"Oh crap" Jim gulped as he followed the path of the pipe and saw Scotty zip around a bend.
For a split second both he and Layla glanced at one another, and then they both split into fast sprints.
Layla was faster and was first to reach the pipe's end where she saw high above a large turbine spinning very fast.
"They've gone up!" She called out.
"I know" Jim shouted back, quickly dashing to a nearby engineering console.
"Get the Emergency Valve open" Layla shouted as she caught sight of the hatch high above her head towards which both Hawke and Scotty were zipping towards very fast.
"Right-right-right come on you little shit!" Jim cursed as his fingers flew over the keys. His heart was pounding in his ears
"JIM!" Layla bleated just as her friend finally found the right button and jammed his fist on it hard.
"Gotcha!"
There was a loud splash as the valve above Layla's head burst open. She only just stepped back in time as two large bodies fell out onto the floor with a loud thud, groaning and spluttering as they both spewed out water.
"You alright? You all right?" Jim called out as he and Layla rushed over to help their two half drowned companions.
"My head's buzzing and I'm soaked, but otherwise I'm fine!" Scotty coughed just as Layla managed to bring Hawke to his feet.
She couldn't help but grin in amusement as the young man did his best to wipe the white blonde hair from his face, which only resulted in it spiking up in all directions like a birds nest.
"Shut up!" he glowered when she snorted loudly.
"Hey watch it-" Jim snapped as he tugged Scotty onto his feet.
"Jim it's fine ok" Layla rolled her eyes only to pause as a red light began flickering high above their heads.
"Oh crap" she muttered.
"What?" Scotty blinked around in confusion and Layla nodded
"Security protocols have been activated. Which means we gotta get out of here!"
"No!" Jim hissed stepping forwards "We've got to get to the bridge! I need to talk to Spock!"
"I thought you just talked to him" Hawke glowered only for Jim to roll his eyes.
"I mean to the younger Spock! Our Spock" he added to Layla who frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I think I know how I can turn the ship around and get it back to Earth"
"Right" Layla nodded and then quickly added "does this by sheer coincidence have anything to do with what you and old Spock were talking about emotional compromises?"
"Maybe" Jim mumbled not quite meeting her eye as she looked at him sternly. However he was glad rolled her eyes and groaned.
"I really hope you know what you're doing Jim"
"so do I" Jim frowned just as something or someone's voice shouted high above the din of pumping tanks and pipes.
"Turbine Deck three secure! Begin looking for stowaways!"
"Come on! We gotta find a Turbo lift" Jim hissed.
No one wasted any time in arguing with him, not even Hawke, as they all began to run, slipping and sliding around turbines, pipes and consoles as the footsteps of many heavy boots quickly began to advance on them from all sides.
"Crap!" Jim hissed as he and Layla made to squeeze through the gap in-between two large metal tanks. "They're cornering us"
"Yeah…they are…" Layla quickly stopped and grabbed his hand to still him. "Wait"
"What's going on? Why are we standing here?" Scotty hissed from where he and Hawke stood behind the younger girl's back.
But Layla ignored them and Jim noticed that her face had lit up as she whispered to him
"Let them catch us"
"What?" all three men spluttered.
"Let them catch us!" Layla repeated "If Spock knows we're here then he's the one who sent them down, ergo they know where he is."
But Jim shook his head.
"Yeah and they'll also know that he'll be following Starfleet procedure to the tee and will take us down to the brig instea-" but Layla put a hand to stop him
"Not if I have anything to say about it. Deputy Security chief remember." She tapped the insignia of her EV suit, much to Scotty's surprise.
"Deputy Security chief? Just how old are you lass?"
"Eighteen." Layla waved the engineer offhandedly before turning back in earnest to Jim. "And as the most senior security officer present I have just as much authority as the Captain when it comes to dealing with stowaways"
But even as she said this Jim bit his lip unsurely.
Finally after a moment he sighed heavily.
"Ok…" he nodded "ok we'll do that. We'll get ourselves caught"
"You gotta be kidding me" Hawke groaned only to get shut up by the three glares sent his way. "Fine we get caught! But if you land me in the brig you little-" but Hawke barely had time to finish.
Within a split second and with a speed no one thought possible, Layla stormed up to him so fast that Jim and Scotty barely had time to blink before-
Kathwack!
Both men winced as the sound of a hand hitting flesh reverberated loudly off their surroundings, drawing the attention of the security officers nearby.
"What was that?"
"it came from over here!"
"this way."
"Put your hands up and be ready to surrender" Layla growled back at Jim and Scotty who both meekly did as they were told though they couldn't help but cringe away slightly as Layla snarled up at a still very stunned Hawke
"You listen here you little turd! You may have helped me once on the Narada. But don't think that that gives you any right to dis me on my own turf, let alone tell me how to do my job. Therefore if I were you I'd keep my mouth shut. Unless, you want me to kick you and the stupid stick shoved up your tight backside, out of an airlock and into the cold empty vacuum of outer space? Ya got that?"
Hawke nodded dumbly, his eyes still wide with astonishment as he touched his cheek that was red and slightly bruised.
But Layla didn't care. She just turned around with a snarling huff, hair flying out about her, the three men following at a safe distance.
"HEY!" a voice yelled and all four stowaways wheeled about just as a group of security officers came running up to all of them, led by a beefy tall man with short brown hair and a familiar short beard.
It was he who spared Jim a particularly hard glare as he spat out.
"Come with me cupcake! It's to the brig with you and your friends"
Jim shut his eyes and groaned mentally.
Great just his luck. It had to be this brute.
He was saved the trouble of speaking angrily by Layla's loud bark of-
"Lieutenant Hendorff!"
All the red shirted security officers jumped (one of them even squeaked) in shock as Layla strode forwards to stand before them hands on her hips. Though she was short, she stood up so straight and so tall that even the burliest of the security officers seemed small and meek as they shrunk back.
"L-Lieutenant Pike?" Hendorff spluttered, his once domineering glower transforming quickly into a sheepish stutter as he lowered his phaser "H-How-"
"How I'm here doesn't matter" Layla steamrolled over the taller man her eyes hardening to ice as she looked him in the eye "I need you to take me and these three to Acting Captain Spock. There has been some development in the current situation. Development which he will undoubtedly want to hear of immediately."
"B-But" another officer bleated only to shut up as Layla stared him down.
"That was not a request gentlemen. Lower your phasers and take us to Spock now!"
There was a small pause in which all the security officers present exchanged nervous glances with one another.
Spock was their captain now and had given them explicit instructions which they had to follow lest they be court marshalled. This of course was something all of them were afraid of, however it did not quite match up to the nightmare they would all be in for if they crossed a very angry Layla Pike.
"Yes, of course. Right this away mam" Hendorff mumbled gesturing courteously to Layla to follow him.
"Thank you Mr Hendorff" Layla nodded calm but still very much cold as she, Jim, Scotty and Hawke made to follow him, the other officers surrounding them in a defensive formation and still gripping their phasers low in thier hands.
"Damn that is one hell of a lass yer got there" Scotty whistled softly under his breath to Jim who snorted with a smirk.
"That's nothing. Wait till she really gets pissed off"
Leonard McCoy was pacing nervously behind Uhura's Communications Console as the doors to the bridge's turbolift hissed open.
Quickly he snapped his head up and almost laughed in relief as Layla and Jim both walked in at the head of a group of red shirted security officers, who all seemed to be keeping their distance from the former girl's furious form as she stormed over to Spock.
Oh crap…he's in for it
Leonard gulped as he watched the Vulcan say stiffly.
"Miss Pike"
"Mr Spock" Layla clipped as she made to stand before him arms folded.
"It is good to see you have successfully escaped captivity-" Spock began but Layla's eyes only narrowed into dangerous slits.
"No thanks to you Acting Captain Spock!"
Yep he's doomed!
Leonard sighed as the young woman stepped forwards to hiss into her senior officer's face.
"The Narada is on it's way back to Earth, which co-incidentally is home to the headquarters of Starfleet as well as the human home-world. Now Nero, who captain's the Narada is a homicidal maniac who wants to create a black hole in the middle of the planet and destroy it. to do so he has kidnapped my father, Captain Pike, and as we speak is probably forcing him to give up the frequencies of Starfleet's border protection grids for Earth. So riddle me this. Why are we going to the Florentian system when we should be going back and doing our best to stop one of the Federation's biggest threats from blowing up one of it's most important planets?!"
All eyes shifted anxiously over to Spock.
The Vulcan was just standing there his face blank, though Leonard could see the faintest traces of nervousness flicker in the his brown eyes as Layla glowered hard at him.
To avoid her accusatory stare he quickly turned towards Jim, Scotty and Hawke who all stiffened where they stood.
"Who are they?" Spock eyed Hawke and Scotty hard.
"They're with us" Jim answered stepping forwards and gently pulling a fuming Layla from the Vulcan who's brow furrowed and eyes hardened.
"We are travelling at warp speed. How did the four of you manage to beam aboard this ship?"
"Well, you're the genius, you figure it out" Jim gestured casually to Spock's blue sciences shirt, but that did not deter the Vulcan in the slightest as he persisted.
"As Acting Captain of this vessel, I order you to answer the question."
"Well I'm not telling Acting Captain" Jim sneered and when Spock remained blank he snorted "what? Oh no that doesn't frustrate you does it? My lack of co-operation? That doesn't make you angry-"
"Are either of you members of Starfleet" Spock steamrolled turning to Hawke and Scotty, the latter of whom nodded and smiled sheepishly.
"I um…yes. Can I get a towel, please?"
"Yes you can. Fredrickson" Layla barked at one of the security officers who quickly dashed off to the turbo lift, just as Spock turned to Layla, his eyes sharp and his body all tense.
"Miss Pike, under penalty of court martial I order you to explain to me how the four of you were able to beam aboard this ship while moving at warp"
"Well" Scotty began but Jim clipped.
"Don't answer him"
"You will answer me" Spock's voice was so tense you could use it to loose an arrow from it.
"Look me and me mate here would rather not take sides" Scotty nodded as with Hawke who put both his hands up in surrender just as Layla stepped forwards.
"Listen Spock I will explain later but now-"
"Miss Pike." Spock clipped to her and Layla could've sworn she heard a sharp snap in his voice "but may I remind you that you are still on duty and that unless you wish to violate Starfleet code-"
"Don't you start with me about codes and regulations Mr Spock!" Layla barked over the top of him much to the shock of all present "Especially when we both know you have just violated a fair few of them yourself tod-"
"Doctor McCoy, would you please escort Miss Pike to the med bay. She is undoubtedly still dealing with the residual effects of her traumatic ordeal" Spock commanded swiftly.
"Yes sir" Leonard gulped, but before the doctor could even take one step forwards Jim exclaimed in a loud clear voice.
"She is not going anywhere"
There was a very pregnant pause in which all eyes swivelled between the Vulcan and the young human male who. It was hard to tell which face currently held the most contempt as they stared at each other, their bodies as still as stone
Eventually it was Jim who broke the silence and his voice was almost a sneer.
"What is it with you Spock? Hmm?" he stepped forwards to take Layla's spot in front of the Vulcan in question. "Your planet was just destroyed, your mother murdered, and you're not even upset."
"If you are presuming that these experiences in any way impede my ability to command this ship, then are mistaken" Spock muttered but Jim didn't seem to hear him.
"And yet, you are the only one who said fear was necessary for command. I mean, did you see his ship? Did you see what he did?"
In spite of her anger, Layla could not help but feel the tiniest stabs of pity as sadness flashed over Spock's eyes for a split second. However the look was quick to vanish as he clipped.
"Yes, of course I did"
"So are you afraid or aren't you?" Jim insisted.
Now the emotion was clear for all to see in the vulcan's eyes as he snapped:
"I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion."
"then why don't you stop me?"
"Step away from me Mr Kirk" Spock muttered his tone getting tenser and tenser as Jim continued to advance on him.
"What is it like not to feel anger? Or heartbreak? Or empathy? Or the need to stop at nothing to avenge the death of the woman who gave birth to you?"
"Back away from me-"
"You feel nothing!" Jim shouted over the top of him his eyes fierce "It must not even compute for you. You never loved her"
And before anyone could even breathe Spock lunged with a roar of anger, his fist flying out in a sharp hit to Jim's face
Several members of the bridge crew screamed in fright as Jim reeled backwards, as hit after hit was struck at him.
"Spock!" Uhura cried out as to her alarm Jim spat blood on the floor after a particularly hard punch to his face
As soon as she caught sight of red blood splattered everywhere on the floor, Layla leapt forwards and grabbed Spock's arm.
"Spock enough! Stop it! He's had enough!" but Spock didn't even hear her.
With a harsh cry he elbowed the young girl hard, winding her right in the guts and sending her flying backwards into Hawke, who caught her quickly and securely.
"You ok?" he whispered, holding her up gently as Leonard came rushing over to them.
"Yeah" she whimpered in pain, clutching at her ribs.
Meanwhile back in the fray, Jim, seeing his friend hurt had suddenly snapped from his daze and was blocking strikes left right and centre. Sometimes other security guards tried to jump in and help him, however like Layla they too were sent flying back.
Jim, tired but still pumped from the adrenaline rush the fight was giving him, managed to get a couple of shots in himself however whatever small victories he had were quickly quashed when Spock grabbed him by the throat and swung him down hard on Sulu's now vacant spot at the helm.
Jim spluttered harshly, clutching and scrambling at the hand that now held his throat in a vice. However Spock only squeezed tighter, relishing in the way his superior Vulcan strength was overpowering the human before him.
His blood was pounding in his ears and his vision was so clouded by a veil of red that he could not-
"Spock!"
The voice that had spoken, had been shocked and to some degree clam. But nonetheless it was enough to snap the red haze away from his vision.
Spock blinked down and instead of an infuriatingly incompetent cadet, saw a young man gasping and struggling for air just as he struggled to stay alive…stay alive under the grip of a familiar large pale hand.
Spock's eyes widened as he released Jim's throat, his mind going numb as he looked down at his hand…the hand that had almost…
He stepped away from the console, doing his best not to meet the gaze of the one whose voice had commanded him, his father Sarek. The older Vulcan was looking down at Spock, his face mostly blank save for his slightly widened eyes.
Spock looked around him and when he saw the other officers he'd injured standing back timidly amongst the horrified onlookers, his pale face turned chalk white.
"Doctor" he huffed softly as he looked down to his toes. "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 ship's log."
Jim, who had been up till then coughing and hacking for breath, finally managed to summon enough strength to look up just in time to see Spock's tall pale form disappear through the turbo lift door. Two seconds later his father followed him, leaving behind an anxious Uhura to watch their backs.
Well…that worked
Jim panted hard wiping at his mouth, which was still bleeding, just as someone approached him.
To his surprise it was Hawke, who held out a hand before him his face grim but sympathetic.
Jim nodded and took the hand and gratefully allowed himself to be pulled up back to his feet.
As soon as he was up Scotty beamed excitedly from amongst the sea of security personnel that stood next to him.
"I like this ship!" he exclaimed as everyone turned to look blankly at him. "You know, it's exciting!"
Layla groaned, planting her face into the shoulder of Leonard McCoy who likewise was looking very, very irate as he looked Jim up and down.
"Well congratulations Jim. Now we've got no Captain and no goddamn first officer to replace him"
"Yeah we do" There was a small pause in which Jim caught Layla's eye, his face splitting into a small smirk.
"Huh?" she blinked but then her eyes widened as realisation dawned "Oh…"
"What?" The others all looked at her in confusion, but she only looked towards Sulu very pointedly.
Like her, Sulu frowned, only to start nodding at once in comprehension so that everyone turned to look at him instead.
"Captain Pike made Jim first officer"
Layla barely contained the urge to snort as Leonard's face dropped like a stone.
"You gotta be kidding me"
"Thanks for the support" Jim snorted as he made to sit in the captain's chair.
But even as he made to settle himself down, Uhura strode past him on her way to the console.
"I sure hope you know what you're doing, captain!" she spat down at him.
"So do I…" Jim quietly admitted before turning back to Leonard. "Bones take Layla, Mr Scott and Mr Hawke to med bay and have them checked over and fitted out for extra uniforms. Once they're done, bring them back to the bridge. We're gonna need their help"
"Right" Leonard shook his head out to clear it as he turned to face his charges. "You heard him. Come on. And that goes for you guys as well!" he barked to the other security officers that Spock had injured.
Jim watched as all three of his companion stowaways gingerly made their way along with the doctor out of the bridge before opening a shipwide communications link from his captain's chair.
"Attention crew of the Enterprise" he said, gulping down the blood in his mouth "This is James Kirk. Mr 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"
"Ow…"
"Sorry kid."
"no it's ok"
Layla grunted as Leonard pulled back from her wrist over which he hovered his osteo-regenerator.
"It's a good thing you self-heal pretty fast" he muttered softly, even though a privacy curtain had been pulled around them.
"Yeah" Layla laughed only to stop short, her face paling as she looked up at her friend. "Wait…what?"
"Lay" Leonard gently quickly put a hand on her shoulder "It's ok. I know"
"W-what do you know?" Layla gulped.
"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about" Leonard looked her squarely in the eye only to sigh as she turned away. "Layla. I'm a goddamn doctor. You honestly think I wouldn't have figured this stuff out quickly"
"No…" Layla admitted softly. "But I was hoping you wouldn't. How long have you known?"
"Since today. But I've had my suspicions. Now take off your suit, I want to see what damage that green blooded bastard has done" Leonard muttered.
Layla nodded and gingerly began to slip the suit off herself. She needed Leonards' help getting the her parachute pack off, but was soon quickly sitting on the medical bed in nothing but her underwear.
Not that she really cared much, considering it wasn't the first time the doctor had inspected her for injuries.
"So?" she bit her lip as she watched Leonard inspect her bruised ribs.
"The suit must've absorbed a fair bit of the strike" Leonard muttered as he made to poke and prod at the darkest point of the mark which was small. "which is lucky considering you were hit by an angry pointy eared hobgoblin"
Layla didn't even bother to stifle the giggles that escaped her as Leonard straightened up as he reached over for a dermal regenerator.
"Stay still would you" he growled as he hovered the device over the damaged skin.
"ok! ok! You grouchy old fart" Layla laughed.
"that's Doctor grouchy old fart to you sweetheart" Leonard waggled his medical instrument warningly in her face though she could see the amused twinkle in his dark eyes, which faded quickly as her smile dropped from her face.
"Leo" she bit her lip her eyes shining a little over brightly "I'm sorry…I should've probably told you about this a whole lot earlier."
"I swear, you are worse than Jim when it comes to guilt tripping yourself" Leonard rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation before reaching out and grabbing her shoulders "Seriously Layla its ok. Yes maybe you should've told me earlier. But what you should've done and could've done, that's all in the past. What's important now is that we've gotta focus on what's coming and what we can do in the here and now. Got it?"
Layla opened her mouth, but when she couldn't find the words to say, just shut it and nodded dumbly.
Leonard, satisfied with her compliance was quick to straighten up just in time as a hand reached through the privacy curtain.
"Miss Pike's clothes sir" a woman's voice called.
"Thank you Chapel" McCoy nodded taking a handful of clothes from a pale pair of arms which disappeared as quickly as a shadow even as Layla tried to take a peek at their owner.
"Here you go" Leonard grumbled as he shoved the clothing into her lap.
"Thanks" Layla shivered as she took the Red shirt into her hands, revelling in the soft feel of the material.
Quickly she stood up and began to dress as Leonard began to look over his PADD again.
"Are you sure you don't want to shower" he asked as she slipped the pants and boots on.
"As unhygienic as it sounds Leo, I won't bathe or eat or sleep till my dad is back aboard this ship safe and sound" the last words came out muffled as Layla pulled on both the long undershirt and the red over shirt over the top of her head.
"Oh it feels good to be back in uniform" she sighed as she settled her hair out of her collar "Right! now to go find Lieutenant Commander Giotto and give him my report"
"Uh…Layla" Leonard gulped, grabbing Layla's arm before she could leave the curtain.
When she turned back to face him, she was surprised to see his face very grim and down.
Her heart sank in her gut.
"He's dead isn't he?" she asked, her voice quiet and small.
Leonard nodded his jaw tensing. "Was sucked out from a hole in the lower hull when the Narada attacked."
"Right…right" Layla nodded quietly "So then my commanding officer would be…"
But Leonard shook his head.
"No one.…" he paused and took a deep shuddering breath "You are currently the highest ranking security officer on board."
There was a silence as Layla stared in shock at the doctor, who quickly brought up a file on his PADD on which was listed all the commanding officer's of the ships. There at the top underneath the section for chief medical personnel were the roster of chief security personnel.
Giotto's name and picture was transparent and crossed out. But beneath that bright and clear for all to see, was her picture and her name.
Lieutenant Layla S. Pike- Acting Chief of Security.
"You've got to be shitting me"
and tadaa! they're back on board the enterprise. so yeah Layla got promoted, only it wasn't exactly such a happy affair. :(
In the beginning of this fic i was wondering whether i should make her tactical or security, but then after looking at the list of the crew in the alternate universe's Enterprise, i realized that they had not included a security chief. Seeing as she is currently one of the crew's strongest fighters (plus the fact that she's pretty darn bossy) i thought that role would fit her, more than just being a tactical officer. Also red's more her colour ( at least in this story).
Hope you guys enjoyed and keep R&Ring for more