Words cannot describe how awful I feel for not updating. I am so, so, sorry. I am NOTabandoning AIL. I just didn't want this chapter to be disappointing. I'm not very confident in my writing, so when I decided to put out a battle scene, I sort of panicked because I wasn't sure how to make it good. I wrote part of this already, but didn't finish it because I felt like it was weak and you guys deserved better of a plot line than that. Well, I think I may have come up with something good enough, so here it is. Also, another thing I have to say is that what mainly inspired me to pick up my laptop and write this story again was rereading some of the reviews that you guys have sent me in the past. Thank you guys so, so much for your past support, and I hope this chapter makes up for not updating in over a month.

I normally reply to reviews, but most of them are all asking me to update again, and I'm not sure how to answer that. But thank you to The Sorceresses' Apprentice, NightShadeMoon, AniMags, katiesgotagun, and Serenading Spock (I hereby apologize for forgetting to be awesome, my fellow Nerdfighter, it won't happen again) for your reviews. It really does mean a lot. So without further ado, I bring you Chapter 11.

Captain Mike Marian of the USS Red Rose was pissed off. He was pissed off at the horrid progress (that is to say, no progress) at his attack on the Enterprise, Starfleet's precious little flagship. He was pissed off because his crew was a bunch of idiots and had no idea how to work phasers on a ship. If he wasn't so busy being the fucking Captain, maybe he could shoot the damn ship himself. Running his fingers through his shaggy black hair – I need a haircut, he mused – Captain Marian put in a lot of effort into calming himself down.

"Again," He ordered his crew sharply, pounding his fist on the arm of his chair, "20 percent more power." Okay, so perhaps the power increase would bite him in the ass later, he didn't care. Admittedly, the Red Rose wasn't in the prime condition that she used to be back in her day as Starfleet's top ship.

She had belonged originally to Mike's grandfather, Captain John F. Marian, when she was first christened ninety years ago. And boy, did she have a history. She was the Starfleet's best – the world's best – until she wasn't. Like all things, she just got outdated. Newer and better technology had allowed for more advanced starships, and the Red Rose was retired. At least, that was the story on the official documents.

Starfleet was nothing if not sentimental, and had allowed Mike's father, Captain James Marian, to keep her. Well, you can't exactly keep a starship in your backyard, so James had asked for permission to fly her, and live in her, docking at planets only to refuel, and to simply live into space. They agreed, and so it was told to the public that James Marian and his son Michael were simply missing. It was technically illegal to take a retired federation ship into space to be crewed by random alien stragglers and roam the universe, but none of that was in the rulebook.

When his father died, Mike was more than happy to take over the position of Captain. The Red Rose was his home since he was five, and he knew her better than he knew the back of his hand. And right now, he knew she was about ready to bite the proverbial dust. And there was no way in hell he was going to let that happen. It was sheer coincidence that he had stumbled upon a shiny new soon-to-be repair yard, the pride and joy of Starfleet.

Mike cracked what he might call a grin, but others would (and did) call it a grimace. The newer technologies of the Enterprise could be swapped and the Red Rose could live again. Of course, the newness of the Enterprise was what made this a tricky gamble. Mike's grin/grimace slipped off of his face and was replaced by his usual scowl.

As an explorer (which is what he liked to think he was, back before it happened) and a person who had a deep appreciation for space and spaceships alike, he had to admit that the other ship was beautiful. Not beautiful like his Rose of course, but beautiful in that way that made mechanics sigh and smile dreamily. And as a strategist, Mike knew the Red Rose didn't have much of a chance against the Enterprise. The hope was there, but it wasn't strong.

So he had concocted a Plan C. Albeit a very painful and very risky Plan C, but a Plan C all the same. Mike rubbed his eyes, exhausted. He was just about to call for increased power, when his dumbass of a Communications Officer called out to him, "Captain, we're being hailed. I can't block out the transmission."

Mike rolled his eyes and didn't bother to change his posture to something slightly more intimidating than the sprawl he had arranged himself in for comfort. "Let them. Cease fire momentarily." He ordered lazily. He was more than surprised to see a calm looking man, maybe in his late twenties, early thirties, in the Captain's chair with a Vulcan by his side, but didn't let it show.

"Captain Marian, I'm assuming." The blond haired man said, looking at Mike, who rolled his eyes.

"Isn't it considered rude to not introduce yourself before threatening someone?" Mike asked dryly.

"I'm Captain James Kirk, and I'm not threatening you." The man, Captain Kirk, replied evenly.

Mike snorted. "This ought to be good," he muttered under his breath before speaking again, more clearly, "What do you want? Within reason, I mean."

"I want to know why you're here."

Mike scoffed once again. "I'm not going to give you my life story, Captain Kirk."

"That's not what I'm asking for. According to official Starfleet records, the Red Rose was junked for scrap metal, and James Marian disappeared with his son over thirty five years ago."

"Damn, you're making me sound old." Mike remarked. He held the gaze of Captain Kirk for a few beats longer, then sat up in his chair, a more serious demeanor playing on his face. "It's like you said. Official Starfleet records. If you ask me, Starfleet is just a bunch of old ass men who are too sentimental for the 'Good Old Days' for their own good. They let my father take the ship and me along with it, provided we stay away from the Earth and not draw attention to ourselves."

"You're not doing a very good job at the last part." Captain Kirk noticed dryly.

Mike laughed, a harsh, guttural sound that drew the nervous attention of his ragtag crew. "You're not in a very good position to be telling that to me, mate."

Captain Kirk's face turned dangerous. "Let me make something perfectly clear to you, Captain Marian. I don't know how you managed to block our weapons systems," Kirk ignored the half shoulder shrug paired with a smug grin that Mike gave, "or why you're attacking the Enterprise. All I know is that even I don't want to see what I will do if you continue to attack my ship and my crew. You have thirty minutes to say your goodbyes, then I will lead a party to come arrest you and your crew and personally ensure that you spend the majority of your life in prison. Do you understand me?"

Mike smirked again. "Oh, Captain Kirk. You would make me laugh if it weren't so pathetic," he spat out, sounding far more confident than he felt, "Because the truth is, I hit your exactly where I wanted to hit, and you're powerless to stop me. And you know it."

"Don't make the mistake of underestimating me, Captain Marian."

"I could say the same, Captain Kirk."

"Thirty minutes. Don't say I never warned you." The transmission screen blipped and turned black, then disappeared.

Please review, tell me what you liked, what you didn't (aside from not updating, I know you guys didn't like that), and please remember that AIL is here to stay. Also, sorry for no Vienna or Pavel in this chapter, but the Red Rose had to be explained, and I made up for it (or at least tried to) with an Angry Kirk, which is also a Sexy Kirk, in my opinion. Thanks for reading.

-Les