Why is there water everywhere? Kirk thought as he sloshed towards the next door. He poked his head around the corner. The next room was empty except for a table. And on the table was… Captain Pike. Kirk ran to his side. Was he dead? Kirk pressed his fingers to the side of Pike's neck. He sighed in relief. There was a pulse, weak but there. Kirk turned his attention to the straps attaching Pike to the table. As he tore at them, Pike began to stir.
"What are you doing here?" he asked when he saw Kirk.
"Rescuing you, of course." Said Kirk, grinning. Having succeeded in removing the straps, he helped Pike off the table.
"Are you alone?" he asked.
"No." said Kirk. "Spock and Bella are with me."
"Where are they?" Pike asked.
"Spock is trying to destroy the drill and Bella is taking care of Nero." Kirk replied. He had turned towards the door when something fell right in front of him and landed with a splash in the water. Bella. "Bella!" he yelled in panic. "Are you alright?" She tried to stand up but collapsed, grimacing in pain and clutching her ribs.
"No." she said.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I got distracted and Nero knocked the phaser from my hands. He kicked me hard in the ribs and got me with his knife." She said gesturing to a long, bloody gash on her leg. "And then he pushed me off the catwalk."
He stared at her with his mouth open. "You fell all the way from the catwalk?" He asked in horror.
She nodded. "Nero broke my ribs when he kicked me, and I think I broke my leg when I landed."She smiled grimly. "But don't worry," she said. "I gave as good as I got."
Kirk nodded. "We've got to get out of here. Can you walk?" He asked her.
"I don't know." She said. "But I can try." She stood up on her good leg and tentatively took a step. She immediately collapsed with a cry of pain. "Don't move." He said. "I'll find Spock."
"No need." Said a familiar voice. "I am here." Spock stepped from the shadows. "And yes." He said, looking at Kirk, "I did destroy the device."
Bella smiled, understanding. "The explosion I heard." She said.
He nodded. "I crashed the shuttlecraft into the ship." He turned to Kirk. "When I crashed, the red matter ignited."
Kirk nodded, understanding. "This place'll become a black hole in less than ten minutes."
Spock nodded too. "We will have to beam up now." He said.
Kirk flipped open his communicator. "Kirk to Enterprise, we're ready for beam up." He turned to Spock. "You get Bella, I'll get Captain Pike." He said.
Spock nodded and knelt next to Bella."Can you walk?" he asked.
"No." she said.
"Her ribs and leg are broken." Kirk explained, supporting Pike. Spock turned back to Bella, questions in his dark eyes.
"Nero." She explained. Anger flashed deep in his onyx eyes. He nodded and scooped her up into his arms. "Unnngh." She said, clutching her ribs. Almost immediately, the light swirled around them and the Narada was gone.
* * * * *
The light fell away to reveal Kirk supporting Pike and Spock carrying Bella. "Dr. McCoy." Said Spock, setting Bella down on the transporter steps. "Take Bella and Captain Pike to sickbay."
"No, wait Bones." Said Kirk, stepping forward. "I need Bella on the bridge right now."
McCoy frowned. "Jim, she's very badly hurt." Said McCoy.
Bella held up a hand to stop him. "I'll be fine." She said. "I'll be sitting at my console the entire time."
McCoy hesitated then agreed. "Fine." He said. Spock moved to help her. She had a feeling he didn't like this plan anymore than McCoy did, but he said nothing to stop her. Bella lurched to her feet, putting all her weight on her good leg. She tentatively took a step forward. Her injured leg shook under her, refusing to support her weight. Spock shook his head and picked her up again. When they reached the bridge, he set her down as gently as he could at her console and sat down at his own. Bella immediately noticed the small, blinking light on her console. "Captain, we're being hailed." She said.
"Put it through." Said Kirk, leaning forward.
Nero's face appeared on the view screen. "Are you prepared to surrender?"
Kirk grinned. "You should be the one surrendering." He said. "We've ignited the red matter. Within ten minutes, your ship will become a black hole." His face softened slightly. "But we're willing to help you."
Bella's eyes narrowed. "What?" she snarled.
"Captain." Said Spock. "What are you doing?"
"Showing them compassion." Kirk replied. He grinned. "It's logic, Spock. I thought you'd like that?"
"No, not really." Said Spock. "Not this time."
Kirk grinned and turned back to the view screen. "We can evacuate your ship before it implodes.
Hate burned in Nero's eyes. "I'd rather suffer the death of Romulus a thousand times than accept your help." He snarled.
"Fine. Kirk out." Kirk replied. Bella turned to her console and ended the transmission.
She turned to Kirk. "We need to get away before the ship implodes or we'll get sucked into the black hole too."
He nodded. "Mr. Sulu." He said. "Ahead warp…" the rest of his words were drowned out by an explosion. The ship lurched and Bella fell backwards out of her chair as her console exploded in her face. She cried out in pain as she landed on her broken leg.
Spock knelt next to her. "Are you alright?" he asked.
She shook her head in frustration. "Never mind me." She said. "What's going on?"
"They are firing photon torpedoes." He said tensely.
Her eyes narrowed. "Those Romulan bastards…" she hissed.
"Bella!" said Kirk, turning to her. "Can you man the weapons console?"
"Yes sir!" she said, pulling herself into the chair.
"Fire phasers!" he yelled.
"Firing phaser's!" she called back. A red jet of light streaked towards the doomed Romulan vessel. An explosion told them that it had found its target.
"Captain!" said Spock, consulting a screen on his console. "The ship is beginning to collapse!" Bella turned to look at the view screen. The ship was indeed starting to collapse inward.
"We've got to get out of here now!" She said anxiously.
Kirk nodded. "Mr. Sulu." He said. "Ahead warp seven."
"Aye sir. Warp seven." He replied. A grating shudder ran through the ship.
"What's happening?" someone said. "Why aren't we moving?"
Bella eyes widened as she stared at the view screen. "We're being sucked into the black hole." She said, horrified. "And…"
"And we don't have enough power to break free." Kirk finished. "Dammit!" he said, pounding the armrest of his chair with his fist.
"We need some sort of propulsion." Said Spock. "Something that will push us away from the black hole."
A slow grin spread across Kirk's face. "You mean something like the warp cores?" he asked.
Spock nodded. "Precisely." He said.
Kirk grinned wider as he pushed the intercom button. "Kirk to engineering."
"Scott here." Came the reply.
"Scotty." Said Kirk. "Would it be possible to eject the warp core and use it to propel us away from the black hole?
"I Cannae say for sure." Said Scotty. "But we can try."
Kirk smiled. "Hurry, Scotty. Kirk out."
There was silence and then… Whoosh! The explosion caught the Enterprise. "Hold on!" yelled Kirk. Bella grabbed the edge of her console. The shock wave carried the Enterprise away from the black hole. "Warp seven!" yelled Kirk.
"Yes sir!" yelled Sulu. The engines kicked to life and the Enterprise zoomed away.
There was silence and then… "We did it!" yelled Kirk.
Cheers broke out on the bridge. "Yes! We did it!" People yelled.
Bella wrapped her arms around Spock. He hugged her back being careful of her ribs. "I love you." She said.
"As do I." he replied. "Forever." They embraced as the Enterprise warped out of sight.
