I'm not even going to apologize for the wait on this one I know it's ridiculous.
Spock typed his clearance into the security system of the prep room. He felt a hand slide over his shoulder, he did not need to turn to know it was Nyota. He reached up and slides his fingers along hers.
"It is duty." Spock said.
Nyota stepped away from him. He walked over to the storage bins and pressed his hand against the scanner to release the phaser draws. He took one out and checked it over to make sure it was fully functional. When he turned Nyota was holding out a utility belt and a communicator. Spock reached and took it for her. He knew she was worried for him. He knew that she had every right to be. Spock believed in statistics. They told you how likely an occurrence was, they were a good basis to plan action on. Now he was going against the statistics, taking the unsafe option. Unsafe as in the chances of it working being 4.3% and the chances of him surviving 15.32%. Statistics could not take sides. They were just numbers, not sentinel beings, they were reliant on ever changing factors. Yet, still, the words 'the statistics are not on my side' seemed fitting. He and Nyota did not always need words to communicate. Some say communication is only 10% words yet in this situation Spock wished he had the words.
She seemed to sense the need in him. She reached her hands forwards inviting him to slide his fingers down hers. Spock did so allowing himself to feel the tingling sensation and the warmth that filled him when he touched his bond mate.
"Nyota I.."
Just at that moment the door slid open and Kirk strolled in. Spock dropped Nyota's hand. He began to check over his communicator.
"I checked it for you. And recorded the frequency, I set it to continuous low emitance. The Romulan's should not be able to pick it up."
"Very good Uhura."
"Are you ready for this?" Kirk asked as he hooked on his belt.
"Yes Captain."
Kirk looked at him for a moment. His expression showed something that Spock could not read.
"You, uh fit for this?" Kirk asked looking away.
"You do not process the strength to injure me Captain."
The word Captain still felt strange upon Spock's tongue. He could respect that Kirk had sought the advice of others instead of blindly following his own plans. It showed that perhaps the man was not entirely run by his ego. But that was not the only prerequisite required for captaincy.
"Yeah, I'd already guessed that one, I meant.. forget it."
Spock wanted to ask him if he was asking after his mental health after he had insulted him and insinuated that he was completely unfeeling. But he realized that that may cause an argument and to cause and argument before an away mission was not logical. Spock was not logical today, but he could at least hold himself back from doing something stupid.
They walked across the hallway to the main transporter room. Spock was aware of Kirk bending over the Com system giving the final orders. He stood on the transporter beam picking one at the back away from where his mother had supposed to reappear. He knew Nyota was following him nervously. Words continued to fail him, but Nyota stepped up onto the pad to join him. She was beautiful, he could not help but stare at her and try to take in every intricate detail of her. She stepped close to him, close enough for him to be acutely aware of the distance between them.
He felt her in his mind. Her presence was so strong in that moment that she filled him. In that moment she showed him everything she felt for him. The love the deep trust the desire and so much more the sense of belonging to him and processing him the sense of infinite time and possibilities ahead of them. To be shared together. It was beautiful and Spock let it fill him. It let it mend some of the pain in his heart and strengthen him. He fully opened up there link and let all his admiration and love and the sense that she was the most important being in the universe to him flow through back to her. He knew that words would have never been able to express every facet of his love for her but the link allowed him to express it without words, without holding back and without leaving any detail out. Her eyes glazed over with tears but she blinked them away.
My Nyota, always so strong yet so soft.
Spock…
She reached up and her lips met his. They just kissed each other, slowly and passionately letting each other feel this wonderful sensation aware that it could possibly be the last time they experience it. Breathing could be such an inconvenience at times Spock thought as he pulled away. Yet he could not live without it so how could it be inconvenient? Another illogical thought. Spock rested his hand on the small of her back. Spock was only aware of the gentle breathing against his cheek.
"I will be back." He spoke softly making it a promise
Nyota pulled back searching his face for something.
"You better be. I'll be monitoring your frequency."
"Thank you, Nyota."
She leaned forwards and pressed her lips to his again. It was brief, not a goodbye but a see you later.
Please, keep safe.
Spock. Well see each other soon. I promise, Kipenzi, you are my bond-mate. We shall not be separated.
He glanced one final time at those deep brown eyes. Then he stood still trying to clear his mind for the task ahead. He was aware of Kirk stood next to him on the transporter pad.
"So her first name's Nyota?"
"I have no comment on the matter."
You have not proved yourself enough of the honor to call her by her first name. You do not deserve that familiarity. She is mine. Spock thought.
"Okey-dokey then. " Scott said. "If there's any common sense in the design of the enemy ship, I should be putting you somewhere in the cargo bay. There shouldn't be a soul in sight."
"Energize." Kirk said.
Spock felt the familiar tingling, the sudden moment of darkness just like a blink and then a ship appeared in front of him. The Romulan design nothing like the tidiness of the Vulcan ships. There were Greenish metal walls and open wires hanging down only protected by tubing. The ship was like nothing he had ever seen before but despite the technology being advanced their were signs of decades of wear and t ear. Then there was a harsh shut in Romulan and Spock realized the space he is in id not large enough to be a cargo bay.
Spock sees them, the Romlans. He pulled his phaser knowing Kirk has already moved. They are too out in the open they must find cover. He followed Kirk, green blasts of phaser fire sizzled through the air around him. His instincts were good enough for him to avoid them. Kirk seemed to be pretty quick on his feet despite the heavier artificial atmosphere. Spock was aware of the red blast of a phaser and Romaulan fall. He would give Kirk this, the man was suited to battle. They both ducked down behind a heavy cargo crate. It would protect them as they tried to hold the Romulan's off and think of their next move.
Spock heard the done of the Romulans speak over a com.
" Captain, we have Starfleet officers aboard the ship"
"Captain, Nero is aware of our presence." Spock said as he aimed his phaser at a Romulan who was taking pot shots at them from behind a beam. The blast sizzled through the air and hit the Romulan's shoulder. Still it was enough to stun him.
"How do you know?"
"Vulcan hearing." Spock explained briefly.
"Already, dam. I hoped we would have more time."
They continued to take down the surrounding Romulans. Spock floored three Kirk took the last one. There were now no Romulans in aiming range. Spock bends close to Kirk
"I'll cover ya."
Spock considered Kirk's ability to defend them both at once.
"Are you certain?"
"Yeah, I got ya."
Spock was not sure but they could not afford certainty. He had to look into the Romulan's mind. It was the only chance they would have to find the black hole device and save earth. He approached one of the stunned Romulan's on steady feet phaser raised ready to fire. The insignia on his uniform showed that he was higher up in the hierarchy than the others and therefore more likly to know important information. Spock put his fingers to the meld points of the Spock's face.
The stunned Romulan's mind was not trained like a Vulcan's was. It had very few defenses. The mind was shocked at the intrusion it's immediate reaction was to remember violent incidents in the past. Spock fought through the violent images that strangely feature Klingons heavily. He concentrated on finding the recent memories and the Romulan mind eventually figured out what it had to provide him with to get him to leave. He saw a montage of recent memories. Flashes of Nero, he was angry. Flashed of a Vulcan face, old but familiar. The name Spock was connected to that name. It was confusing but Spock concentrated past it. Then he saw Chris. Chris screaming, something had been done to him. He concentrated hard on this memory and eventually it revealed Christopher's location. He was still alive. Spock searched around more and saw a highly advanced small ship, again it was connected to the name Spock. He saw the gelatinous red floating ball. It was Red matter, a highly unstable substance that caused black holes. It's existence was only theoretical. Obviously that was no longer the case. He withdrew from the unfamiliar mind.
He became aware of his weight of the bad smelling recycled airs flowing around him. He opened his eyes and saw Kirk crouched down to the side of him.
"Do you know where it is? The black hole device?"
"And Captain Pike."
As Spock stood up he saw the body of a Romulan on the floor next to him. Kirk has been good to his word.
"This way."
They ran through the ship. Spock kept his senses alert. There may be more Romulans in the area but as Spock ran down the corridors his mind knew even though he had not seen them before they did not account anybody. As he ran Spock gave Kirk the directions to Captain Pike. One level up and thirty meters north of their exact location. Another Romulan appeared from out of a turbo lift Spock pushed Kirk to the left just as a red energy bolt sizzled past his right ear. Spock aimed his phaser and shot. The door of the turbo lift shut but Sock saw the Romulan fall before the metal clinked together.
The floor shaked lightly and there was a sound of whirring as the ships straining wires made a strange buzzing noise.
"What's that noise." Kirk shouted.
"They have started the drill given the depth and make up of earths crust we have approximately twenty one point three minutes."
"Let's hurry then."
"What Mr. Kirk do you think I am doing?"
"Wow. Didn't know Vulcan's could do sarcasm. I'm impressed."
A small square opening in the corridor led them into a large open space. Spock's eyes immediately focused upon the ship that stood to the other side of the bay. It was beautiful, in any other situation Spock would have loved to spend hours examining it. The ship was small, perhaps one man two at most, not designed for carrying or for long trips. It was a titanium with a round ball like middle surrounded by what looked like a ring shaped moving high energy beam. There were four legs, obviously retractable the hatch door was down, ready for them.
"Nice of them to leave the door open." Kirk said. "And no guards either. You'd think they wanted us to steal this thing."
Spock did not answer. He was starting to believe that Kirk's incessant talking was a means of stopping fear.
The design of the inside was beautiful. And definitely Vulcan. All walls white, functional, none distracting, the door circular, the floor lined with little grips, the bridge exactly where it should be. Spock looks around. There was much equipment he has never seen before.
"I foresee a complication. The design of this ship is far more advanced than I've anticipated."
H e saw the red matter container it was in the circular room that joined onto the bridge. He stepped forwards to examine it but was distracted when he hears a computerized voice.
"Voice print and face recognition analysis enabled. Welcome back, Ambassador Spock."
Welcome back? The ship had identified him and identified him as an ambassador no less. There was a possibility it had mistaken him for his father Sarek but then This was future technology. Could the ship have recognized him as a future version of him from the reality that Nero came from. That would explain Nero's familiarity with him. That would explain the face he had seen in the Romulan's memory. The face that could very easily be an older version of himself.
"Wow, that's weird." Kirk said walking past.
"Computer, what is your manufacturing origin?"
Spock needed confirmation.
"Stardate twenty-three eighty-seven. Commissioned by the Vulcan Science Academy."
Yes, there was a strong possibility that an alternative future version of him had piloted this ship; and if Nero knew him and the ship was now here there was a possibility that that version of him had come through the wormhole after. Was Kirk not questioning this? How did Kirk manage to beam onto the Enterprise? even if Scotty was a mechanical genius they were still years off that technology.
Spock turned to follow Kirk, he walked down the short bright corridor to the bridge. A small room with a domed window and triangular chair in front of the controls. Kirk was checking something on one of the computers as he approached.
"It appears that you have been keeping important information from me."
"You'll be able to fly this thing, right?"
"Something tells me I already have."
Kirk hesitates for a moment. He was not denying it but not confirming it either.
"Good luck."
Spock paused. He was about to face a great unknown. A face appeared before him. His Nyota.
"Jim, the statistical likelihood that our plan will succeed is less than four point three percent."
Kirk turned he had a look of slight annoyance on his face.
"It'll work. " Kirk said quickly with self assurance
.
"In the event that I do not return, please tell Lieutenant Uhura..."
"
Spock, " Kirk stopped him "it'll work. "
He seemed so sure of the fact.
He was so confident. Where did that assurance come from? But it was for the best, could he actually have said to a stranger what he wanted to say? Tell her that I have loved her from the instant I saw her. And that from that instant there has not been a single second when I did not love her. I loved her in the good times, all the simple nights spent curled up together, the first we spent together. And I loved her in the bad times, when we were angry at each other, when we were hurt, when we were separated. I loved her. It defines me. It allows me to be a whole and not just two halves. I love her, It is simple and undeniable and permanent.
Perhaps he could have just contacted Nyota, but he did not want to. To tell her these things now would simply worry her, perhaps unnecessarily.
Kirk had left. Spock sat down in the pilots chair. It moved as he sat down. The material under him shifted to support his spine, it must have been some kind of unstable molecule reacting to the weight of his body.
"Fascinating."
For the first time since his mothers death (it was hard to believe that was only a few hours ago, those hours had been so full) he felt a rise of curiosity. His usual interest in the world was back.
"Startup sequence initiated."
Spock looked at the controls. He found that despite there unusualness it was easily readable. It was the logical way to lay out the controls of a ship. The way he would lay out the controls of a small advanced ship. And it helped that the labels on the screen were in a type of Vulcan short hand he was familiar with. He pressed the screen finding he could easily activate the controls and the weaponry system. He did not have any time to find anything other than this out. He started up the ships engine feeling the soft purr beneath him as the ship came alive.
He lifted the ship with ease and maneuvered it out of the nearby cargo bay doors. Once outside the ship and in open space he was able to speed up and follow the long line of the drill downwards. The ship didn't even jerk or heat up as he entered earths Atmosphere. As he headed downwards the indistinct blur of colors on Earth surface began to become familiar to him and he felt his hands grasping the controls tighter than necessary. The drill was just above San Franscio, the grounds of the Star Fleet academy. His home for the last seven years.
He accessed the ships weapon system. It was small so only contained a half dozen small missiles. He knew they would be powerful but the drill target was relatively small. That is relative to the computer generated ships on the simulations he had been on. He aimed carefully the little lights on the screen turning red to show that he was on target. He pulled the trigger. The first two missiles missed. Spock took a deep breath and centered himself before re-aiming and firing the next two. This time he saw the small flash of collision from the view screen in front of him. Then the large drill line snapped in two and separated. He followed the platform as it fell, for an instant he thought it would hit the bridge but instead it landed harmlessly in the water of the bay.
Spock turned the ship back upwards homing in on the Narada. His approach to it struck fear into him. The ship just seemed to get larger and larger as he approached. Soon all he could see on the view screen were those large metal spikes reaching towards him. They seemed ready to engulf him, to swallow him or to crush him. But he could not allow himself to give into fear, there was still more to do. A small nodule hidden inside the chair just below his finger started to vibrate. Without thinking he pressed down on it and a small screen to the left of him lighted up showing a twisted and distorted face. As the picture cleared he could see it was the Romulan Nero.
"Spock, I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance."
" I hereby confiscate this illegally obtained ship and order you to surrender your vessel. No terms."
" That ship, take it out." Spock heard Nero shout before the screen went blank. It was warning enough for him to start checking the ships shielding and watching the Narada missile docks on screen. The Missiles did not shock him when they came, he was ready for them. He turned the ship and hit the button he knew would send him into warp.
He only had a few seconds to think. In warp he knew the little ship was faster than anything else in the galaxy. Meaning it had already outrun the missiles and they were just small blips on the edge of his sensors. He had to destroy the Narada. Even with the red matter confiscated and the drill gone the Narada was a danger to federation ships. It had destroyed an entire fleet using only it's missiles. He quickly typed the coordinates for Saturn into the small ships navigation systems. Within seconds he was there. He easily found the Enterprises radio signals and opened up a direct line.
"Spock to Enterprise, come in Nyota."
"Spock."
Nyota's voice was filled with relief. His heart beat faster at the sound of it but he held himself together. There was not time for goodbyes. Kirk and Chris were still on that ship, along with a maniacal Romulan with enough missiles to damage half of Europe. He must destroy the Narada and the red matter, technology like this should not exist in this century whoever was in procession of it was in a position to rule over those weaker (which would be everybody) it would affect the progression of history too much, it must be destroyed.
"The drill has been destroyed. I have the red matter. The Earth is safe. I am going back to the Narada. I shall use the red matter as a means of its destruction."
"We're coming with you Spock."
"That would risk.."
"Shut up Spock. McCoy, Scotty and Sulu second that. Chekov would to if he wasn't terrified of you."
"Understood." Spock said.
He turned the ship back in the direction of the Narada and went to warp knowing that the Enterprise would be mere minutes behind him. He slowed slightly as the Narada came into view. He had to be certain of destroying the weapons bay and he knew from watching the missiles that were now being shot at him that would be in the middle of those great spike like structures.
He felt detached as he watched the multitude of missiles coming towards him. He handled the controls as if they had been made for him evading them easily and without thought though he knew that to do so would be impossible and that somewhere in his mind he was processing the incoming missiles and carefully calculating where to turn the ship so as to avoid them.
" Ambassador Spock, you are on a collision course." The computerized voice informed him.
"Understood."
He was strangely calm. Perhaps it was what Kirk had said. Perhaps he had a little in common with Kirk after all. Perhaps he knew that despite the odds he would somehow survive this. The last few years of his life had been so worthwhile. It had made the rest of the years dim in comparison. He was not ready to die. But then all those people on Earth were not ready to die either. The good of the many outweighs the good of the one or the few.
"Incoming missiles. If the ship is hit, the red matter would be ignited."
"Understood." Spock said again. He tried to engage his mind more fully on the task as more missiles came towards him, an impossible amount. He had to hit the ship though. There was no other option. Failure was not an option. He believed in no win scenarios but they were not a viable option. There was a large beep as another object came into range of his sensors. He knew this was the Enterprise and saw its missiles speed before him and take out those of the Narada.
The Narada was coming ever closer. Spock felt his heartbeat increase. His mouth went dry, the muscles around his chest seemed to contract and he felt as if he could not breathe. Fear, he had become quite accustomed to it in the course of the day.
Nyota, I love you.
Spock, Scotty's going to get you out of there. Trust me, just slow down a fraction.
I do trust you Nyota.
He could see each of the hull plates. He could see an imperfection of the metal in one of the arms. A burn scar at the tip as he passed. Two seconds to impact his skin felt like it was crawling, he resisted the urge to shut his eyes.
The transporter room materialized in front of him. He looked over to the other pad and felt a wave of relief when he saw Kirk propping up Chris. He was alive, Chris was alive, the earth had survived. It seemed strange, there had only been a four percent chance. But perhaps there was something more to being in Star Fleet than the numbers and the regulations. After all, hadn't he broken the rules for Nyota.
"Nice timing, Scotty."
"Ha ha ha ha! I've never beamed three people from two targets onto one pad before." Scotty answered excitedly.
The door slide open and McCoy rushed in followed by Nyota. Nothing else existed for Spock in that moment. He ran forwards and caught her hand. She smiled widely at him and they felt the connection in their mind glow white hot. Spock was glad to be back with her. His lover. They ran together to the turbo lift as it opened Spock looked up and saw his father stood there.
"You have survived."
"Yes."
"I am glad."
"As am I. Chris may I also say it is good to see you alive."
Chris meet his eyes but did not speak.
They piled into the turbo lift. Doctor McCoy and Kirk held onto Chris, he did not seem able to focus on anything or to be able to stand unaided but Spock knew he would pull through it, after all the percentages seemed to be reversed today. Spock could feel Nyota close to him and whether it was having been two seconds from being blown up or the adrenaline or the lose of his mother and his planet but he felt the need to confess to Nyota. He turned to her looking directly into her eyes and reaching for her hands.
"Nyota, there has not been a single moment since first lying eyes on you that I did not love you completely and whole heartedly."
"Spock, it's okay. We're going to be okay."
"I know. But I could not go another second without telling you. I regret nothing of our relationship, there is no one else…"
Spock was cut off by Nyota kissing him. It was a kiss opposite to that they had shared before he had left the Enterprise. It was a confirmation that their love had not been lost.
"Yeah, they do that." Spock heard Kirk's voice say. Spock looked up to see his Fathers arched eyebrows. It had come naturally to Spock to speak in Vulcan and not through their link. He had been too caught up in the moment to realize his father would hear and understand everything said.
He pulled away from Nyota slightly embarrassed.
"You seem proficient at your job Miss Uhura. I foresee a good career in Star Fleet."Sarek said.
"Are you saying you approve?"
The turbo doors opened and Spock wished Chris well as McCoy and his assistant helped Chris out. The turbo doors reclosed.
"I do." Sarek agreed.
The doors opened and this time it was to the bridge. Spock, Kirk and Nyota existed. Nyota rushed to her station. Kirk glanced at Spock, he understood it was an invite to join him down by the screen. He walked with Kirk side by side.
"Captain, the enemy ship is losing power. Their shields are down, sir." Sulu said.
"Hail them now." Kirk ordered.
"Aye."
The tattooed face of Nero appeared on the view screen. There were signs of a ship in distress behind him, an alarm was going off and Romulans were running everywhere.
"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. Your ship is compromised. Your too close to the singularity to provide assistance, which we will provide."
Spock was generally surprised. The Romulan had destroyed one federation planet and had attempted to destroy another and Kirk was offering assistance? Spock did not wish to assist the man who had killed his Mother, why would Kirk offer when the same man had killed his father.
"Captain, what are you doing?" Spock asked quietly .:
"You show them compassion may be the only way to earn peace with Romulus. It's logic, Spock. Thought you'd like that."
Yes, it was logical. The Romulans were a war like people who believed in honor. They would see this as an honorable act. But he did not like it. He was angry, he hated this man. He accepted that anger was a part of himself, not a part of his Human half or a part of His Vulcan half but a part of his whole self.
"No, not really. Not this time."
Nero interrupted them by snarling above them.
" I would rather suffer the end of Romulus a thousand times. I would rather die in agony than accept assistance from you."
Kirk stared at him for a moment.
"You got it. Arm phasers, fire everything we got."
"Yes, sir."
Spock walked back round to his science station, he checked that the details for the weapon usage were recording properly as for Star Fleet regulations.
The picture on the screen switched to a view of the outside of the Narada. The blue and red lines of the torpedoes and phasers were soon visible. The torpedoes hit their mark and those spikes collapsed and separated from the ship as it was dragged into the black hole. Debris swirled around the ship as it was torn apart. Spock had thought that the disintegration of the ship and the death of Nero and his crew would make his anger disappear. Instead he felt nausea at the sight of it. It was a horrible end for any who live or work in space. When Vulcan had been destroyed Spock had not seen it. The mountains trembling around him had registered but he was to on task to really take it in. This he could see and process and it was horrendous. The instant the Narada disappeared a warning flashed up on the view screen. The gravity of the black hole was effecting the ship.
"Sulu, let's go home!" Kirk said.
"Yes, sir!"
Spock looks down at his readings. The ship was moving but not forwards, backwards towards the black hole. It was also trembling uncontrollably in a way that Spock had never known a ship to do. The electrics were out. He was not the only one who had noticed.
"Why aren't we at warp?"
"We are, sir." Chekov answered.
"Kirk to engineering. Get us out of here, Scotty."
"You bet your arse, Captain. the gravity well has got us!" Scotty shouted over the com system.
"Go to maximum warp. Push it!"
"I'm giving her all that she's got, Captain?"
There was a loud crack. Spock looked up, the ceiling had cracked. It took a lot of force to make high impact plastic crack like that. The Enterprise was already being pulled in too many directions at once to handle it. They too would be sucked into the black hole and suffer the same fate as the Narada.
"All she's got isn't good enough. What else you got?" Kirk was calm and in control, rational.
Spock tried to think over the solution, they needed a blast of energy with greater force than the gravity of the black hole to free them. Scotty reached the conclusion before him.
"Okay. If we eject the core and detonate, the blast could be enough to push us away! I cannae promise anything, though!"
He view screen cracked lines radiating from the corners inwards.
"Do it, do it, do it!" Kirk shouted. Spock noticed he was now panicking.
Spock was aware that all the bridge crew were staring at the screen. Spock held his breath as the tiny dots there was a blink of blinding white light and they were suddenly jerked forwards. The ship's regulator system could not handle moving past warp five. Spock put his hands on the console and pushed his back against the chair to steady himself. He kept his eyes on the sensors in front of him. The ship was being pushed away from the black hole. Within thirty four seconds they were past the point where the Black holes gravity could affect them. After fifty six seconds the pulsing wave of the warp drive detonation faded and the ship as left statuary. The Enterprise was out of danger.
Nyota, are you well?
Yes, you?
Yes.
He looked at Kirk. He had done it. He had saved the Earth and the Enterprise and Chris. He had fought and taken risks but come the time when he had the options he made a logical decision . He may not be the kind of Captain Spock would be, he may go with his emotions and make rash decision but there was no denying he had managed something improbable. Spock could respect him even if he did not understand him. As Kirk looked around he met his
eyes and gave him a short nod.
More on the way! And YAY! Got past the film (have to say describing it all has bored and distanced me, that and the fact that the film has been put back a year) so I can now be a little more creative. Chains next, it has been started, I just lost the notebook in which I was writing it when I moved (yes again, the life of a technically homeless graduate.