Something that annoys me a little in the movie is the lack of attention to distances. It always seems so instantaneous, how the Enterprise gets from place to place, but in reality, space is huge! I did a lot of Google research, and I read somewhere that at warp 5, it would take around 9 days to get from Earth to the Federation-Klingon Neutral Zone border (can't remember where I saw it, but I think that's what it said). I know the ship can go faster than that, but I'm using this rough measure to estimate timing.

Disclaimer: not mine

They left orbit as soon as each department confirmed that they were ready, not wasting any time. Pushing the engines, it would take them nearly three days to get to the edge of the Neutral Zone, and at least another day or two to get to the Klingon border; they didn't have a minute to spare.

Jim waited until they were underway before he slipped a comm. sequence to Uhura and asked her to enable every encryption they had before transferring the call to his ready room.

Confused but obedient, the Communications officer did so, as Jim left Spock in charge of the Bridge and headed into the private room to wait for the call to connect.

It was a few minutes before he was greeted with the sight of a rather confused Klingon, staring at him from across space. K'Temoc frowned, uncertain as to why this Starfleet Captain would be calling him out of the blue after over a year. "Captain Kirk?"

Jim attempted a smile, hoping it didn't come out a grimace. "I apologize for the sudden contact," he said, letting out a small sigh. "We've got… a situation, and I think we might need your help."

K'Temoc blinked, startled. "What do you need?"

It only took Jim a couple of minutes to give the Klingon the details of Harrison's attack and his current location, hiding out in an abandoned section of Qo'nos. "Do you know if your patrols have seen anything odd?"

K'Temoc shook his head. "Not that I've heard, but I will admit that I am simply a ship captain. I might not be made aware of information even if someone does have it."

Jim frowned slightly. "Would it be inappropriate of you to ask around?"

K'Temoc was surprised at the level of concern he could hear in the Captain's voice. "I am not a leader in my Clan. I can ask a few compatriots, but I cannot overstep my position."

Jim nodded understandingly. "I'm sorry; I don't want to ask you to do anything that might put you in a bad position."

K'Temoc shrugged. "If I hear anything, I will let you know. I cannot promise anything more."

Jim nodded quickly. "Thank you. I appreciate any assistance you're able to give us." He hesitated, and then decided to show the Klingon some measure of trust and respect. "If you happen to come across a few… strangers… in a couple of days, please don't shoot."

K'Temoc frowned. "For Starfleet officers to enter Klingon space would violate the treaty."

Jim nodded again. "I'm aware of that."

K'Temoc tilted his chin slightly, his stare boring into the Captain on the vidscreen. "As long as we're clear then."

Jim managed to contain his smirk until he had given the Klingon a last farewell and signed off. He liked K'Temoc. The Federation had had a long and bloody history with the Klingons, but he really couldn't help but like K'Temoc's attitude and sense of honor. He firmly believed in duty to his people and his nation, but he wasn't blind to the way things were, and the need to grow and adapt to the change around him.

He just hoped pursuing a cordial relationship with the Klingon didn't bring any negative consequences, for either of them.

XXX

It was a tense few days. By the end of the third day they were traveling through the Neutral Zone, and everyone was on edge, waiting for something to go wrong, because knowing their luck, something would, and sooner rather than later.

And Murphy's Law came into play, nearly four days into their mission, just as Jim knew it would. Most of the crew on the Bridge was thrown out of their seats by a sudden and abrupt jolt that rocked the entire ship.

Picking himself up with a hidden grimace, Jim opened a comm. to Scotty. "What the hell just happened," he barked, his tone successfully conveying control and determination, and hiding the worry and uncertainty that he felt, facing unknowns while traversing the Neutral Zone with no access to friendly aid if they needed it.

Scotty's voice, when it came over the comm., sounded winded and slightly put out. "Our warp core just went offline, sir. We're working on figuring it out. I blame those damn torpedoes," the last bit was muttered under his breath, but Jim still caught it.

The Captain nodded sharply, though the Engineer couldn't see him, and turned his attention to those at the helm – Sulu and Chekov. "Where are we?"

Sulu grimaced. "Sitting ducks in the Neutral Zone at least half an hour away from the Klingon border."

Jim grit his teeth, hating the situation as it stood. If anyone happened to come across them while they were out of commission, it would be easy to take advantage, whether that was taking hostages or simply destroying the ship.

Scotty sounded nearly apologetic when he chimed in again. "I don't think we'll be able to fix this soon, sir. Give me a few hours, maybe I'll be able to work something out."

"I'm not sure we have that," Jim murmured, but he was already straightening up and looking around at the rest of the crew on the Bridge. They all stared back, their expressions clearly telling him that they trusted him to get them out of this alive and relatively unhurt.

With a deep steadying breath, Jim nodded, just once. "Spock, Uhura, you're with me. Sulu, wait until we're gone, then issue a long-range communication, tell Harrison that we're coming for him. If he refuses to cooperate, we'll unleash the entire arsenal of long-range torpedoes and blow him off the map."

Sulu gulped. "How am I supposed to do that?" he asked hesitantly.

Jim gave him a slight smile that did little to reassure the pilot. "Bluff your ass off."

One more comm. down to Security to have Hendorff and Aarons meet them in the shuttle bay, and he left the Bridge, Spock and Uhura trailing quickly behind.

Sulu swallowed harshly and stood up, taking the Captain's seat shakily. Chekov gave him a comforting smile before turning back to his console.

XXX

Jim, Spock, and Uhura stopped by their rooms quickly to change into something that didn't scream Starfleet, before heading down to the shuttle bay, where they met the Security officers.

Jim tossed them a bag and gestured for them to remove their uniforms. When they looked at him, confused, he raised an eyebrow. "We're about to deliberately violate a peace treaty. Unless you want to start a war, I'd suggest you ditch anything that highlights your line of work."

They nodded in understanding, and moved away to ditch the red shirts for something more understated.

While they waited, Uhura turned to her Captain, shifting nervously. "Jim, why am I here? You speak Klingon better than I do."

Jim glanced at her and smirked. "Silent but deadly." Uhura cocked an eyebrow, not amused, and Jim's smile widened. "You're unassuming, Nyota. This is one time we can be thankful for sexism. Anyone we run into won't immediately think of you as a threat, which gives us an advantage. They've never seen you in the ring before."

Uhura blinked, surprised, but then she nodded in understanding. She hadn't thought about it like that, but it made sense. She was smaller, and would be seen as weaker, but Jim was right. She knew how to hold her own in a fight and that could come in handy if everything went to hell like it was bound to do at some point. They really didn't have great luck when it came to uneventful missions.

Hendorff and Aarons returned, and they all boarded the shuttle quietly. The shuttle itself was inconspicuous, and even better, it had no link to Starfleet. The Enterprise had stumbled across a smuggling ring shortly before the end of their last mission, and had confiscated the shuttle when they had arrested the five criminals. Jim had been intending to turn it over to Starfleet at some point, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. Fortunate in light of current events, because they now had an available shuttle that wouldn't read as a Starfleet vessel on scans.

XXX

It took nearly an hour to reach the airspace around Qo'nos, and almost half of that to descend into the atmosphere.

And roughly five minutes to be caught by a Klingon patrol and pursued to the outskirts of the quadrant, where they were quickly surrounded and forced to descend.

Jim let out a slow breath as he observed the situation, considering their options. There weren't many.

After a moment, he jerked his head towards the shuttle door. "Uhura, with me. Everyone else stay here for now."

Spock didn't seem to be pleased, but he didn't contradict the orders, as Jim and Uhura left the relative safety of the shuttle.

The two made their way quickly but confidently down the steps and the few yards to where five Klingons were waiting, all holding weapons in tight grips that said they weren't afraid to fire them if necessary.

Jim allowed himself only a small steadying breath before they came to a halt in front of the unfriendly patrol, and then portrayed only a composed calm, no matter how uncertain he may feel inside. "I apologize for our uncouth intrusion into your sovereign territory," he said graciously, hoping for an amicable exchange, but not expecting it.

The Klingon glared. "You are trespassing far outside your airspace, pig. I should just shoot you like the dog you are."

Most of the Klingons around him nodded in agreement, though Jim thought he saw a trace of uncertainty on some, hopefully because they didn't want to get into an altercation with Starfleet, but more likely because he had thrown them off guard with his mastery of their language.

Jim grimaced lightly. "We have been tracking a criminal, wanted for the murder of multiple Starfleet citizens. We received intelligence that he has retreated to this quadrant of your home world, to hide."

The Klingon spit on the ground distastefully. "Starfleet pigs killing Starfleet pigs. Why should we care?"

Jim frowned minutely. "Because Klingons believe in honor. This man has none."

The Klingon let out a low growl and took a step forward, lifting the gun slightly.

Before he could make any further movement however, someone called out, halting his actions. Jim looked over, and felt himself relax a fraction, seeing K'Temoc making his way towards them, at the front of yet another group. Jim recognized a few of the Klingons who had been with K'Temoc on Tarsus.

The first Klingon leveled a harsh glare at K'Temoc. "Go back to your patrol. This doesn't concern you."

K'Temoc met the glare head-on. "What concerns our future concerns me. We cannot stay the same forever, Kladesh. We must grow and thrive."

Kladesh tilted his head arrogantly. "We grow by conquering. We grow in battle."

K'Temoc shook his head. "There are other ways to gain honor."

Kladesh looked like he was gearing up to do something – either continue arguing, or perhaps shoot K'Temoc to shut him up – but a rain of phaser fire cut off whatever plan he may have been preparing to enact.

Jim grabbed Uhura and threw them to the side, diving for cover behind a large boulder. The Klingons likewise scattered, bringing their phasers up to return the fire.

A quick glance at their surroundings told Jim that the attack was coming from a cluster of rocks on the far side of the small clearing they had landed in; the Klingons seemed to spot this as well and were attempting to handle the problem.

Spock and the two Security officers joined them a moment later, crouching low and holding their phasers tightly. Jim glanced at them briefly, but didn't let the new arrivals hold his attention for long. He was too busy trying to get a lock on Harrison, who appeared to have moved from his last position.

Three of the Klingons from the patrol that had stopped them were down, likely dead or almost there – Jim wouldn't hold out any hope that Harrison's phaser was set to stun.

K'Temoc quickly fell into step when Jim stood up, his guards falling in behind; the Starfleet officers and the Klingons formed a half circle formation, as the last two Klingons from the first patrol fell to the ground, each one taking several hits to the chest.

There was a sudden ceasefire, and Jim straightened slightly, feeling taken aback by the eerie silence.

Suddenly a dark blur dropped down in front of the group, and Harrison dropped his phaser, hands up in a nonthreatening gesture, though his expression was slightly mocking. "I surrender," he said, his piercing gaze fixed on Jim.

Jim nodded shortly, and gestured for Spock and the Security officers to take him to the shuttle. After a moment's hesitation, Uhura joined them, though not without giving Jim a searching look as she walked away.

Jim almost let out a soft sigh of relief, before he caught himself and refocused his attention.

K'Temoc was watching him intently. "What happens now?" the Klingon asked.

Jim grimaced. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. "I am sorry for your fallen comrades, and I thank you for your assistance. I did not intend for you to put yourself in danger when I called you a few days ago." Jim bit his lip, and glanced back at the shuttle. Everyone was already on board, and just waiting for him. "For now, I would suggest you return to your clan leaders and inform them of what happened. It might behoove you all to be prepared."

K'Temoc frowned. "What do you mean?"

Jim swallowed, his mind already racing through implications and possibilities. "Harrison escaping here was no mistake. He chose Qo'nos for a reason, and I highly doubt it was simply because he thought we wouldn't pursue him to Klingon space. I'm worried there may be a bigger play. If I'm right, then this," he gestured to the fallen Klingons around them, "is just the beginning."

K'Temoc looked disturbed, but he nodded and watched as Jim headed back to his shuttle.

The Starfleet crew was quick to head out, getting back to the Enterprise as quickly as was possible. Harrison didn't say a word through the entire trip, or the during the walk down to the brig, escorted by the half dozen Security officers that met them in the shuttle bay.

Jim and Spock left Harrison there, and returned to the Bridge, where Jim commed Scotty for an update.

The Engineer sounded exhausted but determined to the Captain's ears. "We're still working on it, sir," he said grimly. "For the moment though, we're really not going anywhere. There was a coolant leak; it took us a while to find, but until we repair it, we won't be moving with any kind of speed."

Jim nodded slightly, and signed off. Straightening up, he looked at Spock. "Let's go see what our prisoner has to say for himself," he said dryly. "Sulu, you've got the con." He led the Vulcan towards the 'lift, but stopped before he got on, and turned back to the pilot, who was once more occupying the Captain's chair. "And nice work, with the threat."

Sulu smiled his thanks, as the Captain and First Officer disappeared into the 'lift.

McCoy met them in the brig, and Jim waited while the Doctor took a blood sample from the strangely willing prisoner, before he began asking questions. He wanted to know what was going on; he hated being in the dark. And he wanted to know why Harrison had focused his attack on the Klingons. Why hadn't he tried to kill any of the Starfleet officers?

Harrison infuriatingly ignored his questions. "Why aren't we moving?" he asked curiously, looking entirely unfazed. "Could it be a problem with the warp core?"

McCoy looked startled. "How the hell did you know that?"

Jim glanced at him sharply. "Bones."

McCoy flinched slightly at the subtle reproach, but Harrison was already answering, his expression almost gleeful. "It's no coincidence, is it, Captain."

He clearly seemed to expect some sort of reaction, but Jim didn't appear surprised. It was no more than he had been suspecting. Something was definitely off with this whole assignment – of course their ship would break down during a run-in with Klingons, leaving them stranded in enemy space with no way of escaping. "Why did you open fire at Starfleet Headquarters? You managed a clean escape from the bombing in London, why come to San Francisco and risk getting caught?"

Harrison didn't look thrilled that he wasn't getting more of a reaction, but he continued on, his voice almost emotionless, though there was a small hint of regret behind the empty gaze that almost startled Jim.

"It was not my aim to cause so much damage," he admitted. "My intended target was Marcus. I was… angry."

"Because you were dishonorably discharged?" Jim asked curiously. "Why blame Marcus for that? I'm sure whatever happened, you had some role in it."

Harrison glared. "Do not believe that fool's lies," he growled, showing real emotion for the first time in the conversation. "The discharge was Marcus' cover. I am a genetically augmented human; I have been working for Section 31 for years. Codename: Khan. You might have heard of me."

Jim's mouth twitched downward minutely, the only sign that he did in fact recognize the name. McCoy looked confused, while Spock's blank expression didn't give anything away, but Jim knew that the codename meant nothing to the Vulcan. The only reason he even recognized it was because he had gotten bored one day, and done a little snooping into Intelligence's classified files. The asset 'Khan' was responsible for bringing down quite a few of Starfleet's deadliest enemies.

Harrison was still speaking. "The discharge was Marcus' way of getting me into deeper cover. But he was using me for his own gain, and I wanted none of it anymore."

Jim pursed his lips. "Augmented humans aren't allowed to serve in Starfleet, specifically because they have a habit of being unable to rein themselves in when they get upset or angry."

Harrison shrugged. "You will have to take that rule up with Marcus. He streamlined my acceptance, he took charge of my training. He wanted me in Starfleet, so here I am."

Jim was about to ask another question, but was interrupted when his comm. went off. He stepped away and answered the call from Carol, who implored him to come down to the weapons bay as soon as he could. "I think we've found something you'll want to see," she said grimly.

Jim didn't waste any time. "Spock, Bones, go back to work. I'll be back on the Bridge soon."

He spared one last glance at Harrison, who was watching him knowingly, before he headed to the 'lift.

Carol was waiting for him as soon as he exited the 'lift, and didn't waste any time in bringing him up to speed. "These torpedoes are far more advanced than anything Starfleet should be capable of," she said briskly, leading him to the nearest weapon. "I knew my father was working on some sort of weapons project, but I had no idea how advanced it really was." She glanced up at Jim worriedly, and pushed a few buttons to open a small window into the torpedo. "I read the reports after Nero, five years ago. Jim, the technology in these torpedoes is eerily similar to what he used to destroy Vulcan."

Jim glanced at the opening on the weapon, and saw what looked to be a clear container containing some sort of red liquid. He remembered seeing something like it when he and Spock had gone on board the alternate reality Spock's ship on the Narada.

Carol bit her lip. "We wouldn't have needed all seventy-two. One or two of these would have completely wiped Qo'nos out of existence."

Jim grimaced, his eyes hardening at the realization of what Section 31 had been doing. What had prompted them to spend the last five years recreating the weapon Nero had used in his attempt to wipe out Starfleet and the Federation? God damn it, what idiot thought that it was a good idea to have that red matter lying around where anyone could stumble across it and use it?

"How are they detonated?" he asked curiously, wondering if they needed to be worried about the missiles going off with them unawares.

Carol grimaced and held out a PADD. "Good news is they won't go off accidentally. It takes a specific activation code for them to detonate. I deciphered the code, and wrote an algorithm to jam the frequency; even if someone does try to set them off, it won't work."

Jim glanced at the PADD, and nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Carol," he said quietly, keeping the apprehension out of his voice. "You should get back to the Bridge. And be ready. I have a feeling things are about to get a hell of a lot worse."

Carol nodded in reply, and Jim quickly headed back down to the brig.

Harrison was waiting expectantly, and Jim didn't allow himself to feel annoyance for the man who clearly seemed to feel no strain from being locked up. "What do you know about those torpedoes," he asked grimly, and the tone of voice clearly indicated that it wasn't a question. Harrison knew something.

Indeed, the man smirked slightly. "I was part of the team that designed them," he informed the Captain. "Beautifully devastating, capable of destroying an entire planet in one go. Makes you wonder why Admiral Marcus would commission something like that, doesn't it?" Jim glared, and Harrison let out a long-suffering sigh, pushing off the far wall and walking up to the clear glass that blocked his access to the rest of the room. "After the attack five years ago, Marcus put us to studying the effects of the red matter, determining how it worked and how to replicate it."

Jim raised an eyebrow. "Why commit treason then, if you were working on Marcus' orders? What did he gain by setting up your discharge? What was his purpose?"

Harrison shrugged. "We all have our reasons. Perhaps it was a calculated movement on Marcus' part. Perhaps I was asking too many questions. Perhaps I was tired of being a puppet. Or perhaps it was all part of his plan."

Jim was quiet for a moment. "Why Qo'nos?" he asked.

Harrison just looked at him stoically. "I believe you already know the answer to that, Captain."

Jim nodded grimly. "So Marcus wants a war."

Harrison returned the nod, his expression now showing something that could almost be called guilt. "You had orders to fire the torpedoes at the Klingon home world. Your warp core was intentionally sabotaged, leaving you vulnerable in enemy airspace with no escape."

"And the Klingons would certainly retaliate," Jim finished. "They would destroy us, and Starfleet would take action in response, for the destruction of their flagship. We would be looking at full-fledged war within a day."

He was actually impressed with Marcus' plan. Or at least, he would be, if it didn't involve the death of his crew and a lot of other innocent people.

Jim looked back up and met Harrison's knowing gaze. "I'll be back," he promised, before heading to his quarters, and setting up a secure commlink to Archer as quickly as he could, enabling every encryption he knew, including several he had learned from the Vulcans. No one outside him and Jon would be able to track this conversation, or hear any part of it.

It only took a few seconds for Jon to answer, and he was alone in his office. Jon was frowning as the screen cleared, obviously concerned. "Jim, please tell me everything hasn't gone completely to hell."

Jim grimaced and spent a few minutes explaining their situation. "Is there anything you need to tell me?"

Jon sighed. "We've been continuing our investigation. I think this is bigger than what we thought, Jim. We found evidence of communication between Marcus and Komack, going back years. Marcus was head of Starfleet Intelligence, and his and Komack's departments shouldn't cross. There shouldn't be any reason for them to be interacting on the scale that they seem to be."

Jim was silent for a few moments, considering what he had heard and thinking of the implications. "Do we know what Komack's role is in all of this?" he asked finally. "I don't think I'm grasping at straws when I say that Marcus has somehow manipulated this whole situation and for some reason, he wants a war with the Klingons. But what part does Komack play?"

Jon bit his lip. "We're not entirely sure," he admitted. "From the records, Marcus initiated the contact, shortly after the Enterprise began its five-year mission."

"Right after Komack gained control of the flagship," Jim said grimly.

Jon nodded. "I think he wanted the Enterprise for something, since that's pretty much the only thing Komack has that Marcus couldn't get on his own. We've been keeping an eye on both of them, ever since you left. A few hours ago, Marcus went off the radar. He went into his office, and when he didn't come out after an hour, I had someone check on him. He's gone."

Jim rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. He could see something of Marcus' plan coming together, but it wasn't all there yet.

Jon looked at him knowingly. "Work it out with me, Jim. Talk me through whatever you're thinking."

Jim sighed. "My instinct says Komack's not really involved. He's more of a front man, the Admiral in charge of the Enterprise who could potentially take the fall if something were to go wrong. I don't think he knows what Marcus is planning, he just sees a superior looking to him for assistance. He sees a way up the ladder for him. If Marcus hadn't needed the Enterprise, he would never have contacted Komack in the first place. And Marcus wants us to start his war."

Jon grit his teeth as he inclined his head. "I agree." He glanced down, and then back up, his expression apologetic. "The Yorktown's on its way to assist. I'm sorry I can't do much more from here. Chris is on the Yorktown though, he refused to even consider staying behind, even though his paperwork officially assigning him to the ship hasn't come through yet."

Jim let out a small laugh. "Sounds about right." He sobered. "Thanks, Jon. We'll do the best we can to fix the ship and get back safe. If anything changes, please let me know."

Jon smiled slightly. "Will do."

Jim signed off and headed back to the Bridge, taking his seat with a silent groan, feeling exhausted, and knowing that they were still so far from out of the woods.

It was only a few minutes later that Sulu informed him of an incoming ship. "It's not coming from Klingon space, Captain," the Pilot said, turning in his seat.

Jim leaned forward. "Do we know anything about it?"

Sulu frowned, glancing back at his console. "It's advanced, sir. They're coming in fast, not trying to hide their approach at all."

Jim bit his lip, considering his options for a few seconds, before nodding decisively. "Shields up."

Less than two minutes later, their view of the stars was obstructed by a large ship dropping out of warp directly in front of them.

"Captain, we're being hailed," Uhura said from her station.

Jim nodded. "On screen." He glanced over at her. "Open a shipwide comm. too, Lieutenant. Just in case."

Uhura inclined her head in understanding, and a moment later, the screen blurred, and Marcus was staring down at all of them, from his seat on the Bridge of the other ship.

Marcus glared at Jim in disapproval. "You should have reported back by now, Captain Kirk. Why haven't you confirmed Harrison's death?"

Jim tried to keep his expression neutral and his voice bland and courteous, with none of the anger he felt seeping through. "I apologize, Admiral. Our mission changed unexpectedly. We were able to take Harrison into custody, and we will return him to Earth where he will stand trial for his actions."

Marcus' scowl deepened. "You've been compromised, Kirk. Hand Harrison over immediately and maybe I won't write you up for insubordination."

Carol stood up, moving to stand next to Jim. She couldn't believe this man was her father. Sure, he hadn't always been the kindest or most present parent, but she would never have thought him capable of such acts. "Admiral, please, you can't do this."

Marcus transferred his glare to her. "Stay out of this, Lieutenant." He looked back at Jim. "Kirk, you have two minutes to hand over the criminal, or I will commence my attack and take him myself, with no regard to anyone who gets in my way."

Carol gulped. Her father had never spoken to her like that before. "Dad, I know you think what you're doing is right, but you're talking about destroying the Enterprise. And if you do that, you'll have to do it with me on board." She stopped talking abruptly. Would he do it? Was he so set in his plan that he would destroy Starfleet's flagship with his daughter on board?

Perhaps if the situation weren't so dire, people would have reacted more to the revelation that Lieutenant Wallace had just called Admiral Marcus 'dad'. But they were in too much trouble right now to actually think about that.

Marcus shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. You'll come to see I'm right soon enough."

Carol gasped, and then looked at Jim, surprised. "Oh!" A beam of light surrounded her, and she disappeared from the Bridge.

"Carol!" Jim took a half step forward, but Marcus was talking again, his gaze haughty and cocksure.

"Captain Kirk, for consorting with the known criminal Harrison and committing treason, I have no choice but to sentence you and your crew to death."

He cut the transmission, and Jim immediately bent over his armrest, opening a comm. to Engineering. "Scotty, please tell me the problem's fixed."

"Not quite," Scotty responded, sounding apologetic.

Jim grit his teeth. "Can we make the jump to warp?"

"I wouldn't advise it," was the regretful reply.

Jim shook his head slightly. "We might have no choice."

"Captain, they're locking weapons," Ensign Harrish called out from his spot at the Tactical station – he had taken over for Carol after she had been beamed off the ship.

Jim mentally groaned. Why couldn't things ever be easy? "Jump to warp. We'll deal with everything else later."

Sulu and Chekov complied, and the stars blurred as the ship made the jump.

Jim winced as he felt the ship shudder slightly. They were pushing her too hard, and he really hoped they didn't completely destroy the core. One long trip back to Earth with no warp core was more than enough for a single lifetime.

"Uhura, contact the Yorktown and let them know what's going on."

"Yes, Captain," the Communications officer replied, and immediately turned to do so.

A few minutes later, she signed off and turned back to the center of the Bridge. "Captain One says they're going as fast as they can, but they're still hours away."

Jim nodded. "Sulu, Chekov, keep us as steady as possible." He commed Scotty again. "Let me know if the core's about to die, but do the best you can down there."

The Engineer didn't sound happy as he replied, "Aye, aye, sir. No promises that we can avoid catastrophic failure, but I'll do my best."

Jim nodded and signed off, before sinking down in his seat slightly. He hated the fact that they were warping away from Carol right now, but he had to hold on to the belief that she would be fine. Marcus wouldn't harm his daughter, right? Just the fact that he had beamed her off the Enterprise before attempting to destroy it showed that he didn't want her hurt. As soon as Chris and the Yorktown arrived, they would face Marcus and get Carol back.

It was a tense few hours. No one spoke much, waiting for something to happen.

And it finally did, almost four hours after their meeting with Marcus. The ship rocked violently, falling out of warp with a loud bang.

They rocked again, and then the view of the stars was once more obscured by Marcus' ship.

Several more shots, and only a few people were still in their seats, the rest having fallen to the floor.

Sudden silence descended, and everyone climbed shakily to their feet.

Jim picked himself up and brushed off a line of blood trailing from above his eye – he had knocked his head on the armrest on his way down. "Damage report?"

"Shields at six percent," was the call from Tactical.

"Weapons systems offline," Chekov added, grimacing as he tried to patch together something that would let them fire. He wasn't having much luck.

"Hull damage in sector eight," was another report. "We take another hit to that part of the ship and that could be it. Damage reports on decks nine, twelve, thirteen, sixteen, and eighteen."

"Why'd they stop firing?" Chekov asked quietly, almost to himself.

Jim grimaced, not understanding either. But he would bet that there was someone on this ship who might have an idea. "Spock, meet me in the transporter room in about five minutes."

He took off for the brig at a brisk walk. Harrison was sitting against the far wall, but he looked up and smirked at Jim as he walked in.

"What can you tell me about Marcus' ship?" the Captain asked brusquely.

Harrison shrugged. "Dreadnaught Class, twice as big, three times as fast as a Constitution Class. Made to be run by minimal crew, one if necessary. Section 31 has been working on it for years."

Jim pursed his lips. "Why did it stop its attack?"

Harrison nodded slightly. "Small design flaw that wasn't able to be fixed, and Marcus got tired of waiting. The weapons can only be fired continuously for so long before the system needs to recharge."

"How long do we have?"

Harrison's smirk faltered slightly. "Ten minutes at most."

Jim took a deep breath. "OK, here's the deal. I want you to pay for the lives you took. I understand why you made the choices you did, though I can pretty much say with certainty that they were the wrong ones. But right now, I need your help."

Harrison looked interested. "What's in it for me?"

Jim glared. "I'm working with more reliable and honest Admirals than Marcus. You help us, and I might be able to get you a better deal than Marcus would offer." He sighed. "You might not be inherently evil, but people can make bad decisions when they don't see another way out."

Harrison seemed to consider that for a minute, and then nodded shortly. "Very well, Captain."

Jim jerked his head, and gestured for the Security officer on guard to let Harrison out. Lieutenant Krill called for a team of officers, and waited until they had arrived before he cut the security system and opened the door to the cell. Jim led Harrison and the Security team out of the brig, barely stopping as he grabbed a PADD from Lieutenant Krill, and began typing furiously as he maneuvered the group down the hall to the 'lift.

Spock was waiting when they arrived in the transporter room. "Captain, are you certain about this?" the Vulcan asked, his gaze resting briefly on the prisoner; though his expression remained stoic, it successfully conveyed his displeasure with the situation.

Jim shrugged and looked at Harrison. "Any useful information you want to share?"

Harrison looked amused. "The Engineering bay should be empty."

Jim nodded, typed in a few more numbers on the PADD, and handed it to Spock. "Use that equation to boost the transporters. It should get through the ship's security as a one-time measure, before they realize what we're doing."

Spock studied the code in front of him and nodded. It would do the trick, enhancing their transporters' capabilities, which had been damaged in Marcus' attack.

Jim gestured for Harrison to get on the transporter pad.

"Jim, are you certain this is the only option?" Spock asked once more, switching to Vulcan for some measure of privacy.

Jim sighed and shook his head slightly. "No, but I don't see an alternative," he admitted ruefully. "Just… keep an eye out. We'll be back."

Spock nodded. "Jim… Be careful."

Jim mustered up a small grin at that, and stepped up onto the pad. "Energize," he ordered, and a moment later, he and Harrison disappeared.

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