"Ready to jump?" Landry's voice came over the intercomn.
"In one minute," Stamets said. "Engineering out." Stamets turned toward the engineering crew. "Give us a moment."
Burnham and Tilly exited engineering along with the rest of the dozen so crewmembers as Culber came to Stamets side. All who were left were the nurses tending to the equipment that were around the station. Behind Culber's back, there was a hypospray in his right hand. Stamets cupped both sides of the doctor's face then kissed him. Culber relaxed while his right hand placed onto Stamets waist. It was Stamets who broke the kiss with a soft, easy going smile at the man.
"Have I told you how much I loved you?" Stamets asked.
"You show me that everyday," Culber said, then with a swift move of his hand applied the device into Stamets's neck.
"Hugh?" Stamets asked, his grip loosening from Culber's face.
"And this is me showing how much I love you," Culber said, guiding him over to a nurse.
"Is our navigator ready?" Landry's voice came over the intercomn as Culber slid up his sleeve to reveal a glowing blue outlet against his dark skin.
Stamets's eyes closed and his head fell to the side as Culber slipped open the outlet.
"Ready for the big jump, Captain," Kleggan said, as the door closed behind Culber.
Culber nodded back as the long, thin device was inserted into his outlet.
It had been hours since Lorca had been tossed into the very same cell with even more damaged eyes. Lorca used the small pen like device on his eyes after waking up. The scars on his chest irked the Klingon. The old ones seemed even more alarming. Unlike Tyler, his scars were more physical than anything. On the center of his left hand there was a small faded scar as though he had been stabbed through it. Lorca had the scars of a survivor. The door to the cell smoothly opened before the small group. Pressed against one of the pillars. His long cuts were no longer cleaning. L'Rell hiding among the shadows.
Tyler had a hand placed on Lorca's shoulder as he looked up toward the Klingon.
"Choose your pain," Sudqu' requested.
"I choose me," Tyler countered back, slowly standing up.
"The captain does not want you hurt," Sudqu' said.
"I want to see your coward," Tyler said, approaching Sudqu'. "only cowards take power away. Your captain is no captain."
Sudqu' snarled back then delivered a punch into Tyler's face. Tyler reached forward yanking out a dagger from the Klingon's belt then stabbed into Sudqu's chest. Sudqu's companions entered the cell. L'Rell came from the side of the cell pouncing on the second companion and ripped the disruptor out of their hand. She turned it on the Klingon pressing the trigger. She fired twice vaporizing two Klingons in her line of sight. Tyler finished repeatedly stabbing into the Klingon's chest sending the Klingon down.
"Enough," L'Rell said, coming to his side.
"That's what I said," Tyler said. "It's never enough."
"It is now," L'Rell took the dagger from his trembling. "Lieutenant."
Tyler looked down toward his bloody hand.
Then Tyler started to sob for the first time in months. L'Rell placed a gray hand on the Lieutenant's shoulder gently taking him away. She raised her disruptor aiming at Sudqu' who was on his knees looking up on her with dead eyes. She looked at him, back, ashamed. With one blast, Sudqu' was gone. Lorca got up to his feet as L'Rell let go of the security officer's shoulder. Lorca picked up the padd that was left beside him. He came over to the side of the taller Klingon.
"Which doors are in this sector?" Lorca asked.
L'Rell looked over toward the captain.
"This, this, this, and that," L'Rell said. She held her fingers up. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Lorca's eyes were on the screen.
"None," Lorca said.
"Captain," L'Rell said.
"Three blurry fingers," Lorca said, looking up toward her warily. He faked a smile. "happy now?"
"Can you see what is on the screen," L'Rell said, as the captain turned his attention onto the screen.
"I can see blurry numbers so I am trusting my gut," Lorca tapped on random buttons on the padd. Tyler had stopped sobbing, abruptly.
Tyler and L'Rell had a knowing glance. The doors across from them opened. L'Rell took the captain by the shoulder leading him out of the cell with Tyler lagging behind. Lorca came to the center of the hall. Officers with unkept hair, slowly growing beards, torn and tattered uniforms came out of the cells. A few of them had stubs where their hands should be and it was only one warm when it came to that. A few of them had scars on their faces. A couple of them had black eyes.
"I am Captain Lorca. And this is L'Rell," Lorca said. "Klingon Consultant," L'Rell had a grave nod back at the officers. "and I am getting you all out of here."
"How can we be sure that she isn't going to stab you in the back?" one of the red shirts asked.
"She hasn't killed me or the captain," Tyler said. "she is not like them." As L'Rell scanned the doors.
"You have, remarkably, opened all the cells I mentioned, Captain Lorca," L'Rell remarked, observing the last door opening.
"Let's get to the bridge," Lorca said. "we are taking over this hell hole." he turned toward L'Rell. "would you do the honors?"
"I rather leave that to Lieutenant Tyler," L'Rell said. "I will get you and the crew the weapons."
"I like the way you are thinking," Lorca said, as a delighted smile grew on his face.
"Doctor Pollard," Burnham said, coming to the slightly taller dark woman's side. "How is Culber doing?"
"I really can't say for certain," Pollard said, as he looked at the scans. "It's like Ephraim's DNA is rewriting Doctor Culber's DNA," she turned from the padd. "Estimated time of waking up next thirty-three minutes."
"Fascinating," Burnham said.
"It'll be a miracle if his mind is still the same after all that," Pollard said.
"Which is?" Burnham asked.
"Being linked to a network, something beyond my pay grade," Pollard glanced over toward the doctor then back toward the first officer. "In the meantime, we are monitoring his vitals."
Pollard walked away. Burnham came over to the astromycologists side. Stamets was rubbing the side of his head. He had a heavy sigh. A look of concern and regret on his face was clear as he looked toward Culber. The very thing that he had studied, created, and nurtured had hurt someone he cared. His sleeves were rolled up displaying not a sign of blue pocket. His mind was somewhere else. Several decks away and a hour away from now.
"I can't believe he did that for me," Stamets said.
"It is not a surprise for someone who cares so deeply about others," Burnham said.
"It surprised me," Stamets said. "I woke up this morning and he wasn't there."
"Sometimes the surprising can turn out to be something good when it seems bad," Burnham said.
"How?" Stamets said.
"You find some peace with it," Burnham said.
Burnham's mind went back to the first day on Vulcan. The spacious house that had a unique theme to it. The eye friendly paint, the unusual chairs, couches, and the carpeting. The paintings on the wall that depicted Vulcans of the past. Some that were draped in fancy clothes that gave some character. The old sehlat that tailed after her from room to room. A young girl observing her new parent meditating, alone, in his quarters. The peace and serenity that he had was something she didn't have. Back then, she envied Sarek for looking so at peace. Not disturbed by what was going on around him as the curtains blew in his way from the strong wind. The house becoming accustomed to her. The environment around her became a fascination that helped her find peace in her new life.
"That should be me on that bed," Stamets said. "I should have known . . . I should have. . ." he closed his eyes pressing his fisted hands together onto the center of his forehead. "I should have noticed them."
Burnham looked over toward the cybernetic additions to the man's forearms.
"People are good at hiding when they don't want their loved ones to be concerned," Burnham said.
"Have you hid something from people you love?" Stamets asked.
"A number of times," Burnham said. "Sometimes people cannot handle the truth."
"The truth," Stamets said, grabbing hold onto Culber's hand. "The truth that I won't be myself."
"I understand how it must feel to be in his position," Burnham said
"Then you would have done what he did," Stamets said.
"I would have been duty bound to do so," Burnham said.
Stamets looked over toward the woman.
"I would have done it in a heartbeat," Stamets said. "lied to him that we found another candidate, a willing intern, willing to serve Starfleet. . ." he rubbed Culber's hand. "a little white lie that Hugh would have seen through. He would have done it anyway."
"Lieutenant," Burnham said. "There is only one bright side to this situation."
"What is that?" Stamets said.
"The chances of you surviving this war and growing old with your partner are significantly higher," Burnham said.
"A cruel irony," Stamets said. "He might be a little different. I accept that, love him, and do what he always does for me." Stamets had a emotional sigh rubbing Culber's hand. "Take care."
Burnham nodded then walked away. She found the captain outside of the private medical quarters. Landry had her arms folded while leaned against the wall with her fingers tapping on her shoulder. A look of slight patience was on her face.
"Captain," Burnham said. "the doctor will be awake in the next hour."
"Good," Landry said. "We're going on warp drive to retrieve a lost starship. Go down to the lower engineering decks and make sure those grapplers are ready to be used after he is up."
"Aye, captain," Burnham said.
"Lorca is not going to like sacrificing our best doctor just to go places," Landry said.
"As Lorca once said to me," Burnham said. "This is war. We fight to win. Sacrifices are not in vain."
"Wise words from a man skilled in ending war," Landry said.
"Some of what he says are wise and then they are not," Burnham said.
"I hate war, Number One." Landry leaned herself off the wall then walked away with a unpleased demeanor as Burnham watched her leave. "This war will end soon."
Lorca came to the bridge of the Klingon ship with L'Rell walking ahead of him to the front console. Officers poured into the red themed bridge that wasn't glowing at all. Some seemed to be mystified at the color. A few were disgusted.
"Start sending the distress call," Lorca said, as he came to the front chair. He sat down with a relieved sigh.
"Distress call is ready." L'Rell said. "Ready to be sent in one. . . two . three."
"This is Captain Lorca of the USS Discovery aboard a Klingon prisonship. We are in need of help getting to federation space. Respond, we are in Klingon space and require back up." Lorca rubbed the side of his head. "If there is any Federation friendly allies around here, then help us. This ship is crawling with Klingons. Lorca out."
L'Rell turned.
"I have sent the transmission," L'Rell said.
"Yes!" Tyler said. "We are getting out of here!"
"We are going home," a engineer said, while trembling in disbelief.
"Never think I would say this, but I have missed being on a old federation ship," Tyler said. As the officers shared hugs. The bridge was rather occupied with likely thirty officers rejoicing. "what is next, captain?"
"Now we play the waiting game," Lorca said. "and another game, at that," the officers looked at him with odd looks. "We mess with them."
"That is a good game," Tyler said.
"Fine by me," a security officer said.
Lorca looked at the surrounding officers who only nodded back.
"Turn on the intercomn," L'Rell pressed buttons on the screen. The bridge was the shape of a crystal. The console was in the center of this crystal with buttons decorating it. She nodded back at the captain. "I regret to inform you that Starfleet has commandeered this vessel. If you find yourself cornered by a Starfleet officer, then just know, there is more where we come from and we will cover that officer. Captain Voq, I am quite aware how humiliating this must be. If you decide to have a last stand here then I welcome it and engage willing in the fight we may share."
Lorca twirled his finger then L'Rell pressed the button.
"Captain Lorca," a medical officer said. "Do you intend on doing that without a shirt?"
Lorca looked over toward the nurse.
"Damn straight I do," Lorca said.
"Captain," L'Rell said. "there are hundreds of boats attaching to the ship."
"What kind of boats?" Lorca said, as everyone looked up or around them.
"It says. . . Small versions of large boats," L'Rell said. She looked up toward the captain in disbelief. "how is that possible?"
"That might be our help," Tyler said.
"Might be," Lorca said. "Get us into that channel. And contact whoever is commanding that fleet."