I MADE A NEW COVER!
I walk along to my execution, trying to think my way out of this, while golden beams of light start circling on the stage-like area where I could see the others' blood. It turns out as... Alana? In a dress that shows her cleavage... I didn't think she'd ever wear anything like that, nor voluntarily wear a dress?
Also, I didn't know she actually watched the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show when I "babysat" her as a teenager. She always said watching 'skinny girls walk down a strip of metal in their underwear' was boring. But here she is, with wings.
"Who are you?" Nataka asks, eyes widening.
"It is I! The goddess Alana." Alana raises her head, standing up a little straighter. There is an open communicator on her belt... smart.
"You look like this one," Lisha points out, pushing me. "Do you bleed?"
"Do you test me?" Alana steps down the few steps slowly, trying not to trip in the long dress. "I will destroy your entire civilization."
"We will kill one of them. Then you will bring them back to life as proof!" some random person screamed.
"NO." Alana held her hand out. "These are fellow gods."
"We're what?" Maynard whispered to me.
"Just go with it," I whispered back.
"They lost their immortality," Alana lied. "I took it from them. I cannot allow you to kill them, though."
"Your own rules say we must sacrifice them!" Nataka protests. "A goddess would welcome such sacrifice. It is not written anywhere that one can lose their immortality, but it is written that they will die and rise again!"
"Excuse me, but-"
"Sacrifice! Sacrifice!" the crowd chants.
"Wait-"
Before any of us can move, Nataka throws her spear at us. It hits Maynard in the chest, and she falls back. I can see blood starting to soak through her red shirt.
"NO!" Alana snaps, pushing Nataka, who falls to the ground. "I said no. I should kill you."
"Heal her!" the same voice shouts.
"No. I will take her to the Enterprise, where we reside." Alana looks up at the sky. "Energize."
Maynard disappears in a transporter beam, probably headed straight to medbay.
"Do you question me? Because I will kill you," Alana snaps.
"N-no, your holiness!" Nataka exclaims.
"Good. You will return to me Kirk and Spock now." Alana folds her arms, walking forward and tripping. Her dress became dirt covered and muddy.
"A GODDESS WOULD NEVER LET THE EARTH TRIP HER!" Lisha accuses.
I'm pretty sure that Alana had hoped not to trip. Alana will trip in any long dress, and it's just made worse in tall heels. Before anyone can say or do something, there is another teleporter beam, and Alana disappears.
I just stare at the spot where she was, confused. "Alana?"
"Captain," Spock begins, "It seems the Enterprise has pulled her back."
The natives are bickering, deciding what to do with us, when Alana beams down again, this time in a shorter dress and golden sandals. Her arms are crossed.
"The earth will never trip me again. Now. Kirk and Spock." Alana narrows her eyes. "Untie them."
Nobody moves, probably still suspicious. Alana rolls her eyes and grabs her communicator from her belt, glaring.
"This will blow over one structure if I do not get J- Kirk and Spock back. I will summon the wind."
Everyone stays still, and Alana folds her arms. "Go."
Suddenly, gusts of wind come out of nowhere. As the natives stare at one of the structures- luckily just a little shed- she fires her phaser, and it blows over, parts destroyed.
"Took out one of the beam things," she whispers to us. "Scotty was telling me about something, but I just remembered to target the foundation."
"Now," she begins, in a louder voice, "Will you untie Kirk and Spock or do I have to keep going?"
That's when the natives spring into action and quickly untie us.
"Energize," Alana says, right before we beamed up to the ship.
"Jim!" Bones exclaims, starting to scan me and Spock. "Will you please tell Alana how many-"
"Ensign Pike-" Spock began.
"Shut up, Spock, we need to go easy on her. Jim, will you tell Alana how many goddamn regulations she broke?"
"Judging by how many rules and regulations Ensign Pike has broken, the most logical thing for Starfleet to do is to send her back to Earth, and the Academy, if not to expel her. She was granted permission on this ship for experience and Academy lessons. If she cannot handle both, Starfleet will reason that the lessons come first."
"Captain, can I have the rest of the day off?" Alana asks, looking at the ground. Honestly, she looked like she wanted to cry, but I wasn't going to have any of that.
"No. My quarters." I don't mean it to sound harsh, but it comes out that way. She slightly flinches, nodding.
"Can I change first?" she asks.
"Yes," I reply. "You have ten minutes."
Alana quietly nods, walking down the hall to her quarters. I wait in my quarters, and she eventually shows up. When the door shuts she sighs, staring at the ground. We stand in silence for a few moments.
"I'm sorry, Jim, I thought I did the right thing." Alana slides against the wall, legs flat against the ground. She's changed, and she's back in her gold uniform, looking ready for duty.
I sit down next to her. "Well, I thought you did, too."
"I did?" Alana asks, looking over.
"Well, yeah." I reply. "Don't worry about what Bones and Spock said. Remember when we went to Nibiru? And then when Starfleet found out?"
"You screwed up big time." Alana chuckled. "Dad saved your career, though. And Khan... kind of. And then you died in the warp core..."
"At least they didn't see a starship rising out of their ocean." I smiled, quoting Admiral Pike. "All they really saw was a teleporter beam, but that can be covered as going to... whatever utopia they believe the gods live in."
"I know, but I broke the prime directive!" Alana exclaims. "I have no clue what they're going to do."
"Hey." I nudge her. "You just joined Starfleet. You can probably use that to your advantage, and I could probably get Bones to declare you emotionally compromised. This isn't the end of your career."
"What would Dad say?" she whispers.
"Maybe he wouldn't be thrilled, but I don't think he'd yell at you. You did what you had to," I answer, standing up. "Now, cheer up. For now, you are Ensign Alana Pike, under my command. And you are needed on the bridge, right by my side. Our shift doesn't end for a few hours."
Alana smiles slightly, grabbing my hand and pulling herself up. "Yes, sir."
A few days later, we're summoned to Starbase 238. After Spock's planetary survey was late, Starfleet demanded an explanation, and Spock told the truth. I was able to hold him off writing his initial report, but...
"I knew I ruined my own career," Alana moaned.
"When we arrive, Admiral Archer wants to see you, Captain, Dr. McCoy and Ensign Pike." Spock handed me a PADD.
"Maybe not..." Alana folds her arms, most likely planning.
Spock and I exchange a glance.