Fourteen

Kirk closed his eyes as he thought of every excuse under the sun not to bring Emily into this mess. When she suggested joining them for the mission, he hadn't been happy with the idea of including her. He knew she could easily take care of herself in a firefight. He wasn't afraid of what could happen to her – she'd give whoever was involved hell if they attacked her or anyone she cared about. That was why Kirk was reluctant to bring her along. He couldn't help but worry over the idea that she would lose control. Though she always had some control over her abilities, that didn't mean she was incapable of letting go of her fury.

He held back a sigh of frustration at the thought of what they were getting themselves into. He knew McCoy would ream him out for letting her join the away team. But it wasn't as if he could control whatever decisions she made. Hell, Emily was ten times stronger than anyone he'd ever met… aside from Spock. That didn't make him feel any better knowing how close Emily and McCoy were. Not to mention McCoy also happened to be his reluctant best friend. He was still trying to figure out that happened in the first place. It wasn't as if he'd done anything to earn that kind of loyalty, especially after everything he'd done to Emily.

He glanced at Emily doubtfully as he noticed how focused she was on the task ahead. Her focus was the main reason he was grateful to have her on the team. She was all-too-aware of the risks involved in this mission. She'd gone through similar missions through the agency she worked for, which made her knowledge that much more valuable. Still… he couldn't help but wonder if the real reason behind her choosing to join them was to keep an eye on him.

She knew what it was like to seek out revenge. She'd gone through that sort of hell in the past. When he first found out that she tried killing herself in the past, he'd been shocked. But after realizing what she went through before that mental breakdown, he finally understood why she resorted to such lengths.

Kirk tried pushing the uneasy feelings aside as he focused on the mission looming before them. He knew that if he played his cards right with Sulu, the man would send a warning to Harrison. Sulu was a good helmsman for a reason. He'd seen what the man was like in a firefight, and that pissing him off was never a good idea. That was part of the reason he'd chosen Sulu for this task. That and he knew McCoy would likely hold back if he put him in charge. He held back a sigh as he noticed Spock focusing on the monitor in front of him, noting that they were likely not alone at the moment.

"I am detecting a single life form in the Keith Province," Spock reported from where he sat beside Uhura. The shuttle had only been flying for a few hours as they hovered around Kronos. The landscape of Kronos was depressing, dark, and eerie. Much like the entirety of the Klingon army, it felt serious and unnerving, "Given the information provided by Mr. Scott, this is most likely John Harrison."

"Mr. Sulu," Jim called through the com, "I think we found our man. You let him know you mean business."

"Aye, Captain," Sulu replied before clearing his throat, all of them being able to hear his words, despite the transmission being sent to Harrison, "Attention, John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Enterprise. A shuttle of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not surrender to them immediately, I will launch entire payload of advanced long range torpedoes, currently locked on to your location. You have two minutes to confirm your compliance. Refusal do so will result in your obliteration. If you test me, you will fail."

"Mr. Sulu," Jim heard McCoy speak through the coms, "Remind me to never piss you off."

He caught the smirk Emily was trying to hide. While Jim had no problem with the fact that they were currently seeing each other, it always bothered him that they knew each other so well. Of course, Sulu was not the kind of person he would want to piss off.

"We will arrive at Harrison's location in three minutes, Captain," Spock informed him. "It is unlikely that he will come willingly. I calculate the odds of him attempting to kill us 91.6%."

"Fantastic," Jim grumbled.

"Good thing you don't care about dying," Uhura muttered.

Were they really going to start with this crap, now? Jim held back a groan at the thought, especially when he knew that relationships weren't exactly his forte. Spending time with countless women at the Academy hadn't helped matters. He never really pursued a real relationship before. And all of a sudden, he found himself realizing just how lucky McCoy and Emily were in that aspect.

The two of them made dealing with a relationship look easy. Though, Jim suspected that their relationship was anything but easy. Especially as he thought of all the arguments they constantly got themselves into, regardless of what everyone on the ship said. Still, knowing that they had been friends for years before deciding to date again helped matters.

Jim heard everything through the stories Emily told him of when they were kids. The fact that she and McCoy managed to work things out, even after everything that happened to them, was what amazed him the most. McCoy was lucky that Emily had the kind of patience she had, especially in light of recent events.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant," he began, glancing at her in surprise, "I could not hear what you said…"

"Oh, I didn't say anything," she said, though it was plainly obvious that she did want to get something off of her chest. "Actually, I'll be happy to speak if you're willing to listen to me."

"Guys," Jim groaned in annoyance.

"Better let them get this done and over with now," Emily muttered with a roll of her eyes, knowing it would only get worse if they didn't talk now.

Jim let out another sigh at that, but he allowed them to continue.

"Lieutenant, I would prefer to discuss this in private."

"You would prefer not to discuss it at all," Uhura protested.

"Our plans—"

"At that volcano, you didn't give a thought to us," Uhura snapped, cutting him off, "what it would do to me if you died, Spock. You didn't feel anything. you didn't care. And I'm not the only one whose upset with you, the Captain and Emily are upset too."

"No, no… do not drag us into this," Jim grumbled crossly.

He knew that nothing good would come out of being put in the middle of whatever was going on between them. Of course, Uhura didn't think that one through, much less what would happen when they were dragged into it. He glanced impatiently in Spock's direction, knowing that the subject wouldn't be dropped anytime soon. If it had been any other situation, he would have tried ignoring it. But this was something Uhura needed to get off of her chest. It was clear she had been holding it in since the beginning of said mission, and Jim had a feeling that they would all be caught in the crossfire if she didn't do something soon.

"She is right, though."

"Your suggestion that I do not care about dying is incorrect," Spock stated, and Emily rolled her eyes when she realized he would probably lecture them on the moralities of dying rather than apologize. "A sentient being's optimal chance at maximizing their utility is a long and prosperous life."

"Great," Uhura muttered with a roll of her eyes, sensing the lecture as well.

"Not exactly a love song, Spock," Jim remarked.

"You misunderstand. It is true I chose not to feel anything upon realizing that my own life was ending," Spock explained, "As Admiral Pike was dying, I joined with his consciousness and experienced what he felt at the moment of his passing. Anger, confusion, loneliness, fear. I have experienced those feelings before, multiplied exponentially on the day my planet was destroyed. Such a feeling is something I choose never to experience again." He paused and turned to Uhura, "Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. Well, I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite."

Emily grimaced at the realization that that was something Spock and every other living Vulcan had experienced. She couldn't imagine going through something so traumatic. Then to experience it again in the eyes of Admiral Pike… she squeezed her eyes shut at the thought. She suddenly found herself feeling grateful that she wasn't an empath.

She could only imagine what it must be like to live with such abilities… to feel whatever someone else was feeling. It was bad enough that her powers were based off of however strong her emotions were. She could already imagine the chaos involved if her powers were also revolving around that of an empath.

Uhura opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when the ship suddenly jolted, nearly sending them flying off the seats they were strapped in.

"What the hell was that?" Jim yelled as he regathered himself.

"Well, I don't know," Emily muttered in response, sarcasm dripping in her voice, "Maybe that was an attack?"

"You have a crude sense of humor," he muttered back, trying not to smile at that.

"We are being pursued by a D4 Class Klingon vessel," Spock reported.

"It must be a random patrol," Uhura stated as she frantically tried to keep the com open to the Enterprise.

Of all the times they could have patrolled, it had to be now.

"Hold on!" Jim winced as he tried maneuvering the shuttle while it was hit again.

"This ship has no offensive capabilities," Spock reminded everyone.

"She's got us," Jim reassured him, though Emily was clinging onto whatever she could for dear life as he grabbed hold of the controls, "Give me all six fuel cells."

"Aye, Captain!" Henderoff was rushing to get it done.

"Damn it!" Emily cursed under her breath as they were hit again, just another reminder that they didn't have shields either to protect them from the blows.

"They are closing fast, bearing two-eight-five," Uhura reported.

Jim looked down at the scanner, revealing a 3D map that also resembled a grid-like image of the area that was helping him maneuver through the area. Emily followed his gaze, frowning as she noticed a fracture of sorts between the two mountains. He didn't need to be told twice what she was thinking. It wasn't as if they had other choices at the moment. They were locked between the planet and the Klingons that were quickly closing in on them.

"Right there! There! We can lose them there," he pointed out.

"If you are suggesting that we utilize the passage between the approaching structures, this ship will not fit."

"We'll fit."

"Captain, we will not fit."

"Spock, would you shut up already?" Emily shouted, clutching the arms of her chair for dear life, and begging that they got through safely as the shuttle flew right at the crack.

"We'll fit!" Jim gripped the steering tightly, "We'll fit!" He shouted as the shuttle flew through the crevice, the walls of the crevice scraping against it as they barely squeezed through the crack and knocking off a big piece of the shuttle in the process. Emily let out a sigh of relief when they emerged on the other side. Jim grinned and leaned back against his seat, looking triumphant. "Told you we'd fit."

"I am not sure that qualifies," Spock remarked.

"Any sign of them?" Jim looked around hopefully.

"No," she answered, "Which worries me."

"We lost them."

"Or they're jamming our scanners."

That left Emily feeling worried as she recalled the attack on Vulcan. Knowing that the Romulans had been able to block the transmissions, and that they had ambushed every other Fleet ship, Emily knew that this could very well be a similar attack. A shiver of unease swept through her as she recalled the countless bodies drifting aimlessly in space. The last thing she wanted was to be another victim of the Klingons, even if that was what they clearly wanted.

"Or, we lost them," Jim insisted, leading the ship up to continue their search for Harrison.

Emily winced as they reached the Klingon ships that looked as if they'd been waiting for them. The lights on the enemy ships turned on, putting them on the spotlight, and giving them no chance to escape.

"They're ordering us to land," she reported, frowning at the gurgled message sent by the Klingons.

Emily knew bits and pieces of the language, but she wasn't too familiar with it.

They're going to kill us, she realized as Jim nodded and let the ship slowly descend to the ground, the Klingon ships following.

"Captain, they're gonna wanna know why we're here. And they're gonna torture us, question us, and they're gonna kill us," Uhura confirmed her worst fears.

"So we come out shooting," Jim decided.

"And exactly how are we supposed to do that?" Emily quipped, narrowing her eyes at the sheer stupidity of the idea, "All we have are our phasers. The Klingons will more than likely have more advanced weapons and a bigger armada."

Uhura nodded in agreement. She knew Jim would have likely suggested using her powers against the ship to cause whatever chaos she could. But the odds of being successful in pushing them away was unlikely. Even if she was able to reach out to one ship, they were still outnumbered by two other ships. Her powers could only stretch so far without being a mental strain to herself and the rest of their team.

"We are outnumbered, outgunned. There's no way we survive if we attack first," she added, turning to look at Jim, "You brought me here because I speak Klingon, then let me speak Klingon."

"No," Jim shook his head, not willing to risk her life.

.

.

Uhura stepped carefully off the ship once it landed in a safe place. Emily managed to convince Jim that she was fully capable of taking care of herself when it came to speaking with another species. After convincing him otherwise, it was now a matter of making sure that Uhura didn't get attacked by the Klingons while trying to figure out what to do with Harrison. Knowing the madman was still on the run told her that nothing good would come out of the Klingons avoiding the situation. She just hoped they would see things their way, and that they were easier to convince than she suspected.

She knew that the Klingons were not the easiest people to convince. They were stubborn, much like the humans who tried protecting the colonies and ships they attacked. Though in their defense, they had every right to defend themselves if a Federation ship should randomly warp in their sector.

A shiver of unease swept through her at the thought of firing torpedoes at said Klingons. She couldn't shake off the feeling that firing those torpedoes would lead to nothing more than chaos and full-out war, which was the last thing the Federation needed. No… Uhura's plan was better, even if it wasn't the best option they had at the moment.

"This isn't going to work," Jim muttered as Emily took her position behind the ship.

It was like watching a horror movie play out in slow-motion. Emily sucked in a breath as she grabbed her phaser, preparing to fire while glaring on ahead. She had been trained to handle situations like these on a daily basis thanks to SHIELD. But this was entirely different. Uhura was a friend of hers.

The Klingons were technically in the right to attack them for invading their home world. It was all messed up, and Emily hated every aspect of it. The only thing she could do at that point was hope and pray that everything went smoothly. Jim was already on edge as it was by watching the scene unfold before them, and the rest of the team was equally as tense.

"It is our only logical option," Spock reminded him, though he kept his gaze focused on Uhura as well. Even he was worried about her. Emily knew the dangers they were all in, if the Klingons decided to launch an attack, "And if you interrupt her now, you will not only incur the wrath of the Klingons, but that of Lieutenant Uhura as well."

Emily narrowed her eyes as a few Klingon warriors emerged from the ship that had landed further away from them. The small group had more warriors protecting them from every corner within their ships. Emily knew that one wrong move could lead to an all-out attack from all sides, and she knew that would end in disaster. She clutched the bottom of her phaser while keeping an eye out for signs of Harrison as well. If he suddenly decided to ambush them as well, she had a feeling the situation would go from bad to worse. They were all on edge from the Klingon warriors, and Harrison's whereabouts didn't help matters.

"Any idea what she's saying?" Jim asked, trying to make out what they were discussing.

The Klingon language was crude. Emily grimaced at the way they spoke, hating the harshness of their voices. She had been well-versed in handling situations like these before. Having gone through the training any xenolinguist would, she knew what to expect. But a Klingon warrior was different.

"I am here to help you," Spock translated for them, his voice monotone as ever.

The tension that followed was almost painful. Emily struggled to keep her emotions under control. Jim moved over from the shuttle and handed a phaser to Henderoff and the other security officer before joining her. She kept one hand on his, squeezing it reassuringly as they continued listening to Spock translate for Uhura. She knew Jim needed the reassurance that everything would work out for them. That Uhura would come back safely and alive through this mess. It was only a few seconds later when the Klingon suddenly reached for Uhura's throat, causing all of them to stiffen in surprise and horror.

"Go!" Jim shouted as he stepped out of the shuttle, followed by Emily, Spock, Henderoff and the other security officer.

They barely had time to pause when Emily saw through the window someone launching an attack on the Klingons. That someone had fired at the Klingon grabbing Uhura, killing it with one blast. Unfortunately, that meant the rest of the Klingons were returning fire at the away team standing by. Rage suddenly swept through her when she realized too late what was happening.

"Not going to happen," Emily whispered as she fired a forcefield, using it to keep Jim and the others from getting attacked, "I'm done watching my friends die."

Jim just gaped at the forcefield that formed around them, before focusing on the nearest Klingon. Uhura had to duck for cover as she tried to block her attack from the Klingons. All of them ended up getting separated in the attack. The force of their separation was enough for Emily to lose concentration on her forcefield. She managed to take out a few Klingons in the process of reaching Uhura to provide cover, but even that wasn't enough to block the worse of their attacks.

Her teeth ground together when she used the forcefield for cover until they were able to find shelter during the attack. Jim and Spock were still somewhere in the open, along with Henderoff and the other security officer. She narrowed her eyes with fury as she noticed that everyone was scattered across the field, leaving little opportunity to keep them protected from the blasts.

"Thanks," Uhura gasped when she managed to heal the worst of her injuries, noting that she had received a cut on the cheek from the Klingon that first attacked.

Once that was done, Emily and Uhura made their way to the rest of the crew that was gathering.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she noticed that Jim was missing from the group. Emily's eyes widened in disbelief when she saw him crash to the ground after receiving a blow from a Klingon. She was about to run over and help when someone fired a blast at the Klingon, knocking him out in an instant. The figure standing nearby lifted his mask, revealing the face of John Harrison himself.

A shiver of rage ran through Emily as she glared at the man responsible for so much damage. From the attack on London, to Daystrom… he was responsible for more than she could imagine. Seeing him in person for the first time only reminded her that Pike was gone, because of him. Objects had begun flying in the man's direction, though he dodged each strike with ease. That only served to fuel her annoyance, and she glowered at Harrison as he easily strode across the field.

"Liaison…" Spock's warning fell on deaf ears as a sharp metal object went flying in Harrison's direction. He dodged, moving to the side as it landed heavily into the ground beside him. Emily narrowed her eyes as more objects flew in Harrison's direction. He dodged each of them, and he managed to reach Jim within a matter of seconds. "Liaison, you must cease this, otherwise you risk losing control."

Emily sucked in a breath when she finally let those words sink in. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in sharply as she tried controlling her emotions. Uhura, Henderoff, and the other security officer just stared at her in disbelief when they realized she had been responsible for those flying objects. Henderoff and Uhura were unaware of what she was capable of. The security officer standing on Henderoff's other side just gaped at her when he realized what she was really capable of.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, opening her eyes again to see that Harrison had reached them.

"Stand down!" Spock ordered after grabbing a weapon and moving to defend them.

"How many torpedoes?" the man asked, ignoring the gun that was aimed at him.

"Stand down!" Spock repeated more forcefully this time.

Harrison turned and fired at Spock's gun, knocking it away before turning back to the crew, "Your torpedoes! The Weapons you threaten me within your message. How many are there?"

Emily narrowed her eyes at that. How would he know about the torpedoes, or how many were supposedly there?

"Seventy two," Spock answered when he realized no one else would.

Harrison looked at him for a moment, before suddenly dropping his weapon.

"I surrender."

That was almost too easy, she thought, narrowing her eyes as she realized something wasn't right, here. She remembered hearing from Steve how Loki put up a similar fight before he allowed them to capture him. All at once, her suspicions rose. She knew that Harrison couldn't be trusted any more than she could throw him, which wasn't all that high.

Jim didn't seem to care, though, as he slowly approached Harrison and glared.

"On the behalf of Christopher Pike, my friend, I accept your surrender," he drawled.

Emily winced as he started hitting Harrison across the face repeatedly. The man wasn't even putting up a fight, making the scene all-the-more pathetic. His fists were already covered in bruises from punching Harrison so much. But the more Emily watched, the more she realized Harrison hadn't taken any damage.

She narrowed her eyes at the sight. Nothing about the way Harrison surrendered or allowed himself to get his ass kicked seemed right. She couldn't shake off the feeling that this would only end in disaster, especially if Harrison was as dangerous as he appeared.

"Captain!" Uhura finally cried after a few seconds passed.

To Emily's relief, he stopped, only for Harrison to look at him with renewed interest.

"Captain?" he repeated in a somewhat mocking tone.

"Cuff him," Jim ordered Spock.