Sixteen

"What have we got?" Jim asked when they finally reached medbay.

"It's quite clever, actually," Carol began as she showed them what had been in the torpedo. Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise when she noticed there were bodies inside the torpedoes. They had all been frozen in ice – a fate similarly met by Steve. Not for the first time, she found herself frowning as she wondered how anyone could freeze so many people without knowing what fate would behold their future. "This fuel container's been removed from the torpedo and retro fitted to hide this cryo-tube."

"Is he alive?" Emily asked, suddenly feeling curious as to whether or not they had the capabilities of reviving them.

"He's alive," Leonard explained as he joined them moments later, "but if we try to revive him without the proper sequencing, it could kill him. This technology is beyond on me."

Emily's shoulders sagged at that. She knew they had that kind of technology back on Earth, but it was a risky business to try and bring the people in those torpedoes back to life. Besides, she couldn't imagine what those people were like. Maybe they had been frozen for a reason.

A shiver of unease swept through her at the thought. Not for the first time, she found herself wondering what would have happened had something similar occurred to her. She knew nothing good would have come out of that.

"How advanced, Doctor?" Spock asked.

"It's not advanced. That cryo-tube is ancient," Carol corrected them both.

"We haven't needed to freeze anyone since we developed warp capability," Leonard put in, "Which explains the most interesting thing about our friend here. He's three hundred years old."

That was enough to catch Emily's attention. She knew that people were capable of surviving long periods of time in ice. That was how Steve managed to survive for as long as he did. But there was something else that left her mind churning with anxiety. Something that Khan wasn't telling them.

She shook her head at the thought before deciding to take matters into her own hands. Jim and Spock had already left once they figured out that there were humans inside those torpedoes. With that thought in mind, Emily suddenly punched Leonard lightly in the arm, ignoring the accusing look that followed.

"'I have magical hands'? Really?" She tried not to laugh when Leonard's face fell after she brought up their moment on the planetoid. "You know, if you're going to flirt with another woman, the least you could do is have the courtesy of doing a better job at it. We've dated long enough that you should know every pickup line by now."

By now, she was struggling not to laugh when she saw the heat rising to Leonard's cheeks as realization finally dawned on him. Because she worked on the bridge, she like the others had all ears on the coms. So he clearly wasn't expecting her to hear the conversation between himself and Carol. Of course, she'd also heard and felt whatever he was feeling or thinking while on the shuttle with Carol. Her amusement never faded when she saw the panic sweeping across his face for a brief moment, before he finally realized she was only joking. She knew he was only human – it was easy to make those kind of mistakes.

"I've gotta keep you interested somehow, Coulson," he remarked after recovering from his initial surprise.

Emily couldn't hide the sheepish smirk that followed when she felt his hands snake around her waist. As much as he tried to hide the intimacy between them, it was sometimes almost impossible. She could already feel Carol watching them curiously when she realized that something was going on between them. Whether she figured out what that something was or not, Emily wasn't sure. The only thing she did know in that moment was that this felt right. To be in his arms and not anywhere else was what mattered the most. She wanted nothing more than to get lost within the moment, to feel his hands explore her in the most intimate way.

Leonard was all too aware of her intentions. He let out a quiet sigh and reluctantly pulled away, knowing full-well this was the last place to lose control. Albeit, she'd almost lost him to a damn torpedo. She had every right to feel the way she felt, and he wanted nothing more than to reassure her that everything would be alright.

"Well, you sure as hell scared me out there with the torpedo going off, so you deserve a good kick in the ass," she put in softly. "And sweetheart, you don't need to do anything to keep me interested."

She added the last part with a kiss on the cheek, knowing full-well that was true. She'd stuck around for as long as she did, and she didn't plan on leaving him anytime soon.

Leonard winced at the accusation in her tone. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that she had every right to be pissed off with him. Things could have gone more smoothly while they were on that planetoid. The only consolation they both had was that he'd made it out safely, and with Carol and the torpedo intact.

"Darlin', the last thing I plan on doing is leaving you behind," he finally drew out. 'You mean too much to me,' he added through their mental link.

Her eyes lit up with warmth when he captured her lips with his. There were times when she wished little moments like those could last. Because all too quickly, they reluctantly pulled apart. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck, and Leonard had carefully wrapped his own hands around her waist to pull her in closer. But she could feel curious eyes prying on them. The longer they remained in that position, the harder it would be to control her own actions, and she knew the feelings were mutual.

"Good," she whispered as their eyes met one last time.

She added the last part with a sheepish smile when she left to report to her station.

.

.

The moment she left was when the aching pain in his arm suddenly came rushing back. McCoy grimaced as he reached for a hypospray, not bothering to wait out the pain. He let out a heavy sigh as he thought of what had led to that conversation in the first place, wincing at the thought of what might have occurred had something bad really happened back there.

Emily's reaction hadn't been all that surprising. Guilt swept through him the moment he thought of letting the torpedo explode. After the hell he gave Emily anytime she put her own life at risk, he knew he wasn't much better. The worst part of it was, his sacrifice would have been over the face of another pretty woman.

Though in hindsight, Doctor Marcus was nothing compared to Emily. He certainly was fortunate that Carol had been brave enough to stay behind until the last second. He'd been an idiot to think that she wouldn't hear the conversation they had on the planetoid. The only consolation he had was that Emily was far more forgiving than anyone he'd ever met.

Then there was the fact that his life had practically flashed across his eyes for a few seconds. He realized with a start that Emily meant so much more to him than anyone he'd ever known. Her willingness to keep coming back even after the shit he pulled off was what he admired the most. Then there was the constant guilt that she always tried to hide whenever their mental link was open. McCoy knew damn-well that something had been eating away at her, long before this incident began. He only wished there was a way to help her, but he knew that she wouldn't admit something was wrong until it came back to bite her in the ass.

"It's cute… the two of you together." McCoy stiffened at the sound of Carol's voice. He was hardly surprised to find her giving him a curious look once Emily was gone. He knew full-well that she had been watching their little display, try as he might to hide it from public. It was getting harder and harder to stay professional around her, especially as he began to realize how much she meant to him. "It's obvious she cares about you."

"S'not like I did anything to deserve that kind of affection," he admitted guiltily.

He still regretted the day he chose Pamela over her nearly fourteen years ago. He could still remember the day Pamela approached him at the hospital, whispering soothing words and coaxing him to join her for lunch every day. McCoy had quickly begun to enjoy those afternoons spent away from the hospital. He'd missed having the company of another woman in his life, which left him feeling guiltier than ever. Emily had practically jumped off the grid for the two years his father was in the hospital.

A part of him had been angry and frustrated with her sudden disappearance. But another part of him understood why she'd disappeared. She'd been hurt more times than he wanted to admit, and most of the time she'd been hurt by him. Guilt stabbed him in the chest the moment he recalled how she looked when she was brought back by the agency. Things hadn't gotten much better when he finally chose to marry Pamela, especially when the redhead offered so many opportunities.

A lump formed in the back of McCoy's throat as he thought of how happy he had been when Pamela offered so much more. She'd offered a chance at having a normal life, something that alluded him for so many years. McCoy realized with a start that it was always Pamela who came rushing back to him the days his father was in the hospital. His fists clenched at the thought of how Emily hadn't been there when he needed her the most. Or that she had been going behind his back and lying to him all of that time.

The fact that she had jumped off the grid and went after the men responsible for putting her in that position was what terrified him the most. He knew she was capable of killing him... hell, it surprised him that he hadn't been more terrified of her. It wasn't until hearing a cough from Carol that McCoy was brought back to reality.

"Are the feelings mutual?" she asked carefully.

He wanted to say yes. But his throat ran dry the moment he tried answering. His heart sank further than he thought possible when he realized that the feelings weren't as mutual as he first imagined. Resentment towards Emily and the way she handled everything suddenly came rushing back. Along with the same familiar fear he once felt when Pamela turned her back on him. When Pamela turned her back on him, Emily was the first to show up and try to make things better. The confusion swirling around in his head at the time hadn't helped matters. Then there was the fact that he had been forced into some telepathic bond with her.

McCoy swallowed hard as guilt stabbed him in the chest once more. He didn't know what to think anymore. Between what was happening at the moment and everything else, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. And he realized with a start that a lot of that was because of Emily. The link between them had only grown stronger over the passing years, and it was getting harder to fight back the emotions that came welling up.

"We were neighbors growing up as kids," he finally replied after trying to regain his composure. Carol just threw him a look of concern when she noticed his demeanor change. He hated knowing that his emotions had gotten worse over the last few hours, all because of that stupid link. "The rest of it's complicated."

"Everyone knows that you have a history with her," Carol remarked with a thoughtful look. McCoy stiffened when he realized what she was implying. "Perhaps you should remind her how much she truly means to you. You never know when it might be the last chance you have."

Unease swept through him the moment she added the last part, almost as if it was an ominous warning. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that he'd dug his own grave. And worst still, that feeling that he would have to dig another suddenly came rushing back. And it horrified him to think that that someone might be Emily.

.

.

"Why is there a man in that torpedo?" Jim was asking when Emily had arrived in the brig.

Spock was already at his side, and he stepped to the side to let her join them as they interrogated Khan. She wanted nothing more than to be there during the interrogation. Khan's knowledge on the torpedoes had left her wondering how much more he knew about the Federation, and what sort of secrets Admiral Marcus had been keeping from them. She couldn't shake off the feeling that it had been a little too coincidental that Marcus allowed Jim to go into Klingon territory with the permission to fire those torpedoes.

"There are men and women in all those torpedoes, Captain. I put them there," Khan replied, smirking as he looked between Jim and Emily.

"Who the hell are you?" Jim asked, ignoring the rising tension.

"A remnant of a time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior, so as to lead others to peace in a world at war," Khan explained, his eyes never leaving Emily, who stiffened under that piercing gaze, "But we were condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries we slept, hoping when we awoke things would be different. But as a result of the destruction of Vulcan, your Starfleet began to aggressively search distant quadrants of space. My ship was found adrift; I alone was revived."

"I looked up John Harrison. Until a year ago he didn't exist," Jim told him.

"John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause, a smokescreen to conceal my true identity," the man replied, "My name is Khan. Your Liaison already knew who I was the moment I was brought aboard this ship."

Both Jim and Spock threw her looks of disbelief when they realized what he was implying. A shiver swept through Emily as she realized his intentions. The smug look written across his face never faded as he continued boring his gaze through her. She knew in that moment that Jim was never going to trust her again, especially after everything that happened.

"Why would a Starfleet Admiral ask a three-hundred year old frozen man for help?"

Jim shook his head in frustration. He realized with a start that this was something that she would contend with later down the road. He had little trust in her to begin with, but it only got worse when Khan dragged her into the fray. She knew she would have to suffer the consequences of not telling them sooner rather than later who Khan really was.

"Because I am better," Khan simply replied.

"At what?" Emily demanded.

Not for the first time, his comment made her think of Loki and how he acted while aboard the Hellicarrier. They had similar egos, that was for sure. But Khan had one thing going for him that Loki didn't – he had a bigger motive. Emily just wasn't sure what that motive was yet. The only thing she was aware of was how dangerous the madman was. And she wanted nothing more than to stop him before he was able to fulfill his wishes.

"Everything." He paused, piercing gaze falling upon her once more. She felt her blood run cold the moment she realized what his intentions were. He knew more about her past than anyone on the ship, and that bothered her more than she wanted to admit out loud. "Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat in a civilized time, but for that he needed a warrior's mind, my mind, to design weapons and warships. He would have felt inclined to secure your precious Liaison if she wasn't so close to the rest of the crew for that reason."

Emily stiffened when she realized what the asshole was implying. She could practically feel Jim's gaze bore through her when he understood the implications himself. If Marcus had managed to reach out to her before she became fully invested with the Fleet, she was sure that she would have followed through on his ideas. Now, she knew that was a bad idea in itself.

"That's why he wanted me back on the Enterprise," she muttered crossly.

She frowned as she recalled how eager Marcus had been to have her back on the Fleet. At the time, she thought it had just been his way of proving that the Fleet wasn't what she believed. Now she knew better, and her fists clenched at the thought. She'd known from the moment Marcus talked to her about Section 31 that nothing good would come out of it. That was one of the many reasons she turned down the offer to work for said section… that along with the fact that her loyalty wasn't bound by the Federation itself.

"Admiral Marcus had been hoping to exploit your abilities, as both a weapon and an intelligence system," Khan replied without missing a beat. "You are everything he has ever wanted in a Starfleet Officer, and more. When he found that you cannot be controlled, he decided I was a better alternative."

"You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect," Spock remarked.

Even he looked uneasy with the idea of Marcus utilizing a human as a weapon. Emily knew that people were not above doing so. She had seen enough of the footage from Hydra's heyday to know that they would do whatever it took to bring themselves back to full power. Their greed for power was their ultimate downfall.

Still… that left Jim shifting with unease when he realized that she would make a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. Her intelligence and her ability to connect with others was the main reason she'd gotten so far in Starfleet. He knew nothing good would come out of her becoming someone's personal vendetta.

"He wanted to exploit my savagery. Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock," Khan pointed out, "You… you can't even break a rule, how would you be expected to break bone? Marcus used me to design weapons, to help him realize his vision of a militarized Starfleet." Khan turned his gaze on Jim this time, "He sent you to use those weapons, to fire my torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet. And then he purposely crippled your ship in enemy space, leading to one inevitable outcome. The Klingons will come searching for whomever was responsible, and you would have no chance of escape. Marcus would finally have the war, the war he always talked about, he always wanted."

Emily grimaced as Jim and Spock looked in her direction uneasily. It wasn't the first time anyone would have tried exploiting her because of her powers, and she doubted it would be the last. Something told her that Khan was telling the truth about Marcus, regardless of how Jim or Spock felt.

"No. No. I watched you open fire in a room full of unarmed Starfleet officers," Jim shook his head, clearly refusing to believe that Marcus was capable of such savagery, "You killed them in cold blood!"

But, as Emily thought back to it, she recalled how determined Marcus was at using Khan's attack in London to hunt the man down, turning this into a military operation. The unease she felt earlier suddenly returned ten-fold. If what Khan said was true, then Marcus would have been just like the assholes back at the compound she'd suffered from all those years ago.

"Marcus took my crew from me!" Khan cried out, narrowing his eyes at Jim.

"You are a murderer!" Jim snapped, stepping forward so that he was only inches from the glass wall.

The fact that Khan had killed so many innocent people and felt no remorse only infuriated Emily. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to seek the revenge that Jim obviously craved. Revenge was like a poison that could slowly eat away at anyone, and that was what scared her the most. She didn't want to turn into the person who regretted whatever choices she made purely out of anger.

"He used my friends to control me. I tried to smuggle them to safety by concealing them in the very weapons I had designed. But I was discovered, I had no choice but to escape alone," Khan went on, turning away from them so that his back now faced them, "And when I did, I had every reason to suspect that Marcus had killed every single one of the people I hold most dear. So I responded in kind. My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?"

I would die for them, Emily thought without hesitation. Yes, she was willing to risk her life and ensure the safety of everyone she had cared about. Admiral Pike had seen that in her the moment they met. He had told her that she could do something worthwhile in her life, instead of hiding out like a coward. In that sense, she understood where Khan was getting at. But that didn't answer for the murders he'd committed.

"Proximity alert, sir. There's a ship at warp heading right for us," he reported.

"Klingons?" Jim frowned, knowing this conversation was far from over.

"At warp? No, Kirk. We both know who it is," Khan told him, giving him a look.

"I don't think so," Sulu agreed over the com, having not heard him, "It's not coming at us from Kronos."

"It's Marcus," Emily whispered.

A knot formed in the pit of her stomach as she realized Khan was right. Marcus was responsible for the death of Admiral Pike, and everything else that had happened. The bastard was going to pay for everything he had done.

"Lieutenant," Jim called to one of the crew members as he, Emily and Spock headed for the bridge, "move Khan to medbay, post six Security Officers on him."

"Yes, Captain," the man nodded before doing just that.

.

.

"Captain on the bridge!" Sulu announced once they had reached the bridge.

"ETA on incoming ship?" Jim asked, wasting no time in getting back on task.

What Khan had mentioned about Admiral Marcus using him as a weapon was suddenly beginning to sound logical. All the things that Spock and Emily had been warning him about suddenly made sense. The Admiral, who was supposed to be dedicated to the Federation and regulations, had broken almost every rule by reviving Khan. To make matters worse, Marcus would have likely tried exploiting her own strength to his advantage. She understood now what Khan meant by that. As much as it annoyed her to know that Khan was telling the truth, she knew he was right.

That doesn't mean I'd willingly allow him to take advantage of me now, she reminded herself silently. She was grateful that she had changed so dramatically since she first enlisted in Starfleet. None of that would have been possible if it wasn't for the need to prove everyone wrong. Then again, there was something about the way the Admiral had asked her to join him that left her skin crawling with disgust and unease. She knew she would have been in the same position as Khan if she had worked for Section 31. That thought alone left her feeling grateful that she had Leonard to drag her back into reality.

"Three seconds, sir," Sulu reported.

"Shields!" Jim called.

"On it!"

Emily moved quickly to help Sulu, having worked with him on multiple occasions with the helm. In a time of desperation, everyone needed to keep a level-head, especially on the bridge. They'd just risen the shields when a huge ship suddenly came out of warp before them.

Jim sucked in a breath as he realized the ship was twice the size of the Enterprise, almost dwarfing her. What really bothered him was how ominous the ship looked compared to a regulated Federation ship. It looked more like a warship than something that was meant for discovery and exploration.

"They're hailing us, sir," Uhura announced.

"On screen," Jim nodded to her, "Broadcast ship-wide for the record."

Seconds later and an image of Admiral Marcus sitting before them appeared on screen. Unease crawled through Emily when she saw his face for what felt like the umpteenth time on the viewing screen. There was something almost dangerous about the way he seemed to glare at them. It was almost as if he was inspecting his prey the moment they appeared on his viewing screen.

"Captain Kirk."

"Admiral Marcus," Jim greeted, his tone curt as he glanced at Emily. Her eyes were narrowed, telling him she believed Khan as well. Despite her earlier misgivings, she realized that Khan was right about what he had said about Marcus wanting war, especially after seeing that ship. "I wasn't expecting you. That's a hell of a ship you've got there."

"And I wasn't expecting to get word that you'd taken Harrison into custody in violation of your orders," Marcus countered.

"Well, we uh… we had to improvise when our warp core unexpectedly malfunctioned," Jim replied, not missing the knowing look in Emily's eyes. She had suspected that Marcus was behind that and had pointed out her suspicions. At the time, he hadn't really thought it through until now. "But you already knew that, didn't you, sir?"

The expression on Marcus' face was impossible to read. But it was plain to see that he wasn't expecting an outright accusation. Well, at least he was good at masking his confusion. If the bastard was aware of what had happened to their ship, he didn't show it. Feigning innocence was something that someone would do if they were guilty of their actions.

"I don't take your meaning," he looked back at Jim.

"Well, that's why you're here, isn't it?" Jim asked, keeping his voice steady, though it was painfully obvious why Marcus was really here, he just wanted to hear the truth while they were recording the message, "To assist with our repairs? Why else would the head of Starfleet personally come to the edge of the Neutral Zone?"

"Captain," Sulu warned, "They're scanning our ship."

"Is there something I can help you find, sir?" Jim asked, giving Marcus a hard look.

"Where is your prisoner?" Marcus got right back to business again.

"Per Starfleet regulation, I'm planning on returning Khan to Earth to stand trial," Jim replied, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Well, shit. You talked to him. It's exactly what I was hoping to spare you from," Marcus sighed irritably, "I took a tactical risk and I woke that bastard up, believing that his superior intelligence could help us protect ourselves from whatever came at us next. But I made a mistake. And now the blood of everybody he's killed is on my hands. So, I'm asking you, give him to me, so that I can end what I started."

Jim didn't believe him one bit. Something about the way Marcus was speaking told him that justice was the last thing on Marcus' mind. After realizing that Marcus had been interested in Emily, Jim couldn't shake off the feeling that nothing good would come out of that. He had little doubt in the back of his mind that Emily would make a dangerous enemy if she had chosen to take Marcus's side.

"And what exactly would you like me to do with the rest of his crew, sir?" Jim asked, recalling the torpedoes that Admiral Marcus had been so keen for them to use on Khan. "Fire them at the Klingons, end seventy-two lives? Start a war in the process?"

"He put those people in those torpedoes," Marcus defended himself, acting as though that justified what he'd done was okay, "And I simply didn't want to burden you with knowing what was inside of them. You saw what this man can do all by himself. Can you imagine what would happen if we woke up the rest of his crew?" Jim frowned at that. Marcus wasn't even aware that he'd admitted to committing the crime, "What else did he tell you? That he's a peacekeeper? He's playing you, son. Don't you see that? Khan and his crew were condemned to death as war criminals. And now it is our duty to carry out that sentence before anybody else dies because of him."

Jim caught the cold look in Emily's eyes, knowing she didn't believe a single word Marcus had said, either. What Khan had said about Marcus' part in reviving him suddenly made sense. The fact that so many lives had been taken already as it was only confirmed it.

"Now, I'm going to ask you again," Marcus drawled, looking as if he was struggling to remain calm, "One last time, son. Lower your shields. Tell me where he is."

Silence followed. Jim stared the man down, not backing off if Marcus was trying to intimidate him. If he'd learned anything from his conversation with Khan, it was that Marcus wouldn't hesitate to kill the rest of his crew once Khan was in his hands.

"He's in Engineering, sir. But I'll have him moved to the transporter room right away," he sighed after thinking it through.

"I'll take it from here," Marcus nodded curtly, cutting off the transmission.

"Do not drop those shields, Mr. Sulu," Jim pointed at him immediately after.

"Aye, Captain," Sulu nodded.

"Captain," Spock began as Emily joined him, looking both relieved and worried at the same time, "given your awareness of Khan's true location in the med bay, may I know the details of your plan?"

"I told Marcus we're bringing a fugitive back to Earth," Jim explained, "That's what we're going to do." He turned to Emily, "Any chance we could go to warp?"

"Not without seriously damaging the warp core," Emily shook her head after looking over the reports Chekov had sent her.

None of them looked good. Engineering had already taken a heavy toll, and even with the repairs Chekov was doing, she knew it would take more than a few hours for him to fix everything. Pushing the engines to their limits would more than likely cause more harm than do them good at that point.

"Can we do it?" Emily chewed the bottom of her lip as she realized where he was headed with this.

"Technically, we could, but… we shouldn't," she advised him, "Plus, Admiral Marcus' ship looks advanced enough to easily keep up with us."

"Liaison Coulson does bring up a valid point," Spock remarked, earning a look of surprise from Emily. "We have never encountered a ship as large or advanced as Admiral Marcus' ship."

"If there's a will, there's a way," Jim pointed out. "Mr. Sulu, set course for Earth."

"Yes, sir," Sulu replied, frowning as he caught their conversation.

"Punch it," he ordered once the course was put in, watching from the viewing screen as the stars shot past them in a blur. "Lieutenant Uhura, contact Starfleet. Tell them we will pursuit into the Neutral Zone by unmarked Federation ship," Jim told Uhura.

Uhura shook her head, "Coms are down, sir," she reported.

"Well, isn't that convenient?" Emily asked under her breath.

She realized that Marcus was targeting their defensive system and their communications system. If they managed to somehow reach Starfleet, they could warn them about his plans. Emily had no doubt that was the last thing he wanted. War and revenge was on Marcus's mind, and he would do whatever it took to reach his goal.

"Permission to come on the bridge!" Carol half-ran into the room, startling everyone.

"Doctor Marcus," Jim nodded to her.

"He's gonna catch us and when he does, the only thing is gonna stop him destroying this ship is me," she explained. "So you have to let me talk to him."

"She's right," Emily said under her breath.

"He's been developing a ship that has warp capabilities," she nodded in agreement.

"Captain, I'm getting a reading I don't understand—"

Sulu wasn't given a chance to finish his report when the ship suddenly jolted, shaking horribly as it was fired upon so badly that it dropped out of warp. The impact of the attack had left a gaping hole on the ship, and seconds later, crew members were sucked out like a vacuum into space.

"Where are we?" Jim asked, looking at Sulu frantically, and knowing they could use all the help they could get.

"We're 237,000 kilometers from Earth!" Sulu reported.

"Damage report!" He turned to Emily as she scanned the readings quickly.

"Weapons are down," she called, "and the bulkhead's been breached."

"Where's the damage?" Jim held his breath, knowing things could only get worse with the massive ship hovering nearby.

"The hull as well," she added, her voice grim.

"Evasive maneuvers! Get us to the Earth, right now!" Jim shouted as they took another hit.

"Captain, stop!" Carol cried, running over to him, "Everyone on this ship will die, if you don't let me speak to him. Please!"

Jim hard swallowed at that, having long-since realized that Marcus wouldn't hesitate to kill everyone to get his way.

"Uhura, hail them," he ordered.

Carol took a deep breath as she took a step in front of the viewing screen. Knowing that her father would be responsible for so many deaths, it shook her up. But she wasn't going to let these innocent people die. Not if there was something she could do to stop it.

"Sir, it's me," she began, "It's Carol."

"What are you doing on that ship?" Marcus shouted as the viewing screen flickered back on once more.

"I heard what you said. That you made a mistake and now you're doing everything you can to fix it. But, Dad…" Her voice cracked, and tears started forming at the edge of her vision, "I… I don't believe that the man who raised me is capable of destroying a ship full of innocent of people. And… if I'm wrong about that, then you're gonna have to do it with me on board."

Silence followed. For a moment, it looked as if Marcus had considered her words. But, seconds later, he smirked, "Actually, Carol, I won't."

Carol frowned at that, not sure what he meant by that. Time seemed to slow down when lights began swirling around her. Everyone stared in alarm as they realized too late what was happening. She had tried running to escape the transport process, running towards a door before she suddenly vanished as the door opened and closed.

"Can we intercept the transport signal?" Jim asked.

"No, sir," a crew member replied.

"Captain Kirk," Marcus began, his smirk growing wider as he looked at the man in question, "without authorization and in league with the fugitive John Harrison. Then you went rogue in enemy territory, leaving me no choice but to hunt you down and destroy you. Lock phasers."

"Wait, sir!" Jim called frantically, realizing that the entire crew would be killed for his decision, "Wait!"

Marcus only cut him off with a withering look.

"I'll make this quick," he said before turning to his crew, "Target all outdoor torpedoes on the Enterprise bridge."