The Tirok Maneuver

XI

Mac'hla laughed and stared out at the starry abyss around them.

They knew that in only 5 minutes or so they would experience a pain greater than they could even imagine... but still, they felt no fear. Only hope.

Mac'hla felt the pull of the black hole become stronger and pull the shuttle pod in, faster and faster. She turned off the navigation systems and let darkness consume her.

"Shuttle pod reaching terminal velocity." the computer warned.

"Yes, I know." Mac'hla whispered, resting their arms on the control and leaning forward onto them.

The stars around them spun and danced in the sky, lulling Mac'hla into peace.

It reminded her of her first time going to warp when she was a Yeoman on the USS Defiant.

The Captain had invited her onto the bridge to see it, knowing it was every Cadet's dream to see it.

He had gently put his hand on their shoulder and smiled at the stars reflected in their eyes, seeing the wonder in their eyes.

It was then that he had realized that the young Yeoman was destined to be so much more.

The light warped and bent, making the stars look as if they had tails. Just like the meteor shower they had witnessed on Denobula.

Their Commander had gently rubbed their back as they stared out into the sky longingly with tears forming in their eyes.

"It is beautiful." she had said.

He had smiled in agreement, "Indeed it is."

She closed her eyes as the pod began to rattle and felt the bizarre pain of being stretched and warped in the pull.

The metal of the pod creaked and dented. Closing in tighter and tighter.

Mac'hla waited for the horror of tidal disruptive events– also known as spaghettification.

Their body would be pulled and warped, stretching to the maximum of humanoid elasticity and snap at the weakest point– just above the hips.

Mac'hla would look over and see their lower half floating beside them.

She felt her bones and joints crack and dislocate. She grunted in pain and her breathing sped up. 

Their skin felt too tight... it was starting to rip. 

It was beginning. 

The pod jerked and Mac'hla's eyes opened slightly and she watched in horror and fascination as a small piece of the hull flew forward and disappeared into the void.

There was a small pop as the black hole closed in on itself.

And then a sudden burst of light.

—---------------------------------------------------------

"Shields up!" Kirk ordered as he saw the light and wave of energy shoot towards them.

Chekov raised the shields just in time and the ship was rocked by the force sending the bridge crew tumbling to the ground.

"Shields at 80 percent and falling sir!" Chekov said, struggling to see through the warping and bending light.

Kirk gripped onto the railing and tried to pull himself to his feet only to fall back down from the force.

"60 percent!"

"Hull is approaching 1000°, we can't handle much more!" Scotty warned.

"We're almost out of the blast, the energy is dying out!" Kirk said, "Come on, come on..."

He prayed and held on as the ship slowed.

The ship slowed to a stop and the bridge crew fell back in relief.

"My god," Bones whispered, standing, "Where are we?"

Sulu checked the con, "About a lightyear away from Andoria."

Kirk laughed, "We... we made it!"

Uhura looked up at the screen, "But... Maggie... Maggie didn't."

The bridge fell silent as the realization of their loss hit them.

Mac'hla, their beloved Lieutenant, was dead.

—----------------------------------------

Spock sat up and held his neck in pain. What had just happened?

He was in the shuttle bay and Mac'hla had–

Mac'hla.

He ran into the shuttlebay and stared at the empty spot where the shuttlepod had been sitting.

The world around him seemed to stop as he realized what she had done.

All of that talk about not wanting to lose him– she had taken it to an extreme.

They couldn't lose him if they, themselves, were lost.

He grabbed onto the doorway for support, feeling an immeasurable guilt weighing on his heart.

If he had only been quicker or realized her plan...

Mac'hla was still so young– they had a whole life ahead of them!

Why would they have just thrown it away? That illogical, reckless child...

Child.

Spock felt sick as he realized that he had essentially allowed a child to go to their death.

He turned and slammed his fist into the wall, denting the thick metal.

With a shuddering breath, he drew his fist back again. He slammed his fist into the wall over and over, splitting his knuckles and tearing up his hand.

But he didn't feel any pain. Just rage and guilt.

"Spock..." Kirk said as he passed through the doors, "Spock, stop."

Spock ignored him and punched harder and harder, the wall cracking open.

"Spock!" Kirk said firmly and grabbed his second-in-command's arm, "Stop!"

"She's dead." Spock muttered, "I could have stopped her."

"We just watched the footage. You couldn't have. She was too fast, no one could have stopped her." Kirk whispered, tenderly holding Spock's wounded hand.

"If I had picked up on her plan, I could-"

"Would they really want you reacting like this, Spock? Knowing them, they'd probably grab your arm and reprimand you for being illogical."

Spock clenched his jaw.

"Don't blame yourself." Kirk whispered, "Please."

Spock exhaled shakily and stormed away, leaving Kirk alone in the shuttlebay.