Daughter of the Stars

What Lead to Today

Stardate 2258.42

"It is remarkably pleasing to see you again, old friend," Spock said, "Especially after the events of today."

The three, an older Spock and Sala, and Jim, were gathered around a fire that was within the cave on Delta Vega that Jim had run into only shortly before.

"Sir, I appreciate what you did for me today, but if you were Spock, you would know that we're not friends. At all," Jim said standing, "Sure, Sala and I are friends, but you hate me. You marooned me here for mutiny."

"Mutiny?" Sala asked.

"Yes."

"You are not the Captain?" Spock asked.

Jim looked at Spock and shook his head with a sigh before speaking, "No, no, you're the Captain. Pike was taken hostage."

"By Nero."

Jim, who was facing away from Spock and Sala, turned back to face them.

"What do you two know about him?" Jim asked.

"He is a particularly troubled Romulan," Sala said after a moment.

Sala looked at Spock and the two exchanged looks before Spock gave a nod towards Jim. Sala gave a small nod herself before standing up and walking over towards Jim.

"Please, allow me. It will be easier," Sala said, holding up her right hand, fingers poised.

"What are you doing?" Jim asked.

"Our minds; One and together. And, as you stated that you are already friends with me, it is perceived that it would be more, appropriate, for you," Sala said, her words careful, as if there was something more to them.

Sala then placed her fingers along Jim's face. Her thumb on his chin, her index finger near the bridge of his nose, and her middle and ring fingers resting above his left brow.

"One hundred twenty-nine years from now, a star will explode and threaten to destroy the galaxy," Sala started.

The next thing Jim knew, he saw what looked like stars rushing past him, and Sala's voice spoke above everything.

"That is where we are from, Jim; the future," Sala's voice continued, "A star went supernova, consuming everything in its path."

Jim saw it. He saw the star as it went supernova.

"Spock and I promised the Romulans that we would save their planet."

Jim saw a flash of an aged Spock and Sala. They stood with several other Vulcans. He then started to see what looked like the finishing construction of a ship.

"We outfitted our fastest ship."

The image then moved to within the ship. A large ball of red material had a glass tube that was being lowered around it, several Vulcans working around the tube.

"Using red matter, we would create a black hole which would absorb the exploding star."

Jim then saw the ship in flight, Spock piloting and Sala monitoring the red matter.

"We were en route when the unthinkable happened; the supernova destroyed Romulus."

The image before Jim was just that. A wall of fire from the supernova colliding with Romulus, breaking her apart. There was a shift and Jim could see inside the ship again. Spock and Sala were quickly working with the tools on their ship.

"There was little time."

Jim saw Spock stick a needle into the red matter, pulling out only a small amount of it before moving to secure the tube to be launched from the ship.

"The red matter had to be extracted and shot into the supernova."

Jim could see the capsule with the red matter being shot at the supernova while the ship Spock and Sala were on retreated in the opposite direction. He saw a flux in the supernova before he saw the black hole open up to consume the dying star.

"As we began our return trip, we were intercepted. He called himself Nero, last of the Romulan Empire."

Jim could see a flash of Nero's face as Sala continued.

"In our attempt to escape, both our ship and Nero's were pulled into the black hole."

And that was what Jim saw. The ship that attacked the Enterprise earlier, the Narada, enter the black hole, and Spock and Sala's ship, entering from the other side.

"Nero went through first. He was the first to arrive.

"Nero and his crew spent the next twenty-five years awaiting our arrival. But what was years for Nero, was only seconds for us. We went through the black hole. Nero, was waiting for us."

Jim saw the daunting image of Nero's ship through the views of Spock and Sala's ship. He then saw Spock and Sala's ship, landed within Nero's, and them walking out.

"He held us responsible for the loss of his world. He captured our vessel, and spared our lives, for one reason. So that we would know his pain."

Jim watched as Nero approached Spock and Sala, who had knelt down and hung their heads, looking up to be met with his vengeful gaze. Then Spock and Sala could be seen, in their coats, on Delta Vega, looking up at the sky.

"He beamed us here so that we could observe his vengeance. As he was helpless to save his planet, we were helpless to save ours."

In the sky from Delta Vega, Vulcan could been seen as she fell into herself from the black hole Nero had created in her core.

"Billions of lives were lost because of us, Jim. Because we failed."

The ice cave on Delta Vega flooded Jim's vision as Sala's hand was pulled away from his face. He could feel feelings that were not his own. He felt pain, loss, fear, rage, and longing. Oddly enough, Jim felt as though he could pin the longing down, as longing for him.

"Forgive me. Emotional transference is an effect of the mind-meld," Sala said, the faintest shade a green dusting her cheeks.

Jim staggered a few paces away from Sala and leaned against one of the ice rocks in the cave.

"So you do feel more than you let on," Jim muttered before turning to look at Spock, "Is that the same for you?"

"Yes," Spock confirmed.

"Going back in time, you changed all our lives."

"Jim, we must go. There is a Starfleet outpost not far from here."

"Wait," Jim started slowly, "Where you came from, did I know my father?"

"Yes," Spock paused, "You often spoke of him as being your inspiration for joining Starfleet."

"He proudly lived to see you become the Captain of the Enterprise," Sala added.

"Captain?" Jim asked.

"Among other things, yes."

"And we must return you to the Enterprise as soon as possible," Spock said before heading for the opening of the cave.