Walking the Stars

Promises

Stardate 2259.56

Admiral Marcus appeared on the view screen.

"What are you doing on that ship?" Admiral Marcus asked in a dark tone.

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

"Actually, Carol, I won't," Admiral Marcus said in a confident tone.

"Oh," Carol said in surprise as her body started to glow.

Admiral Marcus was having her transported from the bridge of the Enterprise onto his ship.

"Jim," Carol started.

"Can we intercept the transport signal?" Jim asked in a frantic tone.

"No, sir," Lieutenant Juarez said, sadness in his own voice.

Carol let out a scream as she started to attempt to run from the bridge, trying to scramble the signal that was locked onto her.

"Carol!" Jim called as she vanished from the bridge.

"Captain Kirk, without authorization and in league with the fugitive John Harrison, you went rogue in enemy territory, leaving me no choice but to hunt you down and destroy you," Admiral Marcus said in a disciplinary tone, "Lock phasers."

"Wait, sir, wait, wait, wait!" Jim yelled as he ran towards the view screen.

"I'll make this quick. Target all aft torpedoes on the Enterprise bridge."

"Sir, my crew was just following my orders. I take full responsibility for my actions. But they were mine and they were mine alone. If I transmit Khan's location to you now, all that I ask is that you spare them," Jim took a small step closer to the view screen, "Please, sir. I'll do anything you want. Just let them live."

"That's a hell of an apology. But if it's any consolation, I was never going to spare your crew. Fire 'em."

With that, the transmission cut out.

Jim slowly turned to look at everyone on the bridge, a gaunt look on his face.

Sala approached Jim, and stood in front of him.

Though, were it anyone else, or any other circumstance, she would not have done it, Sala took Jim's hand in her own.

"I'm sorry," Jim said, in a soft and, broken voice, "I'm sorry."

"You have been a just and admirable Captain, Jim," Sala said in a voice only loud enough for Jim to hear, "As I knew you would be."

Jim looked into Sala's eyes, a deep sadness sitting in them.

"Their weapons are powered down. Sir," Sulu said, attempting to get Jim's attention.

Jim's gaze then shifted to Sulu, giving the helmsman a confused look.

"Enterprise! Can you hear me?" Mister Scott's voice broke across the comms.

Jim turned around and looked out the front of the bridge at Admiral Marcus' ship.

"Scotty!" Jim said in a relieved surprise.

"Guess what I found behind Jupiter."

"You're on that ship!"

"I snuck on. And seein' as I've just committed an act of treason against a Starfleet Admiral, I'd really like to get off this bloody ship! Now beam me out!"

"You're a miracle worker. We're a little low on power right now. Just stand by. Stand by."

"What do you mean, 'low on power'? What happened to the Enterprise? Call you back."

"Scotty!" Jim said, waiting for a response. When he did not get one, he quickly did an about turn to the center of the bridge, "Spock. Our ship. How is she?"

"Our options are limited, Captain," Spock said as Sala approached the pair, "We cannot fire and we cannot flee."

Jim looked to his right onto the bridge and out the front, then looked to Sala before he spoke again.

"There is one option. Uhura, when you get Scotty back, patch him through," Jim said.

"Yes, sir," Uhura answered.

"Mister Spock, you have the conn," Jim said before turning to leave the bridge.

Spock started to follow after Jim but Sala placed an arm in front of him.

"I will speak with him," Sala said before heading to the Turbolift after Jim.

"Captain, I strongly object," Sala said as the doors to the Turbolift closed.

"To what? I haven't said anything," Jim said, his back to the Vulcan.

"Since we cannot take the ship from the outside, the only way we can take it is from within. And as a large boarding party would be detected, it is optimal for you to take as few crew members as possible," Sala said as the doors to the Turbolift opened again.

Jim stepped out and Sala followed suit.

"You will meet resistance, requiring personnel with advanced combat capabilities and innate knowledge of that ship," Sala continued, "This indicates that you plan to align with Khan, the very man we were sent here to destroy."

"I'm not aligning with him, I'm using him," Jim states simply, "'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.'"

"An Arabic proverb attributed to a prince who was betrayed and decapitated by his own subjects."

"Still, it's a hell of a quote."

"I will go with you, Captain."

"No! No, I need you on the bridge."

"I cannot allow you to do this, Jim!" Sala said, grabbing for Jim's arm, and catching his wrist, "I may not be your First Officer, but it is still part of my function on this ship to help advise you in making the wisest choices possible; something I firmly believe that you are incapable of doing at this time!"

"You're right!" Jim stated, aggression in his tone.

Sala was a bit taken aback by this. It was not often that Jim would snap at her.

"What I'm about to do, it doesn't make any sense, it's not logical. It is a gut feeling," Jim explained, before dropping his volume, "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I only know what I can do. The Enterprise and her crew need someone in that chair that knows what they're doing. And, it's not me. It may be Spock in that chair, but they need you, too, Sala."

There was a silence that sat between the two of them for a moment before Sala dropped her gaze.

She could feel her hands tense slightly, and for once, she spoke without thinking,

"Please promise that you will do whatever effort you can to return to me."

Jim was quiet for a moment before he responded, "I promise that I will do what I can to try and come back."

With that, Jim then left to gather who and what he was going to need for his personal mission.