Archive of Our Own ^beta

The first wave of panic was limited to the upper echelons of the Empire when the enormous bulk that was the Narada was spotted.

The second wave of panic was also limited to those who could see the enormous drill probe slowly lowering through the atmosphere to rest above the water of San Francisco Bay in full view of the Starfleet Academy.

The third wave of panic swept around the world as the drill came to life, disrupting communications worldwide and disabling transporter devices. Readings from sensors located along fault lines began to show increasing activity. Long dormant volcanos were also being shaken from their long slumbers.

Aboard the Narada, Nero watched with anticipation. As much as he had enjoyed the sight of Vulcan imploding, he planned to enjoy the sight of Earth meeting the same fate far more. His thoughts were interrupted by Ayel.

"Lord Nero! The Vulcan's ship has just reappeared and entered Earth's atmosphere - he seems to be targeting the drill probe!"

"No! Stop him!"

But the command came too late. Spock was already firing with pinpoint precision and soon the drill probe and platform were falling from the sky.

"I should have killed him while I had him on his knees! Destroy that ship!"

"Lord Nero, that would ignite the red matter that he carries and then -."

"I don't care! I want him dead!"

Khoal called out his report immediately.

"The Vulcan went to warp and has reappeared just outside of this solar system."

"After him, you fools!"

In the bowels of the Enterprise, McCoy was working with his own set of tools in a hastily put together surgical room with only Chapel to assist him. He'd already had to kill one crewmember looking to take advantage of Pike's vulnerable condition and he didn't want to be forced to deal with any others. Not until the surgery was over, at least.

A stasis tube was standing by for use. He planned to make a thorough study of whatever the creature was that he was slowly detangling from Pike's brainstem and spinal column.

"Dammit. There's no way to avoid nerve damage. Not and remove all of this - whatever it is."

Chapel remained silent as she tried to anticipate what he would want or need next. She had assisted many doctors since becoming as nurse, but never anyone with hands like McCoy's. If this was how he operated in primitive conditions, she wanted to see what he could do in a state of the art surgery. She had a particular weakness for autopsies and her mouth started watering at the thought of watching those hands parting dead flesh and muscle down to the bone.

"Get the tube ready."

McCoy's voice broke her from her pleasant daydream. She had the tube ready so smoothly that McCoy hadn't the slightest idea that her mind had been wandering. The creature emerging at the end of one of McCoy's instruments was hideous. Also much larger that she had imagined. No wonder it had taken so much work for him to dislodge it. It took working in tandem to force it into the tube without letting it come into contact with either of them.

Once the tube was sealed, McCoy took a closer look at it.

"This one ought to make for an interesting dissection session. Until then, let's just make sure he stays out of mischief."

After sealing it into storage with CMO authority only, McCoy moved back to Pike, running a tricorder back over him now that the creature was out.

"Thing released some sort of toxin into his system. Not helping his nervous system any either. We need to get a sample and see if we can neutralize it before it does more damage."

The entire ship shuddered around them, making McCoy very glad that hadn't happened before they had secured the creature. That was one thing he didn't want running loose. Unless he was the one setting it loose.

"Run this through the analyzer while we still have a working ship."

"Yes, Doctor."

After Chapel left the area, McCoy looked back down at Pike.

"You better never make me regret this, old man."

The Narada was so focused on the Vulcan Jellyfish that they weren't running the general scans on the rest of the area that would have shown them the Enterprise - now moved away from the protection of Saturn. As the Narada left Earth's solar system, Spock was sitting and waiting in a state of partial meditation. He knew what he had to do - both for this universe he had found himself in and for his own katra. He had to reopen a black hole and go through it - dead or alive.

His thoughts returned, as they often had over the years, to the two men he had come to call his brothers. His thoughts mainly centered on Leonard McCoy. Leonard, who was now his best hope to save his katra and return it to his people. Leonard had carried his katra once and some semblance of a connection had remained, like a lingering warmth after the sun had set. He hoped that once his body was gone, his katra would follow that link through the black hole and be drawn to Leonard. This time, Leonard would know what it was. Old as his brother had become, he also knew that Leonard would do everything in his power to take his spirit to its rightful resting place.

Drawing a deep breath, Spock set the controls of the Jellyfish as the computer responded with an alert.

~Warning - projected destination puts this vessel on a collision course.~

"Acknowledged - disable safety protocol. Course is correct. Remove helm from manual control. Lock in course and execute."

~Course locked. Executing.~

With that, the old Vulcan closed his eyes, centered his spirit and prepared for what he hoped was his katra's final journey.

"We have the Vulcan's ship on our sensors, Lord Nero."

"Put it on the viewscreen, Ayel. Chase him down!"

But as soon as the Jellyfish was on the viewscreen, it became very obvious that the Vulcan ship wasn't running.

"What does he think he's doing?"

"Lord Nero! He is on a collision course."

"Fire! Fire all weapons!"

Watching from the Bridge of the Enterprise, Kirk briefly considered having the old Vulcan teleported back to the Enterprise, but no. That Spock had kept his word. Let him choose the end to his own story. This wasn't his time or place.

All of the Bridge crew watched as there was an explosion followed by the eerie sight of the singularity coming to life and beginning to draw the Narada into it. Then suddenly, the ship lurched, nearly knocking those standing off their feet.

"What the hell was that, Chekov?"

"The singularity, Captain. We are too close. We are caught in its gravitational field!"

"Uhura! Get me Engineering! Scotty - we need all the power you can give us."

"I'm giving you all she's got, Captain!"

Sulu looked over the Helm, shaking his head.

"No good, sir - all we're doing is slowing down how fast we're being pulled in."

"I need ideas, people - and I need them now."

"If we could manage a big enough blast between us and the black hole, there's a chance the shockwave might push us away. But it would take more power than a photon torpedo, sir."

Kirk's eyes lit up.

"The Enterprise has state of the art weapons, Scotty. Would the nova torpedo do the job?"

"I've only read about them, but if they do as they're supposed to? Aye, it just might do the trick, but that level of blast will drain everything but emergency power."

"Re-route it now!"

The screen crackled to life and Nero's face filled it.

"We may be doomed, but so long as I have the pleasure of dragging you to Hell with us, I will be well satisfied."

Scott's voice came back over the intercom.

"Ready when you are, sir."

"Mister Chekov - prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Nero! We won't accompany you to Hell, but we'll be glad to send you on your way. Now, Chekov!"

Lights dimmed thorough the Enterprise as an energy torpedo shot out like a shooting star, far too bright to look at directly. Those on the Romulan ship that did look spent the last seconds of their lives blinded as the nova torpedo seemed to engulf the Narada for a brief instant before causing the warp engines of the massive ship to rupture and explode simulataneously.

The resulting shock wave shoved the Enterprise out of the gravity well even as the singularity was pulling in on itself and disappearing from existence. Red-alert claxons were going off ship-wide. The Enterprise and her crew were battered, but alive. Kirk called that a win.

The Emperor was quick to take advantage of the situation by touting the fact that it was through the efforts of the Imperial Starship Enterprise that a sneak attack from the Romulans was thwarted - he declared war on the Romulan Empire even as he celebrated the crew of the ship that had pulled off the victory that saved the Earth.

Kirk was given Captaincy of the Enterprise and McCoy was officially installed as CMO. Kirk requested that he be able to keep his crew that had served under him during the emergency and that was granted. Spock was to remain as Science Officer and a more experienced officer named Gary Mitchell was assigned to Kirk as his First Officer.

Before the Enterprise was ready to depart for her next mission, Spock visited Pike in the hospital. Pike knew now about the loss of Puri and that, combined with the loss of his ship, had him in a murderous mood. Even though he knew that he owed both his life and the fact that he would eventually be able to walk again to the efforts of Kirk and McCoy, Pike knew exactly what he wanted. Everything that Kirk had.

With that in mind, Pike motioned Spock over to his bedside.

"You want to be First Officer again - I want my ship back. It may take a couples of years. Can you be that patient, Spock?"

"I am a Vulcan. I can be and I will be."

Ignorant of any of that, two days later, Kirk gave McCoy a slap on the shoulder as the Enterprise was finally ready to leave the repair dock.

"It's a big universe and it's ours for the taking, Bones. Buckle up."