Argo Station Stardate 2259.92

Amara knew that Section 31 had done...something to her, but she wasn't entirely sure what they had done and she didn't know if she would survive this. However, this was determined to keep everyone alive. She saw Vasquez with the heat gloves and she knew what she was planning to do. Amara took the gloves from her. "Go...get out of here."

Vasquez was shocked by what Amara had just done and her brow turned down in determination. She had resigned herself to this already and she tried to snatch the gloves back. "Now just a damn..." she began but then Amara punched her right in the jaw, hard. Vasquez hadn't expected it and her knee buckled and deposited her onto the floor. Amara put the gloves on and moved up to the glass door. It turned 180 degrees and then the inner door opened. She could feel the hot air and her lungs burned almost immediately.

Nurse Chapel turned to see Vasquez getting up off of the floor. Both women hurried over toward the glass that separated them from Amara. "Amara...get out of there!!! Amara!!!!" They screamed. Amara heard them faintly but she had to hurry. Her skin was always peeling and her chest felt like a blast furnace.

Amara ignored the screams of Chapel and Vasquez. Her skin, chest, and lungs felt like they were burning but she kept on going. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she worked to keep her fear at bay. She approached the metal platform and removed the large, round cap. She felt her body weakening by the second as she hit the manual purge level. Thoughts of James filled her head as she worked. She focused on his smile and the way he would look at her after making love. She reset the manifold and then reattached the cap. Her hand was trembling as she hit the enable button. The warp drive matrix began to reset. She pulled out her communicator as she felt everything starting to go dark. "Captain, the warp drive is back online. I...I love you," she said before everything suddenly went dark.

"Distance to the Defiant," Kirk asked. "200,000 kilometres," Kal said. Kirk looked at Carol and she worriedly shook her head. The explosion imminent.

"Captain, the mains are back online," Scarlett said. "Bless you Scotty, Go Kal," He said and Kal punched the ship into warp speed and out to safety just as Kirk and everyone heard Amara's voice over the speakers. And he looked over and saw that her station wasn't occupied. "Captain...you...better get down here," Chapel said sadly. Kirk hurried out into the turbolift. He ran down the hall and felt something being torn from his chest as if he had left his heart on the bridge. He hurried down the ladder and engineers moved quickly out of his way. He saw Scotty, Chapel and Vasquez and Vasquez was crying on Chapel's shoulder. Scotty was on his feet then and he saw Kirk enter the room and saw that he saw Amara leaning against the glass. Kirk moved to enter the engine room but Vasquez and Scotty held him back. "She's dead already," Scotty said.

Kirk moved up to the glass. 'Amara," He said but he doubted she could hear him. He hit the intercom. "Amara!" He said trying not to cry. He saw her hand shift and she struggled to stand up.

Sofia felt an incredible amount of guilt. It could have been her in there and now here she was watching a friend die before her eyes. Nurse Chapel was trying to comfort Sofia as she cried against her shoulder. When Kirk entered she felt her heart being torn apart even more by the horrified look on his face when he saw his wife leaning against the glass. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving. She and Scotty tried to hold Kirk back, but he shrugged them off and walked over to the glass. New tears filled Sofia's eyes when she heard Kirk's voice crack with emotion as he said her name. But then, suddenly they saw Amara's hand move. Her eyes opened slightly for a second and she saw James looking at her through the glass. Everything seemed fuzzy, but she knew his face...his eyes. But then her eyes closed again. 

"Oh my God...she's still alive!" Sofia exclaimed.

Amara stood slowly and it seemed she was very unsteady. She turned toward where she remembered the glass door was. She couldn't see well and she bumped into it. As she had a moment of weakness she slowly shifted down onto her knees. Kirk saw horrified and his heart was dying as he watched her dying. He shifted down with her.

"Ship...out of danger?" She asked. Kirk couldn't hold back any longer and his eyes filled with tears. "Yes..." Kirk said though his throat could barely speak. He was losing the most important thing...person...He was losing everything.

Amara kept fading in and out of consciousness. She was now too weak to stand or move. She looked at her husband through the glass when he told her that the ship was out of danger. "Good...." With the last bit of energy she had left she lifted up her hand and she pressed it against the glass. He put his hand on the other side of the glass and for a moment they looked into each other's eyes. Then, Amara's hand slowly slipped from the glass and she stopped moving.

"No..." Kirk said as his body gave out on him. He leaned against the glass as he was overcome by the loss of his wife.

As the ship came out of warp and it was out of danger. Elyse was able to leave the bridge. The force fields were holding and damage teams had begun to assess the damage and look for survivors. Elyse saw the damage to sickbay and there was a gaping hole in the wall where damage from a Torpedo blast had weakened the hull there and then blown out part of the wall. Several Crewmen were helping people out of a maintenance crawlspace and she noted they were all injured men and women...patients that could have been in sickbay. And then, there he was. The back of him at least. His right shoulder looked covered in soot and maybe even burns. He looked tired and weary as a Crewman helped him to his feet.

"Thank you Doctor, for saving us!" One of the men said and then he felt someone watching him. When he turned around and saw that Elyse was alright his eyes filled up with tears. She was surprised when she nearly had to support him. "I thought about you the whole time...I...thought I had lost you," McCoy said and he wasn't just talking about the ship being attacked and the damage. She noticed he was really upset. "I had...I had to seal the hatch...I had to Elyse...and I left Crewman Graham to die," he said as he hugged her.

When the bridge learned that Amara was dead there was absolute silence. Elyse felt tears come to her eyes and she heard Scarlett begin to weep quietly.  They all knew what she had done...the sacrifice she had made to save them. The ship came out of warp and the ship was out of danger. Elyse left the bridge and headed to sickbay. When she walked in she gasped at what she saw. There was a gaping hole in the wall from the torpedo blast. She looked around and saw several crewmen helping people out of a maintenance crawlspace and she immediately recognized them as patients. She held her breath as she anxiously waited for Leonard. Then, she saw him. She felt tears come to her eyes as she saw he was alright, if not slightly battered. They were immediately in each other's arms and tears began to fall. "You didn't lose me Leonard. I'm here...I'm here." Her fingers entangled into his hair and lightly massaged his head as she heard what he said about Crewman Graham. "You did what you had to do and as a result, you saved everyone else."

She was quiet a moment before speaking again. "Amara...is dead." She felt Leonard pull back to look at her. "She sacrificed herself to save us all. Jim is going to need you...."

McCoy sighed. He needed to rest...no. To lay in Elyse's arms for a week. Maybe forever. "I'll...go clean up," he said.

A few minutes after Kirk was helped away from the engine room Amara was removed from the chamber. Her flesh and her clothes were burned and peeling and she looked dead. Doctor Chapel was taking a sample of blood to help with the official cause of death report. She pulled her eyelid up and frowned not seeing what she expected to see. On a whim she did a scan...

Kirk was helped to his quarters and Spock took command and was overseeing the repairs. He decided that heading back to Yorktown was the best course of action and so, he had Kal set a course. Kirk took a shower and he didn't want to ever come out again. He just sat in there, curled up with her engagement and wedding rings in his hands.

Elyse had been put in charge with gathering data about the damage and missing personnel. They were up to 19 dead, including Amara and 26 injured. They had turned the smaller dining room into an infirmary. As she moved down the hall she saw Amara on a stretcher being carried by two men next to Doctor Chapel who came toward her.

Elyse knew that she and Leonard needed to talk, but right now they had too much to do. She couldn't imagine what Jim was going through right now. He and Amara had been married only days and now she was dead. She was a hero. She had sacrificed herself to save those she cared about and she had done it without a second thought. She had helped save Starfleet personnel when Starfleet no longer even cared about her. 

Elyse had heard that Jim was back in his quarters and she ensured that he was disturbed. She assumed that Leonard would go see him later. She was feeling numb about everything that had happened. It all felt like a dream...no, a nightmare that she hoped to wake up from very soon. 

She was walking down the hall when she saw Amara's body on a stretcher being carried by two men and accompanied by Chapel. She was horrified by what she saw. Amara's flesh and clothes were burned and there was a horrible smell. Elyse felt sick just looking at her. They weren't taking her to where the other dead were being stored. She looked at Chapel as she approached her. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is that Amara Kirk is alive," Chapel said. "She's alive and breathing on her own. Just barely though and we can't spare any ventilators," She said. "I've not seen anything like it," she said. "Her cells are regenerating and her body is expelling the radiation. I've never seen that much radiation saturation in a human body and in a few hours...I doubt she'll have any in her system," she said. "I've got people to tend Elyse," Chapel said and stepped away to help them.

At the end of the day, well, it was actually pretty late, as Elyse got out of the shower. Her door chimed. When she opened it Kal was there. He was still in uniform. "Hey Elyse, I just wanted to check on you," Kal said. He still smelled like smoke and he looked tired but he had been thinking more and more about Elyse and he wanted to let her know he was thinking about her. "I know you're tired, may I come in?" He said.

Elyse was shocked by what Chapel told her. Amara was alive...and it looked like she might be ok. How was this possible? Elyse decided it would be best not to tell Jim about this yet until they knew for certain. She wasn't sure his heart could take that. 

A few hours later, Elyse finally found herself back in her quarters. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally, but she decided to shower. They would be back at the Yorktown by tomorrow. She had just gotten out of the shower and had on her pajamas and a robe when she heard her door chime. She walked over and opened the door and was surprised to see Kal there. She let him in and shut the door behind him. She looked at him. "How are you doing Kal?" She knew that he and Wesley had been close and she couldn't imagine what he must be going through right now.

Meanwhile, Spock, Scarlett, and Leonard were all trying to figure out how Amara could still be alive. They had taken new blood samples and when Scarlett ran a DNA test she was shocked by the results. She pulled up Amara's old DNA results and compared the new to the old. "They've done something to her," she said meaning Section 31. "I'm not even sure what they did is legal."

"What does it matter, she's alive. And I can scratch off one more name from the deceased list, has anyone informed the Captain? He might want to know his wife is alive," McCoy said in his usual dry sarcastic flair. He pinched the bridge of his nose, he was obviously exhausted. And he had been through quite the ordeal. "Doctor, go get some rest," Spock said.

Kal had not let it all sink in. He had been on duty and thats what he had focused on. Now though...the loss of Flynn had hit him hard. With no adrenaline flowing and with that hanging over him he began to tell her he was alright but then he just found himself crying and felt her hugging him and making soothing sounds.

McCoy needed sleep but he also need to say a few things to Elyse first. Things he should have said earlier but was too much of a bonehead. He stepped up to her door and, as his bioform was programmed into her quarters and her to his the door opened. When he saw them hugging like that his eyebrows drew up in surprise. he didn't believe what he saw seeing and unfortunately, she was facing him, not Kal. She had her hand on his face. Their eyes met and she saw pure fury and embarrassment flash. he stepped away and moved down the hall with a quick step. He didn't understand what he just saw at all.

Scarlett was exhausted herself...they all were, but Scarlett's scientific mind wanted to know what had been done to Amara. She waited until after McCoy left before she looked at Spock. "Do you think it's safe at this point to tell the Captain?"

When Elyse saw Kal start to break down she instinctively moved over and hugged him. He was a friend of hers after all and he had been through a lot today...they all had. She didn't consider him weak for crying, in fact she considered him a stronger man because of it. She was standing facing her door and when she saw her door open and Leonard walk in she knew this was going to be bad. She saw the fury and embarrassment in his eyes and watched as he turned around and walked away. She pulled away from Kal and looked at him. "Excuse me Kal. I'll be right back." She quickly walked after Leonard and caught up to him. "Leonard, Kal is a friend from the Academy. He's been through a lot today. He watched his friend and Captain kill himself. I was just comforting him."

“Then maybe you should go back to him,” McCoy said. He was irritated now. He had expected something completely different happening. Part of it was how tired he was. He was the one that needed comforting but obviously that wasn’t going to happen. He was ready to explode at her. But he decided that he wouldn’t. He stopped them and he turned to face her.

“If he needs you Elyse...if he needs a friend Elyse than go back to him. God knows we all need more friends these days,” McCoy said. His tone was still snipping but that was the best she could hope for right then.

Elyse decided that once Kal had left that she would go to Leonard's quarters. However, Kal needed her right now and she sighed and turned and walked back to her quarters. She walked in and walked over to Kal. "I'm sorry about that. Have they gotten you a room yet?"

Scarlett and Spock discussed the situation and they decided that it was safe to tell the Captain about Amara. Spock would go and retrieve him while Scarlett waited. Scarlett continued to study the DNA sample. She was absolutely fascinated by what she was seeing. Amara was still unconscious, but her breathing was back to normal and all other vital signs were also better.

"Uh, Yeoman bates gave the room right next to this one," Kal said. "Lt. Commander...I have to say, I'm impressed and a little jealous," Kal said. When she offered him something to drink he was surprised. Though he wasn't a senior officer on his ship. "A glass of cold water wouldn't be amiss," He said. "A replicator and spacious quarters, why Elyse, what happened to that young cadet whose room had been so small and spartan? You were all...My father this, my brother that," he said. Kal was of Irish descent and he definitely had an accent that appeared attractive to most women. And Kal was almost never without a woman or two pining for him and one or two who shared his bed.

"I'll feel much better to know that a transport will be getting our crew off of Ceti Alpha 5," he said as he accepted the glass. "But I wanted to tell you first. I've decided I want to put in for a transfer for the Enterprise. If I do, would you support that?" he said. He knew Elyse was attracted to him. They were attracted to one another. And he intended on seeing if this thing with McCoy was serious or not. Because if not, he wanted to get serious with her.

Elyse walked over and got Kal a glass of water. She walked back over and handed it to him. Her feelings about Kal were...complicated to say the least. She did find him attractive and he had asked her out on more than one occasion at the Academy. However, she had turned him down every time because she wanted to remain solely focused on her studies.

She looked at Kal when he told her that he was putting in a transfer to the Enterprise. She thought about it for a moment. She had a feeling that Leonard would not care for that and their relationship was already strained. However, this would be a great opportunity for Kal and she could not deny him that opportunity. She had a feeling that Kal was also doing this for her, but even so she decided to support him. "Yes, I would."