One Of Their Own stardate 2259.145

Scarlett had not yet heard if Silas was out of surgery yet. She just had to hope he was alright. She accepted the drink and took a small sip. It was extremely strong and she had to fight to keep from coughing. She put the glass down and then looked at Kirk. "Jim, she's going to be alright. Amara's a fighter...a survivor like I've never seen before. But you did what you had to do," she told him gently. She knew right now he needed a friend, not someone he commanded.

Kirk listened to Scarlett and grinned in the way he did when he was being polite. "Scarlett...and you can speak freely. If Spock needed you...would anything drive you away from helping him?" He asked. "The moment I sat in that Captain's chair I suddenly had less freedom and less free time than I ever had in my life. When I married Amara...that freedom shrank," he said as he took another sip of his ale. "Then there is responsibility For the crew, for the ship...and respect for the chair," he said. "Scarlett...most of the time...I don't have a god damn clue what I'm doing. I go with my gut most of the time. And...somehow, it just works," Kirk said.

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Amara took up the disruptor rifle from the dying Romulan that held his hands to his ruins throat and breathed out his death rattles. Two more came up the hall and she ran up the wall, fired and then flipped back onto her feet and fired again. There were two burn marks on the walls behind her and two dead Romulans on the floor. More were coming though.

The halls were fairly straight forward and she turned down one hall, then another and then another. She didn't know why but she 'felt' the energy of...something the way she want. Another Romulan popped out of a room and she shot him in the chest. As she moved down this hall Romulans came at her. They had taken her family, her childhood and turned her against her own people. Amara fired over and over until the weapon had run out of energy. And then she threw it at the Romulan who stepped out into the hall. It hit him in the face and then she was on him beating him, punching him until she used her thumbs and gouged out his eyes. he fell back and she knew he'd never stand again. Through the door he came out of, hummed the shield generator, the cannon controls and the Transporter

Scarlett looked over at Jim as he spoke. She knew that he was right. That she would do everything in her power to get Spock back if something were to happen to him. "I don't envy you and everything you must deal with as a Captain of a starship like the Enterprise. I...I was the leader of that team and in the course of only a few hours Harris and Mednoza were dead, Nathan, and my brother were severely wounded and Amara was taken." She looked down at her glass. "I feel as if I failed everyone."

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Amara was a force to be reckoned with as she took out one Romulan after another in the base. She planned to kill them all and she wouldn't stop until it was done. Once she knew that all of the Romulans in the base had been killed, she located the room that housed the shield generator, cannon controls, and the transporter. She decided not to waste time in trying to figure out how to disable to shield generator. She fired an electric disc at it and it popped and sparked before the humming ceased. She then did the same to the cannon controls and once she was satisfied that they were no longer operable, she transported herself up onto the ship.

Kirk shifted to face her and he put his hand on her shoulder. "Scarlett, those deaths are not your fault. And Amara could tell you, the Romulans are a dangerous, Xenophobic, deceitful people. You are one of my best officers and I could not do this without you," he said. "Spock is a very lucky...Vulcan to have you," he complimented.

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The officer in the transporter room goggled as he was gunned down. The Romulans on the ship were Tal-Shiar. And they'd be particularly deadly if she engaged them. She stepped up to the transporter and bent down and pulled off the panel. If she overloaded it, it might draw attention away from where she wanted to go, the place she knew she needed to go was the tertiary maintenance tube for the environmental systems. If she could reverse the polarity in the c02, she could fill the ship with carbon dioxide and render everyone unconscious...though, including herself.

Scarlett looked up at Jim. "Amara was willing to give her life to save everyone on this ship, and would have actually died had Section 31 not messed with her DNA. It is my belief she deserves at least that in return. I am willing to do whatever it takes to get her back."

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Although Amara was trained by Tal Shiar, she knew that there were too many of them on the ship for her to engage single handedly. She needed to get to the tertiary maintenance tube for the environmental systems. She quickly began to think about what she could do that would draw attention away from that area. She stepped up to the transporter and pulled off the panel. She overloaded the panel and alarms began to go off. She quickly moved out of the room and found a place to hide while she waited for the Romulans to pass by her to get to the Transporter room. Amara knew how the Birds of Prey were built and where the tertiary maintenance tube for the environmental systems was located. Her plan was to reverse the polarity of the c02 and fill the ship with carbon dioxide. There was a risk that she would be knocked unconscious as well, but she had feeling that if her body could survive extreme radiation that she would not be affected by the c02.

The c02 began to move through the ship and the Romulans began to suffocate. Most of them. All but the Zhat Vash that had been genetically altered to breath in harsh conditions. When she left the maintenance corridor she sensed that something wasn't exactly right. She sensed, movement.

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"And so would I, but I have 431 souls to consider Scarlett. Amara is just one of them," Kirk said. "Having marriages and relationships on board...I thought it was going to make us stronger, as a team. But its also a terrible weakness," Kirk said

Scarlett looked at Jim. "Then I'll do it. I'll take a shuttle and it would only be my life at risk. I'm not prepared to leave her behind."

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Amara waited a little while for the c02 to take effect and as she suspected, she was immune. She left the maintenance corridor and began to head towards the bridge. Her plan was to crash the ship into the base. She would eject herself out into space and use her suit's special features to keep herself alive until someone rescued her. If no one came then she would die...a price she was willing to pay to take out the Romulan scum. 

However, as she moved towards the bridge, she sensed movement. She turned just in time to see several Romulans lunge at her....

Kirk looked at Scarlett and smiled. “I know you’re angry, so am I,” Lirk said as he looked at her. “But McCoy is the best there is. Silas is going to be fine,” Kirk said. “Nathan too,” he added. And then something occurred to him.

“When you were down there, you were in caverns. Did you see anything? I mean, if we returned and put people on the surface, there has to be an entrance,” Kirk said.

Scarlett thought about Jim’s question. She picked up her glass as she thought and took another sip of the Romulan ale. It burned her throat and she put the glass back down as she decided that Romulan ale wasn’t for her. “Well, the only thing I can think of are the caverns. There wasn’t anything else around.”

“Well we know the Romulans have cloaking devices and since our sensors can’t penetrate their base, I can only assume they have some sort of dampening field set up. There is that cloaked ship though and we won’t be able to know where Amara is unless we can bring the field down and scale for her,” he said.

“If they transport her to the ship and take her there would be no way for us to know that unless we could get in the base,” he said as he was thinking out loud.

“How extensive are the caverns? How fast could you locate the caverns? We could warp in close enough to transport you and your team in then warp far enough away to avoid the cannons and stay within comm range. We could deal with the ship “ he said. “But you’d be on your own on the surface...would you be willing to go back? And bring her home?” Kirk asked.

Scarlett knew that this was going to be a big risk, but it was a risk she was willing to take. She had a feeling that Spock would be less enthused, and would probably insist on going with her. "Yes, I would. She would do the same for any of us, of that I am certain. I know were the caverns are. They are fairly extensive, but I am certain I can locate the entrance to the base."

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Amara groaned as she struggled to try and break free from the grasp of the Romulan that had her pinned against the wall. She was bloodied and bruised from their savage beating and she was bleeding from her side where one of them had stabbed her. The Romulan moved his hand up to her neck and her eyes widened as he began to squeeze. She gasped and struggled to breathe as he squeezed harder. The Romulans snickered at her as they watched her suffocate. Amara felt tears come to her eyes as she thought about James and how she would never see him again...how she would never feel his arms around her again...how she would never taste his lips against her own. She held on to the thought of his smile as everything started to grow dark....

Unbeknownst to Amara, Nemal had followed her onto the ship. He was not among those special few that could breath for a longer period of time, even with an abundance of c02 pumped into the ship’s air. He held his breath as he moved quickly toward the bridge. He only had to follow the bodies...

Just before Amara passed out a pair of hands grabbed the Romulan that was choking her by the sides of his head and his neck twisted violently. She heart the distinct ‘snap’ of his neck as he fell to the floor. She fell with him as she struggled to breath. Nepal’s face was a bloodied mass of bruises as he fell to his knees. He struggled for breath as he fell back onto his side. “I...had wished...for a daughter,” he said as he felt the room begin to spin. “I’m so proud, it was you,” he said then he took one, final breath and then the light in his eyes slowly began to fade.

Amara gasped for breath as the Romulan's hands loosened from her neck. She was dropped to the floor and she looked over at Nemal as he fell back onto his side. She crawled over to him and tears began to fall from her eyes as she looked down at his body. "Father!" she cried as she shook him, but he didn't respond. Her body shook with her tears as she reached over and closed his eyes. She sat there for a moment before she stood up. There were no more Romulans left alive on the ship, but she would destroy the ship and the base. 

She moved towards the bridge. Blood dripped down her side as she began to pilot the ship towards the moon. She set the auto pilot and then she moved as quickly as she could over to the airlock. She shot herself out into space and immediately her suit sealed itself. As she floated there in the darkness she looked down and watched as the Bird of Prey struck the base. There was a massive explosion and both the ship and the base were engulfed in flames. 

Amara stared out into the vast darkness of space. Slowly, her air began to run out. Between that and the blood loss she knew she only had minutes left. She breathed in and out as darkness started to take her....

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The Enterprise came out of warp near the moon and the first thing Elyse noticed as that the Bird of Prey ship was nowhere to be seen. She glanced back at Jim and could see the panic in his eyes. Scarlett and Spock used their scanners and Scarlett looked over at him. "Captain...it appears that the ship crashed into the base...." she said slowly.

Colors danced in the clear force field that covered Amara’s face. Her suit automatically sensed when she needed it sealed and her helmet came up and the force face shield activated. The blue and red from the enterprises warp nacelles reflected in her face shield as she floated in the darkness.

“Scan for human life signs,” Kirk said. “Captain I’m detecting the base now...or what’s left of it, Lucia said. “There’s no life signs at all,” Scarlett said as she began to fear the worst. “Let’s see it,” Kirk asked Martin. “Captain...” she began but he cut her off. “Do it,” Kirk commanded and the view screen showed the base engulfed in flames...or what was left of it. “Captain , it appears the ship is down there as well,” Scarlett said with an unsteady voice. “I’m...not detecting any survivors,” Scarlett said. Kirk had been standing but upon hearing that he nearly missed his chair as he fell back into it.

Elyse fought back tears as she looked at the view screen and watched as the flames ate away at the base. If the ship was down there as well and no life signs were detected on the ship then it meant that Amara was dead and had likely gone down with the ship...or, more likely, had taken the ship down herself. However, it was then that she spotted...something...floating out in the darkness. 

"Captain...what is that?" she asked.

Kirk held himself together but it took a real effort to do so. He watched in horror along with everyone else as the flames licked at the ruins of the Romulan Base. When he heard Elyse he nearly almost didn’t look up. In the darkness there was an odd reflection that glittered as it moved. “I’m not certain,” Kirk said as he squinted. Karl’s eyes grew wide. He had excellent eyesight. “I...think that’s a body,” Kal said. “Scarlett!” Kirk said urgently and she leaned into her scanner.

Scarlett immediately leaned into her scanner and located the object. Her eyes widened and she looked over at Jim. "It's a body. It's alive...but barely."

“Bridge to transporter room one, lock on to the life sign off our starboard bow and transport them directly to sickbay,” Kirk said and stood. “Spock you have the con,” Kirk said as he left the bridge.

He got into the turbo lift and when it opened he hurried down to sickbay.

By the time Amara was transported to sickbay she was unconscious, but alive. She had lost a lot of blood from the stab wound she had suffered and her body was covered in cuts and bruises from the fighting she had endured. McCoy had just finished surgery on Nathan and Silas when she appeared. Chapel grabbed a tricorder and scanned her and then called to McCoy. "Dr. McCoy!"

McCoy has just washed up from working on Nathan’s extensive wounds when he came over to see Amara in her suit. Her life signs were low but she was alive. “We’re going to need more synthesized blood nurse,” a lot of it,” he said. “And don’t cut that suit off if you know what’s good for you. Just remove it!” He warmed as he put on another red surgical smock. The nurse put the hat over his head and a mask on his face. He put his hands into some kind of liquid and pickles them out fast. They were covered in a blue sheen. Once Amara’s suit was removed he was able to assess the damage. He tried not to look at her nakedness, she was a very attractive woman. Luckily the nurse put a gown on her just as Kirk ran in.

“Talk to me Bone,” he said as he looked at her. She was in bad shape, he could see that from where he was. “My god, what did they do to her?” He asked. “Jim, I think you need to step away. Let me do my job, let me save her,” McCoy said. “Kirk’s eyes welled up but he held himself together. And he nodded and stepped out of sickbay.

“Good eye Elyse...you too Kal,” Fiona said. “Helm, get us out of here and resume our original course, Warp 5,” Spock said and Kal complied. “Some fancy flying there Pilot,” Fiona said as she referred to early. Dodging cannon fire with a Heavy Cruiser was nothing short of amazing. But they were all amazing in their own way. Still, the warmth in her tone made Kal smile.

Scarlett decided after a while to go check on Jim again. The Enterprise was back on their original course and cruising at Warp 5. Uhura sat in Amara's place as she monitored the various frequencies for anything unusual. Scarlett hoped that Amara would be back in that place soon. 

She headed to sickbay and found Jim standing just outside the door. She figured it must have been her if he was standing there like he was. "How is she?" she asked gently.

Kirk sighed as if he might fall over if he didn't hold onto the wall so he did. "They've just started surgery, we won't know for some time," Kirk said softly. He was tired, all of this had sapped his energy. "Are we back on coarse?" He asked.

Scarlett nodded. "Yes, we're back on course." She looked at him a moment and could see how tired he was. "Jim, why don't you go back to your quarters and rest a while. Spock can handle things on the bridge and I will alert you the moment Dr. McCoy has any updates. I promise."

Kirk just looked at Scarlett a moment and considered what she had said. Amara was a part of him. She carried his soul in one hand and his heart in another. He knew he shouldn't be out here where the crew could see him. "Alright...I will go," he said. He put his hand on her shoulder and then stepped away from her down the hall.

Scarlett watched Kirk go and she informed the nurse on duty in sickbay to notify her the moment Dr. McCoy had any news. She then returned to the bridge. She motioned for Spock to come over to a more private spot. When he did she spoke quietly to him. "It was Amara. She's in surgery right now. Jim is back in his quarters resting. I told them to notify me the moment Dr. McCoy has any updates on Amara's condition. The nurse also told me that Nathan and Silas are both going to be alright." Scarlett's relief regarding her brother was obvious on her face.