Star Trek: From Ashes and Darkness

Chapter 14: Compromise...d

Year 2259

"Captain." Spock protested, but Jim said firmly: "Spock, trust me, I know. But this is the best deal we're going to get, and I don't think we have much time."

"Going by the current angle of your ship, you have lost auxiliary power." Khan added, almost casually... if it weren't for the annoyance seeping from his stiff posture into his tone. "I'd say you have less than five minutes, so let us make this quick, Mr. Spock."

Spock's jaw clenched, the Commander clearly also as unhappy with this plan as Khan appeared to be. Jim secretly had to admit he wasn't entirely sold on it, but it was the best he would get so he was rolling with it – and, truthfully, he'd give anything to know exactly what Asha had said that had eventually convinced Khan.

"So, do we have a deal, Mr. Spock?" Khan demanded impatiently, and Spock answered finally: "Very well, Captain. Khan, you know where your torpedoes are."

Khan moved instantly, typing away at the Vengeance's controls. He immediately located what he wanted, and he called: "I see all the 71 torpedoes are still in their tubes. If they are not mine, Commander, I will know it."

"Vulcans do not lie." Spock replied emotionlessly. "The torpedoes are yours."

Asha lifted her head from where she was now lying on a makeshift cot beside the controls but out of the view screen range, Scotty sitting beside her. Carol was sitting where she'd opted to remain, not wanting to place pressure on her leg if possible.

Asha frowned at the screen, a strange doubt taking hold in her gut – she couldn't quite place her finger on what it was, but something in Spock's tone wasn't sitting right with her.

Khan, however, was reassured and – eager to get the whole ordeal over with as quickly as possible – he swiftly worked the controls to transport the torpedoes over onto the Vengeance, while also pulling up the security feed from the hangar room onto the main view screen.

Everyone watched with bated breath as the torpedoes were transported into the Vengeance's hangar, watching the torpedoes appear on the security footage. The sight of his crew safe under his watch almost made Khan emotional... almost. Unfortunately, there was one more unpleasant task still left ahead of him before he could even begin to relax.

"Very well, then." Khan began slowly as he turned back to face both Jim and Spock on the view screen. "Let us-"

A loud bang interrupted him, followed by consecutive others that violently shook the entire ship.

Both Asha and Carol cried out in both surprise and pain as they were all jostled about, while the men all clung onto something to brace themselves. Alarms began to blare all around the ship as all of them stared at the security footage of the Vengeance hanger, bearing witness to exactly what had happened.

The moment the torpedoes had been transported aboard, a laser inside the Vengeance's hangar had automatically been activated, shooting the nearest torpedo and setting it off. The explosion soon set off the chain reaction they had all felt, as one by one all 71 torpedoes had detonated, triggered by the explosion of the torpedo beside it.

"My God." Jim breathed as Carol lifted a hand to her mouth in horror, and Scotty's eyes widened.

But Jim's voice was lost in the dual voices as Asha and Khan screamed just one word, but one word filled with chilling anguish and anger: "NO!"

************

Year 1996

"Khan," Kati said seriously, "we've got to stop."