Star Trek: From Ashes and Darkness

Chapter 16: Crashing

Year 2259

The instant they landed back on the Enterprise, Asha was moving.

"How'd Khan manage to get us in Engineering?" Scotty wondered, somewhat impressed, while Jim ran over to the Engineering coms desk.

"Scotty, get Dr. Marcus somewhere safe!" Jim ordered, and Scotty moved hastily to prop Carol up as she lay unable to get up with her broken leg. To her credit, she made no protest as Scotty helped her up and moved her to the Engineering command chair, even though she had to be in an incredible amount of pain.

"Spock! You there?" Jim called, and Spock's voice replied instantly: "Captain? Why-?"

"I'll explain later – right now, you've got to keep the ship from falling." Jim interrupted urgently.

"I'm not sure we'll be able to, Captain." Spock admitted grimly. "The engines-"

"Yeah, we've gathered." Jim interrupted as they felt the whole ship shudder, clearly starting its fall towards Earth. "Spock, you do whatever you can to divert any remaining power to the stabilizers. We'll get the power back on."

"Yes, sir." Spock replied, before adding suddenly: "And Jim? Be careful."

"I'll try." Jim answered, before he cut off just as a familiar voice called: "Captain!"

"Chekov!" Jim said in relief, turning to meet the young navigator and temporary chief engineer during Scotty's absence.

"Captain," the young man said anxiously in his thick Russian accent as he ran up to Jim, "there is not much we can do, Captain-"

"We've got it, Chekov, don't worry." Jim began, but Scotty cut in as he returned, after strapping Carol into the Engineering command chair securely: "Even if we get the warp core online, we've still got to redirect the power."

"He's right, Captain." Chekov agreed unhappily, and Jim asked, confused: "What are you talking about?"

"Someone has to hit the manual override, um," Scotty turned to Chekov as he continued quickly, "laddie, there's a, a-"

"There should be a switch." Asha finished for him as she reappeared beside Jim, making them all jump.

"Where did you come from?" Scotty cried, holding a hand over his heart, but she said sharply: "We're on less than 15% power; move it! Switch!"

"Behind the deflector dish!" Chekov realized, and he ran off as he shouted back at them: "I'll flip the switch!"

"Hurry, Chekov!" Jim called after him as they felt the ship tilt some more.

Asha turned to Jim as she said: "I've fixed all the wires I can on your damaged warp core, but something's wrong – and I just don't have the knowledge to know what it could be."

"Oh, er, here, let me help." Scotty said quickly as he darted towards the core, and Jim met Asha's eyes before she turned and started following Scotty.

"Asha!"

Asha glanced back, and Jim said seriously: "Thank you for doing this."

Asha met his gaze for a moment, before she turned and said as she hurried after Scotty once more: "Thank me when we make it out of this, Captain."

Asha hurried off to where Scotty was yelling, going to help him as best as she could with both her strength and intellect while Jim glanced around at his damaged ship, praying that Asha was right and they would make it out of this alive.

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Aboard the Vengeance

Khan's eyes narrowed as the Vengeance began to fall through Earth's atmosphere. So far, the ship was holding and he still had minimal control over its engines – though, it wouldn't be too much longer. Especially now that the ship was being overheated even further thanks to the Earth's gravitational pull dragging it through the atmosphere.