Star Trek: From Ashes and Darkness

Chapter 17: Fight

Year 2259

Aboard the Enterprise

The pair stopped – even Jim – and turned to stare at the redhead who had spoken.

"Are you crazy, lassie?" Scotty yelped, while Jim answered firmly: "I am Captain, the Enterprise is my responsibility, and-"

"And it would be your noble duty to die saving your ship and your crew." Asha said dismissively, before saying seriously: "Look, I understand you feel it is your job to do, but I can get up there alive. So stop wasting time being a pointless hero, and let go through that door."

Jim stared at her while Scotty glanced between them anxiously and uncertainly.

"Would Khan approve of you going in?" Jim asked seriously, and Asha snorted.

"Of course not."

Jim tensed, about to open his mouth to respond, but Asha continued dismissively: "He'd go in himself rather than risk me getting hurt; however, it's a different argument there because Khan is an Augment as well."

Jim hesitated, but Asha said seriously once more: "We don't have time for this, Captain. Are you going to let me in, or do we have to do this the hard way?"

Jim exhaled sharply, before he ordered: "Scotty, you keep your eye on that screen and you keep me informed."

"Ah, right." Scotty said hastily as he ran back towards the monitor while Jim fixed Asha with a firm look and a stern finger as he said: "Asha, you let me know the second it becomes too much; if you don't, I'll pull you out anyway and finish the job myself."

"Aw, you're so sweet." Asha deadpanned, before being serious as she said: "Don't worry, Captain. I won't let you down."

"I'm going to regret this." Jim sighed as he punched the last key into the door lock.

The doors hissed as the seal on the locks released, and Jim nodded at her. Asha quickly opened and then closed the door as she slipped inside, sealing the door behind her so that the radiation wouldn't escape, before she turned and began to make the steep climb through towards the core.

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

Aboard the Vengeance

Khan grit his teeth as he wrestled with the controls of the Vengeance, trying to prolong the descent, and decrease the speed at which it would fall through the Earth's atmosphere. He had to survive this; and he had to pray Asha and his crew made it through on the Enterprise as well.

There may have once been a time in his early childhood when he thought he didn't need anyone else; and there was once a time when he tried to tell himself that he didn't need Asha to live his life.

But that hadn't been true, even then, and he knew that fact even better now. A life without Asha was not a life worth living - the past year alone had been painful proof. And he had no intention of repeating that experience, if he had any say in it.

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

Year 1986

Khan stood staring emotionlessly down from his balcony at the city below, the lights twinkling as they lit up the inky blackness of the night while the humans bustled about below like ants in an anthill.

'A very apt metaphor.' He thought sourly as he took another sip of brandy, the ice chips inside clinking gently inside his glass. 'They are as weak; as easily crushed. If only-'

He cut his thoughts off there quickly – it was best not to go there.

Instead, he continued to observe the world of humans far below from his penthouse in the centre of London.