Sorry I haven't been very constant with updating this story . . . but here's another update to keep you all going :)
Kez struggled to keep up with the Captain and both Kirk and Spock as they stormed ahead.
“Captain!” She finally said, jogging to keep up and walking alongside Pike, “Sorry Sir but I can’t help but think that we have nothing to gain from diplomacy. If he wanted to agree to a cease-fire wouldn’t he have done that with the other commanders of the other ships? You know, the ones he destroyed?”
“Cadet Stibbons has a point, Captain. I do not believe that, although a logical choice, this act will go without the destruction of our ship.”
Pike stopped so suddenly that Kez walked into him. He turned abruptly and sternly looked at her, “Look around us.” He gestured to all the destruction, “You’ll recognise that without transporter capability not only can we not leave the ship but we also cannot assist Vulcan. We also can’t contact Starfleet to tell them what is happening here.” He turned and stood straight.
“I realise this but-,” Kez began, forgetting formalities.
“So,” Pike said over her, “I’m creating an opportunity to get a team to the drill to disable it. While Nero is preoccupied with me let’s hope he leaves the Enterprise alone. It might give us a fighting chance to reassign the wounded personnel and tend to the weapons.”
Kez looked at Kirk who was processing the information.
“Sorry Captain, I might have misheard you but did you say onto the drill?” He suddenly questioned, “Meaning what exactly?”
“Meaning you, Mister Sulu and Chief Engineer Olson will do a space jump from the shuttle onto the drill and disable it in any way possible. That way maybe transporter capabilities will be restored. You’ll be able to beam back aboard.
Kez raised her hand, “Ugh, so why am I here?”
Pike looked at her squarely, “How far can you port?”
“Wooh!” Kirk said suddenly, “This might be a suicide mission but you are not sending Kez secretly aboard that ship!”
Pike looked appalled, “I wouldn’t risk the life of one of my officers like that!” He snapped, “I actually wondered whether you could get onto the planets’ surface?”
“I could try.” Kez muttered, not wanting to say that, while on the bridge she’d tried to port onto the Romulan ship and couldn’t. That’s why she’d flickered.
“Anyone you come across down there, port them back up here. One of the medical bays might be able to accommodate them all.” Pike said then turned to Spock, “I’m leaving you in command, Mister Spock. Reach out to Starfleet once the communications have been restored.” He turned to Kirk again, “Kirk I’m promoting you to First Officer.”
“What?” Kez stuttered, taken completely by surprise.
“Captain, please. I apologise, but the complexities of human pranks escape me.”
“It’s not a prank, Mister Spock. And I’m not the Captain, you are.”
“What if you end up stuck on the ship,l Sir?” Kez asked as Pike followed Sulu into the lift.
“I guess you’ll have to come and get me. Careful with the ship Spock, she’s new.”
Spock arched an eyebrow just as Kez grabbed Kirk’s arm as he entered the lift, “Don’t you dare fall off that drill.” She warned.
He smiled cockily but she could see his fear, “I won’t. And anyway, won’t you catch me?”
She rolled her eyes and patted his arm gently.
“Just you don’t get stuck somewhere or be on that planet if the worst happens.” Kirk muttered more seriously before stepping into the lift. Kez waved slightly as the door slid shut.
“Have you got everything, Cadet?” Spock asked her as she plugged the communicator in her ear even though there was only static to listen too.
“I think so.” Kez said whilst patting down her uniform. She needed the minimum amount of equipment to ensure she could port at least three people back with her at a time. Children might be a bit easier because they were smaller but she was still trying to get people from a planet onto a ship with not teleportation devices to maximise her power.
Spock watched her face carefully then said, “There will be many people on the surface as the drill is cutting down near one of the biggest towns. If you find any members of the elder’s council, bring them first.”
Kez nodded, “Grab anyone and go. Is the med bay ready?”
“We sent a message down. Bay 4 is safe and ready.” Spock nodded.
Kez sighed then felt herself tear from the bridge.
It wasn’t the pain that hurt the most; it was the nauseating feeling of not quite being whole.
She patted herself down making sure she was at least solid and not missing an arm. Luckily she wasn’t.
The planet’s surface was dusty and rocky – much like she remembered it from visiting when she was young.
The only stark difference was the red glare slicing down through the atmosphere that was pummelling through the planets crust like a sharp knife through an orange skin.
The noise was deafening, crunching and grinding and every so often the earth shook.
Kez looked up, only just able to make out the small platform where Kirk would soon be landing.
She snapped back to work though, forgetting things that may slow her down, like worry.
It was easy enough to explain why she was there to the first terrified people she came across and easier still to get them to let her take their children.
Holding two clammy hands and letting a small girl hold onto her back, Kez ported.
McCoy was there as Kez practically shook off the children.
“You okay?” He asked her as she gasped for air.
"Yeah, fine.” She tried to sound convincing.
“You look a bit peaky.” He observed but she had already disappeared again.
Eight children and seven Vulcan Professors later and Kez collapsed on the floor of the med bay squeezing herself into a ball. Her skin felt like it was on fire and whatever was running through her veins was like molten Iron.
“Kez?” McCoy’s voice was distant as she squeezed her hands together slowly feeling a bit more complete. She imagined herself as like a jigsaw. With every port a piece of her was broken away and only now were the pieces being slotted back into their correct places. She managed to look at her hand which was almost translucent and flickering. Slowly, though, it became what could be considered as whole.
“Bones?” She asked as he helped her to her feet.
“You’re okay – it’s okay.” He grumbled as she looked at all the Vulcans around her receiving medical attention.
“There are thousands more people down there.” She said feeling sick to the core.
“Some managed to get away apparently and a few more are off planet for various reasons so don’t worry. You’ve done your best.”
“How can you say that?” She cried looking around at the pitiful amount of people she’d managed to rescue.
Suddenly the communicator in her ear sparked to life.
“Kez?” Uhura’s voice was clear and full of fear, “Kez?!”
“I’m on the ship.” She replied, shrugging off Bones and jogging to the lift, not possessing enough energy to port to the bridge.
“Oh thank God!” Uhura sighed, relieved.
“Where’s Kirk?” Kez said stepping out and onto the bridge in record time. She didn’t need to say it through the comm.
Just them the forward screen lit up showing a yellow and blue marker positioned on the drill. It had been disabled.
“Kirk to Enterprise.” Kirk’s voice was bitty but it was still his voice. Unintentionally Kez smiled gleefully.
"Enterprise, they just launched something into the hole they’ve dug on the planet’s surface.”
Kez looked across at Spock who was straight faced as always. He responded only by saying, “Beam them up.”
“Aye commander – ugh I mean Keptin.” Chekov stumbled over his words.
Both Kez and Spock watched the monitor that was detecting the state of the planet below them. Visibly it was beginning to break apart.
“What the hell did they do?” Kez mumbled looking over at her friend. She could see, only slightly, the confusion and fear that resided in his eyes beneath the mask of coolness.
“Gravitational sensors are off the scale, Keptin. If my calculations are correct the contents of the pod they dispatched has generated a force that will consume the planet from the very core.” Chekov reported glancing at Spock, “The planet will collapse in on itself.”
Kez swallowed and whispered, “Like a black hole.”
Spock suddenly snapped to attention, like the words were water around him and finally he had broken to the surface, “How long has the planet got?”
Chekov shook his head, “Minutes, Keptin.”
Spock couldn’t help but look at Kez then said to the bridge, “Signal a planet wide evacuation. Alert the Vulcan High Command, nowhere on the planet is safe.” He said authoritatively before turning and moving towards the lift.
“Wait,” Uhura moved to stop him, “Spock, where are you going?”
Kez stood looking from Spock to the monitor with Kirk and Sulu still positioned on the drill.
“To evacuate the High Council. Those tasked with protecting and preserving our cultural history. My parents will be amongst them.” Kez heard Spock explain.
Kez herself wondered if this is what it had been like for the Starfleet ships tasked with helping her planet. She couldn’t imagine what it was like. In a weird way she was glad that she couldn’t remember anything but at the same time she wondered what it would have been like to grow up with parents. But you couldn’t miss what you never had.
“Do you have to go? Can’t we beam them out?” Uhura tried to reason with him.
Kez glanced over her shoulder to see him shake his head, “They will be in the Katric Arc. The shelter was built to withstand any kind of disruption meaning transporter waves will not penetrate it. I must get them out myself.” He looked at her carefully then said lowly, “Lieutenant Uhura, you have the conn.”
Kez could tell Uhura wanted to say something else other then, “Yes, Sir.”- but she didn’t, she just set her jaw and strolled back to her station.
Kez bit down on her lip, looking back to the monitor, “Why aren’t Sulu and Kirk being beamed back?”
Chekov looked at her then nodded, sending out the communication with the order.
She watched as suddenly the drill moved.
“What was that?” She cried, pointing to the screen. Just as the bridge turned their attention o where she pointed, one marker fell from the side of the drill and started a downwards plummet. The second marker followed.
Uhura grabbed her friend before she could begin to flicker, Kez’s eyes wild.
“You can’t, they’re moving too fast!” She yelled feeling the teleportation power convulsing through Kez as she became more panicked as she watched the screen.
“Enterprise, we’re falling without a chute! Beam. Us. Up!” Kirk’s voice was distorted and the sound of the air rushing past him was unmistakable.
“Do something!” Kez yelled at anyone who’d listen, regaining some composure and realising that careless decisions weren’t going to help anyone.
“I can’t get a target lock. They are moving too fast.”
"Try again!” Kez yelled at the newly appointed science officer who mutly turned back to his station to try again. She didn’t have any authority but he didn’t want to question her attitude. She had the power to throw him into space in a heartbeat.
“They can’t.” He said back, trying to remain calm.
Kez looked at the screen where the bodies were still falling. Uhura was still by her side.
Suddenly Chekov shouted, “I can do zat!” And jumped up, “I can configure the transporter!”
Kez didn’t question his ability, just grabbed him and ported them both to the transporter room.
Once there Chekov pressed buttons and turned dials before slamming his hand onto the console.
It wasn’t a neat rematerialization. Instead of arriving upright and straight faced in a stance that demanded authority and welcoming, the two bodies slammed onto the deck with considerable force.
Kirk rolled over as Sulu sat up on his knees, breathless, “Thanks.”
Kez didn’t linger. She slid to Kirk’s side, grabbing his shoulders and checking nothing was broken before hugging him with a bone crushing force.
“I thought you were gone.” She said pulling back slightly.
“Nah,” He said pulling away to smile, “I knew you’d catch me.”
“Thank Chekov, he did most of the catching.” Kez laughed.
The door of the room opened and Spock strolled in, regarded Sulu and Kirk then said briskly, “Step aside. I’m going to the surface.”
Kirk shuffled aside taking Kez with him, “The surface if what? You’re going down there? Are you crazy?”
Spock didn’t reply, he just stood in the centre of the transporter and said, “Energize.”
Golden light swirled around him and then he was gone.
Kez gawped at the spot where he had stood moments ago before getting to her feet, “Send me down too.” She demanded, looking at those who had control of the panel.
Kirk got to his feet, “No way! Let Spock deal with it.”
“I can’t.” She protested, “He needs help, his family is down there!”
"I don’t care. You’re staying here!” Kirk grabbed her arm, “Please.”
Kez looked at him, forgetting herself for a moment then pulled away shaking her head, “Beam me down or I’ll teleport.”
That seemed to be enough to make him back off. Maybe he knew that Kez was going to be okay. Maybe he just knew that he was fighting a losing battle by arguing with her.
Either way Kirk could really justify why he didn’t want her to go. Mostly it was because he was scared for her.
She disappeared.
Landing gracefully wasn’t something Kez did well but she managed to regain her balance once her feet hit stable ground. All around her structures and rocks were breaking apart and the ground was falling inwards at a rapid and frightening rate.
She ran into the entrance of what she presumed was the opening to the quarters of the High Council’s secure structure.
Half way down a quivering corridor she nearly ran head-on into Spock.
“What are you doing here Cadet?” He asked over the noise of stone breaking apart.
“Helping you.” She managed to say, looking behind him at Sarek whom she recognised as Spock’s father from when she was younger.
Spock seemed to sigh then allowed her to help usher the nine or so Vulcans from the structure and out into the open air.
Kez could only imagine the pain they felt when they saw their planet in tatters. She could only imagine what Spock was feeling.
“Spock to Enterprise. Prepare transport for nine or so persons plus what they are carrying.” Spock said into his conn.
Kez could hear him through her own which had remained in her ear.
“Locking Signatures.” Kez heard Chekov say through the ear piece.
She looked from Spock to the Vulcans around her who shuffled nervously as a fragment of rock nearby collapsed and shook the ground.
“Beaming in three . . . two . . .,”
Kez heard a gigantic crack from above them all just as a woman turned to face Spock, “It’s okay to be scared.”
Kez watched as the ground tore apart separating Spock from his mother and another that separated Kez from the group.
Kez made a snap decision as Spock yelled, “MOTHER!”
She ported out of the beam ray watching in a split second as Spock and the rest disappeared. Then jumped over the edge.
Kirk watched the controls, “Kez!” He yelled.
“I’m losing them both!” Chekov cried tapping buttons and lights.
Kirk stood motionless staring at the seven or so figures that materialised on the transporter pad.
Kez plummeted to the ground, grabbing for something she couldn’t see. Her fingers clawed at air and dust and she could feel the transporter beam tugging on her like a harness waiting to pull her back, but it was fading. Her life line.
She couldn’t port back without the support of the beam if the connection was lost and in a few more milliseconds it would be.
She felt selfish and wounded when she realised she couldn’t go on. With a final, desperate lurch, she grabbed at anything then ported.
Kirk watched as Spock fully materialised, the only one to be looking into the distance for something that wasn’t there. His arm was still outstretched.
The elders disembarked from the pad with McCoy’s help and support but Spock remained motionless. His mother was just an arm’s length away and now – now she was gone. He looked around suddenly, noticing Kirk stood by the controls his face contorted with deep emotions.
Kez.
Spock was about to question the whereabouts of his friend when there was a sudden crack, like lightning and Kez slammed down onto the bean pad, unconscious and holding something close to her chest.
Spock was first to react. Kneeling beside her he checked she was breathing before easing the piece of fabric that was grasped in her hands. It was soft and Spock recognised it immediately as his mother’s scarf.
Kirk budged him aside and before long she was taken to the med bay along with the others who were wounded.