Jim had made the worst mistake yet - letting Scotty quit. This had clearly upset Callum, when he got the word. All happening just because he wasn't allowing him to check how dangerous the torpedos were.

Even worse he was allowing eighteen year old, Chekov to take his place. Also, giving the postion of ensign to Olivia. Which she wasn't happy about it, especially since she hates wearing a gold uniform.

Brystal had token into hand that the torpedos were dangerous and tried various scans over them as the ship started off its course to Kronos. The ship cranked slightly as warp speed began swirling around them. 

The white torpedos were almost like delicate porcelain shining in the light. The designs looked a bit more advanced than any other torpedo she'd ever seen. But why would Marcy's entrust them this easily with a advanced torpedo?

"Brystal!" Uhara shouted towards her, running behind her as they made their way through engineering. Brystal looked behind her to see Uhara running towards her. Uhara halted, stopping her ponytail vigorously, swinging.

Brystal had been in deep thought of what Jim had told her about what Marcus said. Marcus was allowing them onto a planet held by the Klingons. The Klingons were for many years, and still were Starfleets enemy. Going onto a planet could bring an all out war to Starfleet.

But the again, this time Marcus didn't seem to care. He wanted Harrison hunted down, to be killed, or even taking to Starfleet for his crimes. Marcy's was allowing a manhunt after the criminal, John Harrison.  Something barely happened in history, except of course for the time when John Wilkes Booth killed Abraham Lincoln, sending a large manhunt after him. That was because Booth had killed an important person.

But John Harrison, he had killed more than just one important person. He had killed mostly all those admirals including her parents. She couldn't blame Marcus for allowing a manhunt on Joh Harrison. A rage in her body for Harrison was exactly what she needed. She wanted Harrison dead, hunted down like a deer, and to face no mercy for his crimes.

John Harrison face seemed to be inked into her head, every time she thought about him. She could remember his icy blue eyes,  sending a cold stare onto hers. How he had mercilessly killed the council and her parents. Her urge to kill him, slowly evolved in her mind.

"Sorry," Brystal started the conversation, putting her datapad in an officers hands, "I was lost in thought."

"Can you believe what happened?" Uhara asked her.

"Which part? Jim getting back the ship, Marcus conducting a manhunt, or the killing of the council? Scotty quitting?" Brystal asked.

"Everything," Uhara told her. They began walking through the engineering department, dodging  officers and equipment. 

"I'm sorry about your parents." Uhara said in a bittersweet tone. Brytsals heart gave a small tug at her heartache she tried to control. The pain still nagging at her every time she thought of them.

"As you know, they were killed in the attack by John Harrison. In which, Marcus authorized a manhunt after him," Brystal told Uhara.

"Don't you think a manhunts a bit extreme?" Uhara asked.

"I.....really find it necessary since he killed other elite admirals. We all know that we can't just have a criminal on the loose. But, I agree it's a little bit extreme." Brystal nodded her head.

"I just can't believe Marcus gave Jim back the Enterprise." Uhara said.

"It is quite odd that he gave Jim back the ship as soon as they were in a time of need. A time of crisis for Starfleet. Jim looked concerned over my parents death as much as I was." Brystal said, only realizing that Uhara was aiming at something, "Something tells me you're trying to get some different information from me.

"It's nothing," Uhara responded, only to realize her question, "Wait.....are you guys even dating?" Uhara acknowledged the fact that Jim and Brystal had a difficult relationship, but here she was asking about her relationship.

"It's complicated." Brystal sighed, "And why does Olivia make it sound like I slept with him a hundred times?!? We were both drunk and it was an accident! I find it even stranger Olivia's dating our  chief medical officer and yet you don't ask her questions on her relationship."

Uhara shrugged trying to read her friends expression, only to see the irritation on her face. She seemed clearly pissed by Olivia acting the way she did, but that was just how Olivia was. That's when Uhara's eyes widened with realization.

"Oh my god!" Uhara smiled, "You  care about him! Even with your off and on again relationship." Brystal almost groaned and rolled her eyes at hearing those words.

"I don't want to talk about it." Brystal slightly, begged, "And it's not off and on again!"

"Lieutenant!" Kirk called to Uhara, towards the turbolift. Uhara looked back at Brystal, about to ask her one more thing. Brystal's knew it would be about her coming up to the bridge.

"I'll be up soon. I still need to do a few maintenance checks."

"Of course. It's your job as Second Officer."

Callum's face was knotted with frustrations and guilt. Walking around engineering like he had done the most wrong thing ever. And to him was accusing Brystal who was practically mourning her parents death in silence, and the fact Scotty just quit.

Literally one of the few people in his family he was closest to. Was the chief engineer who had just decided to quit. Something that slightly angered Callum, but when he tried to stop Scotty, he couldn't.

He cursed himself, wondering what had gotten into him. Already being preoccupied by his work and thoughts, he didn't notice anybody around him. Due to his slight clumsiness, he almost bumped into a blonde haired woman.

"Shit!" Callum cursed, "I'm so sorry I...."

He trailed off taking in the woman's features. Knowing that style of blonde hair like the back of his hand. And the uniform didn't even have to tell him anything.

"It's quite alright," The woman spoke up.

"Carol?!??" Callum seemed to gape at the admirals daughter, "What-why are you here!"

The woman and him shared a look of shock. Looking each other up and down for some sort of evidence it wasn't real. But for some reason their minds weren't playing tricks on each other.

This woman was examining the torpedos and he mostly had been quietly sulking. It would've been a time to curse himself, but he didn't. Strangely those torpedos was what made Scotty quit in the first place.

Carol looked at him like he'd just blown her cover, "I was assigned to this ship."

"Marcus would-"

The two turned around only to be startled by Spock's presence. Like he'd appeared out of nowhere. That's what Callum hated about his commanding officer, he always knew how to make an entrance.

Which would usually make Callum have a near heart attack from being startled.

"Mr. Spock, you startled us."

"What are you doing, Doctor? And you Lieutenant Commander?"

"I was heading to check on life support systems."

"Verifying the torpedos internal," Carol stated in a matter of factory way.

"You misunderstood the question?" Spock spoke directly at Marcus, "What are you doing onboard this ship? There is no record of you being assigned."

Callum furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, eyeing Carol. This was news to him after she told him she'd been assigned to the ship. Unless......of course it could've been a lie she created to get onboard.

That actually made a lot of sense now that he thought about it. Why would Marcus want his own daughter onboard the same ship as Mudd's daughter? Why would he let her even be on this ship that was going to hunt Harrison down?

"Really?" Carol hid her nervousness, "there must be some mistake."

"My conclusion as well Doctor Marcus. Except you lied about your identity. Wallace is the surname of your mother. I can only assume the Admiral is your father."

"No shit, Sherlock," Callum muttered.

"Mr. Spock, I know I have no right to ask you this. But please, he can't know I'm here."

Brystal felt the ship cranked, unusually and speed out of warp speed. A gas pipe broke off in front of Brystal, making her jump back, quickly. White cloudy gas fabricated out of the metal tube and sputtered onto the floor.

She watched as Chekov ran fast, wearing a big set of googles. A wrench in hand as he squeezed the two pipes back together again. Brystal took out her communicator, waiting for Callum to respond.

"Cal?"

"Yeah?" A Scottish voice responded.

"You okay?" Brystal's asked, uncertain to know what was happening. 

"Yeah, other than a few pipes exploding! What the hell is happening?!?" Callum said.

"I don't know. Hold on," Brystal said, closing her communicator before it buzzed again.

"Brystal, please get ready to go down onto the planet Kronos," Jim's voice came through the communicator.

"Yes, sir," Brsytal said, closing her communicator. Just great, everything seemed to be failing on the ship around them. The ship stopped a few inches before where they should've landed. And now she had to go down onto the planet onboard a ship.

Brystal tied a gray scarf around her neck, almost like a small cape against her back. A black dusted leather with a gray shirt underneath. The same color of dusty black on her pants as she finished pulling on a pair of tall black boots. The look was supposed to make her look like a K'noramion arms dealer who sold illegal weapons.

She met up with Jim, Spock, and Uhara as sooon as she walked out of the changing room. All wearing shades of gray and black like she was. Brystal kept up with the groups long strides as they made their way to a small ship. Jim was stopped at a pair of red uniformed officers.

"Ready to deploy, captain," Spock told Jim as he sat down in one of the seats of the cockpit.

"Lieutenants, lose the red shirts." Jim ordered to the two officers, "Put these on." Jim shined into one of the officers hands a pile of darker colored clothes.

"Sir?" One officer asked him.

"Look if things go south, we can't leave any ties to Starfleet. Unless of course you want to start a war, Lieutenant." Jim told the two officers.

"No, sir." Both officers responded.

"Good. I don't want to either." Jim said, before climbing into the cockpit. Several minutes passed by as the three flew the small ship into the planet. The sun was dim across the clouds as they plunged the ship onto the planet.

Brystal sat in the back where the two redshirts from earlier sat across from her. She held back every ounce of anger that she wanted to release from her body. She couldn't help, but want Harrison dead, wondering if anybody else also wanted him dead as much as she did.

What was wrong with her?

Her mind seemed so keen and unnaturally wanting to kill Harrison. Her thoughts were coiled into one end of having him dead. He didn't deserve anyone's sympathy.

"We will arrive at Harrison's location in three minutes, Captain. It is unlikely he will come willingly. I calculate the odds of him attempting to kill us at 91.6%," Spock told the crew.

"Joyful." Brystal muttered.

"Fantastic." Jim said, sarcastically.

"Good thing you don't care about dying." Uhara said, not looking away from her console. Spock, Jim, and Brystal's cocked their head towards Uhara, confused by the statement she had made. Brystal realized Uhara was still mad at Spock about what happened at the volcano.

Why hadn't she noticed Uhara"s angry looks at Spock? How she didn't see how Uhara ignored Spock every time? It seemed obvious now that she was still angry about the mission that almost tore the whole crew apart.

"I am sorry, Lieutenant. I could not hear what you said," Spock said to Uhara.

"Oh, I didn't say anything. Actually, I'd be happy to speak if you're willing to listen to me." Uhara cocked her head back where Spock was.

"Guys..."Jim began.

"Please not now." Brystal sighed.

"Lieutenant, I'd prefer to discuss this privately," Spock said.

"You'd prefer not to discuss this at all,"Uhara shot back.

"Our current circumstances..." Spock trailed off as bickering broke out between the two.

"Do you really have to do this?" Brystal asked.

"Guys!" Jim said, "Are, are you really going to do this now?" The two both not wanting a fight to break out anywhere.

"Just two seconds, captain," Uhara put up a finger, the returning to Spock, "At the volcano, you didn't give a thought to us. What it would do to me if you died, Spock. You didn't feel anything. You didn't care. And I'm not the only one upset with you. The captain and Brystal are too." 

"No don't." Brystal began, only to be cut in by Jim. 

"No, don't drag us into this." Jim slouched in his chair a bit, "But she is right."

"Your suggestion that I do not care about dying is incorrect," Spock began, "A sentiments being's optimal chance at maximizing their utility is long and prosperous life."

"Great!" Uhara said, sarcastically.

"Oh God!" Brystal sighed, rubbing her hand on her forehead.

"Not exactly a love song, Spock," Jim commented.

"You misunderstand," Spock said, breaking a silent confusion for the three, "It is true I decided not to feel anything realizing that my own life was ending. As Admiral Christopher Pike was dying, I joined with his consciousness and experienced what he felt at the moment of his passing. Anger. Confusion. Loneliness. Fear. I had experienced those feelings before multiplied exponentially on the day my planet was destroyed. Such a feeling is something I chose never to experience again. Nyota, you mistake my choice as a reflection of my not caring. Well I assure you that it's completely the opposite." 

Brystal choked back tears at the mention of her father, an overwhelming amount of emotion consumed her once again. Moments seemed to pass quickly as soon as Spock's words hit everyone like a dagger. Nobody knew what to say....

Wham!

"What the hell was that!" Jim shouted as their ship heeled and tilted towards the ground. 

1883 words