Universal Displacement

How To Save A Starship

Things couldn't be going anymore belly up than they already were. Sutton hadn't managed to change anything. Bones had just succeeded in pulling two more vials of blood from a irritated looking Khan when the Enterprise shook and careened under not-so-friendly fire and sent crew members struggling to stay on their feet. The lights flickered and supplies fell from their places and Sutton hoped Sayyid had listened to her. Carol had fled the med-bay at Khan's warning of not being able to escape at warp. Sutton had tried to cry out for the woman to stay, to have someone else tell Marcus that his daughter was on this ship so he couldn't just beam her off the Enterprise, but she was out the door without a backwards glance.

Sutton was still seated on the bio bed, her belongings clutched in her left hand as she kept her eyes glued on Bones. He'd procured a fuzzy, dead tribble, Sutton didn't want to know why he kept those on hand, and was testing to see if her claim that Khan's blood could reverse death was true.

When a shock of blond hair and piercing blue eyes appeared through the doors of med-bay Sutton was already on her feet. There was no way she could let another opportunity to stop Khan go to waste. By the time he was through the door she was crashing into him with wide-eyes and a growing lack of respect for personal space.

"Now's really not the best time for that. Maybe later."

Kirk tried to move her to the side as he continued on his way to Khan, but Sutton kept herself between them. Her back felt exposed and vulnerable with Khan right behind her, but she had to push that anxiety aside if she wanted to stop Kirk from making the mistake of asking Khan for help.

"No, you can't do this. You can't ask him to help. That's exactly what he's counting on."

"I don't really have a choice. You heard Marcus; the guy has his entire arsenal pointed at us and he's not going to just leave because we ask nicely."

"You can't. I'm telling you, you can't."

Sutton tried to think while sucking in lungfuls of air knowing that they didn't have time for alternate plans.

"I-I can fix it. I can disable his weapons, I just have to-"

She closed her eyes to focus and attempted to believe the weapons on the Vengeance were permanently disabled. That since Scotty had snuck on board that ship before it even reached them, he'd have been able to pull a wire or core out of place that would throw everything off. It was possible, that scenario would have actually been probable if the plot hadn't called for a final battle. But her body was weak. She could actually feel her muscles losing strength and her lungs deflating as she tried to think. Sharp pain radiated from her chest and head, but she clenched her eyes and pressed on.

Calloused fingertips glided from her right shoulder down to her elbow, pressing more firmly as they reached the crease in her arm and causing a wave of blind panic to shoot through Sutton's spine and push all further thoughts from her head. It was a familiar touch. Three short gasps left her, as if she was trying to catch her breath, and she pressed further into Kirk. The captain pulled her away, swiveling her almost behind him as he glared at their prisoner.

"Don't touch her," he snapped. "You don't get to touch her ever again, understand?"

Khan held up his still cuffed hands in a mocking surrender. Sutton tried to rise from her hunched position and could tell she hadn't done herself any favors with how weak she was suddenly feeling. Her mind was still in a tizzy; flashing thoughts and bursts of emotion made it impossible to concentrate on anything.

"Now I know that you have something up your sleeve, and I know you'll probably try to betray us, but I don't really have much of a choice. You know the layout of that ship."