Galaxias: Retaliation

In the Lion's Den

Narrator's POV

"I still think it's a really bad idea." Jim Kirk voiced his thought while working from his station, punching in the coordinates for warp.

"Being successful off risky ideas is my forte, Jim." The person in question replied from the Captain's chair, busy typing something in a holopad.

"Still," Jim didn't yield." You leave us for days, then you suddenly return without a word and announce the Strange is dead. You've left Christopher on Earth and sent Christine to God knows where. Now that we are finally assembling, you force the Enterprise and its crew to leave the others without a word for Earth. What the hell are you thinking??"

"Mr. Hunter, attacking Thanos without an army is futile. We won't even get past the border sentry. We are basically heading towards suicide." Spock spoke up as well.

Max finally looked up at them, frowning." It is useless to attack Thanos with an army because he is expecting a frontal assault. Specially after the death of Corvus Glaive, he has tightened his security. Our army is not strong enough or well equipped to handle them. The only way is a stealth approach." He pressed a button on the holopad, pulling up a hologram." These are the schematics of his command center. His tower is surrounded by the Chitauri barracks and defenses. The tower can't be breached by land or air." He pointed to a red line highlighting an underground tunnel." We'll use this passage to access the basement, and then move upwards. I will lead a small assault team. Each man must be rigged with explosives, so that our breach won't be in vain. Thanos will not expect this."

"And what is your plan for the Black Order?" Jim asked skeptically.

"Well, Maw and Corvus are dead. Cull must be distracted long enough for one of us to destroy him with explosives. Spock is the most trained in hand-to-hand combat so he will handle Proxima."

"And what about Thanos?"

"Leave him to me." Max sat back with a satisfied smile.

" Leave him to you??!" Jim cried out. "Are you crazy? You won't last a second in front of the Stones."

"I have a plan." Max answered calmly.

"Is that why you left Tania behind?" Jim asked.

Max's calm demeanor shifted a bit." I can't read her into danger. She's better coordinating our troops at base. There is a high chance we won't make it, and I'm not willing to play with her life."

Spock looked calmly at the former Nova officer. He had changed a lot since Spock first saw him. At that time, Max was impulsive and reckless, someone ready to plunge into trouble without a second thought. Now he had matured. He had acquired a sense of responsibility. Accountability. Like a true captain, he kept in mind the needs of his crew before all. Maybe, just maybe, he was ready to put on the mantle of a captain.

Max looked at Spock." You have the equipment the Technomen gave us, right?" Spock nodded.

"Good. Listen to me very carefully."

****

"I don't like this at all." Jim whispered.

Max furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at his friend." You don't? I thought you would like the idea of crawling up a dark underground tunnel, said tunnel being barely wide enough to fit us through."

"Yeah yeah, I can totally feel the sarcasm off you."

Max cracked a smile." Nothing best than to be optimistic in these troubled times."

Jim grumbled, then shifted his head to see his friend in front of him, crawling on all fours. He debated whether he should say anything, then sighed. "Hey, Max?"