It had been ten hours since Pike's death. They were setting out to catch him, and things didn't look very good. They were apparently going to fire 72 torpedos on the Klingon world, Scotty had resigned, and there was a new science officer who Spock didn't seem to like. Charlotte was going on the mission. Bones had given her permission. He knew she was ready. She caught up to Kirk and Uhura.

"I'm sorry to hear about Scotty, sir." She said.

"We all are." Kirk said. They got in an elevator together. Kirk sighed. "Actually, Scotty just quit."

"I knew that." Charlotte raised her hand. "He told me. He also told me that we shouldn't fire the torpedos."

"And Uhura's boyfriend is second-guessing me every chance he gets." Kirk said. He looked at Uhura. "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate. It's just, sometimes, I wanna rip the bangs off his head. I don't know, maybe it's just me-"

"It's not you." Uhura shook her head.

"It's not?" Kirk tilted his head.

"Are you two fighting?" Charlotte asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Uhura asked.

"Oh my God, you poor thing!" Charlotte said. "What is that even like that?"

The elevator doors opened to reveal Spock standing right there. Uhura held her head up high and stalked past him. Kirk walked past him too.

"Your ears burning?" He asked.

"Keptin on ze bridge!" Chekov said.

"Mr. Chekov, you've been shadowing Mr. Scott." Kirk asked. "You are familiar with the engineering systems of this ship?"

"Affirmative, sir." Chekov nodded.

"Good." Kirk nodded. "You're my new Chief. Go put on a red shirt."

It took Chekov a moment to process this. "Aye, Keptin."

"Hey, congrats!" Charlotte said, slapping him on the back.

"Zank you, Charlotte." Chekov said, smiling at her.

"Captain, permission to go to the med bay." Charlotte said.

"Granted." Kirk said. "Just stay there until I call you, 'kay?"

"Okay." Charlotte nodded.

She went to the med bay. Bones nodded at her. She laid down on one of the beds for their paitients so she could sleep. Bones didn't say a word about it. Charlotte yawned and fell asleep. She awoke several hours later to Bones shaking her.

"Hey. You have to get up." He said. "Kirk needs you. Good luck."

"Thanks, Bones." Charlotte said.

She changed into uniform and reported to where Spock, Uhura, and Kirk were. They took off in the small pod that would take them to the Klingon world. Sulu had sent Harriosn a message. He had two minutes to comply with them. The four took off into space. The silence between them was deafening. Spock and Uhura then started arguing. Charlotte and Kirk sighed.

"You two are really gonna do this now?" She said.

"Yeah, seriously?" Kirk said.

"Sorry, Captain, just two seconds." Uhura said.

"Okay." Kirk nodded. The couple continued to argue.

"What it would do to me if you died, Spock! You didn't feel anything. You didn't care." Uhura said. "And I'm not the only one who's upset with you. The Captain is too."

"What? No, no, no, don't drag me into this!" Kirk said. 

"She is right, though." Charlotte turned to Spock.

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

"Great." Uhura muttered sarcastically.

"That's not your best bet, Spock." Charlotte said.

"You misunderstand. It is true I chose not to feel anything upon realizing that my own life was ending." Spock said. "When Admiral Pike was dying, I joined with his conciousness what he felt at the moment of his passing. Anger. Confusion. Loneliness. Fear. Such a feeling is something that I choose never to experience again. Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. I assure you the truth is precisely the opposite."

There was moment of silence. Charlotte smiled. She would never want Spock for a boyfriend, but she wanted someone to be with like that. Suddenly, they got shot. The alarms in the ship started blaring.

"What the heck was that?!" Kirk said.

"We are being persued by a D-4 class Klingon vessel." Spock said.

"I thought this sector was abandoned!" Charlotte said.

"It must be a random patrol." Uhura said.

"Hold on!" Kirk said. 

He zoomed through the territory. Scarlet held onto her seat for dear life. Why had she requested to come along? It would have just been better if she had waited back at the Enterprise with Bones! She had only requested to come along because she wanted to see Harrison again. She pushed these thoughts away, screaming as they went through a narrow passage. Their ship could barely fit through it. They made it through, though.

"I think we lost 'em!" Kirk said.

"Or they could be jamming our scanners!" Uhura said. 

"Or, we lost them!" Kirk said.

Three Klingon ships surronded their tiny one. Charlotte sighed. It didn't look like they had lost them at all. One of the Klingon started speaking in its native language that Charlotte couldn't understand, but Uhura could.

"They're ordering us to land." She said. "Captain, they're gonna want to know why we're here. They're gonna torture us, question us, and they're gonna kill us."

"I don't like that." Charlotte said.

"Yeah, none of us do." Kirk said. "So let's come out shooting."

"That's the stupidest idea ever. We're outnumbered and very outgunned." Charlotte said. "You're not really a natural at this, are you?"

"Captain, you brought me here because I speak Klingon. Then let me speak Klingon." Uhura said.

Kirk sighed and landed the ship. Uhura stepped out from it. Kirk, Spock, and Charlotte watched nervously from inside the ship.

"This isn't gonna work." Kirk said.

"It's our only logical option." Spock said. "If you interrupt her now, you will not only incur the wrath of the Klingons but that of Lieutenant Uhura as well."

Kirk went and grabbed them all phasors, just in case. Charlotte nodded her thanks. Suddenly, one of the Klingon picked Uhura up by her neck. Suddenly, a hooded stranger started shooting at the Klingon. Spock, Kirk, and Charlotte ran out of the ship. Charlotte knew how to fight since she had first trained to be a Lieutenant. She had then switched to doctor training since she realized she wanted to save lives, not take them. Charlotte gaped at the hooded stranger. He was killing the Klingon without a second thought. She got distracted by his skill and didn't notice when one of the Klingon came up behind her. She suddenly looked up. She screamed and shut her eyes, ready to die. The pain never came. She heard a shot and then saw the Klingon fall dead. Charlotte looked behind her and saw the hooded stranger coming her way. He helped her up.

"Cover me!" He shouted.

"Uh..." Charlotte's voice trailed off. She didn't really understand what that meant. She had always assumed it meant back-to-back but she could be wrong. She did just that. "Is this right?"

"Yes." The stranger said. Charlotte could picture him rolling his eyes...whoever he was.

In the short moment they'd been talking, a Klingon came up to the stranger and slashed his cheek with a knife. Charlotte shot him with the phasor she had. Almost all the Klingon had been eliminated. Charlotte felt somewhat proud of what was capable of. Finally, all the Klingon were defeated. The stranger grabbed her by the arm and ripped off his hood. It was John Harrison. Charlotte writhed and twisted to get away from him, but he wouldn't let go. He had his gun held to her head. Charlotte looked up at him to study him. His hair wasn't neat like in the photos she'd seen. It was disheveled and his face was covered in sweat. Charlotte shivered. It looked...attractive.

"Stand down!" Spock shouted.

"How many torpedos?" Harrison demanded.

"Stand down!" Spock repeated. Harrison shot Spock's phasor out of his hands.

"The torpedos, the weapons you threatened me with in your message, how many are there?" Harrison asked. No one answered. He pressed the gun harder to Charlotte's head. "Tell me, or she dies!"

"Seventy-two." Spock said. Even he wasn't dumb enough to let their only doctor die.

Harrison was silent for a moment, comtemplating this. He then threw Charlotte and his gun out of his hands. Charlotte scrambled away from Harrison. He held his hands up.

"I surrender." He said. He had a beautiful, deep British accent.

Spock picked up the gun and pointed it at him. Kirk started to get up. He groaned in pain. Charlotte assumed he was just tired and had strained a muscle or two. 

"On behalf of Christopher Pike, my friend, I accept your suddender." He said.

Kirk then started punching Harrison. Harrison didn't cry out in pain. He didn't even look like it was hurting him. Charlotte noticed that the cut on Harrison's cheek from where the Klingon had slashed him was gone. Kirk started kicking and kneeing Harrison in the stomach. Charlotte couldn't watch any longer.

"That's enough, James!" She shouted. She had never called her captain by his first name before. Kirk came to his senses and stopped beating Harrison up.

"Captain." He said scornfully. 

"Cuff him." Kirk commanded.

Charlotte grabbed the handcuffs from Uhura and placed them on Harrison's wrists. He didn't complain or resist. She then placed a hand gently on his back.

"Come on." She said kindly. "Let's get you on board and then I can treat your wounds."

"I don't have any." Harrison said. "I have no idea why you're being so kind to me. I threatened to kill you."

"It's how I've always been." Charlotte shrugged. "My mentor is much different. He barely shows emotion."

"Hm." Harrison grunted.

Charlotte led the criminal onto the ship. She of course tended to her captain's wounds first and then Spock and Uhura's. She then went to where they were holding Harrison. He was sitting silently. She commanded the guards to leave, since she worked best alone.

"That was a foolish move, Doctor." Harrison said. 

"I work best alone." Charlotte said. "Please take off your shirt."

"I told you, I don't have any wounds." Harrison said, agitated.

"Well, I like to take precaution." Charlotte said. "Now, shirt off."

"I would oblige, Doctor, but I have handcuffs on." Harrison said.

"Then I'll improvise." Charlotte said. "My hands might be a little cold, so I apologise."

She lifted his shirt as high as she could and checked him for wounds. As Harrison had said, he didn't have any. She couldn't take her eyes off his six-pack, though. He was ripped.

"I told you." Harrison said after she finally put his shirt back down. 

"How?" Charlotte asked. "You had a wound on your cheek, I saw it happen."

"It's none of your buisness." Harrison snapped.

"Okay, geez." Charlotte said.

She went to sink and wet a cloth. She went back over to Harrison. He closed his eyes, letting her wash the dirt and sweat off his face. It felt kind of nice, actually. She even ran it over his hair. It was back the way she had seen it in the pictures. She secretly preferred it messy. Harrison opened his eyes.

"Thank you." He said stiffly, as if he had never said it before.

"You're welcome." Charlotte said. "Would you like some water?"

"No thank you." Harrison said.

"Doctor." Spock said, coming in. "The Captain had me bring you this for the prisoner." 

"Thank you, Spock." Charlotte said, taking the bundle of clothes from the First Officer.

"You are welcome." Spock said. He then left.

"Well, these look comfortable." Charlotte said, turning to Harrison. "If I unlock your cuffs and turn around, will you put them on?"

"Yes." Harrison nodded.

"Very well." Charlotte said.

She unlocked Harrison's cuffs and turned around. She heard the rustle of clothes being taken off. When she turned back around, Harrison was in a long sleeved, black shirt and black pants. When they arrived at the Enterprise, Charlotte went with Harrison to the holding brig. As soon as he was put in his cell, he started pacing like a cat. They both waited until Kirk, Spock, and Bones arrived. Bones took a small, metal hole and swiped it to the middle of the cell and enlarged it.

"Put your arm through. Charlotte's gonna take a blood sample." He said.

Charlotte nervously took the flask and inserted it into Harrison's arm. She winced as it peirced the skin and blood started to fill it. Harrison didn't flinch as he looked up at Kirk.

"Why aren't we moving, Captain?" He asked. "An unexpected malfunction, perhaps in your warp core, conveniently stranding you on the edge of Klingon space?"

"How do you know that?" Charlotte asked.

"Charlie..." Kirk warned.

"I think you'd find my insight valuable, Captain." Harrison said.

"Are we good?" Bones asked.

"Yeah." Kirk said. 

"I'm gonna go analyize this." Bones said. 

"I'll come with you." Charlotte said.

"No, Charlie, you're staying here." Kirk said. "Since you seem to get along with him so well, we're having you be Harrison's handler."

"What?" Charlotte said. "But I'm a doctor!"

"Then you can be his doctor." Kirk said. He started to walk away.

"Ignore me, and you will get everyone on this ship killed." Harrison said.

"Captain, I only believe he will attempt to manipulate you. I would not recommend engaging the prisoner further." Spock said. 

"Give me a minute." Kirk said, walking over to Harrison's cell. "Let me explain what's happening here: You are a criminal. I watched you kill innocent men and women. I was authorized to end you. And the only reason you're still alive is because I'm allowing it so shut. Your. Mouth."

"Oh, Captain...are you going to punch me again, over and over until your arm weakens?" Harrison asked. "Clearly you want to, so tell me, why did you allow me to live?"

"We all make mistakes." Kirk said.

"No. I surrendered to you because, despite your attempt to convince me otherwise, you seem to have a conscience, Mr. Kirk." Harrison said. "If you did not, then it would be impossible for me to convince you of the truth. Two three, one seven, four six, one one. Coordinates not far from Earth. If you want to know why I did what I did, go and take a look."

"Give me one reason why I should listen to you." Kirk said.

"I can give you seventy-two." Harrison said. "And they're on board your ship, Captain. They have been all along. I suggest you open one up."

"Are you talking about-" Charlotte started.

"Charlie." Kirk said warningly. He then turned to her. "You stay with the prisoner. I'm going to try and contact Scotty."

Kirk left, leaving Harrison and Charlotte alone. Charlotte stretched and then winced. There was a terrible pain in her shoulder. She grabbed it. She wanted to go have Bones take a look, but she had her orders to stay here.

"Are you all right, Doctor?" Harrison asked.

"My shoulder hurts. I must have gotten injured on Kronos." Charlotte said.

"You might want to get some rest. That's what your crew does best, isn't it?" Harrison said.

"Aren't you a ray of sunshine?" Charlotte said sarcastically.

"And you aren't, my darling?" Harrison purred. Charlotte blushed. "What's your name?"

"It's Charlotte. Charlotte Spinster." Charlotte said. "And I already know your name, John Harr-"

"That's not my name." Harrison said.

"Oh, God, did we get the wrong guy?" Charlotte said. "I swear, if you aren't the guy we're looking for-"

"I AM." Harrison snapped. He stood up and went over the glass of his cell. Charlotte backed away. "My name is Khan."