Chapter Text
Stardate 2259. 45
Currently, Commander Sala was sat in the Captain's chair on the bridge of the USS Enterprise. Her proper Captain, James T. Kirk, was currently down on the surface of Nibiru with the Chief Medical Officer, Leonard McCoy. Lieutenants Uhura and Sulu were also off the ship in a shuttle with Commander Spock.
There was a highly volatile volcano on Nibiru's surface that, if it were to erupt, would destroy all life on the planet. Jim demanded a plan be concocted to render the volcano inert when it was discovered that there was a budding civilization on the surface.
The making of this plan in the first place, and the obscure routes the plan had to take, were due to the protests of the First Officer, Spock, as well as the Second Officer and Cultural Officer, Sala. They had made the continued reminders of the Prime Directive; no Starfleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. They were meant to be there to only observe and could not allow the Nibirans to see them, or even their ship, as this could alter the development of their culture.
Most of the vocal communication that was taking place was between the ground team, Jim and McCoy, and the team in Shuttle One, Spock, Uhura, and Sulu.
"I swear, how long does this have to take! A starship was not built to be at the bottom of an ocean!" Scotty complained.
"I am aware of this fact, Mister Scott, but we cannot allow the indigenous life forms to see any of us or our ship," Sala said simply.
"I know lassie, but still."
"Commander, Uhura and I are making our way back to the Enterprise," Sulu's voice said as it broke across the comms.
"What about Spock?" Sala asked.
"He's still in the volcano. But the shuttle is over-heating. We have to ditch it."
"Very well. Get back to the ship quickly. And stay out of sight."
"Aye."
"Mister Scott, please be ready by the airlocks that were previously discussed," Sala instructed Scotty.
"Aye, Commander," Scotty said before leaving the bridge.
It did not take too long before Sulu and Uhura were rushing onto the bridge.
"Lieutenant, I want you to establish a channel with Spock as soon as possible," Sala instructed.
"Aye, Commander," Uhura said quickly as she sat at her station.
It was only a few moments longer before Jim and McCoy entered the bridge, Scotty en toe.
"Keeptain on ze bridge!" Chekov announced.
"Lieutenant, do you have an open channel to Mister Spock?" Jim asked.
"The heat's frying his comms, but we still have contact," Uhura informed.
Jim looked from Uhura to the panel in front of him. He pressed a button to open the channel.
"Spock?" Jim asked.
"I have activated the device, Captain," Spock answered, "When the countdown is complete, the reaction should render the volcano inert."
"Yeah, and that's gonna render him inert!" McCoy rebuttled.
"Do we have use of the transports?" Jim asked Chekov and Sulu.
"Negative, sir," Was Sulu's answer.
"Not with these magnetic fields," Chekov further explained.
"I need to beam Spock back to the ship. Give me one way to do it," Jim ordered.
"Maybe if we had a direct line of sight," Chekov speculated, "If we got closer-."
"Hold on, wee man!" Scotty retorted, "You're talkin' about an active volcano! Sir, if that thing erupts, I cannae guarantee that we can withstand the heat!"
"I don't know that we can maintain that kind of altitude," Sulu added.
"Our shuttle was concealed by the ash cloud, but the Enterprise is too large," Spock commented, "If utilized in a rescue effort, it would be revealed to the indigenous species."
"Spock, no body knows the rules better than you and Sala, but there has got to be an exception," Jim reasoned.
"There is none. Such actions violate the Prime Directive," Sala answered.
"There's got to be somethin'!" McCoy yelled, "We're tryin' to save Spock's life here!"
"Doctor, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," Spock returned.
"Spock, we're talking about your life!" Jim yelled.
"The rules cannot be broken under any cirucum-," Spocks voice fizzled out.
"Spock!" Jim waited a moment for a response before he turned to Uhura, "Try to get him back online."
Uhura gave a quick nod of the head.
Jim turned his gaze back to the front window of the bridge, trying to think of a solution.
"Ninety seconds to detonation, sir," Chekov relayed.
"Captain, as Spock said, the rules of the Prime Directive are not to be broken under any circumstance," Sala reminded.
"But Sala, there-," Jim started.
"There is not, Captain. And as this ship's Second Officer I must urge that-."
"Leave the bridge, Sala."
"Captain, I-."
"That's an order, Commander!"
Sala quickly stopped what she was saying. She then bowed her head and quickly made her way to leave the bridge. Upon leaving the bridge, Sala brought herself to an empty hallway. When she stopped walking, she turned to face the wall and closed her eyes.
It was not that she did not care about Spock's life; he had been her friend all her life. But she would not be able to tolerate allowing herself to go against the regulations of Starfleet, which she had made the pledge to uphold.
She could hear the metal of the ship's hull groan at being moved, so Sala knew that some decision had been made. What choice though, she would not know until later.
The female Vulcan was left to the silence of her thoughts for a moment before she heard two pairs of feet run from the bridge. Curious, she followed after them and ended up in the transporter room.
"Spock!" Jim yelled.
Sala stopped herself in the doorway at the sight of Spock on the ship, in a slightly charred environmental suit.
"Are you alright?" Jim asked as he approached the transporter pad.
"Captain, you let them see our ship," Spock said in a slightly dumbfounded voice.
"Oh, he's fine," McCoy brushed off.
"Bridge to Captain," Uhura's voice broke over the comms.
"Yes, Lieutenant."
"Is the Commander on board, sir?"
"Safely and soundly."
"Please notify him that his device has successfully detonated."
"You hear that? Congratulations, Spock. You just saved the world," Jim said with a sideways grin.
"You violated the Prime Directive," Spock said, still seeming a bit dazed.
"Oh, come on, Spock. They saw us. Big deal."
"Uh, Jim," McCoy said with a cough and a light shove of his elbow.
"What?" Jim turned around to see Sala.
And he saw her quickly turn from the doorway and leave.
"Wait, Sala!" Jim called, running after her.
Sala maintained a steady pace and did not turn to look behind her.
"Sala. Sala, come on!" Jim said before finally grabbing Sala's wrist.
Sala quickly moved to remove her wrist from Jim's grasp.
"Was I dismissed from the bridge solely so that you could break the parameters of the Prime Directive?" Sala asked in a quick voice.
"What? No! That's not-!" Jim started.
"Then why was I dismissed for doing my job?"
Jim let out a sigh before dropping his gaze to the floor for a moment. He raised his head again when he drew in a deep breath.
"I dismissed you from the bridge so you wouldn't have to be there while I made the final decision," Jim finally said.
"But it is my job to-," Sala started to retort.
"I know what your job is, and what your job at that time was. I just," Jim let out a sigh, "I just didn't want to make you go through that. Look, I won't mark about your dismissal from the bridge or anything. Just, forget it happened, okay?"
Sala did not say anything before Jim left, most likely to go change into dry clothes.
"But I worry that this whole event will not be so easily glanced over," Sala said to herself.