Snippet 4c

"It seems their first order of business was to encode the controls." Spock replied, his fingers flying over the console at a speed Kirk had never witnessed before. "I am attempting to decode it in time for us to leave safely."

"We don't really have a lot of time for that," Kirk said breathlessly, peering out of the window at the place where Lesh'ar and McCoy were currently still working to increase the number of immobile Federation officers around them. His heart sank when a few more flashes of light let him know that reinforcements have been sent in. "Shit, I've got to get out there - can you hold Rosie?"

Spock reached back, holding out his arms.

Kirk deposited Rosie with the Vulcan as quickly and gently as he could, before hopping quickly back out of the shuttle to help with the fight that was currently going on.

The prospects of the fight were beginning to look grim, however. As more and more officers appeared via the Federation transporter, the issue of being outnumbered began to become a reality. And the shuttle still hadn't started.

"HA!" McCoy released the cartridge and reloaded faster than sight before stabbing another officer in the neck. "Jim what the hell are you doing out here?"

"Trying to help!" Kirk said, already throwing himself at one of the officers behind McCoy's back and landing a solid punch to the man's throat. "Spock's working to get the shuttle going!"

The shuttle gave another half-hearted attempt to start again, humming again briefly before dying out again.

"Dammit Jim it's taking too long!" McCoy shouted, stabbing another man in the stomach. "Tell Spock to get his ass on it!"

"Spock!" Kirk bellowed above the noise, punching out another officer in front of him. "Bones says to get your ass on it!!"

"Doctor - Captain - get to the shuttle!" Lesh'ar suddenly called over the shouts of the men around them, and Kirk and McCoy stopped in surprise to see the Vulcan doctor starting to work his way quickly through the rest of the men toward the shuttle. "I have the dampener controls. Get inside!"

McCoy turned tail and ran.

It was difficult getting inside the actual shuttle without allowing any of the Federation officers in there, as well. But after beating back several of them, and planting a boot in the face of several others, they were finally able to get the doors closed, and seal themselves inside.

"Go, Spock," Lesh'ar said quickly, coming into the cockpit beside his mate and pressing a few buttons on the remote-like device in his hands. "We have full power. Go!"

Spock pressed several buttons almost at once, and the shuttle roared to life.

"Take Schaven." He said to Lesh'ar, handing him over and then Rosie to McCoy. "I will need my facilities completely."

"Knock over as many of 'em as you can," Kirk said to Spock as McCoy took Rosie. He leaned forward and pointed out the window at the rest of the Federation officers. "And get to warp as soon as possible - and DON'T go past the 'Fleet ship, if you can."

Spock nodded, and the shuttle roared as it lifted off the ground. Everyone in the shuttle jerked forward as Spock pushed the thrusters, cooking half a dozen officers who were behind them. "Hold on to something stable." he warned, and once again everyone jerked as he took off from the ship.

"Whoa!" Kirk yelped, his only option of "stability" at the moment ending up being Lesh'ar as he was nearly thrown halfway across the shuttle with the force of their take-off. "Uh - right - okay! Now, warp! Warp!!"

The shuttle suddenly shuddered violently, a familiar imbalance of the structure beneath them suddenly alerting them to the fact that their departure had not gone unnoticed by the 'Fleet ship nearby - and they were now currently experiencing the very unpleasant sensation of being caught in a tractor beam.

"They employed their tractor beam." Spock said, his fingers once again flying over the console. "Adjusting..."

"Use this," Lesh'ar said, bending over Spock's shoulder and attaching the remote in his hands to the side of the console. "Disengage the damper and try to compensate for the pull with the new coordinates..."

"You really think you can get us out of a 'Fleet tractor beam?" Kirk asked, his eyes darting between the Vulcans, half-terrified, half-impressed. "How the hell...?"

Spock did not speak as he obliged, and within another moment everyone was thrown back again as they launched into warp.

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