The decks below his feet shook, and Ambrose mused, “She’s packing a punch.”

Kondo gripped his console, “Target shields at 80%.  Our shields are at 90%.  Prentice, follow my lead.”  The two worked together at the front on the shared console and the Mackenzie.

Fowler reported, “Sir, I’m detecting unusual power spikes coming from the ship.”

Harris examined the readings on his console, “It looks like a warp core breach is starting, but that’s nothing like what I’m used to seeing.”  The deck shuddered as the lights flickered, “I think she’s decided it’s all or nothing.”  He tapped his badge, “Harris to Transporter Room – be ready to lock on and transport anybody over there if the shields drop.  Coordinate with Doctor Reid.”  He turned his attention back to the ship on the screen.

Kondo braced himself as the torpedoes from the enemy ship exploded against the Mackenzie’s shields, “Shields at 75% – she’s trying to overload our power distribution system.”  As Prentice spun them around, the tactical chief found his opening and drilled into the warp engines with rapidly fired torpedoes, and the lights flickered as the ship began to drift.

Ambrose’s badge sputtered to life, =^=Transporter Room here, sir – we’ve locked onto as many as possible and are getting them straight into the brig with the doctor’s help=^=

Sadie spoke, an edge of sadness, “Warp core breach is in progress, sir.”  

Prentice was already moving them away, waiting for the signal from the transporter room so he could jump them to warp speed.  The bridge crew collectively held their breath as the viewscreen switched the rear.  A second later, the chief helm officer got confirmation, and the Mackenzie took off on a wild run at maximum warp as the ship behind them was ripped apart in a powerful explosion.

The brig was heavy with the smell of burning flesh and filled with security officers working alongside triage and trauma staff.  Reid was overseeing it all and walking from room to room, working with each team.  The injuries were horrifying – the ship had been stripped down to an extraordinarily unsafe situation.

Harris stepped through the door and winced.  The smell was one thing, but it was the sight of the dull red blood on the floor as the nurses and doctors worked as something he hadn’t seen since the Edinburgh.  Those memories felt like they were a lifetime ago, but it hadn’t been that long.  Reid spotted him and met him at the security station, “How many did we get?”

She handed him a PADD, “We were able to lock on to ten out of the thirty that were onboard.  Two died in transport, and one isn’t going to make it.”

Harris read through the roster, “Captain T’saath is one of them.  Status?”

Reid accepted the PADD back, “She’s critical.  The effect of the Jade Dilithium faded pretty quickly once the ship was destroyed.  The few moments before it exploded, she wasn’t very lucid…once the ship went, her eyes cleared pretty quickly.  She’s been pretty forthcoming, along with the rest of the survivors.”  She looked back at the ongoing triage operations, “She’s the only mirror universe.  The rest were Palasa workers and employees who were enslaved and put under control.  They’ve been through plenty, sir.”

“Is she stable enough to talk?”

Reid tapped at her PADD, “I’ll have to monitor her with my team.”  Harris accepted her condition, and they walked to the far cell as biobeds were being rolled in and patients slowly transferred.  He accepted a stool and slowly rolled up the side of the bed that held the mirror universe T’saath.  She was covered in bloodied bandages, and the bruises on her face were turning a deep purple.

“Captain….Harris.”  She winced and groaned in pain as she turned her head to face him, “You should have left me to die.”

“We don’t do that here, captain.  We save those we can save – no matter who they are.”  He sighed, “I don’t know what will happen to you after this is all…sorted out.”

She wheezed as she chuckled and grimaced as the pain accelerated, “I was running from death in my universe.  When they found me, I was ready to die.  They told me they’d find a way for me to die in battle against a great enemy.”  Her eyes unfocused for a moment, “I didn’t imagine facing you again, of all people.”

Ambrose felt something underneath her words chill him and looked to Reid for an answer, and she shrugged.  She didn’t know either.  “What…does that mean?”

The mirror Vulcan explained, “We were a crew.  You were our captain.  We were all on the run.  Something happened, and you turned on us.  You spaced as many of us as you could, and then you just…murdered the rest.  They found me on the ship after I’d trapped you on the bridge and turned off life support to deck 1.  I’m a murderer, Captain Harris.  Death is what will bring balance to my crimes.”

Harris didn’t speak immediately.  He stared at the floor, playing with his fingers as he considered her admission.  He shook his head at last, “The life you lived…that’s over now.  I don’t know what will happen to you once all this comes to a close, but you’re not finished yet, captain.  Get your rest, and we’ll focus on your healing.”  He stood and retreated to the main area of the brig.  

Reid joined him a moment later, “We’re going to have to keep them here, sir.  Trust in this situation isn’t going to be easy to judge – no matter what they’ve been through.  I can’t have them in sickbay.”

He gave her a nod, “That’s fair.  When they’re able to answer – see if any of them know where to find some Jade Dilithium.  If we’re going to fight the ones behind this, we’re going to need a better offense.”  He turned and headed for the bridge.