"Standing up here today, in front of all of you, is something that I dreamed I would never have to do." The admiral cleared his throat from atop the podium. He nervously shifted the papers in his hands and looked out into the crowd of uniformed Starfleet members. "When they asked me to do this, I couldn't turn it down." The Admiral continued, trying to ignore the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Leonard McCoy sat in the front row, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. He stared down the admiral with an intense glare, trying to intimidate him into stopping the speech altogether.

"The chance to give a tribute to the unfathomable legacy is one that I had never hoped would happen in my time, but it is one that I take much pride in delivering. Captain James Tiberius Kirk has left a mark on this universe that I cannot begin to cover with words." The Admiral continued, his voice projecting through the crowd.

Spock sat beside McCoy, forcing himself to retain his stoic stance. All of his muscles tightened with the strain as he felt his emotions bubbling to the surface. Uhura clung to Spock's arm, her eyes staring blankly up at the admiral. Scotty's gaze was focused on the ground, his head ducked low, hiding the tears forming in his eyes. Sulu's gaze hardened as he sat straight in his chair.

"I don't have to tell you what Jim Kirk meant to me, you, or the universe as a whole. You already know that in your hearts. No, instead we're here to celebrate his legacy. We're here to remember all that he's done. There is no way to dull a loss this great, but we can turn the pain into fuel to bring our universe into a better era. Kirk wouldn't want you to sit around and mourn his loss. He would want you to use his memory as a guide to bring yourselves to a new and better horizon." The admiral continued to speak, his reserve growing stronger with each word. "James Tiberius Kirk will forever be with us, the community, and Starfleet. He deserves the highest honors for everything that he has done and given to protect the universe, and Starfleet alone cannot give this. It is up to all of us together to remember this invaluable human being and honor his memory."

/

Lava scorched the planet's surface below them. The reek of phaser fire added to the heavy smoke billowing from the rock gagged them. The screams of the enemy pierced the air. The thundering of the rocks shifting and breaking nearly drowned them out.

Kirk raced down the stretch of unbroken rock, narrowly dodging phaser blasts from the enemy troops. He threw himself behind a rock and reached his phaser around it, firing off a few rounds and hitting the enemy fortress. He sucked in a shaky breath as the thick smoke began to cloud his lungs.

"Spock!" Kirk, cried out over the din and Spock dashed to his side, sliding beside him behind the rock. "How are we on the beam out?" Kirk asked breathlessly as he patted a glowing ember off his charred uniform.

"The blast has interrupted our communication capabilities." Spock answered before firing at the enemy over the rock.

"What's our next move?" Kirk asked, taking a quick peek over the rock. Before him was nothing but a lava river spilling over the mountainous terrain.

"The likelihood of the smoke clearing in time for us to make an escape is zero-point-oh-seven percent." Spock gulped as he watched the lava splashing in the distance.

"Oh, and here I was worried we had no chance." Kirk scoffed and cracked a nervous smile. "What if we found a transport?" Kirk yelled back, scanning the fortress quickly, then ducking back behind the rock as parts of the ground shifted and spewed lava.

"It is once again unlikely. The army is liable to have already used them. There is also no telling if we could escape the immediate vicinity fast enough." Spock replied then continued to fire on the enemy.

"What if we found a way to pierce through the smoke?" Kirk asked, catching a glance of the large blaster cannon sitting on top of the fortress wall. "Even for just a second?"

"It is possible, though there is a chance that Mr. Scott will be unable to lock on to our location in time." Spock responded after thinking it over. "What did you have in mind?"

"If we can turn that blaster cannon to the sky, it might be able to shoot through the smoke." Kirk yelled as another piece of the ground shook under their feet, threatening to swallow them whole. "It's the best plan we've got!" Spock nodded in agreement warily and Kirk stood up and fired over the rock, hitting the two standing troops with deadly precision. "Let's go!" Kirk motioned for Spock to follow as he took off towards the fortress. As the two men ran, they could feel the smoke burning in their lungs and the heat singeing their feet. Spock watched Kirk carefully, knowing that the captain was poorly suited for such an environment.

Kirk kept his eyes on the fortress as he skillfully dodged the lava that was beginning to stream by his feet. The ground shook violently again and the rocks beneath him split open and the ground fell out from beneath him. He latched onto a rock at the surface, the black sand shifting under his fingers and burning the palms of his hands. Spock spun around and his eyes went wide with terror.

"Go!" Kirk yelled, clawing at the sand to pull himself back up. "Get back to the ship! Take care of the crew!" Kirk commanded and Spock ran to help.

"I'm not going to leave you, Captain!" Spock screamed as Kirk's grip loosened farther and the rocks beneath him continued to split.

"Take care of them, Spock!" Kirk yelled back as he heard the rocks begin to rumble. "Promise me!" He yelled, but the sand beneath his hands crumbled away and he fell into the abyss.

Spock reached out his hands to help the captain, but he was thrown into the air by the rushing heat of the lava spurting out of the crevice. The hot air and embers singed his skin as his body skittered against the sand and rocks. He scrambled to stand up again as he watched the lava spilling out of the cavern that engulfed Kirk. He was frozen on his feet as he watched the glowing red and orange seep out over the rocks surrounding him.

Promise me. Kirk's words echoed in Spock's mind as he watched the chaos around himself. He turned his head and saw the fortress, the lava beginning to pour over the far side. Spock took one last look at where his beloved captain had once been before he took off towards the fortress. His legs carried him faster than he thought possible. His lungs burned with the effort and the heat made his skin crawl. As he reached the gate, he shot at the large chain, snapping it and sending the door crashing to the ground. He sprinted through and pushed past all of the panicking troops as he rushed to the stairs. He reached the blaster cannon and ripped it from its hinges, then snatched his communicator from his belt, holding it up and ready. His muscles strained as he aimed the heavy cannon at the sky, the smoke above him swirling menacingly. He punched the activation button and the gun sputtered and spat a beam at the sky, tearing a hole in the thick smoke curtain.

"One to beam up!" Spock yelled into the communicator and was met with the familiar tingle of the transporter. As he felt himself being deconstructed, he looked out one last time at the lava spilling over the planet. "I promise."

/

"Spock?" Uhura asked, watching her Vulcan love with concern as his eyes wandered far away. Spock quickly snapped back to attention, nearly dropping the delicate wine glass in his hand. "Are you alright?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Quite alright, Nyota." Spock cleared his throat.

"Good." Uhura said gently, placing her hand tenderly on his arm. "I think that you need to talk to Doctor McCoy." Uhura turned to look at McCoy, who was sitting solemnly in the corner of the room, nursing a glass of whiskey. "I'm worried about him."

"As am I." Spock said as he kissed her on the cheek. He pushed his way through the crowd and made his way to McCoy, who had hardly even noticed him approaching.

"That was one hellava eulogy, huh, Spock?" McCoy muttered, taking a sip of his whiskey. "He talked like he knew Jim."

"Doctor McCoy," Spock started softly, but McCoy quickly interrupted him.

"Everyone knew Jim, after all. He was the poster boy of the Federation." McCoy shook his head. "They knew all about him. How he hated coming in for a simple checkup, or how much he loved to drink a nice neat whiskey after a mission went wrong. He always blamed himself." McCoy continued quietly, trailing off in thought.

"I am here to offer my emotional support, doctor." Spock cleared his throat, pulling McCoy away from his thoughts.

"Did Uhura put you up to this?" McCoy sighed, sloshing around the small amount of whiskey left in his glass.

"She expressed concern for you, Leonard, as I do." Spock folded his free hand behind his back neatly and McCoy rolled his eyes and huffed.

"If you're really worried about me, you should get me another drink." McCoy muttered as he slouched in the chair. "Good thing this 'celebration' has an open bar." He grumbled.

"I understand that you feel that alcohol consumption dulls the pain, however I must warn you that this habit can lead to health complications, such as alcoholism." Spock warned and McCoy rolled his eyes.

"I know that, pointy-eared bastard. I'm a doctor." McCoy scoffed as he stood up shakily from his chair. "I'll get it myself." He huffed in Spock's face, the strong scent of alcohol nearly making the Vulcan cringe. McCoy wobbled as he walked to the bar, bumping into other crew members along the way and muttering apologies.

"That went just about as well as it could've." Uhura sighed as she slipped her arm through Spock's.

"I am concerned about the doctor." Spock said, watching as McCoy nearly toppled to the ground as he reached the counter.

"We all are, Spock." Uhura said solemnly as she looked up at Spock. "But I'm also concerned about you." She admitted and Spock raised an inquisitive eyebrow as his gaze met hers.

"Curious." He started, putting up the emotion barriers in his mind.

"You and Kirk were close." Uhura said quietly. "Closer than he and I were, and I know that it still hit me like a ton of bricks." She felt the tears swell up in her eyes.

"Are you suggesting that I have been emotionally compromised?" Spock asked, the walls in his mind coming crashing down at the mention of Kirk's name.

"I'm just telling you that I'm here to talk." Uhura cooed, placing a gentle hand on Spock's arm.

"I appreciate the offer, Nyota. I offer the same to you, as always." Spock said formally, then turned his attention back to McCoy and trying to desperately to maintain the stoic look on his face.

"Thank you, Spock. That means a lot." Uhura said gently.

"I don' even know what ta think." Scotty said quietly as he approached Spock and Uhura. "Spock, please tell me tha' you're gonna be runnin' the Enterprise," Scotty asked, his eyes swelling up with tears.

"I have every intention of assuming command of the ship, yes." Spock nodded slightly as Kirk's final words resonated in his head once more. Promise me.

"Glad to hear it," Sulu said, joining the group. "Count me in for the ride." He said, raising his glass. "Captain Kirk wouldn't want anyone but you to sit in his chair, let alone let someone else take command. I'm not about to let the Enterprise sit in junk storage, either."

"Now, tha's the truth." A weak smile forced itself onto Scotty's lips.

"To Kirk." Uhura raised her glass, and the rest of the group followed her lead.

"To Kirk," They repeated.

"We won't let you down." Uhura finished and took a drink from her glass. Spock let his eyes drop to the bubbling liquid as he listened to the small talk around him. "We're going to miss you."

/

Darkness. Kirk opened his eyes, slowly but surely, but was only met with darkness. His head thundered as he shifted slightly, and he didn't know that it was possible to be as cold as he was. He tried to stretch out his arms and flip himself onto his back, but the rocks surrounding him began to cave in around him. Sharp pains ran up and down his body with every movement. He breathed in sharply, but realized that his lungs burned with the effort. He fell into a coughing fit, his chest burning as his lungs contracted and jostled the rocks surrounding him.

Think, Jim. He thought to himself, trying to keep himself from panicking. What happened to you? He asked himself, and everything soon came flooding back to him. The fall. The lava spurting from the ground. The explosion of heat throwing him into the cave. His back slamming against the cave wall and the rocks crashing down at the entrance, closing it off.

Up. He thought. It's the only way out. He slowly and painfully wriggled under the rubble and flipped himself onto his back. He began to claw at the rocks above him, pulling them and maneuvering them out of his way. They all began to crumble on top of him, but he didn't care. He kept pushing through, knowing that each rock, each boulder, each pebble would bring him closer to the surface.

At long last, his hand finally pushed through the last of the rock and out into the open. He clawed his way out from under the remaining rocks and pushed his head out into the atmosphere. He took a deep breath that burned his lungs and he began to have another coughing fit, but he didn't care. He had done it. He was out.

He looked around him to see nothing but small puddles of lava and the smoldering black rock from its trail. His head quickly turned in the direction of the bunker, but he was met with only a thick covering of dark rock. Everything around him was laid to waste.

"Shit."

/

Hey! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! As usual, I don't have a beta reader, so please pardon my mistakes and don't be too harsh on me. Anyway, this adventure is just starting, so stay tuned! Feel free to leave me any positive notes or constructive criticism, I love to get feedback! Thank you so much for reading, and stay tuned for more!

-buckminsterbarnes