So I still haven't watched STD, so I'm dependent on reviews and synopsis. However, I am finding it somewhat....dis-satisfactory how the shooting scene went down (he stabs her Captain, she flicks the phaser from stun to kill and shoots him in the back? Is that it? You needed/wanted him alive remember!) maybe understandable if she was an ensign? or maybe not Starfleet?. So here's my reimagining! (prose format)
Georgiou gasps as the blade punctures her vest, dealing a killing blow. T'Kuvma smiles - it has been a satisfactory fight and kill, but he cannot dwell on and savour the moment, for the other Starfleet officer has not been dealt with. He turns towards her.
Michael looks in shock as the life leaves her Captain's body. Her phaser still pointed at T'Kuvma, she feels emotions of hate and grief well up inside her. Despite her years of Vulcan training, she takes one of her hands off her phaser and momentarily contemplates flicking the switch from stun to kill. But she thinks better of it - not only would it be a terrible idea, dooming the Federation to war with the Klingons, but it would dishonour the ideals her Captain had fought and died for. She keeps to her plan. Before T'Kuvma can finish turning around, Burnham grimly fires her phaser, striking him in the front of his chest. With a cry, T'Kuvma falls to the ground.
Advancing towards T'Kuvma's body, Burnham prepares to tag him for beam out. Phaser still pointed at him, she glances over to the body of her Captain, her lifeless eyes staring back at her. Looking back at T'Kuvma, Burnham feels her emotions of anger and sadness getting the better of her for a moment. Her eyes both water up, and she takes a second to quickly dry them with the back of her left hand, phaser in her right, still trained on the Klingon.
Unfortunately, a second is all it takes.
"UMMPH!" An impact slams into the centre/left side of Michael's midsection, winding her! Was it a kick or punch? Before she can react, "AAH!" another blow smacks into her head, dazing her! A headbutt? A fist? Whatever it was, she stumbles back, barely managing to remain upright and conscious. A thoroughly un-stunned T'Kuvma is moving with a speed that belies his large size and the immense weight of his armour.
Her head swimming, Michael frantically tries to aim the phaser back it the Klingon. A small, clear part of her mind is screaming "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WAKE UP! OR HE'LL GRAB YOUR PHASER AND KILL YOU!". But the rest of her mind is too groggy, and her movements too slow. Although she manages to vaguely point the phaser at his chest, it's still set to stun, and she feels him grab her phaser with both hands, one across the top of the barrel, the other on her hand, across the trigger and grip. Any moment now, he will surely wrench the phaser from her and shoot her with it. Stunned, she'd be unable to stop him from killing her.
"Oh no, he's got me!" thinks Michael. Time slows. She looks unfocused, groggily into his eyes, which stare back at her with a piercing confidence.
She suddenly remembered something she'd heard about:
"Tova'dok - a Klingon concept - a moment of clarity between two warriors on a field of battle."
He looks down and left at the phaser. Still dazed, she follows his gaze.
With his left hand, he flicks the phaser to KILL!
Her eyes widen, and she looks back at him!
It feels like she can read his mind!
He stares back, eyes joyful. His plan has come to fruition. War is inevitable, and he will go down in history, having proven himself as a true Klingon! He grins.
In an instant, she knows his last thought!
"You really shouldn't have made me a martyr!"
And with that, he tightly grasps her hand on her phaser, squeezing her finger on the trigger.
"NOOOOOOO!" Burnham screams as T'Kuvma takes a kill phaser shot in the chest.
He falls to the floor. She can only stare in shock. This was the worst possible outcome. Not only was T'Kuvma dead, but he had died making it look like he was "heroically and honourably wrestling with his killer for the gun!" Which would only elevate his status among the Klingons and make war impossible to stop!
She manages to realise through the smoking hole in his armour, T'Kuvma was wearing a vest underneath. A STUN-PROOF VEST. She was confused - Klingon's don't use stun weapons, so wearing one was illogical - and then it hit her with horrified realization.
HE KNEW.
He had foreseen that Starfleet would try and capture him. He'd probably let them board his ship. And so he wore a stun-proof vest. Bulky, heavy and useless against kill-settings. But perfect if you expected to fight off people trying to stun and capture you.
Michael sinks to her knees, only beginning to contemplate the monumental magnitude of her failure.
Georgiou gasps as the blade punctures her vest, dealing a killing blow. T'Kuvma smiles - it has been a satisfactory fight and kill, but he cannot dwell on and savour the moment, for the other Starfleet officer has not been dealt with. He turns towards her.
Michael looks in shock as the life leaves her Captain's body. Her phaser still pointed at T'Kuvma, she feels emotions of hate and grief well up inside her. Despite her years of Vulcan training, she takes one of her hands off her phaser and momentarily contemplates flicking the switch from stun to kill. But she thinks better of it - not only would it be a terrible idea, dooming the Federation to war with the Klingons, but it would dishonour the ideals her Captain had fought and died for. She keeps to her plan. Before T'Kuvma can finish turning around, Burnham grimly fires her phaser, striking him in the front of his chest. With a cry, T'Kuvma falls to the ground.
Advancing towards T'Kuvma's body, Burnham prepares to tag him for beam out. Phaser still pointed at him, she glances over to the body of her Captain, her lifeless eyes staring back at her. Looking back at T'Kuvma, Burnham feels her emotions of anger and sadness getting the better of her for a moment. Her eyes both water up, and she takes a second to quickly dry them with the back of her left hand, phaser in her right, still trained on the Klingon.
Unfortunately, a second is all it takes.
"UMMPH!" An impact slams into the centre/left side of Michael's midsection, winding her! Was it a kick or punch? Before she can react, "AAH!" another blow smacks into her head, dazing her! A headbutt? A fist? Whatever it was, she stumbles back, barely managing to remain upright and conscious. A thoroughly un-stunned T'Kuvma is moving with a speed that belies his large size and the immense weight of his armour.
Her head swimming, Michael frantically tries to aim the phaser back it the Klingon. A small, clear part of her mind is screaming "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WAKE UP! OR HE'LL GRAB YOUR PHASER AND KILL YOU!". But the rest of her mind is too groggy, and her movements too slow. Although she manages to vaguely point the phaser at his chest, it's still set to stun, and she feels him grab her phaser with both hands, one across the top of the barrel, the other on her hand, across the trigger and grip. Any moment now, he will surely wrench the phaser from her and shoot her with it. Stunned, she'd be unable to stop him from killing her.
"Oh no, he's got me!" thinks Michael. Time slows. She looks unfocused, groggily into his eyes, which stare back at her with a piercing confidence.
She suddenly remembered something she'd heard about:
"Tova'dok - a Klingon concept - a moment of clarity between two warriors on a field of battle."
He looks down and left at the phaser. Still dazed, she follows his gaze.
With his left hand, he flicks the phaser to KILL!
Her eyes widen, and she looks back at him!
It feels like she can read his mind!
He stares back, eyes joyful. His plan has come to fruition. War is inevitable, and he will go down in history, having proven himself as a true Klingon! He grins.
In an instant, she knows his last thought!
"You really shouldn't have made me a martyr!"
And with that, he tightly grasps her hand on her phaser, squeezing her finger on the trigger.
"NOOOOOOO!" Burnham screams as T'Kuvma takes a kill phaser shot in the chest.
He falls to the floor. She can only stare in shock. This was the worst possible outcome. Not only was T'Kuvma dead, but he had died making it look like he was "heroically and honourably wrestling with his killer for the gun!" Which would only elevate his status among the Klingons and make war impossible to stop!
She manages to realise through the smoking hole in his armour, T'Kuvma was wearing a vest underneath. A STUN-PROOF VEST. She was confused - Klingon's don't use stun weapons, so wearing one was illogical - and then it hit her with horrified realization.
HE KNEW.
He had foreseen that Starfleet would try and capture him. He'd probably let them board his ship. And so he wore a stun-proof vest. Bulky, heavy and useless against kill-settings. But perfect if you expected to fight off people trying to stun and capture you.
Michael sinks to her knees, only beginning to contemplate the monumental magnitude of her failure.
