The chamber erupted into chaos. 

Blacktooth’s crew surged forward, their movements more fluid than any holo-NPC should be. The glitching holodeck had given them an uncanny sense of realness, and without the safety protocols, their blades could actually cut.

Tom stepped into the oncoming tide with no hesitation. 

The first pirate lunged at him. Tom sidestepped, caught the man’s wrist, wrenched the sword free, and knocked him out with a vicious headbutt. A second came from behind, and Tom turned sharply, parrying the blade with a loud clang that vibrated up his arm. A third pirate dove at him. Tom caught him in midair and slammed him into the stone wall so hard he crumpled to the floor. 

Vail was fighting on the other side of the chamber, two blades flashing as she spun between attackers like a dancer. She moved with a kind of reckless grace, cutting down pirates with quick, precise strikes. But there were too many. 

“Vail! Your flank!” Tom bellowed at her. 

She turned just in time to block a blade that would have taken her side. For a split second, her eyes flicked to Tom – and in that moment, he felt something surge in his chest. Something primal. 

He roared. 

It was a sound that echoed off the stone walls, deep and raw. It was so powerful, it even caught the glitching holo-pirates off guard, and made them falter. Tom charged into the fray of bodies. The nearest pirate barely had time to react before Tom’s cutlass went sweeping across his chest. Another raised her blade, Tom blocked, shoved her backwards, and finished her off with a brutal kick to the chest that sent her careening into the wall. 

He moved faster now, stronger. There was no hesitation, no restraint. His Klingon blood sang with the thrill of battle. One pirate swung high, Tom ducked and drove a dagger deep up under the man’s guard. Another tried to grab him from behind; Tom caught his arm, twisted, and sent him sprawling into two more. 

Even Vail paused mid-fight to stare. She’d only seen this kind of ferocity from him once before, and like that time, it sent a jolt through her. Fear wasn’t the right word; it was more like… awe. Awe, and something else. 

Blacktooth stepped forward at last, sneering. “Let’s see how long you last against a real opponent.” Then, he lunged. 

Tom didn’t even flinch. He caught Blacktooth’s blade with one hand, wrenched it free from his grip, and broke the blade against the rock wall in one fluid motion. 

Blacktooth staggered backwards, shock fleeting across his face. 

“No more games,” Tom growled. 

He slammed Blacktooth into the pedestal. The ancient treasure chest toppled, spilling gold coins across the stone floor in a glittering cascade. 

For a heartbeat, the room went still. Then the holodeck shimmered. The pirates all froze mid-motion, their edged flickering like broken projections. Slowly, they all dissolved, one by one, back into glowing pixels. The program had ended. Suddenly, they were back in the yellow-black grid of the holodeck. The treasure, the pirates, the island – all gone. 

Only the echo of the adrenaline remained. Tom stood, his chest heaving slightly from the effort, a smear of dust across his cheek. His cutlass was still in his hand, but his posture had softened back into control. Vail lowered her swords slowly, her heart still racing. She walked towards him, her eyes never leaving his. 

“You…” She stopped, not quite finding the right words, “…You were incredible.”

Tom glanced at her, his usual calm returning, though there was still a faint ember of battle fire in his eyes. “It was… necessary.”

“No,” Vail said firmly. She stepped closer, close enough to feel the heat still radiating off him. “Don’t downplay that. You owned that room.”

Tom remained silent, studying her. Then, she smiled. It was small, but it matched the intensity of her pounding heart. “I like your Klingon side.”

The corners of Tom’s mouth quirked. “You sure didn’t seem to mind.”

She didn’t give him a chance to say more. She grabbed his shirt collar and kissed him. This kiss wasn’t like the one back in the treasure chamber. This one was charged with all the adrenaline, the heat, the unspoken words, and unspent time between them in the last few months. When they finally separated, they were both breathing harder. 

A voice suddenly cut the moment. “Umm… excuse me?”

They both turned. 

A Starbase 86 engineer stood in the doorway, holding a PADD awkwardly in his hands. “Sorry to interrupt – I just came to let you know there’s been some minor instabilities in the holodeck grid during the upgrades. You didn’t… uh… run into any… problems, did you?”

Vail and Tom exchanged a glance. 

“No,” Tom said, sheathing his blade. “No problems.”

The engineer blinked. “Oh… okay then. Carry… carry on, I guess.” He left, and silence settled in again. 

Vail laughed softly and shook her head. “Best shore leave ever.”

Tom glanced at her, his mouth curling into a rare, genuine smile. “Next time, I’m choosing the program.” 

She grinned and stepped close again, grabbing his hand with hers and leading him towards the corridor. “Fine,” she said, “but good luck topping this.”