Black Night, in answer to your question, yes, this will keep a T rating. I've yet to find a Khanolly fic that isn't rated M, and that really annoys me, because porn is just wrong -_- So don't you worry :)
Also, let's pretend that the Enterprise's transport beams are still functioning in this chapter, because I just realized that they aren't in the movie, and they are in this chapter _
"Secure the bay!" Bones shouted, regaining his balance and steadying Molly. "Brace yourselves!"
The armed guards, to their credit, didn't move, but the blue-clad crew members rushed about, sealing the door and cabinets to keep anything from falling out, then holding on desperately to anything bolted to the floor.
Molly crouched under an examination table with Bones, staring in amazement at the armed guards, who absorbed each impact with a shifting of weight. Khan didn't move at all—just kept his gaze fixed ahead, steady through the shuddering of the Enterprise.
Then, just as suddenly as they had started, the ship became still. The impacts halted.
"What in blazes is going on?" Bones growled, heaving himself upright. The ship was quiet except for the distant warble of emergency alarms.
"We're not at warp anymore," Molly noted, feeling the absence of the hum of hyperspace.
"Nope," Bones agreed, checking on the other doctors and nurses. "Probably headed to Earth. Shouldn't be too far from there now."
Molly looked at Khan, trying to read his gaze for answers, but all she received was the same unnerving stare. She quickly turned back to Bones as he punched the comm.
"Bridge, this is the med bay." He said. "What's going on?"
"Carol is trying to negotiate with her father," Came the murmured reply that Molly recognized as Uhura. "I don't think it's going too—oh dear!"
The comm cut off abruptly. Molly frowned.
"This just gets stranger and stranger," Bones growled as he tried again. No response.
Molly hugged her arms, and realized her sleeve had a sizable rip in it.
"Oh, goodness," She murmured. Bones noticed the hole.
"Probably got that caught on one of the metal bolts under the exam table," He told her, heading to a cabinet and rummaging in it. "I've got a spare uniform in here, but it's a men's. Will that be alright?"
"Sure," Molly murmured. Bones directed her to a bathroom where she could change.
When Molly came out again, Kirk was just coming in the door, looking quite angry. Bones had taken a seat at a desk, and was messing with some sort of furball.
Kirk stood in front of Khan, directly in the Augment's line of sight. Molly hated to admit it, but the black-clad Augment was far more intimidating than the Captain of the Enterprise.
"Tell me everything you know about that ship." Kirk ordered coldly.
"Dreadnaught Class," Khan said after a slight pause. "Two times the size, three times the speed, advanced weaponry. Modified for a minimal crew. Unlike most Federation vessels, it's built solely for combat."
Kirk considered this.
"I will do everything I can," He said at last, "to make you answer for what you did."
If that news worried Khan, he didn't show it with even a blink. He simply waited for Kirk to continue.
"But right now, I need your help." Kirk admitted.
"In exchange for what?" Khan asked immediately. Did everything have to be a bargain with this man, Molly wondered.
"You said you'd do anything for your crew." Jim reminded the Augment. "I can guarantee their safety."
"Captain…" Khan breathed, his voice a contemptuous purr. "You can't even guarantee the safety of your own crew."
Molly could tell the Augment had struck a nerve. Kirk glanced over to Bones.
"Bones, what are you doing with that Tribble?"
"Tribble's dead," Bones replied. "I'm injecting Khan's platelets into the deceased tissue. Khan's cells regenerate like nothing I've ever seen, and I want to know why."
Kirk returned his gaze to Khan's, silently trying to stare him down.
"Are you coming with me, or not?"
Khan was silent, analyzing this offer. Finally, he leaned forwards, planting his feet firmly on the floor, and rising to his full height—a good four inches above Kirk, Molly noticed.
One of the guards unlocked the binders from the Augment's wrists, though the four remained around Khan.
As the Augment was being led out the door, he turned his head and gave Molly a piercing look that she could have sworn meant, You have not seen the last of me.
Once he was gone, Molly realized her knees were weak, and that she had been holding her breath. She exhaled, gripping the examination table for support.
"I'm going to the bridge to see what's going on," Bones told her. "Come if you want."
He smiled slightly. "You look good in pants."
"Um—th-thanks," Molly stammered, trailing after him as he headed out the door.
Upon reaching the bridge, Bones went straight to Spock and demanded what was going on. Molly was surprised to see the Vulcan in the Captain's chair, as he calmly explained that Kirk and Khan were going to space jump from the Enterprise to the Vengeance to stop Admiral Marcus.
"Are you ready?" Came Kirk's voice over the comm, probably talking to the Augment.
"Are you?" Was the baritone reply.
"Launching activation sequence in 3…2…1." Spock relayed. He pressed the button on the arm of the Captain's chair, and instantly two small blips appeared on the screen at the front of the bridge.
Molly stood awkwardly by the door, unsure of what to do. She hadn't been on the ship for all of a day, and they were on the verge of destruction. The human figured she wouldn't be of any use on the bridge, so she made her way back to the medical bay.
Thankfully, there were some victims of the earlier strikes that required care, so Molly lent a hand in administering tanks to those suffering from vacuum and oxygen deprivation, and injecting anesthetic into those hit by shrapnel.
-ooo-
After about half an hour, Molly sighed and leaned against a desk. All the patients had been cared for, and were either sleeping, or chatting with the medics.
The door hissed open, and Bones entered. Molly only caught some of what he was saying to himself.
"That sneaky son of a—"
He broke off as he noted the glances thrown his way.
"Nurse Chapel," He called. "Get a bed ready. We're going to have company."
"Who?" Asked the nurse as she cleared the supplies off an empty bed and smoothed the sheets.
"The Captain and the others." Bones replied. "They're going to be in big trouble, I can smell it."
Molly knew that Kirk was on the other ship, with Khan. Against all logical reasoning, she wanted to help. She had trained to use a blaster, and could use basic self-defense maneuvers.
The human turned and raced from the medical bay, ignoring Bones' questioning shout.
Molly made it to the transport room, grabbing a blaster from the control panel.
"Beam me to the Vengeance!" She ordered. The red-shirted crew member stared at her.
"Beam you over there? B-but that enemy territory! Marcus is there, and Khan!"
"Do it, sir." Molly growled. He reluctantly clicked in the coordinated, and Molly watched in satisfaction as light swirled around her, dissolving her molecules in a flash.
Then she was in a different place, stumbling to keep her balance. She took in the scene at a glance—probably the bridge of the Vengeance, Kirk and Scotty on the floor, and Khan with the head of Marcus encased in his powerful hands.
"You should have let me sleep!" The Augment snarled savagely.
"No!" Molly shouted. She charged forwards, barreling into Khan's side and knocking him off balance. The Augment was swift, however. He seized the front of Molly's shirt, thrusting her downwards. The human pulled her knees up to her chin, but not in time to keep Khan's knee from slamming into her gut, knocking the wind from her as she hit the floor.
Molly held the blaster lengthways, her elbows braced on the floor being the only defense between the Augment's teeth and her face.
"I'm not letting you hurt one more soul!" She gasped out. Khan's lips twisted upwards in a smile.
"Oh, you're not letting me?" He purred in a sneer. "Oh, what a pity to waste such a strong, brave, and…beautiful human."
Molly tensed, digging her knees harder into his chest. His hand had closed over hers on the blaster, pushing downwards with the same effort she was pushing up, so hard that the weapon trembled.
"No, Molly!" Kirk shouted from somewhere nearby.
"Oh, you know this foolish human?" Khan growled.
"He's my Captain," Molly managed through a straining voice. "I'll do anything for him!"
"Well your Captain can teach you one last lesson about Augment strength," Khan said, leaning down until his face was an inch from Molly's. "…By letting you watch him die!"
Molly yelled in rage, jerking the blaster sideways and firing blindly. She missed Khan completely, the bolt sparking harmlessly off the ceiling, but it was enough to make Khan rear back in surprise.
In the same instant, Kirk cannoned into the Augment, sending them both rolling off the human.
"Molly, get out of here!" Jim shouted, just before Khan's fist cracked across his jaw. Molly scrambled to her feet, pure terror clouding her thoughts, and ran from the bridge.
Kirk managed to kick Khan off himself, and seized a blaster. He aimed at the Augment and fired, the blue stun bolt hitting him square in the chest. Khan collapsed, spark out, and Kirk ran to the comm.
"Spock, get us out of here!"
"Aye, sir." Came the reply. "Mr. Sulu, set coordinates."
Light swirled around Scotty and Kirk as they hauled a gasping Carol to her feet, and vanished in a flash.
"Did you get Molly?" Kirk demanded as the two dragged Carol between them to the bridge exit.
"You, Mr. Scott, and Carol Marcus were the only beings to beam aboard the Vengeance." Spock replied. "I do not see how Miss Hooper—"
"Well, she's over there!" Kirk called over his shoulder. "With Marcus and Khan! So get her off!"
"Sensors detect multiple moving life forms," Sulu relayed. "I can't tell which one is Molly. If we beam one of them, we risk Marcus or Khan."
"Captain, may I remind you that we still possess Khan's crew." Spock said, following Kirk. "If Khan happens to find Miss Hooper, by all logical reasons, he will use her as a ransom, and she will therefore remain alive."
Kirk growled in frustration as he readjusted his hold on Carol.
"You're probably right," He said. "Now comes the waiting game."
-ooo-
Molly crouched in a storage room behind some crates, breathing heavily. The cool metal was a blessed relief to her now sweat-damp back. She had run as fast and as long as her legs would carry her, seeking somewhere to hide. At one point, she had found herself back on the bridge, having run in a complete circle. She had glimpsed Khan as he finished off the rest of Marcus's crew, and for one horrible second, the Augment had fixed her in his gaze before she had turned tail and fled once more.
The human put a hand to her racing heart, trying to steady it. She wondered how she would get back to the Enterprise. Although she had been on board for less than two days, she had become close to the crew and saw them as family—even Spock, much as he unnerved her.
Then all thoughts of rescue were replaced by cold reality as she heard faint footsteps. Her formally racing heart had halted completely, as she peered around the edge of the crates.
Khan was standing in the doorway of the storage room, looking all around, nostrils flaring.
There was no way he could find her by her scent, Molly thought, ducking behind the crate once more. Even Augment senses weren't that good.
After a few moments, the human chanced a glance out again. The room was empty. Molly's shoulders sagged with relief. He had gone. Perhaps now she could get back to the bridge—assuming she could find it—and call for help.
Molly turned to crawl back through the maze of crates, and found herself staring into a pair of crystalline eyes, glowing faintly in the dim light.
Before she could even scream, the Augment's powerful hand closed on the side of her neck, cutting off the blood flow to her brain in that ancient maneuver used by Vulcans. The loss of oxygen to her brain was so swift and sudden that her nerves shut down instantly, and Molly fell into darkness with her ears ringing.
