She blinked, eyesight fuzzy, but regaining focus. How long had she been out?
The lights were low, and as she glanced around, she recognized the white sterile walls and the beeping from one of the machines still hooked up to her. Medbay.
With a groan, and some dizziness, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Besides some sore muscles, she seemed to be fine. Her head hurt, but that was to be expected. Did Klingon's have to hit so hard? As soon as the thought ran through her head, she distinctly remembered the odd way they had treated her. When this was over, she definitely wanted to check out their connection to Magic.
The doors to her room swooshed open, startling her out of her thoughts, "Don't move too fast, ya had a concussion. You're liable to puke up whatever's in your stomach if ya move faster than a snails pace." Dr. McCoy grumbled.
It would have been a warm welcome, had the situation been different. Subdued, all she could do was give him a curt nod. What do you say to someone who thought you were dead?
"I've let the Captain know that you're awake; I'm sure he'll be down to visit in no time. They can't seem to get anythin outta Harrison." He spat the name like a curse.
She flinched, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and felt like cotton. Would she even be able to speak during the interrogation?
A sharp pain in her neck, and she jerked back into reality. Wincing, her right hand reached up to rub at the hypospray injection site. It stung.
"That'll help with any nausea, can't have ya infecting my Medbay with whatever may be in your stomach." With that, he left.
Her left hand was cuffed to the biobed, so there wasn't a reason for him to stay, really. It wasn't like she could go anywhere, at the moment. Sure, she could escape, but the plan was to get captured; she was only waiting for the signal to begin the next phase.
Sighing, she leaned back onto the bed, exhaustion creeping up on her. Her eyelids fluttered once, twice, and closed for a final time as she fell asleep.
The door to Medbay opened, and Jim made his way into the room that held Everly. She was asleep, breathing normally compared to when she was first beamed aboard. She looked so small and fragile when she had been placed on the bed, head bleeding and barely breathing. It was hard to remember that she couldn't be trusted, anymore. A part of him was relieved that she was alright afterall, the other was screaming at him for befriending her to begin with. He knew better.
He observed her for a moment, questions churning within him. Why? Why would she follow Khan? Fists clenched, he slammed his hands down onto the counter beside her bed.
She startled awake, her right hand grasping for a wand that wasn't there. It had been confiscated along with the rest of their weapons. Kirk wasn't going to underestimate her, no matter what. Her heart was beating out of control, heard by the incessant beeping throughout the room. When she met Kirk's eyes, she calmed. He was no threat to her, and wasn't that just astounding? She had the gall to be calm.
He wasn't sure what infuriated him more.
"Why are their people inside those torpedo's?" He demanded.
She bit her lip, unsure if she was supposed to answer that. Wasn't he supposed to go to Khan for answers once he found out? Inwardly, she wanted to roll her eyes, of course he'd want to speak with her first. Even though she'd lied, she was still more trustworthy than Khan.
"You'd get a better explanation from Khan." She urged.
He growled, looking every bit as if he wanted to strangle her, "I want you to answer."
"There's a person in every single torpedo because Khan and I had no other choice! We were trying to smuggle them out, but he got caught. He was so angry. Again, he was denied his family, how do you think he felt? So, yes, he attacked Starfleet. Wouldn't you? You know who he is, what he is, the Eugenics Wars weren't all peachy keen, Jim. Khan was King, but not without fighting and killing everyday of his life." Everly took a deep breath, "That isn't a way to live. So, he came up with a plan to put him and his family into an old form of cryosleep. Everything was fine, until Admiral Marcus discovered them on their ship, floating through space. He woke Khan, using his family as leverage to get him to do what he wanted."
Jim listened, getting a better picture as she clarified, "What does he want?"
She looked him straight in the eyes, "War."
A stifling silence surrounded them before the comm burst to life, "Captain, we're being hailed by an unknown vessel." Spock's voice was painful for her to hear.
Jim sighed, turning to leave before she jerked the handcuffs, "Don't. Jim, don't leave me here! That's Marcus; he isn't making a friendly house call."
He glanced over his shoulder as he stopped in the doorway, "You should have thought of that before lying to us." With that said, he left.
Shit.
Struggling against her restraints, Everly growled as the handcuffs refused to budge. She had to get to Khan, or the bridge. They didn't know what they were up against. If Marcus got his hands on those torpedo's, it would all be for nothing. If Jim refused to give them up, they would all be killed. She couldn't let that happen.
"This is gonna hurt.."
Pulling on the cuffs as hard as she could, Everly bloodied her lip as she bit back a scream when her thumb broke as she slipped out of them. Cradling her left hand to her chest, she stumbled from the bed. Wordlessly, she cast a quick Episkey and sighed as the pain faded and the bones righted themselves.
Christine chose that time to enter the room to check on her, staring wide-eyed as she caught Everly up and about. Opening her mouth to yell, Everly did a quick, complex hand motion and Christine hit the wall with a dull thud.
Flinching, Everly frowned, "I'm sorry."
They'd taken her weapons, but left her in the suit Khan had made. It was a small blessing, but a good one, nonetheless. She wouldn't have to scrounge around for clothes she wasn't sure she'd find in Medbay.
Casting a Notice-me-not charm, she slipped from the room. Using her Aura, she reached out across the ship, searching. It was the quickest way for her to locate him without alerting everyone on board that she was loose.
Ah-hah!
She could feel several people within the room that were being guarded by two men, from the outside. Sinking deeper into their Aura's, she determined that they weren't people she knew. At least, nothing more than a passing name and glance. Sending a prayer to Merlin, she used both hands in a complex inter-weaving motion, sending the two guards she could see, to sleep. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for what she was about to do. Stepping up to the keypad, she input Admiral Marcus' override code and the door opened.
Instantly, the guards within the room were at attention, phaser's aimed at the space a person should be. Inwardly cursing, her stress was too much, and her magic reacted violently, throwing them against the wall. They fell to the ground, unconscious.
Khan stood in front of his glass prison, staring where she should be, but unable to focus enough to see. "Everly?"
She approached the cell and began fiddling with the locking mechanism, since her magical outburst had temporarily shorted it, she couldn't just input a code. "Step back." She warned.
That was all Khan needed before he was on the other side of his cell. Placing both hands on the glass, she closed her eyes and summoned as much heat as possible into her hands. As they turned red, the glass splintered with a cracking sound that had her inwardly flinching. Her use of magic caused the notice-me-not charm to flicker before becoming visible once more.
"Shit. Come on, Khan. Kick the glass and lets go! Kirk is going to need all the help he can get, Marcus is here."
As the glass shattered from the impact, he stepped through the doorway and his eyes stared at her intensely. "I wasn't sure you'd still be on my side once your friends were in the picture." Was that bitterness in his tone? He'd have to get a better grasp on his emotions in front of her.
Her eyes narrowed, "How dare you. I faked my own death for you, Khan. If you thought I was someone you could get rid of, you're wrong. Now get your ass in gear, we're sitting ducks right now."
He opened his mouth to say something, but Everly turned and lead the way to the Bridge. Jim was going to need their help, whether he wanted it or not. She was the only one who could Apper–
"Oh fuck."
Khan was by her side in an instant, glancing around with a suspicious glint in his eyes. His shoulders were tense, as he stalked down the hall like a predator tracking his prey.
"How in the hell are we going to get on the Vengeance when I can't Apperate?" She hissed.
They had created that ship, together. Even though she didn't want to, she helped Khan figure out a way to keep magic users out unless a code was input into the system to allow passage. There was an invisible barrier thing surrounding the ship at all times, unless turned off. She didn't know the scientific specifics, she just knew it worked.
"Let's hope that the Captain has thought of something." He murmured.
"Thought? What do you–"
The doors to the Bridge opened, and they came face-to-face with Captain Kirk and Commander Spock. They eyed each other, but before any of them could move, Everly cast a silencing charm.
"We don't have time to argue! We're here to help, and I know you don't trust us, but its the truth. Khan built that ship, and he knows every nook and cranny on the inside. We need to–"
The ship rocked as it shifted into Warp, knocking them all sideways. Everly grunted as she hit the wall, steadying herself as quickly as she could.
Her silencing spell dissipated once she got distracted, allowing Kirk to talk. "As you can see, I think we'll be just fine." He snapped.
"Are you stupid, or deaf? Khan built that ship. If you think we can out run it, you've got some screws loose." She snarled, fists clenching and unclenching as she tried to reign in her anger.
As if by Fate, the USS Enterprise was hit and knocked out of Warp. The ship was jostled and thrown around, causing those who weren't buckled to suffer the same fate. Everly groaned as she hit the wall once more before being thrown to the other side of the hall. Spock grabbed her around the waist before she could make contact and bruise herself further, cocooning her in his embrace so that she wouldn't be hurt anymore.
Suddenly, the comm system came to life as the ship settled, broadcasting the next conversation. "Sir, it's me. It's Carol."
Everly's eyes widened; that was Marcus' daughter. Shit.
Her skin crawled as she heard his voice, "What are you doing on that ship?"
Kirk ran back onto the Bridge, followed by Khan, who sent her a side glance as he walked past her and Spock.
"I heard what you said. That you made a mistake, and now you're trying to fix it. But, Dad, I can't believe the man who raised me, loved me, is capable of destroying a ship full of innocent people. And if I'm wrong about that, then you're going to have to do it with me on board."
Scrambling to get up and race onto the Bridge, Everly was too late to protect Carol from being beamed aboard the USS Vengeance. The lights were already starting to appear as she was stolen from the Bridge. Everly trembled as everything they'd planned unraveled with each passing second.
"Actually, Carol, I won't." Once his daughter was completely off the ship, Marcus continued, "Captain Kirk, without authorization and in league with the fugitive John Harrison, you went rogue in enemy territory. Leaving me no choice but to hunt you down and destroy you. Lock Phasers."
"Wait, Sir! Wait, wait, wait, wait–" Jim pleaded, but Everly didn't listen to the rest.
There was nothing any of them could say that would change Marcus' mind. As the transmission ended, Everly folded into herself, jumping when a hand was laid upon her shoulder. Looking back, she sent Khan a small smile, hoping it looked better than it felt.
This was it. It was all for nothing.
As Marcus sat in the Captain's chair, patiently waiting for the phasers to lock onto the Enterprise, hecursed as they shut down. His crew were shouting different readings to him that all meant the same thing. Someone manually reset the systems.
"Who did it? Get us back on!" He roared.
Startlingly, Scotty's voice burst over the comm, "Enterprise! Can you hear me?"
Everly's tense frame relaxed, "Scotty!" She cheered.
"Ay, lass. Captain, guess what I found behind Jupiter."
Jim jumped up and down, melancholy gone, "You're on that ship!"
Everly wanted to roll her eyes, but refrained. She didn't want to appear rude, especially since most of these people were mad at her, already.
"I snuck on," Scotty whispered, "And seeing as I just committed an act of Treason against a Starfleet Admiral, I'd really like to get off this bloody ship. Now beam me out!"
"You're a miracle worker. We're a little low on power right now, just stand by. Stand by." Kirk ordered, ecstatic. He was already thinking of an idea that just might save their asses.
Affronted, Scotty growled, "What do you mean 'low on power'? What happened to the Enterprise?" There was a loud noise across the comms, and Scotty cut transmission, telling them he'd have to call them back.
The Captain faced Khan, who had been standing a silent vigil over Everly's shoulder, "I need on that ship."
Before Khan could respond, Spock stepped forward, "I will go with you, Captain."
Jim frowned, "No, Mr. Spock, I need you on the Bridge."
Spock clenched his fists behind his back, "I can not allow you to do this. It is my function aboard the ship to advise you in making the wisest decisions possible, something I firmly believe you are incapable in doing in this moment."
It was honest, but he was more concerned about the bond that appeared to be between Everly and Khan. He wasn't sure he wanted to leave her in the presence of Khan any longer, especially since they appeared to have bonded with the time they've already spent couldn't blame her. Closeness breeds a certain fondness. It probably didn't hurt that Khan was an aesthetically pleasing male to gaze upon.
James clapped him on the shoulder, "You're right! What I am about to do, it doesn't make sense, it's not logical, it is a gut feeling. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I only know what I can do. The Enterprise and this crew need someone on that chair who knows what he's doing. That's not me. It's you Spock." He rounded on Khan, "I don't trust you. I watched you open fire in a room full of Starfleet officers. You killed them in cold blood." He accused.
"Marcus took my crew from me." Khan sneered.
James poked Khan on the chest, to emphasize his point, "You are a murderer."
Khan's blue eyes found Everly's as he spoke, "He used my friends to control me! We tried to smuggle them to safety, but we were discovered. We had no choice but to escape. And when we did, I had every reason to suspect that Marcus was going to kill every single one of the people I hold most dear. My crew is my family, Kirk, is there anything you would not do for your family?"
The Bridge was silent, no one quite sure what to say from his outburst. They had him pegged as an emotionless murderer, but were quickly learning that he was anything but.
"Alright boys, are we done? Phaser's anyone? And where is my wand?" Everly demanded, waiting as Yeoman Rand retrieved said items at Kirk's command.
Once they were armed, she did some quick mental calculations before grabbing an arm from Kirk and Khan. "Hold on, boys." With that, they disapperated and reappeared in the engineering bay. It was the only part of the ship that she had ever seen, in person. Settling on her feet, she chuckled dryly as James hacked up what little food he had in his stomach. Khan sent her a smirk, proud of her for figuring out that she would have just enough time to get them onboard before the magic shield kicked in.
"Yeah, can we never do that again." He whined.
Before she could reply, the doors opened and in burst some of the crew. "Stupefy!" She yelled.
With those taken care of, and Jim's quick introduction for Khan and Scotty, they made their way to the Bridge. Khan stuck to her side, allowing Jim to take the apparent lead so that he could keep a close eye on Everly.
As they arrived to their destination, she stared at Khan's pain filled blue eyes, "Be careful."
He gave her a curt nod before they busted into the room and took care to disable everyone under Marcus' command. The man, himself, sat in the Captain's chair, appearing unaffected by their intrusion.
Kirk turned his phaser on him, "Everly, cuffs!" He barked.
"You better stop and think about what you're doing, Kirk. You better think about what you did on Kronos. You made an incursion onto an enemy planet! You fought a Klingon patrol! Even if you get away without a trace, war is coming. And who's gonna lead us, you? If I'm not in charge, our entire way of life is decimated! So you want me off this ship, you better kill me." Marcus growled, hands clenching the arms of his chair.
Approaching him, Everly reached down to cuff him when she saw movement from the corner of her eye. "Stupefy!" She cast at Carol watching as she fell to the ground, phaser in hand. She had been aiming for Khan, and that wouldn't do. She understood wanting to protect her father, but Khan wasn't going to kill Marcus. Not when his crew was still alive.
Flinching, cool steel lined against her throat, "What do you think you're doing?" She hissed.
His breath caressed the side of her face as he spoke in her ear, "You're coming with me." Khan snarled as he took a step forward, "Ah, ah, ah, you stay right where you're at!" Marcus commanded as he backed up with her in his arms.