Chapter 10 - The Whole Truth
Kati stepped back, looking dispassionately at the unconscious Captain bound at her feet. She wasn't sure exactly how long the stun setting on a phaser was supposed to last, but guessed he should be waking up soon. She had him on the floor at the end of the bed, arms stretched out and bound at the wrists to the legs of the heavy piece of furniture. She had opted against the chair - knowing far too many ways to escape such a bind herself - and against securing him similarly to the headboard, as she was certain he had far to much experience in that position for very different reasons. The position he was in would probably strain his shoulders and back a little, and perhaps his neck as he craned to look up at her, but he'd live.
She could have killed him. Probably should have. He had proven time and time again he was an enemy to her kind, and his latest reaction to her was only further proof. His knowledge of what she was made him even more dangerous to their plans than he had already been. The risk in letting him walk out of here with that knowledge was far greater than the risk of suspicion created by him turning up dead in the middle of Khan's trial. She could easily make it look like an accident, or a relapse from the radiation poisoning. She even had a plan for it worked out in her head, which is more than she could say for her course of action in keeping him alive.
And yet she couldn't shake the feeling that Kirk was the key. If she could convince him of their cause, she could convince the world, but if she couldn't there was no point continuing to try. Admittedly stunning and tying him up may not be the best first impression for the real her, but she needed him to listen, and if this was the only way so-be-it. So she poured herself another whiskey, pulled the chair around to face him, and waited for him to wake.
Unlike the tranquillisers from her day, the stun seemed to wear off suddenly, without any remaining grogginess. Kirk's eyes snapped open, alert and wary, and he immediately tried to get to his feet. When his wrists pulled him back, he appraised the bindings, and seeing there was no way out, let his legs go back out from under him. Feigning nonchalance, he finally met her eyes.
"Well thanks for not killing me, I guess."
"You're welcome."
"So why didn't you? I mean I have to assume there's a reason, I imagine me knowing what you are is a pretty big problem for you." He mocked, with seemingly no regard for his personal safety. It was a front of course, the attitude. He knew he was hopelessly at her mercy, and so was attempting to snatch back some dignity some with a facade of control. The false confidence didn't lessen the genuine resolve underlying it though, which was what Kati was eager to crack. One thing at a time though.
"Generally it's the person not tied up who asks the questions in this kind of situation." She reminded him.
"Sorry. Guess that's my 'rebellious youth' talking. You go ahead."
She sipped her whiskey, drawing out the moment. Only when he was itching to fill the silence did she speak up. "I guess we should start with what you think you know. About me."
"You're like him. Khan. You're an augment, one of the the 72... or 73, I guess. Did Marcus wake you, or did Khan?"
She raised one eyebrow, and remained silent.
"Right, you're the one asking the questions. Anyway, Marcus or no Marcus I'm guessing you've been nothing but loyal to your leader. Smart plan, making yourself his lawyer so you can fix the trial. I hope I'm not the only one getting the irony of you lecturing me about objectivity."
"Lawyers are not objective, they're all biased because they want to win." Kati pointed out. "It's the judge and jury, who make the final decisions who need objectivity to remain fair. If I'm supposed to be 'fixing' this trial as you say, why would I not have made myself one of them?"
"How the hell should I know, it's your plan, not mine." Kirk protested, his ploy to pull the information from her obvious. Little did he realise that was exactly what she wanted. He was more likely to believe her if he thought he had dug out the information himself.
"It's because I'm not here to win battles or cases, Kirk, I'm here to win hearts. It may surprise you to hear that we do believe in justice, my kind. When Khan united the Earth after the first Eugenic War, he encouraged the people to set up a worldwide justice system." A system that ultimately turned on them, true, but that didn't underpin it's necessity. "I know your history books probably leave that part out, as they do most of the good we did. Far easier to justify what they did to us if they paint us as villains, but I assure you that is far from the truth."
"Yeah? Well in my experience the villains never believe that's what they are, they all believe they're heroes making the hard calls." Kirk retorted icily.
"Yes, Kirk, they do." She stared at him pointedly.
"Oh, so I'm the villain now?" Kirk laughed. He was looking at her like she was insane, and she knew she needed to act quickly before she lost all chance to convince him to really listen to her.
"You're dangerously close to becoming one. Consider your actions, first you beat an unarmed, unresisting captive, then you draw a phaser on an innocent woman in her hotel room, simply out of suspicion she's the same species. And your continued belligerence about the trial would condemn another 72 untried innocents to imprisonment, for no crime other than existing." She ticked his offences off on her fingers. "This level of xenophobia, if left unchecked, could easily culminate in genocide. Tell me, Captain, deep down, how troubled were you before your Doctor revealed that they had removed Khan's people from the missiles before blowing them up?"
"Greatly. Troubled." Kirk emphasised, deeply insulted by the insinuation he wouldn't be. She believed him, of course, she had never thought he wouldn't be. He was taking her seriously again though, and that was what mattered, though he hadn't given up fighting yet. "And you keep throwing around the word 'innocent' like you and your people aren't escaped convicts in your own time. War criminals, in fact."
So he'd been doing his research, she wasn't surprised. But this was a battle she'd been preparing to have in the courtroom for months. Having it with Kirk was just a warmup.
"Even if that were true, neither the statute of limitations, nor maximum prison sentence for our so-called crimes exceeds the amount of time we've spend imprisoned in our own escape pods. We've more than served our time. And, 'convicted' and 'guilty' are unfortunately not always the same thing. Certainly not in this case."
"I thought you believed in justice?" Kirk reminded her.
"When it is served correctly, which it was not for us. Our 'lawyer' was biased the wrong direction, he didn't lift a finger to defend us. None of us were allowed to speak in our own defence, or anyone for us. We didn't stand a chance. And now history is set to repeat itself, Khan is on trial for crimes forced upon him, and he isn't even allowed to be present. I asked for a member of our people to be awoken as a character witness, and that too was denied. If not for my presence we would have no voice, yet again. Does that sound fair to you?"
Kirk was uncomfortable with the question, it showed on his face. "It's not ideal, but I wouldn't call it unjust. It's not like Khan hasn't given us reason to be cautious. I mean look what happened when he slipped Marcus's leash for a day or two, he blew up an archive and shot up a room full of Starfleet Officers."
"You have it wrong, Kirk." Kati shook her head. "When Khan was 'off Marcus's leash', as you put it, all he tried to do was get our people out. When he was caught, one of ours was killed as an example, and Khan was commanded to do the things you just said in punishment. To be the catalyst for the war he wanted to stop. He told me himself."
Even mentioning McPherson's death caused a ripple of sadness and anger to sweep through Kati. She thought she had kept it well contained, not allowing any of it to show, yet the way Kirk was looking at her... it was like he knew.
"I'm sorry for your loss," he began gently, before his argumentative side kicked back in. "But that makes no sense, why would Marcus have him shoot on a room he would be in?"
"Because he knew what an expert marksman Khan is. Did you not stop to wonder why most were only knocked out or superficially injured? If Khan had been shooting to kill, not one of you would have walked out of that room alive. But his instructions were to scare and injure, and he dare not falter from it and risk more of our own."
Kirk's eyes glazed as he remembered that day, searching for the truth of what she was saying. But they soon darkened with sadness and Kati knew what was on his mind.
"What about Pike? If Khan is so good, why couldn't he stop himself killing him. Or are you going to tell me 'accidents happen'?"
And so they were back here, back to Christopher Pike. Kirk wasn't going to let this one go any time soon, so Kati was going to have to face it head on. He already knew this much, and if he was going to have the truth, then he may as well have the whole truth.
"It wasn't an accident." She told him, in her softest tone. "It was a necessary sacrifice."
Kati had seen many men and women caught up by rage in her time. Wars had a way of bringing it out of people. It was never pretty, but this was something different; it was heartbreaking. Something about the knowledge that Pike's death was deliberate and planned ripped the wounds wide open again, possibly even worse than before. Speech momentarily flew out the window as an enraged cry broke forth from Kirk's throat. He strained against his bonds, fighting once more for freedom with reckless abandon that did nothing but chaff his wrists. It was less than a minute until it passed, the man left panting and sagging from his ties.
"Necessary. Necessary for what?" He finally spat out.
Kati didn't answer straight away. He wasn't ready to hear it. So she poured a little more whiskey into his abandoned glass and slid down to kneel in front of him, holding it before his face.
"Drink."
"Why, what's in it?" He accused venomously.
"It's the same whiskey we've been drinking all night," she snapped back, "To take the edge off a difficult conversation."
His glare didn't lessen, but obediently he tilted his head towards the glass, pursing his lips at its edge. Gently she tipped it towards him, letting him drink it at his own pace until he was done. Getting back to her feet, she put the glass back on the table and went to the bathroom in search of lotion. The small bottle provided was more for scent than medication, but it would still soothe his wrists somewhat. He was still eyeing her suspiciously as she came out, and craned his neck to watch as she sat on the edge of the bed behind him. He flinched his hand away as she took hold of it, but with nowhere to go had little choice but to surrender himself to her ministrations. Gently she worked the lotion beneath the binding, massaging it into his chaffed skin. As she worked, she began to talk.
"Was Pike the kind of man who would sacrifice his life for another's?"
"Without question."
"Then doubtless he would also have given his life to save hundreds, or even thousands, whether he knew them or not."
"He would. But-,"
"I know it should not be down to any man to make that decision for another. It's not fair that Pike died not knowing what he died for, or having a choice in the matter. But he was not the only one out of options. My lord had gone too far, and all his other options had failed him. He knew the instructions Marcus had given him would lead to his death, the death of his people and be the catalyst to a war he had hoped to prevent. He examined all the options, and knew you were the only one who might be inspired to take on the missiles, but not fire them. And the only way to ensure you would volunteer for the job, would be Pike's death. If not you it would be a contracted killer who would not hesitate, and many lives would be lost in the ensuing war."
"Like he cared about that. Maybe it was the only way to save his life, and his people, but I don't believe for a second that it had anything to do with the greater good." Kirk insisted. He had stopped trying to watch her and instead spoke to the empty air. Some of the tension was easing away under her fingertips, but she still had a long way to go. She gracefully slid across the bed behind him to the other side, starting on the other hand. This one was pliant, with no resistance.
"You don't know him like I do, Kirk. The way his mind worked. He could be very patient, he knew how to play the long game. If the only lives he cared about were his own and his people's, he would not have chosen that time to attempt to free them. It would have been far easier to play along and wait for the war itself. If Khan has not shown his hand when he did, Marcus would have had no reason to turn on him. He would not have attempted to dispose of his greatest asset, before the war; he needed him to greatly. He would have found another way to trigger it, and Khan would do nothing but prove his worth, rising through the Starfleet ranks, perhaps even getting his own Command. Then, something would happen, something to finally make Marcus realise that war is not a beast that can be tamed, with any amount of preparation. And Khan would be waiting with the answer; 'Free my people. We can win this for you.' And Marcus wouldn't hesitate. Perhaps we would have helped end the war and earned our place, or perhaps we would have taken the ship and left humans and Klingons to it. Either way, we would have had a far greater chance of success allowing the war than trying to stop it. Which leaves the question, why didn't he chose the path of least resistance?"
It was a question she had asked herself many times since events unfolded. The scenario she had outlined for Kirk had played over and over in her dreams, haunting her with its simplicity. As much as they hated war, it was at least a setting they were familiar with, that they were trained for. While the work to become a lawyer had been easy enough for her superior mind, it was still unfamiliar territory, outside of her comfort zone. The tangle Khan's plan had got them into sometimes felt impossible to unwind, and she found herself longing for an easier way. She was glad to be behind Kirk, so he couldn't see her face as she put into words the path she wished her Prince had chosen. If he could see the longing there, see how readily she would have thrown worlds into chaos to ease her own struggles, then he would truly have seen the monster within her. She let go of his hand, as if afraid her inner darkness could contaminate him by touch.
"Perhaps there was something wrong with that plan. Besides morally, I mean, perhaps it wouldn't work? Maybe Khan could foresee something that you can't." Kirk suggested, though his tone with riddled with uncertainly.
"No, Kirk. Khan's tactical skills may be superior even to mine, but only by a hairsbreadth. He and I were the best tacticians of our kind, it is how I earned my place at his left hand. And that strategy I suggested? Child's play. I calculated the margin for error, and it was inconsequential. We would execute far riskier without blinking an eye. The problem, as you do correctly pointed out, is moral." She couldn't sit any longer, she needed to move. She walked slowly out in front of him, hands gesticulating haltingly as she continued. "Despite everything you humans have done to us, from the cruelties of our creation, tricking us into fighting the second eugenic war, the farce of that first trial and our exile. And now Marcus's manipulation in this century. Despite it all, Khan still believes it is our duty to save you from yourselves. When it comes down to saving your kind or ours, he would defy everything to try and do both." This was the core of her problems, this was why she was condemned to struggle through this mess. Khan had made it his duty to carry the world on his shoulders, and she would carry it with him, even if it meant carrying him as well. It was a bittersweet relief putting all this into words, bringing forth all the emotions she had pushed aside for so long in the name of duty. Her eyes watered and though she tried to resist, a single tear slipped down her cheek. She turned away from Kirk to hide it. "He's a good man. I just wish you could see it." She closed her argument.
He was quiet behind her, but she dared not turn to analyse his face. She was spent, she had laid everything bare for him, fought though what felt like hundreds of arguments. If he didn't accept now, she was not sure she had the strength the go on fighting.
"Are you going to tell all this to the court tomorrow?" Was the last question she was expecting to hear from the young captain. She turned back to face him in surprise.
"Are you joking?" She couldn't help but ask, though his face was the picture of seriousness. "For starters I'm a lawyer, not a witness, it's my job to ask the questions, not testify."
"You can't do both?" Kirk asked, genuinely curious. She opened her mouth to dismiss it outright, but her education got in the way.
"It's not without precedent," she admitted, "But it's not as easy as that either. There's procedure to these things. And besides, how am I supposed to explain most of that without admitting what I am to the whole court?"
"So tell 'em." Kirk shrugged, flabbergasting her once more.
"They'll arrest me!" She exclaimed, "My case will be thrown out, all my hard work-,"
"You don't know that," he tried to assure her. "I mean, it's not like they have any evidence you've done anything wrong, they can't arrest you just for being what you are, can they?"
"Says the man who drew a phaser on me when he found out."
"That was just a precaution." He grimaced, attempting to justify himself. "I wasn't actually going to use it."
"And a precaution is what they'll call it when they lead me off in chains." She insisted.
"Okay, maybe." Kirk gave in. But the fool had the light of hope in his eyes now, and an earnestness on his face that no good could come of. "But maybe that's just something you have to let happen to get where you want to go. Because even if that does happen, and you can't fight for your own freedom, yet alone your people, you'll have something else you didn't have before. You'll have me. And I will vouch for you, I will pull every string I have and do everything in my power to set things right. I will make sure your people have a voice and a fair shot, I promise."
Kati could see now why Kirk was such a good Captain. It was a good speech, hit all the right notes. But more than that, it wasn't just words with Kirk. The intent to follow through was clear, he was nothing but honest in his promises. He hadn't promised anything beyond his own capability, no vague assurances that her people would all be free and have everything they desired, just that he would do his best for them. She believed every word. That was the problem.
"Is this an ultimatum?" She asked, seating herself in a businesslike fashion. He may be in a chair and he may be on the floor, but now they were nothing but equal, hammering out the terms of an agreement. "If I don't tell them what I am, you won't help us?"
He wanted to disagree with that, it was clear in his face. He wasn't the kind of man to hold a people's fate over their heads like that. But he wasn't stupid either, he too could sense the power exchange going on here, and so chose his words carefully.
"I'd call it a strong suggestion. We're both looking for reasons to trust each other here, Kathryn. We've already established you won't kill me, and you can't keep me tied up here indefinitely. All I have to give you is my word that I won't tell anyone your secret until you are ready. If you let me go, and you get to that courtroom tomorrow and no one tries to arrest you, then you know I'm as good as my word. And you know I'll do what I say about your people. What you do to prove to me I can trust you, I leave in your hands."
He left it so open. The lawyer part of her could dance circles around his words, extending a basic meaningless gesture to make him trust her and saying she had fulfilled her end of the bargain. And yet she knew she wouldn't. She knew that with such trust placed in her, she would do anything for this man. There was only one other who made her feel such devotion, and she hadn't forgotten about him.
"What about Khan? You say you will help my people, do you include him?
Kirk winced, and it tore Kati apart. This could be the deal breaker. She may have convinced him of Khan's good intentions, but she could never take away the fear. It was one thing to ask him to stop fighting them, another for him to help Khan's people, and yet another to ask him to stand in defense of the man who had technically killed him. Kati knew what she had to do. He might agree to it in words now, but if he walked away and thought better of it...
She had a leap of faith to take in the morning. There could be no doubt. If he was the only thing standing between their people and freedom, Kati knew what Khan would have her do. She opened her mouth to withdraw the question.
There was a knock on the door. Two heads turned to it, and then back to each other.
"Are you expecting anyone?" Kirk whispered.
"No." Kati answered, with a strong feeling of déjà vu. She ran over the same list from earlier, now one suspect shorter. She really hoped it wasn't the James woman, tonight had been stressful enough. "Just a minute!" She called, getting up and stepping towards Kirk.
"What are you gonna do, throw a blanket over me?" He half joked. She rolled her eyes and crouched down to his level. With ease she snapped his bindings with her bare hands, causing his eyes to bug at her raw strength.
"I'm going to trust you." She said, backing up to give him room to stand. "Are you alright going out the window? There's a fire escape one room over."
"Sure." He said with false confidence, probably remembering how far up they were. "Not my first time sneaking out of a window, at least this time I have all my clothes on."
They shared a quick smile, before he turned to go. She glanced at the door, decided it could wait one more minute, and grabbed Kirk's arm. He turned to look at her without an ounce of fear, only curiosity.
"Kati. My real name is Kati. You should know if we are to trust one another."
"A pleasure to meet you Kati." He accepted with a smile, taking her hand from his arm and kissing the back of it. "Good luck with that." He nodded cheekily to the door on his way out.
She let him go without a backwards glance this time, focussing her gaze now entirely on the door. Her mystery caller was still out there, she could hear the heartbeat. Female, elevated. She braved herself for another difficult confrontation and opened the door.
At the sight of messy red curls, she relaxed entirely. Marla stood outside her door, a coat thrown over her pyjamas and an anxious look on her face.
"Why?" Kati asked, resisting the urge to giggle.
"It's been two hours, you didn't call me back!" Marla moaned, walking in as Kati stepped aside for her. "You looked so serious when you were going to answer the door, I was worried something bad was going to happen. You could have let me know everything was okay. It is okay, isn't it?" She hesitated, seeing the ripped ties on the floor and looking back at her friend.
"I hope so." Kati sighed, looking past her at the curtains flapping in the breeze. Kirk was gone, and with him he carried the fates of her and her people.
AN: There we go, didn't want to keep you waiting too long for this, so worked as fast as I could. Sorry for any resulting grammatical errors I didn't spot. Speaking of errors, it came to my attention while writing this chapter that I have repeatedly in this story used the term 'first mate' rather than 'first officer.' I haven't gone back to fix the old chapters, but shall endeavour to get it right from now on.
Thanks again for a wonderful bunch of reviews, shoutouts to kyro232 (Captain lover machine had me giggling for days), Sassiebone, Kat, Shadowing, Junesun, Crystalvixen93, Celestial Alignment and athousandroses. Also thanks to those who just followed or favorited or just generally lurk in the shadows, your support keeps me going. See you in the next chapter.