The pair ate in silence, which continued as Khan gathered the dishes.
"Come with me," he instructed as he left the kitchen. Mira did as she was bid and found herself sitting back on the couch, facing the wall of windows. "Tell me about yourself."
"We are not getting to know each other," Mira informed the man several inches away from her. "You, however, can give me some information to sate the Admiral."
"You haven't earned anything yet. Now why did you join Starfleet? Why security?" Khan had turned his body to face his guest, one arm resting on the back of the couch, his intense eyes curious.
Mira looked at him for a moment, considering her options, and wondering what he was planning. "I was a bloody wreck as a child. Starfleet offered me a clean slate, so I took it. I also had an affinity for violence and tactic's, hence, security."
"Oh come now, there has to be more to your story. I'd rather hear it from your lips then read it from a file."
Mira smiled, "The file has all the information you need."
"Well then, let's see shall we?" Khan opened a drawer in the coffee table and pulled out a rather thick file. Mira's eyebrow raised.
"Lets see...hospitalized at age six. Your parents thought your power was a psychotic break? My, how unfortunate." The triumphant smirk was back, as Khan watched Mira's pale with shocked.
"You...you can't have that." The words were soft, her breath taken by the shock, her stomach dropped. "Leonard destroyed my records."
"Ah, the doctor, yes, your boyfriend. We're going to have to fix that."
Mira stood and walked to the window unable to look at Khan, or the file. "You may have infected me with this thing, but you do not own me." Mira did not bother to raise her voice, knowing he would hear her even if she whispered.
Khan chucked behind her as he flipped threw the file. "Fight me while you can, Mira. Come tonight you will be mine, fully. It takes twenty four hours for the implant to fully adhere to the cerebral cortex, less if I chose, then you'll be my slave."
The darkness, and sheer smoothness of the words was so unnerving, Mira could feel herself starting to tremble, out of fear and anger. The small part of her brain that held feebly onto hope was trying to tell her it was all a trick, that he was using her fear to control her, that despite everything that happened this couldn't be real. But the rest said he had months to plan this, to plan all of his moves and sway his chosen army. It would be safer to assume everything was true, as horrible as it was.
As she turned her back to the window Mira crossed her arms, to hide her trembling to she ask, " Of all the people you could have chosen, why me?"
"Ah now, its more fun for you to guess. Did you kill them? Dear old mother and father?" He asked, looking at her.
"Fuck you," was the blunt, quite response, her voice shaking.
"Oh please, I haven't had coitus is several hundred years." Khan did not even flinch as he caught the knife Mira threw at his chest. "Did you enjoy ending their lives?"
Mira opened her mouth but no words came out, the knots in her stomach had grown also in her chest and throat. Suddenly she was feeling hot and dizzy.
Khan watched her in silence now, saving each ragged breath and each shake of her body. It was a few moments before he continued to antagonize her, "It seems it wasn't just your parents that suffered a horrid death, also-"
Khan was suddenly unable to ready the document, as it had burst into flame. Without missing a beat, Khan closed the file, unsuccessfully trying to smother the flame. He stood swiftly and dropped the flaming file into the trash can next to the couch.
Mira was having trouble breathing, her chest had become to tight, her body burning up.. Flashes of a past she had long buried rushed threw her mind.
Faintly she could hear a voice, sharp and cautious calling to her and then nothing.
"Mira? Mi-" Khan's strong arms enveloped the girl as she lost conciseness. Quickly he took her to the bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. From the bedside table he pulled out an injector , swiftly delivering her the blood. Khan then tilted back her head to open her airway. The tension in her body was fading slowly, each breath was becoming a bit deeper. He made a mental note to leave her past alone for a while, despite how fun it was to watch her crumble.
Khan took the opportunity to disarm his new pet, holsters and all, even though she was down to only one knife. Now here had he put the one he stole? Mira's breathing was very close to normal, and its pattern's were changing as though she were sleeping. The augment decided to take the opportunity to get a bit of work done. Sitting at his desk, Khan pulled up the hidden computer to communicate with the technician currently sitting outside with the Admiral. After the technician was done scolding his commander for making his job difficult, he informed Khan that Seeker was getting antsy. He would need some reassurance soon. Also that phase three would be complete by 1700.
After brief thanks, Khan closed and concealed the computer before walking back over to his captive and searching for her communicator.
"Hum," his frisk had turned up nothing. He had, glossed over some of her anatomy, but none of those places seemed a convent place to store her comm. Khan pulled down the stretchy material of her shirt to search the lacy black bra.
"Why don't you simply wear closes with pockets?" Khan asked the sleeping women as he reached into her bra to retrieve the comm. Gingerly he put the shirt back and threw one of the sheets over her. Under one of the drawers in the kitchen, Khan kept a number of devices to aid him in his workings. His current need was the voice modifier. As he pulled the device into her comm he wondered what he could give the annoying admiral. He needed something he could sink his teeth into, but also something he would buy. All the files he had accessed last night had been fake, of course. Seeker would be one of the first to die when all five phases were complete, Kahn reminded himself.
"Admiral?" Khan spoke into the com.
"Mira? Whats going on?"
"Khan is willing to give up two passwords, at the moment. To file five Juliet , and to file fifteen, Mantagor."
"Good job, Chief. Its a start, get as much as you can."
"Also, I'd like you to send in Link and Mikker, I'd feel a bit better with the back up for a moment."
"Do you have it all under control?"
"Yes, but I have an idea."
"Anything you need."
"Thank you," Khan said before closing the comm, hoping his tone wasn't too patronizing.
The sound of moving sheets and soft groaning brought Khan's attention back to Mira, who seemed to be waking. Khan rushed over to her, hearing the door open in the other room, and slipped his hand behind her neck, finding the pressure point within seconds. Mira stilled and then relaxed, falling back to sleep.
"Is she alright?" Link asked from the doorway.
"Yes. She's resting. Report." Khan ordered as he stood and stared down his men.
"Everything is running smoothly. We have several new loyalties all with which will be augmented soon. We are almost ready for phase four."
"I need you all to keep working and quickly. The Admiral is becoming a problem. Mira will be secure by the end of the day." He added, watching the soldiers eyes darting between him and her.
"Marz told us we could no longer trust you. What was he talking about?"
"All of you, your little crushes are clouding your minds. To help your dearest Mira, things had to get a bit messy this morning. As you all know, she is very delicate. I will admit I was rough this morning. However everything is under control. You'll see as the day closes."
The scrutinizing gazes of the two soldiers locked onto Khan, both considering the words.
"I think Marz is right. Once you have your own, do you even need us?" Mikker asked.
"I keep my word, as you should well know by now. I granted you your gifts so that you could serve me. What good would to do me to end you? I need you, each and every one."
"What did you do to my men?" Mira's voice was soft, barely a whisper.
All three men turned to her, surprised. Link and Mikker froze, fear passing over their faces.
It was silent for several moments, as the men watch Mira sit up and rest herself against the head board.
"Chief, we did this to save you. Please, Please don't hate us." Mikker begged, words rushed.
Mira's eyes stayed on her men, not sure of the words she was hearing. She let the silence stretch far to long, she could see her boys begin to sweat and grow sorrowful. "I do not hate you." She finally managed, burying the urge to start screaming and crying. It would do her no good to worry about them now.
"Continue on with phase three, see that it is done by tonight. Dismissed."
The soldiers keep eyes on Mira, who nodded, before they left.
"How annoying, that they still feel loyalty to you," Khan remarked, looking at his pet.
"You may have augmented them, but they are still my men. Chemicals cannot change loyalty."
"Maybe I should pump them full of blood. Like I do you," He mused, taking a step toward her.
"Don't you dare come any closer," She warned, "I will brake every bone in your bloody body."
"Ah, still cross with me, then? Very well. I will leave you to yourself, for the time being." Khan lingered a moment before leaving the room, catching the boys before they left the apartment.
Mira lay back down, feeling rather sick as thoughts and images coursed through her mind, one's she had never hoped to know again.
It scared her, how she had lost control, how she had let all that careful control go, and her body was forced to simply shut down. She still felt overwhelmed, as though her memory threatened to drag her down, back to those young years where everything had gone so wrong.
The chief pulled herself into the fetal position and pulled the cover herself, as she used to do in that lonely hospital bed, as she fought to regain herself.
It was about twenty minutes later, after Mira had looked around for her knives, that she emerged from the bedroom to find Khan seated on the couch.
"What was Link talking about. Saving me from what?"
"Death. Your boys love you, they would die for you. But, rather then waste a good solider, I made them a deal: Their loyalty and augmentation for your life, and your cure."
"Cure?"
"From your power, of course. You see, One of my medical technicians was able to convince them that every time you use your powers, it causes damage to you body, the more you use it, the quicker you will die. Now, what good solider would let his master do that to herself?
"My boys would never fall for that.."
"Oh Link and Mikker were the last ones to fall to me. They've figured it out, but with the rest of your team already mine, they did not have a choice. They still think they can save you from me."
Mira was standing by the edge of the couch now, facing Khan as he spoke, staring out of the window.
"And now, you no longer have a choice," He said, looking over at his pet.
"Oh, I have a choice.." She said, reaching out to Khan with her power and wrapping it around his neck, "To let this continue, or to kill you." Mira pilled as much pressure on as she could at once, aiming to crush his neck in one fell swoop but a seering pain ripped though her head, and body dropping her to the floor, before she could even put an ounce of pressure onto her prey. Mira was trembling, eyes bleary with tears and confusion.
"Another lesson, my love," Khan hissed as he stood and picked up a knife off of the table, twirling it in his fingers.
Mira took a few deep breaths and pushed herself to sitting, looking at the man towering above her.
"You cannot use your powers or a knife or anything to do me harm. " He informed her, voice triumphant.
She hesitated for a split second before standing and bolting towards the door. Khan, however was much faster then she: He slammed into her from her left, driving her into the wall and pinning her arms above her head.
"Do no struggle." He ordered, voice as harsh as sandpaper, he waited at moment, as he watched her body still and relax. He took his hands away, one of them cupping her check, as he drew his face an inch from hers, "You are mine. You will never aim to harm me," He said slowly, as though he were speaking to a child, drawing the knife down her neck, chest as he spoke, "And you will never leave my presence without my express permission, Mira. Am I understood?"
"Yes," she answered quickly, her voice soft and scared. She couldn't move, her body listened to his words and obeyed. His grip on her was growing stronger, which meant she may have missed her chance to kill him, if she ever had a chance at all. She should have listened to Isabelle.
"Your servitude to me could be so very pleasurable, Mira," he said leaning down and capturing her lips, to which she hesitantly obliged, but after a moment she turned her head away.
"I have a boyfriend," she said, as defiantly as she could.
"And yet, You choose pain," he stated, neither angrily nor joyful. Khan watched as her face turned back to him, her mouth open to protest, before plunging the knife into her thigh, driving it deep enough that the hilt was pressing into her skin, part of the blade sunk back into the wall. He was sad to muffle the lovely scream it rendered from her mouth, took joy in each tear she shed and every twitch of her body. "Now keep still." He said, watching one of her hands move to try and remove the object. Her hand hovered there for a moment, Mira fighting his control. She earned herself an inch, her hand trembling with the effort. "Hand on the wall, now." He hissed, to which she obeyed slowly.
"Its time you learned your place, which is at my feet, following each and every order without hesitation."
"You may be able to force my body to do whatever you want, but you will never have my will, my heart, my anything." She hissed up at him, fighting to regain at least some of her control. "Trust me, I will never stop fighting you. I will never submit. You cannot make me."
Khan removed the knife, savoring the soft scream it earned him. "Into the bedroom. Now." He said, voice strongly clam.
It took Mira a moment but she levitated herself an inch of the ground, not wanting to hobble in front of him. She floated to the bedroom, stomach in tight noted fear. He was too clam, to controlled all of a sudden.
"On the bed, sit." he ordered, which she followed, not seeing any reason to resist. "Strip."
Mira's eyebrow raised, not expecting that order. Her hands moved of their own accord, though they trembled with the effort to not move, taking off her shirt again. Her mind was racing, what could he have up his sleeve?
"Your going to have to do a lot more then order me to strip to scare me. Nudity dose not make me uncomfortable. " She said slowly as she slipped off her leggings, fighting the movement.
"This is about power, my love. Right now your boyfriend is headed to see Seeker. What do you think he'll do when he see's us making love on the screen? Hum?" Khan asked, loosening the draw string on his lounge pants and walking to her
"No.." Mira whispered as her hands moved slowly to unclasp her bra. "He'll know its not willing." She said, trying to convince herself as well as Khan. Tears started to blur her eyes, her fear winning out, as her breaths became short and quick. Surely he wouldn't force this…. He was a criminal yes but, even he had standards….right?
"Stop stripping." He said as the tears started to fall.
Mira stopped, her hands crossing over her chest and cupping her bra to her breast.
Khan kneeled in front of her, looking up at the tear streaked face, "Surrender to me, and I won't have to do this. I will have you, Mira, one way or another, for now, I can settle for forcing you." He offered.
Mira's logic had left her, all she could think of was this man forcing himself on her, the tears falling faster now. Something in this face, his voice told her he would do it. He meant every word that left his mouth.
"I surrender, I'll cooperate, just please, don't. Please." She begged, unable to look at him.
"Swear to me. Swear you will not fight me, swear your loyalty and service to me.
Mira had to take a few deep breaths to try and clam herself before she could speak, "I will only agree to cooperate. No more, you son of a bitch." Her voice was still al little shaky, unsure of how he was going to react, and still fearful of what he was threatening to do.
Khan considered for a moment before countering, "A deal, quid pro quo. I accept your cooperation only, in exchange for information. You answer my questions and I answers yours. Do we have a deal?" He asked, holding very still as he spoke. He had gone to far, it was written all over her body, her tears. Khan knew he could only brake her so much. For now she was delicate and the plan was not yet complete.
"Deal," she answered, after only a moment of contemplation.
Khan, securing his lounge pants, stood and leaned over Mira, to clasp her bra and to pull a sheet over her, covering only her top half, Khan knelt again, prying open her legs, "First I want to know about these..." he said, fingers running over the marred flesh of her inner thighs.
Mira froze, her minding taking a minute to catch up with his moments. She looked down, shivering as his fingers softly moved over the many, many cuts she had inflicted on her thighs.