Khan was an expert tactician. Before taking action, he mentally played out scenario after scenario, accounting for any plausible variable. This had saved his life many times.
He used the same approach now.
The pilot had brought the supplies from a hub far from Xedna Eight. That facility was only the first on his list, and the other outposts were mere days apart from each other by ship.
The portable transporter was a must. Should he encounter greater resistance than anticipated, he would need to leave quickly.
However, beaming directly into the unknown Starfleet facilities was a poor choice, even if the coordinates were exact. The danger was not in the people, but their electronic defenses. If they were protected by a forcefield, as the bases most certainly were, he would be inadvertently transported into space. An environmental suit could keep that outcome from being lethal, however it still raised unacceptable levels of risk. His only safe option was to travel to the bases by ship, even if it took far longer.
The Starhopper was a boon. Its engines were remarkably fast; even better, the outposts were still expecting it.
Khan had worked extensively to...extract...the ship's command codes from the pilot. Those codes, and a few simple repairs to the ship's systems, allowed him to use the Starhopper as his Trojan Horse.
Khan left McCoy with enough food to last five days, in case his travels took longer than anticipated, and left to investigate the facilities.
The first unidentified Starfleet base had housed...interesting...technologies. A few of which Khan had beamed back to the Botany Bay. Their creators were no longer in a position to miss them.
The second base had turned out to be a site for deep space telemetry. It was staffed by three charming science officers.
...Well, it was unstaffed now.
Neither facility sounded an alarm. He did not give them time.
The third outpost was no less susceptible to his initial ruse.
It was, however, far more heavily fortified.
A few of the guards actually managed to give him some minor phaser burns before they died. The alarm was triggered, stealing any chance Khan had of taking the fourth base by surprise.
More of a nuisance than anything. He would find another way.
Khan murdered his way through the outpost, easily disarming and capturing the last surviving officer from the control area.
His command to the terrified man was simple: take him to where he needed to go.
Khan had given the same command in the first two bases. It was vague enough that, should his crew not be on the outpost, Khan could still acquire whatever thing of value the outposts were protecting. The first two guides had brought him to quite interesting places.
He was certain this time would be no different.
His hostage led him to an area at the heart of the base, to a series of rooms locked by a single keypad. It only took two broken fingers for the man to give up the code. A bit disappointing.
The doors around them swung open; the room to Khan's right was empty. He shrugged, pushed his hostage inside, and re–locked the door. He might need the man again, but Khan was growing tired of his sobbing. Storing him was an effective temporary solution.
The next few rooms were empty as well. Khan was growing suspicious. Had that sniveling officer led him into some kind of trap? If so, the man's acting skills were much better than Khan had realized. Not that it would save him.
There. A shadow moved in the last doorway.
A final ambush, waiting for him.
Apparently, his hostage had chosen the wrong career.
Khan gripped his knife in one hand and a phaser in the other.
"I know you are there," Khan called. "Despite what you may have heard, I can be merciful. Surrender and bring me to what I want, and you may not experience death today."
The shadow shifted; became two. Three. Four. The figures stepped into the hall, hands raised.
Khan gasped.
"No…"
He had not planned for...why would Starfleet risk this?
Khan unconsciously lowered his weapons; slightly lowered his guard.
He soon regretted that mistake.