Chapter Fourteen-

The first thing that I did after my communication with the Enterprise was go to my private chambers that once were Khan's and take a shower. I scrubbed away everything, rubbing the washcloth over my skin vigorously until it shone a rosy pink. This was me destroying the old Bryn O'Connelly. I would take orders from no one but myself; I was my own woman on a mission.

After my shower, I blow-dried my hair and walked through Khan's quarters, wrapped in his fluffy white towel. I'd requested my things to be moved here earlier, and I'd changed into a yellow dress, signifying my rank as Captain. I discovered that they hadn't touched Khan's things, and I took a sharp breath in when I saw his long black overcoat lying on a chair.

My fingers caressed the black fabric, and I stared at his garment in awe. I almost didn't want to touch it, for fear that I'd wake up and it wouldn't be real anymore. Suddenly, though, something snapped, and I grabbed it, twisting the fabric in my hands and pressing it up to my nose, breathing in it's scent. It still smelled like him, like soap, and dirt and just a bit of sweat, all mixed together.

I wrapped the coat around me, discovering it was way too big for me. I sat down in the chair, curling up in the corner of it and making myself very small. I used to do it a lot when I was younger, when the gang violence outside our home made things terrifying. I would brace myself against a large object and pray not to get shot at.

And now, smothered by Khan's coat, I felt warm and safe, albeit lonely. It was a protective cocoon, and I wasn't ready to emerge. If only I could let the world work out it's problems, and I'd be safe here...

He heard a knock on the door, and I slid out of Khan's coat, gently placing it where I found it on the chair. I went outside to see an officer standing there. "Captain, the Shovah has just landed on Eryon. We have their exact location."

"Great," I said, striding down the hall. "Officer, I'm sorry, but what is your name?"

"Officer Kristoffer Ward, ma'am," He said officially. I'd recognized him from the deck.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Bryn O'Connelly," I said briskly.

"Captain, what is your plan, exactly?"

"Go down there and rescue Khan, maybe take down Halcyon if I can," I entered a room, and was instantly being fitted in a space suit, that was skin-tight. I had to take off my dress to do this, and instructed Officer Ward to turn around. He obeyed, staring rigidly ahead, and I decided I liked him at once. When I was fully clothed, I told him it was alright to turn around.

"You intend to go alone?" Ward raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't put the crew at risk for a personal mission," I swallowed and tied my hair back, then securing my helmet.

"Suit me up as well," Officer Ward told the others while looking at me determinedly. "You need to rely on someone."

"Everyone I ever relied on is dead," I muttered, but he didn't hear. Once he was suited up, we were handed guns, and attached to parachutes.

"You ever parachute from space before?" He asked and we entered the base of the ship. We were in low orbit over Eryon, in position to jump down.

"Nope," I bounced on the balls of my toes nervously. The gate slowly opened and I looked down on the silver-grey steel of Eryon. It had been industrialized beyond belief, and then abandoned. And Khan was down there somewhere.

"Then you're in for a bit of a shock," Ward said, and then tackled me, sending me flying off the deck of the ship.

I was free-falling, hurtling through the atmosphere, certain that I was going to plummet to my death. Officer Ward's grip was tight around me as we somersaulted through the air, and I screamed through my helmet. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"This is the fun way to do it!" He shouted over the racing wind.

"You're crazy!" I cried, as we drew nearer and nearer to the ground.

"Just hold on!" He yelled and pulled us up so our feet pointed towards the ground. "Parachute in three...two..." I didn't hear him say one because I was screaming so loud, but all of a sudden, we were rising up abruptly, then gently floating to the ground. I tried to control my breathing as my heart slammed against my ribs, and only when we touched base with the ground did I begin to calm down.

"Never...do that...again..." I panted, getting up from my position on the ground of all fours. Ward laughed, and tucked away his parachute. "Now to find Khan..."

"Vengeance, this is your Captain speaking," I pressed the intercom on the side of my helmet. "What information do we have on the human genetic experiments on Eryon?"

"Looking it up, Captain..."

"Where would Halcyon take Khan?" I mused, talking half to myself. "Out of this whole planet, where would he most likely go?"

"Well the experiments were done in a laboratory," Ward contemplated. "And...that's the place they assumedly grew up...so wouldn't it make sense to return home?"

"That does make sense...and I can't find Halcyon's ship anywhere," I looked around the city, at the bleak, empty skyscrapers all around us. It was a forgotten planet, completely abandoned. It's population now was four. "Captain to Vengeance, find the coordinates of the lab where the experiments were done."

"According to my map, Captain, you're about five hundred yards away," The voice on the other end said. "Check your scanner; I've sent you the directions."

"Come on," I motioned towards Ward, and we trotted through the streets, towards a huge compound that I could already tell ran skywards and deep into the earth.

"Oh, shit..." He muttered, staring at the building. "How the hell are we ever going to find Khan in here?"

"Scan the building for signs of life," I ordered, and Ward looked at me sheepishly.

"Well there's always that..." He chuckled, and I realized he reminded me of McCoy.

McCoy...was he still on the Enterprise? Or was he on the safety of an Earth hospital, recuperating. Did he think of me? I realized I wasn't thinking of him as often as I should...

"They're in the basement, Captain," The woman in my ear answered, and I trotted up towards the doors and pulled them open, albeit with some difficulty.

"Great, thank you," I murmured, and Ward and I began the massive trek down the staircases, into the deepest layer of the building. With each step, my heart began to fill with dread and worry. What would I find? A sick, new form of torture that Halcyon had invented to use on Khan? Khan lying dead, dying on the floor, alone?

"Captain, there's something you need to know..."

"Not now," I muttered, on edge. I just had to get to Khan above all else.

"This is really quite important, I suggest you -"

"Please, not now!" I cried, reaching the basement door. With Ward's help, we heaved it open.

Before us were easily a hundred faces, all staring at us in various expressions of confusion, shock, and anger.

And at the center of them all, at the feat of Halcyon, was Khan.