AN: Sorry for the lack of updates I've been on my honey moon but I'm back now and editing!
-o-
Khan slowly walked onto the bridge. Galen was looking over Gabriel who lay in an induced Coma for healing. They were keeping his blood as low as they could without killing him while still allowing him to heal. After all they needed him to be able to talk and tell them where the rest of the Augments were. But somewhere during the fight he had bitten off his own tongue, most likely on accident. They needed him now to grow it back so he could speak. Khan came to a stop to see Aria staring a video feed of their own white interrogation room where Galen and Till now resided.
"Is he secure?" She asked her jaw clenching.
"Yes." Khan said and she nodded as she stood up straight.
"You did the right thing stopping me from killing him…" He hadn't expected her to say that. "I… Shouldn't handle his interrogations… I should never come in contact with him again." She turned and looked at him and Khan saw she was still bruised and bloodied. "If I do… I'll kill him, and I don't know what I'll do to anyone who stands in the way of that." He nodded.
"I'll handle it… Gladly." She nodded slowly.
"Alright… Good…" She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed heavily. "I'm very tired now." She walked away from him over to their quarters. Khan didn't miss the slight limp she now walked with. He followed her in and watched as she slowly sat down on a chair and slipped her feet out of her boots. Every movement she made looked painful. She was in so much pain from the fight he could feel evidence of it in their connection. He walked over to her and took one of her feet in hand.
Aria watched as Khan pulled off her sock before taking her other foot in hand and taking the sock off of it as well. It seemed he was taking care of her now. He then took her hands in his and slowly brought her to a standing position. He untied the squared knot on her hooded wrapped shirt and slowly opened it. Aria made a pained noise as he slowly pushed the fabric off her shoulders to reveal the tank she wore beneath it. She slowly lifted her arms above her head and made another pained noise as she made the movement.
Khans eyes widened as he lifted the shirt off her body. She had bruises upon her much like she had when he had rescued her from her torture. It seemed her generation of Augments hit like sledge hammers when they were going full bore. He tossed the fabric aside as his hands rested on a gash on her side where Till had stabbed her.
"It's healing…" She said softly.
"I'll get the shower ready for you…" he said before walking away. Aria undid the belt of her black skinny jeans before pushing them down her legs along with her lace boy shorts. Khan came out of the bathroom and watched as she removed her bra and dropped it to the floor. Even bruised and bloodied she was still the most extraordinary creature he had ever laid eyes on. She slowly walked towards him and rested her hands on his hips. He cupped her cheek in his hand before bowing his head and brushing his lips across hers. She needed him in that moment, and he could tell through their connection that she wasn't sure where they stood anymore.
"You're injured as well." She said softly.
"Not as badly as you…" He said. "The shower is yours… I already got cleaned up in the medical bay…" She slowly nodded and her head bowed into his chest. Her eyes shut for a moment partly from exhaustion and partly from her shame. She didn't know after all she had told Khan, and all Gabriel had said, if he still wanted her. She slowly looked up at him and his expression was blank.
"Thank you for readying the shower and helping me get out of my clothes…" She said softly before moving past him into the bathroom. Khan followed and watched as Aria stepped into the shower. His eyes wondered over her as he watched the water cascade down her body slowly washing the blood away as it did. Khan turned and began to walk away unsure of what he was to do now.
"How could he want me after all he's found out?" Khan instantly came to a stop. He looked over his shoulder at Aria who was lathering her body with soap to scrub any remnants of her battle away. Khan walked back into the bathroom as he did he slipped out of all his clothes. He stepped into the shower and turned Aria around.
"Khan-." He brushed his lips across hers slowly, silencing whatever she was about to say. He cradled her face in his hands as he looked her over.
"Nothing could ever change how I feel for you." He said before wrapping his arms around her. Her hands rested on his chest as he held her close to his body. He pulled back and lifted her up in his arms, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist. His mouth crashed against hers, and Aria sighed contently against his mouth as she felt the connection begin to build. As it did any pain and any doubt she felt was pushed away by the incredible link they shared. Khan pinned her against the wall and she made a pained noise. He pulled back, her hands resting on his shoulders.
"Are you alright?"
"It's fine…"
"Maybe we shouldn't…" he said and she looked him over slowly.
"Do you not want-."
"There is never a time I don't ache for you…" he said. "But you're still injured."
"I don't care…"
"I could hurt you further-."
"You won't hurt me…" his thumb brushed across her bottom lip. "You won't…" She kissed his thumb and Khan looked her over. He couldn't deny her. He could never deny her.
"Not here…" He said and he carried her out of the shower. As the cold air hit her warm body Aria took a shaking breath feeling thousands of Goosebumps spread across her skin in response to the cold. She cupped his cheek as she looked over his serene expression. Something was going to be different about this time. She could tell. He sat back on the bed his hands resting on her hips his thumbs massaging against them. Khan slowly glided her down onto him and her head lolled back as his head bowed to her breasts. A slow moan escaped her and Khans eyes shut tightly feeling the connection come full circle. Khans arms wrapped around Arias body as she slowly rode him.
The world fell away whenever they came together like this. There was no ceiling, there was no floor, and there was no space at all. There was just them together, linked in the most intimate of ways. She held onto him tightly. In that moment it felt as though their bodies were melding together. Becoming one in the literal sense.
"Khan…" He instantly turned and pushed her down into the mattress his hands gripping onto hers as he moved in and out of her slowly. Her back arched pressing her breasts against him as he raised her hands above her head.
This felt more intense than it ever had. The passion was blinding. At this point he didn't know where he began and Aria ended. He kissed her deeply as his hands began to roam over her body. There was a primal need for her now. One he couldn't deny himself. Time slipped away. For what felt like eternity they rolled around in the bed together, their bodies never losing contact with one another. The pleasure the felt seemed to build and build with no release of any kind. Their need for one another's touch fought off any need for their climaxes. In a way the pain they felt over their denied gratification had become just as addicting as it was unbearable.
Khans eyes slowly opened and he watched as Arias eyes did as well. Emerald locked onto sapphire and both sighed contently as they felt their needed release start to build. Khans head bowed into her neck. His eyes drifting closed as he felt her hand slowly move through his hair. The pleasure they were starting to feel was extraordinary, and in a way completely over whelming.
Aria wanted to plead with him to never stop touching her. But she had long lost her voice in the throes of passion. She couldn't speak. She couldn't think. All she could do was feel Khan practically binding with her very soul every time he thrust into her deeply. Her back arched causing him to move against her sweetest of spots. He pushed her arms above her head his hands entwining with hers. He looked her over, stretched for him to see, and never had he witnessed anything more beautiful. His mouth crashed against hers as they felt the passion build and build between them.
"Khan…" Aria managed to breathe. At the sound of his name being spoken from her lips he felt himself come completely undone. Arias eyes shut tightly as she felt his ecstasy mix with her own and slam into her like a brick wall. The feeling of the climax was so overwhelming she hadn't even been able to udder a single sound. Hear heart pounded so hard within her chest she felt as though it was threatening to burst right out. Long after both had come, their bodies continued to rock together. Neither wanting to separate, instead wanting to stay together for the rest of their days. But then it had to happen. Separation was needed for them to once again feel what it was like to stand on their own. Aria made a sound of pain as Khan slowly moved out of her. He looked her over and took a deep breath seeing tear tracks.
"I hurt you." He said. Had she been in pain the whole time? Had he cared about his own pleasure so much that he had ignored her pain?
"No…" She said softly finally finding her voice. "Quite the opposite… I've… Never felt anything like that…" Khan pulled her into his arms gently as he laid back in the bed.
"Nor have I…" He said. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I don't think I can walk but…" He laughed softly along with her. She took a shaky breath her heart was still beating so fast. Her legs still shook from her ecstasy. Even though she felt more energetic then she ever had, she was getting pulled into deep abyss. "I'm… Quite exhausted…" She said softly her eyes fluttering.
"Go to sleep…" he said and his deep voice lolled her further into the darkness. Khan looked down at Aria to see her eyes shut and her chest slowly and evenly rising and falling. She was asleep. Never had she fallen asleep so fast before. He couldn't blame her though. She had been through the battle of her life just hours before. Had it been hours? He looked to the clock and took a deep breath. They had made love for over 5 hours. He looked up at the ceiling. Time really had fallen away from them. He smiled softly his arms holding Aria to his body tightly.
"I do love you Ariadne…" he said though he knew she wouldn't hear him.
"I love you too…" she said in her sleep and he smiled as he looked down at her. The connection they had really was something exceptional. He took a deep breath as he felt himself get pulled into his own peaceful sleep. The second he closed his eyes he was whisked away into darkness.
-o-
Khan slowly walked out of the Turbo lift. He had left Aria to her well-deserved rest. He was now heading down to the white room to check in on Gabriel Till. He hoped he had healed and woken but he knew that was wishful thinking. Still Khan couldn't wait to seek vengeance against Till for all he had done. He walked out into the cargo hanger and headed to the secret compartment. He straightened out his clothes before walking into the white room. He tilted his head seeing Gabriel on a respirator as Galen looked over his vitals.
"Why is he on a respirator?" Khan asked walking over.
"Both his lungs collapsed last night." Galen said. "Aria did quite a number on him… The damage she did could take well over a week to undue. Found out something interesting though…"
"What did you find out?" Khan asked looking over their prisoners vitals.
"He really is Arias brother." Khan looked to him.
"Their DNA-."
"Perfect matches for siblings…" Galen said.
"He really is twisted."
"It's most likely why he was so drawn to her." Khan leaned back against the wall.
"You said one of the other Augmented Embryos we have is also a match to Aria."
"Her sister." He confirmed.
"That doesn't strike you as odd?" Khan asked.
"A bit, but I'm chalking it up to coincidence."
"No such thing…" Khan muttered. "Keep me updated on him… I'm going to go figure out the damage done in the Brig."
"Sure thing." Galen said as he walked away.
When Khan got to the brig he came to a stop. It was in shambles. Knives lay everywhere. Blood was spattered against the walls. It looked like a war zone. Then again that's exactly what it had been. A war zone. He could smell Arias blood still hanging heavy in the air. Till had nearly done her in. Then she had made a one eighty. He walked over to the cell he and Galen had been kept in. They both had tried to break through it, but neither had been successful. Yet his Aria had tossed Gabriel through it like it was nothing. She was a force of nature. He crouched down near a puddle of blood. Arias blood. It was a good half quart. Even with that much blood gone she had still managed to beat Till. He couldn't be more proud of her but he would be lying if he said he had no worries.
Slowly he stood and looked around. If this was the damage her generation of Augments could cause. Was it possible for them to live in peace next to his generation of Augments? After all they had a need for power. It was programed into their DNA. They conquered those who were weak and as much as he hated to admit it, his Augmentation was nothing compared to Arias. Still Aria didn't seem to have a want for power, so his only hope was that, that trait had been long lost somewhere within the evolution of her generation of Augments.
-o-
Khan slowly walked into the bedroom. It had been a long day and he hadn't seen Aria anywhere. He figured she had gone down to the weapons bay to do her normal work. But as he walked past the bed he came to a stop and came to a very different realization. He slowly turned to see Aria in bed. She had been sleeping all day. He walked over to her to see she had at some point changed into purple cotton shorts and a white t-shirt.
"Ariadne?" he asked sitting down at her side. He touched her cheek and tilted his head. She was warm. His brows knitted. Their kind didn't get sick. "Ariadne?"
"Mhm?" she muttered softly.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine… Still in a lot of pain…" She said and he looked over her body to see none of the bruises had healed.
"Maybe Galen should take a look at you."
"No I'm alright." She said. "I know things are healing…"
"Let me give you a transfusion of my blood to speed things up." She smiled softly as she looked to him.
"You're sweet to offer but I don't need it I'll be fine."
"If you don't start healing more by tomorrow you taking a transfusion."
"No I won't." she said and he smiled.
"So stubborn."
"You love it."
"I do, not sure why." he said as he pushed a strand of her red hair away from her eyes. "I need to tell you something love…"
"Is it about Till?"
"Yes."
"Is it about the other Augments?"
"No."
"Is he dead?"
"No."
"Then I don't want to know."
"It's important-."
"I don't want to know Khan…" She looked to him with a serious expression as she slowly sat up in bed wincing in pain as she did. "I have spent too many hours of my life thinking on that man and I refuse to do it anymore…" He slowly nodded and kissed the back of her hand.
"Do you want something for the pain?" He asked and she smiled glad he was changing the subject.
"No I'll be fine."
"You don't have to suffer through it… Galen has made many serums strong enough for our bodies."
"Yeah, well, the last time one of his serums was used on me it took over five adrenaline shots to undue the fog it caused."
"No fog I promise just relief." He said holding up the syringe. Her eyes narrowed on it. "I thought you might need it so I grabbed it just in case." She didn't want it. Despite the mind numbing pain she was in She just… Didn't want it. Why she wasn't sure. "I'm okay."
"You're sure?"
"Very sure." She said with a smile.
"If you change your mind it's here." He said resting it on the bedside table.
"Thanks much but I'm okay." She said with a smile before slowly swinging her legs over the bed. Her head bowed forward before she slowly stood. She wavered on her feet for a moment. Khan went to steady her.
"Nope I got it I'm okay." She said walking over to the computer. "So what's the damage in the Brig?" she asked looking over the feed. "Oh… That bad… Will we be able to fix that cell?"
"We don't have the materials."
"I thought those things couldn't be broken."
"You proved that theory very wrong." Khan said.
"Tomorrow I'll start cleaning up the mess I made."
"Take it easy for a few days. Allow your body to heal. Just rest. You deserve it." He said and she looked to him.
"I'm not really the resting type."
"Do I need to stick you with one of Galens sleep drafts?" she smiled.
"No..."
"Because I will and I'll hide the Adrenaline from you."
"I'll rest I promise."
"Good." He lifted her up into his arms gently.
"Where are we going?" she asked with a smile as she kissed his neck.
"Back to bed so you can rest."
"You're far too good to me. First though stop at the desk." he walked over to it and she reached down grabbing her tablet. "Okay." He shook his head with a smile as he carried her over to the bed.
"Why do you need that?" he asked as he gently set her down on the bed.
"So I can…" she winced as she moved up the bed to a sitting position. "Can work on some of my weapon designs."
"No." he took it out of her hands.
"Hey Khan!" She reached for it as Khan walked away. "I'd come after you but… You're too far now." She said seeing him across the room. "It's not fair to use my injured body against me."
"Weapon designing is not resting… The only thing that counts as resting is laying in that bed with your eyes closed." He said setting the tablet down and turning to look at her. He felt very protective over in that moment. After all he had nearly lost her last night.
"You could join me." She said and he went to walk towards her. He stopped instantly.
"No." He said.
"What why?" She asked.
"Because nothing you're thinking right now is considered resting."
"You know me too well…" She muttered feeling slightly put out. "Can I at least have a book?"
"No that requires your tablet and both of us know you'll just design weapons." He said as he walked to the door.
"Wait, where are you going?" She asked.
"To do some work on the plasma cannons."
"Oh just rub it in my face why don't you!?" He smiled as he walked out. "Uhg I hate this!" he smiled more as he shook his head. She could be so very restless sometimes.
-o-
Scotty sat at a control panel. He had been trying for a good two weeks to contact Aria via the communications on the shuttles located within the Dreadnaught Resurrection. In so doing he had also tracked where exactly she and Khan were located. A planet much like earth on the edge of the verse. He hadn't told Jim. How could he when he knew his captain would go in and try to wipe them out in one fell swoop. He still loved Aria. How could he not? He had braided her hair when she was a child after all. He had promised Bradshaw that if anything had happened to him he would take care of the wee lass. But it was only a matter of time when Chekov figured out that the way to track the Dreadnaught Resurrection was through its shuttles.
"One last try…" he said putting out a communications single that would tell the shuttles and whoever inside that they were being hailed. He just hoped someone would contact him back. Preferably Aria before the wee Chekov figured out a plan of his own. "Come on Aria…" He whispered before getting up and walking away, making sure he linked an alarm to his communicator in case someone came back.
-o-
All in all it took Aria four days to completely heal. Khan had noticed through those four days she ran a slight fever. But on the fourth day when she woke up it had been gone. Along with all her pain, bruises and gashes. Till was a different story. It took a full ten days for him to finally come out of the Coma Aria had put him in. When he did needless to say he wasn't happy.
Khan stared at Till as he leaned casually against one of the stark white walls. Till slowly looked around, it would take him a little while to realize where he was. What he was in for. Khan smirked as Till jerked against his restraints.
"Hello Till…" Khan said and his eyes shot to him.
"No… She… She killed me…"
"No, I stopped her…"
"Why?" he asked wide eyed.
"Because I'm not done with you yet…" Khan said.
"You can't do this to me… I'm Gabriel Till-."
"No." Khan said walking to him. "Your name is now prisoner 5469…" Tills eyes widened.
"Poetic, the same number I gave to your whore."
"You deserve that name… She never did." Khan said.
"What are you going to do to me? Everything I did to her?" he asked. "Go ahead… I'll withstand it just like she did."
"No you won't… Because you are something my Ariadne isn't." he said picking up his pack full of needles.
"Which is?"
"You're a coward…" He said as he looked over his needle kit. "You'll break in ways she never could…" He slowly looked over one of the needles as he set the kit aside. "Now." He said prying open his left eye and pointing the needle right at it. "Shall we begin?" He asked as Till shook violently.
Aria looked up. For a moment she could have sworn she heard screaming. She shook her head and shrugged before looking over her the vitals of Able the augmented child who had been struggling as of late. He seemed to be coming around though he was still much smaller then he should be. She tilted her head as she looked over the other kids.
"I keep thinking we should I don't know play music for them… And… Read to them." She said and Galen smiled. "That's supposed to be good for growing fetuses."
"We can't do anything more to make these children spectacular they just are on their own… That's your beautiful genetic augmentations at work." Aria just smiled. She suddenly peeled over as a jagged pain hit her stomach. "Whoa are you alright?" Galen asked rushing to her side.
"Oh yeah… My intestines are still healing from some of Tills hits… They ruptured a bit during the fight."
"Here let me give you a pain tonic."
"No it's already gone." She said with a smile as she stood up straight. "I swear I have been in some fights before but that…." She shook her head. "I just don't know how he did so much damage to my body. I mean before when he was torturing me I thought it was only because of the blood depletion but-."
"Aria Augments are the only other beings that can kill other Augments with their bare hands." She looked to him. "It takes a while for us to heal from a fight with one another. But to be honest, I've actually never seen a fight between one Augment and another Augment. We're very loyal to one another."
"There's no way in hell I'll ever be loyal to Till."
"For that I'm very thankful." He said with a smile.
"Galen…" She said walking to the children. "I'm so worried one of them is going to end up like him."
"Impossible." He said patting her on the back. "I'm doing everything right."
"That was the problem with Till though… My creator did everything just a little too right when it came to his growing process."
"I'm leaving room for them to take their own course. I promise." Galen said and she nodded slowly before smiling.
"I'm going to go down to the Brig see if I can't fix everything I did."
"Sure thing Lass I'll stay with the children."
"See you later Galen." She said with a smile.
"See you later Lass." She walked onto the turbo lift and smiled more. She was very attached to Galen, probably because he reminded her so much of Scotty. Even though Galen was Irish and Scotty was well Scottish they still had a lot in common when it came to their personalities. The turbo lifts doors opened and Aria walked out into the brig. Her jaw clenched. It had already been cleaned. Khan must have sent the bots down to do it. The only evidence that the fight had ever happened was the missing cell wall. She slowly walked over to it her jaw clenching.
She would be lying to say that when she had thrown Till through the glass she hadn't been completely scared of herself in that moment. In fact during the whole fight she had been scared of herself. Never before in a battle had she actually used the full extent of her power. Never before had she even attempted to use the full extent of it. She tilted her head seeing the floor stained slightly. That's where her blood had been. She crouched down and touched it. Till had nearly done her in, in that moment.
He wrapped his hands around her neck and brought her body down onto his knee over and over again. He then grabbed a knife from her thigh holster. She made a sound of pain as he slammed the knife into her side. She screamed when he twisted it.
"Ariadne!" Khan bellowed his eyes wide as his hand slammed against the glass. Gabriel threw Aria. She slammed into the glass of Galen and Khans cell. Her hand gripped onto the knife sticking out of her side. Khan crouched down his hand pressing against the glass. "Ariadne! Get to the panel open the cell I'll finish this! You've started it I'll finish it!" She shook her head and pulled the knife from her side. "Ariadne you open this door!" He bellowed seeing blood pool at her side.
It was in that moment when she saw the fear in Khans eyes that she had found the strength within herself to keep going. His rare fear fueled her fire. She still couldn't believe after such a good battle Till tried to run instead of finish it properly. She had lost her mind at that point. Saw red. In all honesty the only thing she remembered from that moment on was throwing him through the glass and then Khan telling her to stop. She still couldn't believe she had.
But the knowledge that Till knew where the rest of their family was made her halt her fist. She had promised Galen she would find his wife, and if that meant letting Till live. She would do it. After all she kept her promises. Another jab of pain hit her stomach and her jaw clenched. It came in waves, but that was good it meant she was healing. She just couldn't wait until she was a hundred percent. Slowly she stood as the pain left her.
"The bots did a good job." Aria said sensing Khan coming out of the turbo lift. She bowed her head for a moment. "So did Till talk?" she asked smelling Tills blood as she looked up at Khan.
"No mostly screamed, but… I'm good with that." She smiled softly.
"There was a moment when he was torturing me… A moment where I got very low." She walked over to the panel and leaned against it. "He had been putting my limbs in vices and slowly putting pressure on them until they cracked slowly before finally snapping, sometimes the jagged bone cutting a nerve or two. The pain was excruciating." She looked to Khan. "I nearly told him where you were."
"You didn't know where I was."
"Well I nearly told him a lie of where you were." Aria said with a smile.
"Why didn't you, it wouldn't have been betraying to me, it would have giving you some relief-."
"No it would have been betraying you Khan." She said slowly nodding. "All those days and nights I spent strapped to that table I just kept thinking over and over what would Khan do?" He walked to her. "How would Khan react?" She smiled softly. "Also I never lost faith that you would come to me, save me from Till. So I wanted to make sure when you did show up that you would be proud of my actions within the room, and have no doubt of my loyalty to you."
"Was there ever a doubt in your mind I was coming for you?" He asked.
"It's funny… Till tried his hardest to instill in me that you weren't coming but it was the one thing I managed to hold onto in that room…" He cupped her cheek in his hand.
"So you truly remember everything now?" he asked.
"Everything, yes." She said.
"Is there anything else I need to know about what transpired in that room? Did he wake up any other Augments?"
"No." she said.
"Did he say anything that would give away their location?"
"Just that they were somewhere dark and locked away." She said. "That you would never find them."
"Anything that he did to you that you think I should know… As the man who loves you?" she slowly looked up at him.
"He didn't rape me if that's what you're asking…" She said arching an eyebrow. "I mean…" she looked off. "He stripped me naked sometimes to better cut away at my skin but that was about it… There was touching…" this was all very hard for her to admit to him. "It only ever went as far as touching. I didn't remember it or I would have told you from the beginning." She said looking to him.
"I understand." He said nodding slowly.
"I'm sorry but I couldn't stop him-."
"No don't ever be sorry." He said looking at her with a serious expression. "You have no reason to be sorry for what he did to you." She smiled softly as she nodded. "So how are you handling things now that you know all that you know?"
"It's weird but I feel better." She admitted. "I mean I think what I was struggling with the most was I was missing days from my memory, and I had no clue if I said anything to him, if I ever gave in, the fact that I didn't know everything he had done to my body… But now that I know I didn't give in and now that I know everything he put me through… I feel like I can finally come to terms with it. I feel stable for the first time in months." Khan smiled. Something had shifted deep within her for the better. He could feel that in their connection.
"Good." She nodded before looking around the room. Her jaw clenched and Khan tilted his head.
"What is it love?" he asked.
"I had… Never used the full extent of my strength until the fight with Till… I never knew what I was capable of before."
"Never?" he asked and she looked to him. "Bradshaw never-."
"Bradshaw asked me to never ever go full bore… That it would be too dangerous for me, that it could possibly give away my true origins." He nodded.
"So then what do you think now that you've actually used the full extent of your Augmentation?"
"I can't help but wonder who the hell the Federation thought they were to try and control us." There was that drive for power. That drive he didn't think she had.
"Still want to just stay peacefully hidden upon this planet?" He asked and she looked to him.
"Yes." She said like it was obvious. He smiled, maybe the drive for power wasn't there after all. "You know… At least until the kids are full grown. Speaking of kids have you visited Able?" she asked taking his hand as they walked to the turbo lift.
"He seems to be healing." He said.
"Yes, Galen says he'll probably be smaller than the other Augments. I'm worried about how this might affect how the other children perceive him… I don't want him to be bullied." Khan smiled, she really did sound like mother in that moment. The doors opened to the Shuttle bay. "Well I'll see you later tonight."
"What do you have to do down here?" He asked.
"I thought I might try and give a go at learning mechanics and try to put Tills shuttle back together."
"Want help?"
"No because you'll just end up doing it all." She said before kissing his cheek. "I'll see you later." With that she walked out and Khan smiled as he watched the Turbo lift doors close. She seemed happier. For this he was truly thankful. He though was heading back to Till. If Aria almost let out information, false information, but information anyways about him under the pain of a vise breaking her bones, then he knew Till would break for sure.
"Do I have a vise?" he asked himself as he looked up in thought. "I don't… Now I'll have to build one…" he muttered wanting to just break Tills bones and get it over with.
-o-
Aria sighed heavily. She kept walking from one shuttle to the broken shuttle to see where things went, or how they were put together. She didn't understand how she could build a plasma ray from scratch with her eyes closed, but this shuttle was giving her trouble. It seemed taking it apart in a rage, was easer then putting it back together while calm. She was about to walk out of the shuttle when she heard a light beeping. Her head tilted as she looked around. She waked to the front of the shuttle and her eyes widened. This shuttle was being hailed from another shuttle.
"That's not good…" She said before strapping herself in and flying the shuttle out of the ship and off planet. When she was a good safe distance away she hit the communications button. She sat up straight seeing a familiar face his head cradled in his hands. "Scotty?" he sat up quickly his eyes widened.
"Wee lass!" He said with a laugh.
"What… How did you-… What the hell?" she looked around the shuttle.
"You didn't shut off the communications on the shuttles on your ship… In so doing you also didn't shut down the tracking capabilities." Her eyes widened.
"Oh my god… Is this a call to warn me that your-."
"No this was my idea… I haven't told Jim a thing… Though it's just a matter of time that they track you."
"Well when I get back I'll make sure to shut down all communications and tracking capability…" She said her jaw clenching. She had been reckless. Her hands clutched onto the arms of her seat. "So… You know where I am… What are you going to do with that information?" she asked.
"I nicked a serum from the medical bay." He said holding up a syringe. "I'll be giving it to myself after we finish this conversation and my mind will become a little foggy about what has transpired the last two weeks." Arias expression softened.
"Why are you doing this Scotty?" She asked quietly before looking down to see the Dreadnaught Resurrection was hailing her. She decided to ignore it.
"I promised Bradshaw I'd protect you… So that's what I'm doing protecting you… I should also warn you that Till escaped he may be on his way to you now-."
"He already came I took care of it."
"Give him a good beating?" he asked and she smiled softly.
"Yeah…" she said sheepishly. "Put him in a coma…"
"That's my lass!" He said and she laughed softly before slowly looking up at him with a soft expression.
"I uhm… I miss you Scotty." He nodded slowly his eyes welling up.
"Miss you too Lass… Is… Is Khan treating you well?"
"Yes… He's very kind to me." She bowed her head. "I love him you know…" Scotty slowly nodded. Aria so badly still wanted his approval in that moment.
"I know…" he said.
"He loves me…"
"I know Lass…" he looked to her and smiled. "I'm happy for you… I'm happy that you're happy… More so I'm happy that you aren't alone anymore… Thinking back I remember how lonely you were though I never understood why."
"Bradshaw and I were going to tell you Scotty… But then what happened happened…"
"Why didn't you tell me Lass then?" he asked.
"Because…" her voice broke. "I was scared…"
"If I had known maybe I could have protected you better… Lass…" She watched a tear fall down his face. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you from Till."
"No… No don't be sorry for that… That wasn't your fault." He slowly nodded before looking over his shoulder. "We should finish this… Someone could come any minute." Aria felt her heart drop as Scotty looked to her. She took a shaky breath and looked off.
"Scotty I…" her jaw clenched, she wouldn't cry. She refused. "I love you…"
"I love you too lass…" She smiled softly and looked to him.
"You're a really wonderful man and I just want to let you know I'll never forget all you've done for me."
"You did more for me then I ever did for you Lass… So thank you…" This was their true final good bye. She could feel it and it was heart breaking.
"Can you do me a favor Scotty?" she asked.
"Anything."
"Don't take the serum."
"What why-."
"Wait three hours and go to Jim to tell him you found a way to track our ship… Ill fly this ship off planet and just as your tracking it I'll cut off communications and tracking on the shuttles. You'll be sent on a bit of a wild goose chase but I promise it will be worth your while..." He nodded slowly.
"Alright Lass. But the serum."
"Don't take it… I… I don't want you to forget this conversation… I don't want you to forget me."
"I never could." He said and she slowly nodded. "Lass there's just one more thing."
"What is it?" she asked.
"I'm sending you something. A message."
"A message?" she asked.
"From Bradshaw… He sent it to me to deliver to you… I don't understand any of it but I think that's because it was meant for only your eyes." She looked down to see the message had gone through. It contained file after file, there was a lot of material there.
"This is all from Bradshaw?" She asked.
"All of it…"
"Thank you Scotty."
"Sure thing lass." She took a deep breath and touched the screen where Scotty looked at her from.
"I love you Scotty, thanks for everything."
"I love you too Lass…"
"Goodbye…" her voice broke.
"Goodbye lass." Scotty's head bowed as the video feed went dead. He slowly nodded as his jaw clenched. He erased any evidence that the conversation had happened before sitting back in his chair in complete shock. He was never going to see the lass again, and that pained him more than he could ever say.
Aria allowed her shuttle to be hailed as she quickly flew back on planet. She brought the hale to screen and sat back. It was Khan. He didn't look happy.
"Do you want to tell me as to why you flew off planet without telling anyone?" He asked.
"Khan as soon as I fly into the shuttle bay you need to take the ship and enter warp speed to coordinates 56 34 93 24."
"Why would I be doing this?"
"I got a warning… The Enterprise has found a way to track us… You don't want them to track us here so we need to get off planet as quickly as possible. I want to lead them away from here."
"You'll explain more as soon as you're on ship. I expect you to report to the bridge straight away." The feed went dead and she sighed.
"Oh yeah he's angry." She sighed as she flew into the shuttle bay. She quickly ran from shuttle to shuttle and got them flight ready and also set them to autopilot. It took a good hour to just do all that but if Scotty kept with the plan. She had the time to spend doing such a thing. Before she was about to leave when she got a brilliant idea and quickly recorded a message. When she was done she ran to the turbo lift and let it get her to the bridge. She quickly ran out to see they were already in warp. Khan turned and looked to her.
"You want to tell me what the hell is going on?" He asked.
"Alright it's kind of a long story-."
"Then shorten it." He said.
"I was working on Tills shuttle when I heard a beeping coming from another one. Upon investigation I found that that this shuttle was being hailed from another shuttle. So I took it off planet so when I entered communications the person hailing me wouldn't see what planet we were on." He slowly nodded relaxing a bit. "Khan, it was Scotty."
"Your Scotty?" He asked.
"Yes… He wanted to warn me that Chekhov was close to figuring that the way to track us was through our shuttles. It's brilliant actually and I feel stupid for not thinking of that, but that's besides the point."
"Why not just shut down tracking on the shuttles right now?"
"Because… I want to send Kirk in a whole different direction."
"Which is why you're placing us on the other side of the verse."
"Exactly… They'll search that area for years because it's there only clue as to where we are."
"Brilliant plan." He said. "Or we could just destroy the ship once and for all."
"That fight is for another day. We can't risk racking the ship so, not with the children growing… Too much movement can ruin everything. We have to protect the children Khan. Now when we get to our destination we're going to release one of the shuttles and leave it's tracking on we'll then release it out of the ship while we park ours behind one of the nearby moons."
"Why?" he asked.
"You'll see." She said before walking over to her station. "Galen lock down the medical bay, we're off planet and in danger of a firefight."
"Aye lass." He said coming through. Arias fingers quickly travelled over the panels and began to put her battle plans into place just in case it came to that.
"We've arrived at our destination." Khan said as they came out of warp.
"Good." Aria rushed over to the flight panel and released one of the shuttles. She checked the time and slowly nodded. She looked over the scans and smiled. "They've started tracking…" Aria smiled more and Khan watched as she shut off one of their ten shuttles. It went dead and he knew that meant Tracking was over for that shuttle.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm making them think that I just realized what they're doing and am in the process of manually trying to shut down tracking capabilities on our shuttles to stop them." Khan smiled as he looked over Aria. This was the first time he was truly seeing her use her Battle Expertise which she was so revered for by the Federation. In her file he had seen that she was often referred to as the Prodigy of war, now he saw why. Arias fingers danced across the panel quickly.
"Proximity alert at its maximum." The computer said.
"Over ride code 437892." She said.
"Over ride code accepted." The computer said.
"Set proximity alert to 90123.3 meters." Aria said as her fingers danced around the panel.
"Proximity alert set." The computer said. Aria set her hand on the flight control and waited.
"Come on…" She said softly. "Come on Kirk, where are you?" She asked her jaw clenching her body going rigid.
-o-
"Shuttle 2 has been shut down." Chekhov said quickly.
"Khan is catching on lets go, let's go!" Kirk yelled from his chair.
"We're going as fast as we can Captain!" Scotty said from his control panel. He wasn't sure what Aria had planned. But he was a little worried. Jim was really worked up. He wanted blood. He wanted it more than anything.
"Third shuttle down Captain." Chekov said.
"We are not losing these criminals again!" Kirk yelled.
"Jim everyone is working as hard as they can." Spock said quietly.
"Come one we can do this." Kirk said looking around. "We can bring these criminals to justice. I know we can." Everyone nodded.
"Fourth shuttle down." Chekhov said.
"Warp nearly finished."
"Five six seven eight nine shuttles all just went down sir!" Chekhov said and Kirks jaw clenching. "We have one shuttle left sir!"
"Warp ending." Sulu said. They came out of warp and came to a screeching halt. There was nothing. Nothing but one shuttle. Kirks jaw clenched as he stared at it. His hands gripped onto the arms of his chair.
"Sir… We're being hailed with a prerecorded message." Uhura said.
"On screen." Kirk said through clenched teeth. He felt his jaw pop under the pressure when Aria came to screen.
-o-
"What is this?" Khan asked seeing Aria come to screen.
"Just a warning I recorded." She said with a smirk as she readied the next part of the plan.
-o-
"I assume I'm speaking with Captain Kirk right now… If you're viewing this message it means your subpar intelligence finally came up with the brilliant idea to track our shuttles." Kirks jaw clenched. "By now you have realized that though it was a good idea it was in vain… Sorry Chekhov." The boys head bowed. "You just weren't quick enough were you lad?" The recorded Aria asked.
"I… Hate her." Kirk said his jaw clenching so hard he could hear it pop.
"So now I offer this fair warning to you my former Captain." Aria said and his eyes narrowed. "Stop your search. Stop your search or lose your life. I've been trying for months to protect you and your crew but you just don't seem to be getting the hint that we are better in every way. It doesn't matter that you have that fancy new ship, we've already made changes to ours that have preceded yours by approximately 79 percent."
"Is that possible Scotty?" kirk asked.
"I taught the lass all I knew sir." Scotty said.
"By the time you do manage to find us we will have most likely exceeded that percentile." Her expression softened. "We do not wish war… We wish only to have the chance to live peacefully. The acts of terrorism before were just miniscule insights into what we are capable of… If we wished it, we could have wiped out the whole federation by now… So you have two choices. Come after us and die… Or cease your search and live." She smiled. "It's your choice Kirk… But try to not think of only yourself and your wants but think of the lives of your crew members because if you come after us, I will make sure all of them die a very slow and painful death…" her eyes darkened and it struck fear into him. "Again. The choice is yours…" she went to walk away before smiling. "Oh just uhm one more thing."
"Sir, Phasers are locked on us." Sulu said in confusion.
"Behind you." Aria said. Everyone in the bridge went flying forward as they were hit from behind by phaser after phaser.
"What the hell was that!?" Kirk asked be he watched the Dreadnaught resurrection fly past them and enter warp. "Sulu punch it!"
"I can't sir!"
"What do you mean you can't!?"
"We no warp capabilities… She destroyed them." Sulu said and Kirk let out a yell of pure anger. "Scotty get on it!" He nodded as he ran from the bridge. The second he got onto the turbo lift he smiled to himself.
"Well done lass…"
"Safely out of warp, and no signs that they were able to follow." Aria said with a smile as she looked over the panel.
"Well done Ariadne." Khan said re checking just in case.
"They should be grounded for a few weeks, gives us a break for a while in having to worry about them coming after us or finding us." She turned and looked to Khan.
"The message was a nice touch."
"I needed Kirk distracted." Khan smiled as he walked to her.
"I tell you, your talents were truly wasted on the federation."
"Their loss is your gain." She said with a smile.
"Are we in the clear?" They heard Galens voice come through on the com.
"We're in the clear, and going back home." Aria said with a smile as she slipped into the flight chair while Khan walked to the captain's chair. "Keep the kids still though Galen."
"Will do." He said his voice coming through once more.
"Let's go home shall we?" Aria asked with a soft expression.