No One's POV
The final exhibition round had come, the USS Enterprise crew more than eager and anticipating being able to watch the action first hand on the Bridge of the USS Madison after watching the first two exhibitions on the large screens set up in the stadium, joining in among the festivities with Starfleet personnel and non-personnel.
Relaxing in the penthouse with the Enterprise crew, Emily was lounging lazily on the couch throwing pretzels in the air and catching them in her mouth, Khan reading on his personal PADD when Jarvis suddenly blared a red alert.
"Admiral." Khan snaps to attention immediately, regarding Emily formally, PADD discarded carelessly on the couch.
"Commander." Emily responds with equal formality, pretzels practically spilling off her lap onto the ground.
"Em, what-" Kirk begins to ask, but before he can ask what was wrong or what was happening, Emily and Khan were both practically bowling each other over to dash for the turbo lifts.
"Are you coming Kirk? Chop, chop, you're either with me or I'm leaving you behind!" Emily yells, charging for the turbo lift.
"Wait- what, shit." Kirk curses, immediately charging behind his best friend, realizing this must be a part of the games, the rest of the Enterprise crew jumping as well, dropping everything, Sulu barely having the time to turn off the stove, leaving soup half done on the stove top.
"Damn it!" Bones huffs crankily along.
Barreling into lift, Kirk is panting slightly along with his crew, Emily laughing lightly at them as the doors close.
"What the hell?" Kirk asks.
"War Games, Kirk. We're running a simulation, like an emergency. Khan and I can't always command a ship together. In this case, whoever gets to their ships first obviously has a slight advantage. In a real emergency, urgency and speed is vital." Emily explains.
The doors to the lift slide open nearly a second later, Emily already sprinting out, red lights blaring emergency, crews already pouring out of barracks in tight formation, like ants from a hill, the USS Enterprise crew following blindly, attempting to stick as close to Emily as they could.
"Admiral." Captain Brett Dalton salutes slightly, sliding effortlessly into place by her right side, where Khan usually was placed, the rest of Madison's Senior Command Crew marching in time.
It was odd, to see someone else where Khan was such a steady, constant, practically immovable force.
Across the bay, Kirk could see Khan marching towards the USS Leviathan, Persis by his side, clearly his First Officer along with what was obviously his Senior Command Crew in his wake.
"Commander." Madison greets formally.
"Status?" Madison asks, tilting her head slightly, gaze roaming slightly over the thirteen massive warships all docked waiting the final exhibition round.
"Locked and loaded. The Captains and their teams are all awaiting your command." Dalton answers.
"Good." Emily nods, not breaking stride as they jog up the ramp to the USS Madison.
"Take us out, Helmsman Reynolds." Emily commands, barely in her Command chair before she was already barking orders.
The warships streaked out of the docking bay another moment later, rising through earth's troposphere and stratosphere to the final layer of space, the actual Federation flight space, the USS Madison and USS Leviathan leading their war fleets in a tight pack.
Once in space, Emily settled more firmly in her Captain's Chair, the Senior Command team settling on the Bridge, the Enterprise crew clustering towards the back still a bit wide eyed.
"So, ready for the real fun?" Emily smirks slightly over her shoulder, an almost offhanded comment before refocusing.
"J, you with me?"
"As always, ma'am." Jarvis intones, the AI's voice echoing around the Bridge, holo screens suddenly flaring in an arc around Emily.
Kirk nearly chokes, Chekov making a small squeak that sounded like a mouse.
Emily stifles a laugh, keeping her focus.
"On screen, J." Emily commands, squaring her shoulders professionally.
"Commander." Madison greets with a formal nod another moment later, Khan's face appearing on the center holo screen, the background of the USS Leviathan much like the USS Madison.
"Admiral." Khan's baritone voice echoes his greeting through the otherwise silent Bridge, as he greets his Admiral with a short formal nod of acknowledgement.
"I hope you don't think you'll be getting that trophy back. You'll be sorely disappointed." Madison comments with assured confidence, but light humor, amusement and even goading hinted in her tone.
"Perhaps Admiral. I cannot deny your skills in the games have served you well in previous years. But perhaps this year the victory shall be mine." Khan replies back, a dark glint in his expression.
"Commander! Admiral!" Hails suddenly interrupt the interaction from both of sides of the holo screen. "Simulation is ready. Schematics are loaded and set."
"Very well." Madison acknowledges, rising from her seat, on screen Khan mirroring the Admiral's actions on his own ship. "Battle stations at the ready. Raise defense shields. Prepare for simulation and War Game."
A flurry of activity follow on both bridges as Madison and Khan begin barking out orders, their Senior Bridge Crews sliding into a familiar pattern and flow that speak of time and well-practiced partnership.
"Battle stations ready. Helm and navigation standing by. Communications fully operational." Madison's First Officer Brett Dalton informs, the USS Leviathan's First Officer Persis echoing the same sentiment.
"Now then, shall we begin?" Khan asks, a smug, superior confidence to his tone as he once more turns and looks at his Admiral and mate evenly.
"We shall." Madison replies, her tone losing all playfulness or lightness that Kirk and his crew were used to hearing from the Admiral, instead spoken with solemn confidence and assurance, an edge of something more glinting in her tone.
"Then, to the victor go the spoils." Khan echoes the same sentiment and mantra that the War Games had, a cunning smirk sliding across his features as he raises his right arm up towards the ceiling, hand forming a fist in a sort of half salute, half rallying gesture.
"To the victor go the spoils." Madison replies with equal spirit, raising her right arm high to mimic Khan's gesture, both staring at each other in challenging confidence before the link ends.
"Jarvis, activate War Council, Games protocol." Madison orders, sliding back into her Command Chair, pausing briefly to glance at the crew of the USS Enterprise.
"Council is ready and awaiting your command Admiral." Jarvis informs primly, five holo screens lighting up in the arc before Madison, the screens showing the Captains of the other ships in Madison's War Game fleet.
"Captains, are you ready?" Madison asks, turning to look at each one individually.
"Ready and waiting Admiral." Captain Emmett of the USS Prime replies for all.
Madison nods briefly in acknowledgement before speaking.
"Let there be no mistake ladies and gentlemen, Khan's fleet is sharp, with one extra ship to their side know that although we've won in the past with this disadvantage, there will be a fight. But rest assured, the title will be ours again and we will prevail in victory. " Madison rallies, looking at her Captains and Senior Bridge Crew with steady confidence of an Admiral not only wanting to win and having assurance in her own leadership skills, but having faith in her crew and war fleet.
Formal silence is Madison's answer, but the Captains on screen reflect a fierce determination and steadfast faith in their Admiral to see them through to victory.
"Good. Then let's vanish." Madison orders with a confirming nod.
"Panels engaging and activating." Helmsmen Lieutenant Reynolds informs Madison, his hand resting over the warp controls.
"Let's begin." Madison smirks, her expression suddenly turning focused and pointed, a sharp confidence and energy that the Enterprise crew had not seen, as energetic and confident as Emily normally was, this far exceeded it.
The USS Madison's Bridge is suddenly another flurry of activity, as the Captains of Madison's war fleet start issuing orders to their own bridge crews, the muted commands flying fast behind the holo screens on Madison's Bridge, Madison's own bridge crew also jumping into action as the ship suddenly drops into warp, shooting off away from the pack.
"So… What do you think?"" Madison asks with a smirk of amusement, turning to look at crew of the USS Enterprise, who were still staring with barely concealed wonder and awe.
"Damn, Em. This is-" Kirk exclaims, shaking his head in awe and disbelief. "I really honestly didn't think I'd be more impressed after the last exhibition. Remind me to never doubt you again."
Unlike the previous games, the first which was like the most complicated game of chase and hide and seek Kirk had ever seen, where the entire war fleet had basically tried to find the USS Madison and then obliterate it to pieces, and the second exhibition where Khan and Madison were singularity matched against one another, making an intricate and dangerous dance, one that similarly mimicked the sparring the Enterprise crew had seen, only geared with war ships, advanced technology and weapons, and AI's, this third exhibition was entirely different.
This game was styled like the old childhood playground game of capture the flag, only armed warships guarded the "flag" while others flew around Federation flight zone battling each other as one would a hostile enemy in a charged war zone.
"Damn it!" Emily hisses, slamming her hand down on her console, watching as two of her holo screens go blank, indicating two of her warships have gone down in her fleet.
"Tell me the Elliot and Emmett did something to damage Khan's fleet." Madison says.
"They punched a hole to their defense, Alpha X, Regent and Entity are down." Dalton offers, standing beside Madison's chair, where Khan would usually stand.
"Good. Captain Everett, pull your three back to defend the flag, I'll divert around to try and catch the Commander's attention." Madison orders.
"Yes, Admiral." Captain Everett nods. "You heard the Admiral." Everett says off screen to Madison, but to his own holo panel.
Peeling off from joined pack, the USS Madison hunts for the USS Leviathan, unshielding briefly almost teasingly, as if flirting with the other ship, goading Khan to attack.
"Admiral-" Tactical Officer Lieutenant Malik says, reading his screens, an incoming warning of a phaser locking onto the Madison from the side.
"Reynolds, shields. And get ready to move." Madison orders, watching the warning flash across her screen as the red mark locks onto the hull. "Malik, drop phasers."
"Admiral." Resounds from the Command team.
The slight impact rocks the Madison as the shields raise in time, the phasers dropping from the ship.
"Hold steady." Madison commands, the USS Leviathan holding fire from their last attack.
Suddenly a large torpedo fired, bursting with an explosion.
"Reynolds, engage defensive movement. Malik, engage phasers. Let's give them a chase." Madison barks out suddenly, the ship suddenly dropping into warp and swerving, managing to do so without jerking the crew out of their seats or places on the Bridge.
Phasers continued to fire as the USS Leviathan gave chase, the Madison firing back with equal power.
"Backwards thrusters, Reynolds." Madison suddenly orders, the USS Madison all but slamming on its breaks and turning around, heading the other direction, blinking in and out of warp, shield still hiding it from the Leviathan's sight.
The game of chase goes for honestly, Kirk isn't sure how long, Spock could probably tell him the exact time, 17.89 minutes Spock times, but finally the USS Madison is hit, seemingly broadsided, the USS Leviathan materializing out of nowhere, looking daunting in front of them.
"The USS Madison is damaged, 40.36 percent. Bulkhead on the port side, origin point level 6. Current injury count is unknown." Jarvis states primly. "Phaser 4 and 6 on the port side are also damaged. Shields holding 86.82 percent."
"Flares." Emily orders. "Phasers fire to the starboard side, Malik. Reynolds, maximum warp speed."
It was another short chase, but ultimate the USS Leviathan would pin down the USS Madison, phasers firing on both sides, a fire fight in what was looking like a brilliant light show, the end coming when the USS Madison took a particularly large hit that rocked the entire ship and Jarvis announced the Engineering deck had took a hit to the core.
Spock was suddenly transported back to memories of Jim in the reactor, body instinctively tensing at the thought, mentally having to remind himself that this situation was much different, that both Jim and Emily were fine.
His Captain standing next to him, looking far too interested in the proceedings, and Emily, his potential bondmate, seated calmly in her Captain's Chair, firing out orders left and right and cursing occasionally, her body shifting as she tracked her holo screens and listened to both her First Officer and her AI.
"Shields have been breached. The core has been misaligned." Jarvis relays as the ship blares red alert.
"If we go down, we go down fighting, ladies and gentlemen." Madison orders. "Prepare for impact. All power, fire at will."
The Senior Command Crew all turn to look at Madison briefly, nodding in acknowledgement before turning back boldly to their stations.
Blasts fire from both the Leviathan and Madison, in another moment the Madison rocks before suddenly the entire ship blacks out, engines and power cutting.
"End game for us, ladies and gentlemen." Emily announces as lights flicker back on a moment later. "We just died. But so did Khan. Hopefully that bought the others some time however."
"Wait…" Kirk blinks, brain trying to grasp what was happening, everything seemed so real.
"Now we wait." Emily says, twisting around in her chair to lounge completely sideways, legs hanging over her arm rest and upper body draped over the other side.
Dalton hands his Admiral a PADD, allowing Emily to work on reports, Dalton seating himself at his station and the other Command crew doing only they knew what.
"I can feel you thinking, Jay." Emily says, twirling her stylus.
"Apparently I'm stupid. But I'm confused." Kirk says, wandering over to her seat.
"Simulation, remember? Nothing was real." Emily reminds, looking up at her best friend.
"Yeah, but the damage, the phasers…" Kirk objects. "How can you fake everything?"
"War Games protocol. Sophisticated equations set to calculate and constantly recalculate as the game goes on. Computers tell all departments what is damaged. Phasers fire blanks so to speak, almost like lights. They don't hit. There are sensors, almost like targets that the War Games protocol has specifically so that when the lights hit it can calculate the damage. Not real targets of course, we wouldn't have weaknesses like that on the ships. But the War Games protocol has that in place through the equations." Emily explains. "Everyone else just continues to work as the status quo, if they aren't impacted or hit."
"You really thought of everything, didn't you?"
"Yep. We wanted it as real as possible so that everyone from Senior Command all the way to those fresh from the Academy could get a sense of real possible situations without life or death being in danger, but feel it nonetheless. You guys can go play, explore or whatever, if you want. The exhibition game isn't quite finished. But the Madison is out of commission. So we just have to wait here." Emily says, waving a hand towards the turbo lifts.
"Really? Like, seriously, Em?"
"Really, seriously." Emily nods.
Kirk whoops happily, dragging Bones immediately to the turbo lifts, Bones making a startled grumbling yelp at Kirk's jerking motion.
"You're such an infant Jim." Emily hears Bones gripe as the lift closes.
"Dwo yew need any help, Admiral?" Chekov asks out of courtesy.
"Not at all Chekov. Thank you though. Go play." Emily looks up, making an urging motion.
Chekov's curls bounce as he nods, before he cautiously slides around the Bridge towards the Navigation station that's now lit up, unlike it was when he was on the Madison before, Sulu following Chekov hoping to keep the puppy like Navigator out of the way, as well as poke around the Helmsman station on the Bridge before running off to play in the labs.
Oblivious to the USS Enterprise crew, or nearly so, Emily works on her PADD some more before noticing Khan's request to come aboard and accepting it, having the transporters open up between the ships.
"You're paranoid and over protective Khan. And this is getting ridiculous." Emily says, turbo lift sliding open barely two minutes later, knowing it was her First Officer.
"I disagree, Admiral." Khan objects, gracefully sitting himself down in front of Madison's Command Chair, leaning his head against her stomach as she is still lounging sideways across her chair.
"As I said, you're paranoid." Emily snorts, hand immediately dropping to Khan's head, fingers gently running through his hair, knowing it was what he wanted without words.
Khan was rarely a touchy-feely person, but when he was, and only with her, he said it with absolutely zero words, just actions and initiating it himself.
Emily remains silent, instead refocusing on her PADD and the report she was reading while continuing to brush her fingers lightly through Khan's hair, ignoring her Bridge crew at this point and knowing they knew both her and Khan well enough that they could care less about what was happening, use to the odd relationship between Admiral and Commander.
Most wouldn't understand it, but they had gone through so much and their relationship in many ways born under fire and pressure, it was hard not to be close in ways that were everything but a sexual relationship that lovers would share.
It had taken a several weeks of deliberation for the Council to come to a final decision.
They were concerned of course, more than concerned, fearful of what could happen having Khan released from containment.
Khan had gotten brought before them to speak his peace, security teams all around, all on high alert of course, frankly Madison had thought it was a bit over kill and over dramatic, Khan's arms bound behind him, in a way that had to be more than humiliating (to add insult to injury), but Khan had taken it all rather calmly considering his previous reactions to relatively minor or trivial things, which was surprising for the proud Augment.
And he had been probably poked and prodded more times than Madison believed was right and fair or humane.
She couldn't stop it, and neither could Archer, for all the power he had as Chief of Staff/Head of Council, he had no more votes than anyone else, no more say than anyone.
Madison may understand why many of the Admirals didn't trust Khan, but it didn't mean she justified what they were forcing what was going to happen. She had voted no of course, as had her uncle, but it had gone through either way.
And Khan had accepted. With little complaint.
Madison thought there might actually be something homicidal or psycho with the Augment, because clearly there had to be if he was willing to willingly subject himself to something like this.
Nonetheless, the decision had been finalized and paperwork shoved through; Khan was released into her custody, the metal electromagnetic shock band clamped around his neck like a fucking shock collar for a dog, making Madison wince internally, cringing and feeling like she was a fucking monster for even allowing this to happen under her watch, even if she had voted against it.
Fucking Admiralty on the Council. Because they didn't want a homicidal Augment on the loose and wanted a way to control him. Like a slave. It was barbaric. Were they not supposed to be passed this? At least in most civilized civilizations? It was the 23rd century after all.
Madison swore the science team was fucking enjoying this too.
"Subject-" One of the scientists begins to speak.
"Khan." Madison corrects harshly. "His name is Khan."
"Khan." The scientists immediately corrects hastily. "Khan is ready, Admiral."
Madison gives the scientists another sharp reprimanding look, before nodding, Khan doing nothing during the entire process but standing patiently, submitting himself to the humiliation and scrutiny if it meant freedom and being with his mate, his gaze trained on Madison the entire time.
"What now?" Madison nearly growls out, noticing the science team giving her looks.
"Would- would you not like to try it? For our- our reports?" One asks.
No. Madison immediately thinks, she would never like to fucking try it. She's rather burn her own arm off or burn the fucking collar.
"For my report you mean. You had nothing to do with it. Are you questioning my authority?" Madison barks out.
"No! Of course no, Admiral. It was merely a suggestion." The same scientist back tracks.
"I will not indulge your sadistic curiosity to torture a man who at this point in time has done nothing to warrant being harmed. You are dismissed. Medical can wait in the hall in case they are needed." Madison says in a frigid tone that could probably ice an entire continent.
"Khan." Madison says gently, offering her hand, raising it palm towards Khan and arm at a 90 degree angle.
Khan mirrors her, hand touching hers carefully, as if fascinated by her hand and touch, something he had been fascinated by since the very first time they had touched.
Activating the collar a moment later through the band locked and secured around her own wrist, Madison watches Khan drop to the ground to his knees, the collar making a slight whining noise as it winds up in power, Madison immediately cutting the power off a second later.
"Jesus." Madison hisses, dropping to the ground next to Khan. "This is fucking insane."
"I am fine, Admiral." Khan offers, leaning on his hands, one of the few times using his mate's title, acknowledging her status.
"You don't look fine." Madison denies, noticing slight sheen around his forehead.
"I am fine." Khan repeats.
"Fine." Madison sighs at the stubborn Augment, gently pushing a lock of hair off Khan's face. "Well just- just stay there a second. It'll make me feel better."
"Jesus." Madison swears again under her breathe, anger in her words. "This is fucking barbaric."
"Very well, Madison." Khan replies, resting his cheek against his mate's hand, feeling her finger twist beneath the collar and another few pushing mindlessly through his hair.
If Madison was surprised by Khan's action, she didn't show it, instead allowing Khan to lie against her touch, sprawled almost half across her lap, eyes closed as his head rested against her hand.
"Come on, I need to go back to my office for a little bit. You'll have to come with me and entertain yourself." Madison says, standing up another moment later, Khan effortlessly rising.
"Very well, Admiral." Khan answers, shifting to Madison's right, slightly behind her shoulder as they walk out of the labs for the first time, Khan's expression shifting into a smooth tone.
Taking the private turbo lifts for the Admirals and Senior Officers, Madison marches straight to her office, intently starring at any and every one that could possible look at her or Khan, daring them to make a comment.
"Here. PADD. Catch up on a few things. Go crazy, not too crazy though." Emily says, handing Khan a spare PADD before logging onto her computer.
Khan stares at the PADD for a moment before decidedly folding himself down next to Madison's desk chair, resting his head against her arm rest, head half against it and her thigh.
"Jesus fucking-" Emily curses, nearly jumping straight up, not expecting Khan to do that.
Khan stares at his mate blankly, completely nonplused and unrepentant.
"Khan…" Madison says, breathing rapid and far too shallow.
Was she about to have a heart attack? Or maybe she was going to faint? Or possible she was hallucinating? Or maybe she was having a bout of hysteria? She hoped she was anyways. Any of those options was going to be preferable.
"Wouldn't you- wouldn't you rather sit on the couch? Or- or chair?" Madison asks, feeling like she was simultaneously sweating and cold at the same time.
Oh god. Why was this her fucking life?
"Am I not your charge?" Khan asks, his baritone voice barely inflecting.
"You're not my fucking slave." Madison nearly snarls.
Yep, this was her fucking life. Heaven help her. What had she done in her previous life to condemn her to this?
Before Madison or Khan could say anything else, Madison's office doors slide open, Admiral Komack walking in purposefully.
Emily didn't like Admiral Komack, one of the more out spoken Admirals for Khan's "firm handling", Komack hated anyone that went against his orders and personally was a little sexist against any female. While he respected her ranking, he overall didn't seem to respect her, and that more than a little irked her.
Overall, Emily hated dealing with him, and kept their interactions to a minimum.
"Madison." Komack greets, glancing at Khan, a distasteful look appearing on his face, before turning into an almost satisfying expression after noticing Khan's position.
"Komack." Madison greets as politely as she can, gritting back any other comments.
"I need those reports I had sent over." Komack says.
"I was just getting back to look them over." Emily informs.
"Good." Komack says, glancing at Khan again, before the PADDS sitting on Madison's desk.
Madison drops a hand to Khan's head, gently pushing her fingers through Khan's hair like before.
"Is there anything else you needed to tell me Admiral Komack?" Madison asks, looking at Komack purposefully.
"No, Admiral Madison." Komack answers, taking the hint and exiting Madison's office.
"Bastard." Emily mutters, glaring meaningfully at the door, realizing exactly the reason why Komack had come in her office.
Then sighing, Emily leans back in her seat, fingers stopping their action as she goes to move her hand, Khan having said nothing or reacted to any of the proceedings.
"I'm sorry, Khan, for that." Emily sighs.
"It is of no consequence." Khan answers, turning to look at Emily, gaze as burning as ever. "I expected as much."
"Of course you did…" Madison mutters to herself.
"You're still not my slave. I do not own you. If you want to- to sit there, fine. I guess it might be, better. Or something… We're gonna have to figure this out, cohabitate." Emily clears things up, holding Khan's gaze.
"Very well, Admiral." Khan replies, turning his head back to his PADD and dropping his head back to her thigh unconcerned.
Suddenly Emily was reminded of a very large feline, like a dangerous panther, all that energy and burning fire, coiled up ready to pounce on unexpecting prey, but also this extreme laziness.
Also, she vaguely wondered if Khan was touch starved.
"My name is Emily, Khan. You can call me Emily, when we're together. At least privately." Emily says after a moment, her hand once more dropping to Khan's head into his hair, he didn't protest, instead tilting his head slightly as if curling into her touch, allowing her to stroke a few strands.
"Very well, Emily."
"Uh… Em?" Kirk's voice breaks Emily out of her thoughts.
"Hmm… Wait? What?" Emily asks, shaking her head lightly, PADD evidently dropped on the ground, Khan having picked it up and examining the report she had been working on, her hand still mindlessly twirling pieces of Khan's hair.
"Whatcha doing?" Kirk asks, tilting his head still not understanding how his best friend could be so cozy with the Augment leader.
"Nothing apparently." Emily answers, shaking her head slightly. "Thinking, sorry, what did you need?"
"Ummm… Nothin-" Kirk starts to speak only to be interrupted.
"Admiral." Captain Everett interrupts on the holo screen.
"Captain Everett." Madison answers, immediately straightening in her seat, Khan shifting to rest against her leg as her feet hit the ground as she sits forward.
"We have their flag. All ships have been captured or annihilated." Captain Everett announces, pulling up a screen to show the mentioned results and holding up, quite literally a blue flag which a shuttle had to go get amidst the debris and war zone.
"Is that a-" Bones asks from behind Madison's seat.
The entire Senior Command Crew on Madison's ship begins clapping.
"Very well done Captain Everett." Madison praises. "All right. War Games are done. Nicely done. War Council, Games protocol, activate."
Within another moment all her holo screens are activated, her war fleet Captains on screen.
"Well, Captains, another year victory is ours! Captain Everett and his squadron have claimed our victory. So, the spoils have been ours!" Madison claps briefly.
The Captains and their entire Senior Bridge Crews break out into thunderous applause and whistles, Emily's Senior Command Crew doing the same again, it echoing tenfold, making it deafening.
"Alright, alright you hooligans." Madison calms, holding a hand up. "Back to base everyone."