drumrooll!

the chapter we've all beeeeeennn waaaiiting for: Philippa Georgiou!

heheheh

this is actually the first chapter I wrote for this fic but you know... you have to do the start of the book and lead up to it, lol.

So here it is!

I was gonna post it tomorrow but... well i had it done and I really want to hear your thoughts! Remember, drop some of your love and your thoughts on it; love all of them and they're a real mood- booster for me :)

The shuttle craft shook as they departed from the ISS Shenzhou. Michael felt to some relief that they were leaving; less eyes on them and she didn't have to hide her true nature until they got to the Charon. She licked her lips a little, not that it smudged her lipstick but she could feel the aches of her thirst spike up again as she put the shuttle into warp, ignoring the familiar voice monotone how far they were to the imperial Palace and the fact she had put them onto Auto-pilot.

She spun on her chair to face Lorca though and darted to sit beside him, making him flinch but he chuckled. "I hope you've got your speed under control. Last thing we both need is a slip up."

"Of course I have." Michael remarked. "I've had plenty of practice. No one on the Shenzhou were any wiser." Though as she spoke, she felt her last set of contacts dissolve to expose her ink black irises. She blinked softly though her fingers came to her next set hidden under her amour and opened it up, plucking out the first brown contact and leant her head back as it slipped in though immediately her focus immediately went to the wrapped plastic, feeling as it slipped into place. "It doesn't help I'm starving." She added as she put in the other one.

"It's too risky to feed, Michael." He sighed out softly.

Michael pulled out a hypospray. "I know… but you look like a really tempting juice box to me right now so…" She heard him chuckle again softly as she clicked the serum into the canister and pressed it into his neck; injecting him with the nerve numbing concoction thought the scent it gave off as it spread did smell much more deterring. "Just as you requested, I've recreated Pollard's nerve shot"

"Much appreciated." He nodded though his hand caught hers as she went to put it back, her eyes darted to his hands, though eyed him warily at the gesture alone— a part of her knew it was supposed to be assuring but the touch didn't help when the feel went straight to her throat. He swallowed then let go in realising as such, picking up the PADD she had.

It was the data Saru had sent her. Lorca had been right, the Defiant data had been otherwise useless.

"I can see what you've uncovered is…redacted."

Michael nodded, somewhat glumly. Disappointing but not overly surprising. But it just didn't help them. "Saru sent it to me before we departed but there's enough for us to work with. It's given us a potential lead, through what the Terrans call Interphasic space but the location isn't…available to us."

"So we need the original report… maybe it's a good thing we're going to the Charon. Of all the palaces, that's where the Intel would be. Once you have it, you can get us out. You're on top of the food chain now."

Michael shook her head. "I can't just kill a whole bunch of people, I am capable of it, sure but that's not what I want to be." The Klingon ship had reminded her of that…. she wasn't that type of monster when she had the choice.

"Sometimes what you want isn't something you can survive by. As I said and I keep saying, we have to do what we can, to whoever for survival. You have to use your nature to get what you need. No one knows but us on that ship on what you are. You've got your thirst under control and your rank will allow you a good amount of access to data without exposing yourself."

Michael shook her head. "You say it like it's easy."

"You know me, Michael. I'm a survivor. We're in the grey area. Starfleet's principles cannot be applied this far deep into this mission. Risks are too high. You understand."

Michael didn't answer but she retook her pilot seat in a heartbeat. She understood the risks. Out of everyone on the ship, she was the biggest risk to let loose. Especially now.

"You have nothing to fear on that Ship, Michael, Trust yourself."

She shook her head. "Philippa's on the ship."

"She's not your Philippa, she's dead. Emperor Philippa is a completely different person."

"She still has her face." Michael countered closing her eyes, the image of Philippa's dead body flashing in front of her, once hazy; like looking through frosted glass; everything seen and heard through dull senses but the image was still a part of her, it defined her. This mirror Sarek had somehow brought it more to her clarity of memory. Now, to see a woman so distorted in comparison…this Philippa Philippa… it only shed so much pain that on the fact that she lived here, in this reality. The woman was cruel for the necessity of her position as Emperor. Cruel because she liked it. Logic told her enough that this wasn't the woman she betrayed but it strung enough of her emotions….

"She's a ghost of who you know. A fake. A mirror of the woman you know. Don't let her face throw you off if—and if… you need to sacrifice her to save us all."

"I don't think I can bring myself to murder her…. I caused her death the first time around. I don't have it in me to do it again."

"You'll do anything for the sake of your crew, Michael." His tone hardened in his words

'Warp drive disengaged. Imperial place secure perimeter detected." The anonymous voice spoke up, the whole craft dropping out of warp that made her stomach churn.

'ISS Shenzhou shuttlecraft identity confirmed. You're cleared to approach the Charon." The radio binged on and called though. Michael turned the auto off and took the reins, feeling the need for some control while she could as they landed.

Lorca grasped her hand again for a mere second as she went for his cuffs, to put the show back on and she gave him a tug up as the doors opened, blanking her expression as she led the way.

The welcoming committee was as expected as the shuttle, the traditional salute before two guards stepped behind Lorca and beside her and immediately started the lead from the craft and along the golden corridors. Heavy scents all around her clawed at her throat, though the heat of so many people didn't help the pain in her throat die down; all around her, she could hear everything… particularly the hundreds of heartbeats that felt like temping music, each thump like drums to her ear drums. So many people… humans.

She swallowed thickly, looking behind her to make sure that Lorca was at the right distance, but she wanted to see someone who could offer some grounding, and she got it, subtle in his eyes as they locked eyes but she turned her back.

Her mind easily memorising each passageway, the guards and their weapons. Some hearts were fast; the fear ever present despite the façade. Down below, she could hear screams and the buzzing electricity. The static core in the ships power felt like a tickle over her skin, much more sensitive than the humans. It made her want to shiver in its power.

Her eyes came to the grand corridor, leading to a huge set of golden doors and decorated arches of metal and the light that reflected off it all. So much darker shades, her own brilliant vision could see that despite this, there was huge amount of unseen colours that lit it up much brighter; showing smudges of the manufacturing, the blemishes in the smooth metallic work of how each sheet was casted. All this offered visual distractions as the doors were opened.

Immediately, the scents of close bodies increased tenfold that scotched her throat with dry thirst Forcing her to hold her breath just to escape the pain; to keep her head straight ahead. Her hands clenched at her side and the squeak of Lorca's shoe was enough that he had noticed her change of demeanour and telling her so to keep with it in the only way he could.

Focus…

Jaw clenched, she forced herself to stay in pace, barely listening as Captain Maddox called out the titles of the emperor as they passed rows and rows of hot human bodies. Each a calling card. No. Focus.

Meters from the end, two guards held the flags of the empire, shrouding the stage of the seatless throne, Maddox at front before he started to move off to the side.

"…All hail the Emperor Philippa Philippa Augustus Iaponius Centarius." The captain called out and in sync, the guards parted as the circular stage spun, revealing the Emperor in the flesh. Dressed in impressive cold amour and a huge train-jacket that held a huge neck.

Her face was almost exactly as she remembered in the old Philippa; eyes, lips, the dark hair that flowed; straightened out by heat and decorated with a golden ornament but the difference was the expression lines that rested in her face and in her gaze.

"All hail the emperor." Everyone called out, bowing. Michael followed immediate suit, straightening up Philippa's spin in motion of the others though the Terran Emperor's eyes were to her familiar stranger as she descended from her stage towards them. Her eyes fixed on her if for a moment then passed to Lorca, the heel of her shoes clapping like thunder in Michael's ears, though relatively dull by human comparison on the smooth floor. Philippa looked like a lioness; by her golden colours and her expression, she carried the air of authority that was unquestionable. Michael couldn't read the expressions in her face.

"May I present to you, Captain Michael Burnham of the Imperial Starship Shenzhou" Captain Maddox continued.

The Emperor stopped at the top of the stairs, her gaze fully onto her but Michael stayed still as a statue, staring back as she was assessed though it seemed to satisfy Philippa that there was a hint of uplift in the lines of her lips. A clear sign that she thought her Terran Counterpart. Cover maintained

"Captain Michael Burnham." She spoke, musing, her eyes moving down from her face though what she was checking for Michael couldn't tell, "A face I never thought I'd see in the flesh…" her arm rose to the side, displaying three Kelpiens standing as if waiting. To the side. "Choose one."

Michael turned her focus from Philippa to the Kelpiens. For what, Michael didn't know, but from her experiences around Saru, Kelpien's blood wasn't to her taste. It was far too…weak to satisfy her needs. Their all-vegetation diets lacked the transition of nutrients of proteins that humans and other meat eaters had. Their heart beats were fast in their chest and all three of their ganglia were extending; no doubt in her presence; their senses were no doubt going haywire with the danger she presence that aroused their instincts. Top of the food chain.

With masked regret, she pointed to the smallest one. "That one." She spoke though she was forced to inhale to speak and internally cursed with the heavy scent directly from the Emperors wake but the perfume she wore masked most of the delicious scent of blood that pumped under the skin; her hair and jacket also helped in concealing her jugular. Michael cut off her air flow again, watching as the Kelpien was pushed to follow passed them before Philippa spoke again.

"I see you brought a gift." A smirk touched her lips, emotions burning behind her eyes though this was her cue. Stepping aside, she guested an arm out to Lorca, plastering a false smile onto her lips.

"Gabriel Lorca," The two guards that held him moved forwards towards the Emperor and shoved him forwards. "Delivered to the Emperor's justice and long overdue." She carried on, her eyes on Lorca's back as he straightened up. His heart beat measured and calm in his chest, even as the Emperor slowly stepped down; one at a time and looked at him as if he was prey.

"I don't bow. Not even to you." He spoke bluntly, sounding confident in his words despite the situation she had led him into. A good act of defiance as any prisoner would.

Philippa smirked, though turned to one of her guards who immediately stepped forwards and snagged of a baton from his waist and shoved it into Lorca's stomach with quick and hard efficiently. Michael twitched; feeling a tingle of a defensive growl in her chest as she did so; protective urge to jump forwards to defend him ached at her limbs but she forced herself still, but the swipe to his face, the blood that spattered from his mouth captivated her attention; glad for her sake she had been holding her breath. She clenched her fist to resist the step forwards, her nails digging into the leather of her leather covered palms.

Philippa handed her baton back to the guard with a chuckle.

"Death would be too much of a mercy…. So your life will be long and every moment in one of our agonisers." She answered, each word a hiss with a hint of pleasure at what his fate was. It twisted a knot in Michael's stomach, a real and firm reminder that this wasn't her Philippa. "A fair price to pay for your Vaulting ambitions."

"Take him to Brig C. Our finest." Maddox spoke up, knowing his hint after she had spoken.

The two guards grabbed him by the arms and dragged him away, past her. Michael's eyes watched but he didn't look at her again as he disappeared but she could continue to hear the sliding of his shoes as he was dragged on behind and out the door.

Michael turned to face ahead, her eyes fixed on her not-Philippa though her attention was also on her now, softer emotions returning into her steely brown eyes but it didn't make her gaze any less predatory which felt ironic.

Philippa made a simple gesture with her hand, beckoning her forwards. So she obeyed, stepping up towards the stage before stopping as the Emperor met her half-way.

"You could have died hunting that traitor." Philippa started, her voice lighter in tone as she took her last step in front of her. Michael's eyes lingered on her face, dipping down momentarily to her throat; to the exposed skin only had a few veins but her voice had her eyes back to her face. "I am so happy you didn't." Her head tilted with a smile and around them, the rows of guards and crew started to clap for her 'achievements'. "Have her rest up for a bit," her eyes lingering on her face, no doubt her paler complexion in mind, "and have her at my residence by dinner."

"Yes, Emperor."

Philippa's hands raised though Michael kept her gaze to her face. "We have so much to discuss, dear daughter." Her hand coming to her cheek but held off from making any contact, deciding to not to show so much weakness in front of her crew. Tenderness and affection so public was seen as much. An image had to be maintained.

For once. Michael was relieved… Forcing a smile onto her face, though she could feel the throbs of her pulsing heat so close to her cold skin. So subtle yet… she couldn't help but notice in her hunger.

The Emperor dropped her arm after a moment then waved her hand to dismiss.

Michael turned to the guard who Philippa had addressed who immediately took the lead so she followed in line down through the middle again, her eyes ahead.

The guard continued walking, the halls ways ever identical but there was subtle differences she could identify as they came to a stop to a set of doors; he opened it for her and stepped aside for her. She moved past him and heard the door close. He didn't move from behind.

She let out her breath sharply, inhaling deeply but was pleasantly rewarded of smelling only Kelpien around the vicinity; the burning in her throat receding now with this change of intensity. Though looking around, she could clearly tell this was her counterpart's room. A state human scent, one that was very similar to her own but it had clearly been a long while since it had last been here. Her counter part's scent. Interesting.

The room itself was vacant of personal items out and about, except for a few necessary notebooks, photographs and what looked to be a series of small medals on a stand. The room itself was to the same design, a mixture of golden walls, dark shiny floors and lit by yellow hue lights. There was a huge bed in the centre, grand and decorated as such. There was little to the imagination of what left scratch marks on the headboard and the bed poles. Beside the bed was the bedside, holding a book on top, marked. Though she knew better to look in; fearing what her counterpart had stuffed there for her sexual entertainments.

Not a question she needed answers to.

There was a small section that held a huge bathroom, bigger than the one on the ISS Shenzhou with a cabinet of lavish scrubs and washes. From there a huge walk-in wardrobe, most of the same identical uniform she could tell from the gaps between the door and armour but she suspected a few boxes of personal clothes there somewhere. A door also lead to the toilets

A desk was also to the other side, also very scares. A reminder that they were very similar in how they displayed their personality. Orderly.

Curiosity offered a good distraction so she started to look around, unclipping her chest plate though peeled off her few sets of contact lenses she had under and shoved them into her pocket before depositing the plate onto the desk, opening the draws though it was mainly stationary and note books. Picking one up, she was met with her hand writing but it all looked to be nothing more than strategy plans on rebels. She dropped it back in and headed away towards the bed, pausing at the end of it.

It was all cleaned, the fabric cleaners smelt stale to her nose too though it had no doubt been ready for at least a week. Everything looked to have been otherwise untouched; had the emperor really kept all of her counterpart's things?

A knock rattled the door, with a single heartbeat before a small female Kelpien came in, her head bowed. But her ganglia immediately flared out and the fear hung around her and her heart beat increased.

"Captain Burnham." She spoke.

Burnham turned to face her. She had never seen a female Kelpien before, though just a bit shorter than Saru but Kelpiens were known to be taller than humans anyway. Her face held different fold patterns in her skin and her eyes just as blue as Saru's too. Michael knew better than to ask for her name. Not here, not this far in the snake pit.

"I'm here to preform your ablutions before dinner with the Emperor, at her request…" She continued though Michael nodded and the Kelpien hurried over to the bath to prepare. Michael turned her back though. She wasn't that surprised that she was to be 'cleaned up' before a fancy dinner with the ruler of the entire Terran Empire but there was worry in her mind.

Carefully, she took off her holster and left it on the bed, moving slowly to sit and open her bedside, placing in her spare contact lenses and Captain Philippa's badge inside for the time being.

From there she stripped down though half way, the Kelpien started to help but as soon as her fingers brushed her skin, Michael could feel the pause of breath and recoil before her fingers were hesitant to continue.

"You're very cold, are you well?" Unlike Saru's counterpart; this one wasn't afraid to question.

"It's just a passing illness of no contagion." She answered, keeping her tone hard to lead to no further discussions on the matter.

The Kelpien nodded and pulled away her under shirt. Keeping her head straight, Michael stepped into the hot water and closed her eyes.

Michael did little else but allowed the Kelpien to do her duties after her wash and dry; but she shooed her away to dress herself this time; the whole ordeal was frustrating enough having endured this with Saru's double. It showed how much this empire was built and depended on slavery.

She hated it.

A new set of amour had been laid out, clean and identical to her last set though she was dressed in a matter of seconds, clipping her chest plate back on and re-pocketed her things. In the mirror as she put on her lipstick and eyeshadow— there was no foundation she could find to cover the paleness of her skin naturally, Michael could also see the plastic of her contacts look a little blurred, especially at the edges, she probably didn't have long before the venom in her eyes dissolved them again. She sighed deeply.

This was going to be a tough meal to sit through, what questions would the emperor ask? Her suspicions? If it came to it. Her will of control, she could feel was so much more depleted; the smell of humans only ignited the thirst and someone would notice her lack of breathing sooner or later.

She tossed the lipstick back onto the dresser before darting to stand close to the door, now to wait for someone to collect her.

Michael's eyes followed the movements of the guards as she was lead from her unfamiliar room of the Charon's towards Emperor Georgiou's though she kept her senses out, she did find herself starting at the artery in one of their necks as they walked; the pumping veins made her gums itch; the real instinct to feed feeling ever more present as the hours had passed.

No, she had better control than that. Michael just had to remind herself that Discovery was waiting for her; they'd get her all the blood she needed once she was back. She just had to make it through this meal and go from there…

Coming to a stop, her focus moved from the male's neck to a grand gold door before it opened. Inside, Philippa was seating herself down as Kelpien slaves seemed to set the table and leave in a flurry, two plates on the table with serving dishes of other extravagant veg and meats and a big glass of wine for each. Food she couldn't eat. This was going to be a long meal…

Striding forwards, Michael kept her pace adequate as she slipped down with confidence into the only other set seat that was a few feet from the emperor. Good.

"Leave us." Behind them the guards shut the doors and they hovered outside though Michael let her eyes run across the table, taking note of the smells and scents of the meals though none appealed.

Philippa reaching for her wine though she felt her gaze on her face as they relapsed into silence. Michael picked up her knife and fork with a soft fiddle, her eyes fluttering around still, trying to pin point potential ways to dump the food without her notice; to make it look like she was eating was her only option.

"You were gone a long time. Michael. I expect you have a good explanation to why you made me think you were dead." Philippa stated calmly, placing the glass back down in favour of her cutlery and started to cut into her meal.

Michael resisted cringing as she heard the subtle sound as the knife scraped along the plate as she cut into the pale meat.

"It was not intentional." She answered back, softly cutting up her own meat into much smaller pieces, "but it sort of happened. It presented a good opportunity to go underground."

Michael held the steely look she got, watching as Philippa raised her fork to her mouth and scrapped off the meat into her mouth with her teeth, chewing slowly with a calculating look.

With the end of her fork, she pushed her food around her plate softly though reached for her glass and held it to her lips, pretending to allow a sip before placing it down.

Philippa scoffed quickly, shaking her head though the movement sent the wafting scent down towards her. It seeped into her lungs, and she immediately felt the familiar longing reignite in her thirst. Her fingers stiffening on her cutlery and she was sure she had felt the metal dent under her finger tips; nothing noticeable

"You still left me."

Michael sighed out softly though she played on that to stall her non-eating.

"I did what I had to do."

"And what did you have to do? Besides making me think you were dead? You are my daughter, do you think it was easy? Knowing Lorca got away but you…?" There was a hint of underlying anger in the emperor's voice; suppressed anger towards her Terran counterpart. It made the Human heart skip a little faster in covered anger; her body heat increasing too in the air..

Michael frowned softly. "But now I'm back and you have Lorca." She replied coolly. "A win/win situation. I'm glad to be back with you."

Her eyes lingered on the bowl, sitting back after a moment, her hand coming to her throat as the ache lingered much more, holding her breath once again but she felt frustrated that she had to breathe to talk…. No mercy of a silent dinner.

Philippa let out a soft indigent sound. "And here I thought I taught you better…" She stabbed her plate, obviously harder than intended as the sound the scraping metal gritted through her ears, like nails down a chalk board.

Michael's said nothing, though her head turned towards the door as she heard footsteps but the sounds carried on past the door and down… no hope of a distraction. Her fingers traced over her windpipe; the dryness felt so much more prominent the longer she sat beside the Emperor. She couldn't help but find herself more and more attuned to her… everything about her was getting harder to focus on everything but the beat of her heart or the feel of her pulse.

So close…

"A lot has happened." Michael spoke though her tone remained indifferent before she looked back to Philippa though she barely took note of her narrowed eyed expression.

In fact, Michael found herself staring at the emperor, her mind away from the fact she looked like her Philippa or the odd look she received in her blatant stare but the flush under the woman's skin seemed to be beckoning her… temping her.

The foundation Philippa wore masked the veins and capillaries within her face, her hair and high collar made it harder to see through the thin membrane of skin that would do so little to protect her pumping veins in her neck… she could feel the heat of life just…radiating over her like a heater and the scent… the perfumes she wore masked a lot but the sweet undertones begged further temptation…the wet thumps of her heart hidden behind the metallic amour.; it's rhythm captivating… drawing her in.

Michael could easily imagine just pulling her closer. It wouldn't be hard and to feel her warmth against her lips and the soft throbbing skin under her lips… she could only imagine how sweet her blood really was when her fangs pierced into the paper thin skin… to quench the burning ache that longed to be satisfied.

"Michael!"

She didn't flinched but it made her blink out her momentary fantasy. The vampire looked away and swallowed thickly but said nothing; her fangs under her lips had sharpened out more. The urges arising…

Philippa placed her fork down though her grip stayed tightly on her knife. "You haven't touched your meal." She stated, nodding to her plate

Michael clenched her jaw, the scent from Philippa seemed to saturate around her as the human shifted forwards towards her, her gums ached with the urge to bite ticked them. Her hands clenches on her thighs.

"I'm not hungry."

A total lie…. She was starving. But not for this human food. Philippa had no idea… no idea how dangerous she was right now. Each breath she had to take in felt like a flame igniting a burn that felt like it was getting hotter… and hotter.

Philippa's eyes narrowed further as if assessing her stiff posture and she knew she looked hungry; her pale skin and shadows under her eyes would attest that something was off.

Her contact lenses would soon dissolve… her nature would all be exposed but she had to hold out. For her Captain…. For her crew.

"Maybe I should call our chief medical examiner… I suppose hunting Lorca took its toll after all?" There was a question in her tone.

"Not necessary." Michael gritted out.

She forced herself to stare ahead to the wall, easily noting the deviating's in the metallic carving patterns… too faint to see with human eyes that made seeing the flaws impossible but it exposed an rather interest pattern design to her superior vision that did little to really draw her attention from the emperor; her stare radiating as hot as her body-heat.

She forced herself to stay still, as unnatural as she knew it looked…

"Are you're in pain?" The Emperor's head tilted though she seemed to rise from her chair, pondering on her approach but Michael hoped she'd stay her distance. "Were you injured?"

Another image flashed in her mind…. The emperor, pinned back in her chair, her own cold body straddling her down, keeping her locked in place; hearing Philippa's quiet sounds… her pained cries… although to feel her struggling under her that lit the real primal instinct within her… that this was hers…

Venom pooled into her mouth at the imagery; she could feel her will-power slipping…

The Emperor's fingers still held onto the knife though Michael slowly pushed her full plate away, as well as the cutlery; the knife furthers — she knew the emperor watched that specifically.

She had to go… before her blood-thirsty fantasy became reality.

"Michael, are you even listening?"

"No." Her answer was blunt and surprising enough for the emperor to raise her eyebrow. "I…" Michael started though stopped. What could she say? "I don't feel good. I need to lie down." Yet she couldn't bring herself to move… or trust herself not to go for the Emperor if she did.

Philippa pushed her own bowl away after a moment, her eyes piercing into her face.

"You're lying." She spoke, her tone sharp with her quip. "There's something you're not telling me."

"You don't want to know." Michael closed her eyes, to shut out the visual temptation but that only lit her imagination to the delicious heartbeat resonating from under the Emperors armour… amour that could bend and break like cheese…. Her jaw flexed, holding her breath against the burning but she felt the Emperor finally move, stepping around the edge of the table, her tempting body-heat getting closer and her thumping heart getting louder and louder. Her nails dug into her palms.

"Oh, don't I?"

Michael wasn't a fool to think Philippa had left her knife; she knew the emperor suspected something was off about her like everyone else; what she couldn't imagine this… by assuming, the emperor logically thought her unable to relax in fear of her authority… or that she could have turned against her and was playing nice… she had absolutely no idea….

"Look at me." The tone was hard, purposeful to get her attention and held a threat. A threat that didn't sit well with her instincts…

Michael's eyes opened before she forced herself to turn her gaze, staring up at Philippa as she seemed to stop a foot away, standing over her with a silted gaze of suspicion but all Michael could see was the flush of blood and the increase of her heartbeat that timed well to confrontation responses; her scent strengthen with the flush of blood coursing through her veins.

"Back off." Michael growled in warning, a proper growl that certainly didn't fit to her face and she could feel the spike of self-preservation fear run through Philippa.

But then The Emperor made a mistake and all of her own impulses melting away as the emperor raised her knife towards her…a threat display that triggered the crumble of resolve. Her vision clearing up fully as her contacts dissolved away to expose thirsty-black irises.

Then the vampire moved, driven by her thirst as the last of her willpower melted away alongside rational thought with another inhuman growl and lunched forwards out of her seat, the blade the emperor had pointed at her was gone; tossed carelessly within a heartbeat.

Grabbing the weak human by the armoured collar and tossed her back into her chair with enough force to send both the woman and chair onto its back. Philippa let out a sharp and winded grunt as soon as she hit the floor.

The soft crack of her head against the metal echoing but the vampire didn't hesitate to dart over, her fangs fully extended as she kicked the chair away and picked up the Emperor by the shoulders and dragged her away from the annoying stench of human food that had knocked all over the place and shoved her down roughly to the floor.

"…Michael?!"

Bemusement was in the human's voice but her words fell on deaf ears. Her heartbeat had only increased, adrenaline released that increased the delicious edge to her blood that sung out like music. The vampire immediately pushed her down as the woman scrambled to get up and away; kicking away the other weapon in the holster before yanked the crawling human ankle back and pushed her onto her back and straddled her waist down to the floor and effectible pinning her down.

It only took a second to evaluate what needed to be done. Her fingers dug into the metal her nails tearing into it like clay and parted the front open as if she was tearing open a button shirt like it was made of tissue paper and revealing the soft, black leather under layers but her throat was exposed…

Her stone hands pinned back her shoulder, ripping half the amour off the humans frame, her other coming to grasp at the emperor's chin, forcing her head to the side roughly… exposing her bare throat directly to her; pulsing rapidly under her skin and feeling the emperor's ragged breathing; she could smell the fear now along with the surprise. Her head lowered… the heat so close. Her own skin cold, she felt the human shiver under her as their cheeks brushed. Her primal mind taking in to relish the moment…

"Guards!" She felt the vein effort as the human attempted to push at her… her fingers clawing into her solid flesh and her legs trying to shift her weight off balance but it did little as her lips brushed the tender skin of her throat where her heat and scent radiated from most and getting a momentary taste of her flesh before she bit down into her delicate skin.

Almost immediately, hot and thick, sweet and heavenly blood pooled into her mouth, hearing Philippa's cry of pain then she started to lap at her throat; each mouthful seemed to smother and sooth the burning ache…yet never enough to extinguish.

The vampire's arms curled around her, hugging her closer; her fingers gripping onto the back of her head to keep her still. Her own name echoed on the emperor's lips, much softer now but Michael moaned out in pure relief… she couldn't stop… she had to keep drinking… to get rid of the pain, the hunger that sat deep in her. She could still feel the emperor struggle though weaker now, groaning out in pain... the human's grip on her slacking a fraction…

"Emperor!"

It the surprise of the sound that the vampire reacted to, her arms tightening around her prey protectively— this was hers— immediately turning to see two guards entering in alarm to the commotion. A growl rumbled in her chest, echoing in the air as she bared her sharp teeth but both pulled out their weapons.

But their hearts were fast, the beats heavier; bigger… their pulses racing… more blood. Though their scents weren't nearly so sweet; she wasn't going to complain.

"What the…" a look of astonishment crossed over their faces as they saw the scene in front of them. An unexpected sight a part of her primal mind could picture; their emperor lying limping and pale, blood seeping out of a deep neck wound as her daughter pinned her down in her arms, her eyes a dark red now; blood covering her face with extended fangs that was also strained with blood from their emperor.

Philippa groaned out dazed in blood loss as she stared up at her but Michael's attention was to the closest and bigger human; they wouldn't shoot with the human in her arms….

"Drop her." He ordered, though he had the authority in his voice, she could feel his fear…smell it. His heart filling her with a fresh wave of temptation to her unsated first; her palette fresh with Philippa's blood; she needed more.

A growl crossed her lips again before she darted; using her speed in a heartbeat, his gun clattering to the floor as she pushed him back, knocking the air out of his lungs, biting straight down into his jugular; her teeth like knife in butter as they sung into his windpipe; blood filling her mouth one again but bubbles of air rose as he tried to scream but it came out gurgled.

She pushed him down, forcing him to the ground— not quite hearing the cracks as his bones gave under her grip—as she greedily drank; much faster than she had before; renewing her strength in her own veins down to each finger and toe; offering her the sense of reality; then the flow seemed to stop… an annoyed hiss escaped her lips but she turned to face the other; only to see him holding onto the emperor's limp form before they were gone in orange light.

"No!" Her prey was gone… but her head turned as more guards came in but she allowed her brain to switch off as she leapt into an angry, blood lusted frenzy…

Reality seemed to surface, Michael could feel herself return to find herself feeding deeply from a woman's throat though she forced herself away but the woman was far too dead at this point and there hadn't been much left in her. Michael dropped her with a clatter as amour met metal flooring.

Though she felt incredibly sloshy and bloated and she certainly knew she had overfed before she even looked around. She had ended up in the throne room, a dozen or so bodies lay around her; she could hear no heart beats to know they were all dead and the colour in some showed her enough she hadn't fed from all, but certainly plenty; there was probably more trailing to here to start with…

"Shit."

Michael rose to her feet, her fangs retracting back into her gums to standard canines. She had lost control… utter control… how many had she killed? But she had been so…hungry… starved for a week and now this… not good. But it felt so good… the relief….

Michael looked down at herself but her gold armour was stained to a rose-gold with blood, her hands too and she could feel the sticky mess around her mouth and down her chin and neck… She swallowed thickly. She had to talk to Lorca… this was not good…

Past the broken doors, she could hear the movements, the heartbeats of the guard rushing about, their shouts and orders; looking for her. The news of the Emperor being attacked had spread…

She couldn't take the serene way it seemed, even at her speeds. Her eyes flickered around the throne room, though a large vent did take her interest before she decided to follow through. The metal came off like a band aid and tossed it to the side and she didn't hesitate to crawl through, just about hearing more guards enter the room behind her but her speed made it easy to get half way into the system but she was above and between decks now, the sounds calling through.. Conversations, screams… the buzzing sounds of electricity.

Michael started off, towards the sounds of the screams and the electricity; the agonizers no doubt. Hearing them in the ISS Shenzhou made its sounds very familiar.

Then one by one, the agonizer's sounds seemed to get louder, her metaphorical heart leapt in her chest at the thought. Lorca?

A minute later, Michael found herself looking though the wall vent into the sweltering room of agonizers, counting 12 at the least at one level, but her eyes were darting around to find her captain.

Some of the rebel's faces held any familiarity; Landry for one which was an odd sight to see in her. But Lorca wasn't among them and all those booths were lit up. She moved on, she had to find Lorca.

His scent was easier to pick up on as she carried on, his cries and screams echoing in almost a private sub section that got louder until the tunnel came to a stop and a drop. She jumped down and landed on the balls of her feet and listened out as Lorca's cries quieted down a fraction. Captain Maddox talking about his sister….

She felt a welt of panic, moving quickly until she found the hatchway to the brig's vents and there, through a three millimetre gap, she saw the large room, with one single Agoniser booth and it's control panel with Captain Maddox at the station.

"Don't you die on me you depraved bastard!"

Inside the booth, Lorca had collapsed and for a moment, Michael almost pushed the grate out to get to him as Maddox opened the booth and he flopped out but the thudding heart raced in Lorca's chest was what stopped her; that Maddox was prepared to resuscitate him…to get his heart going… but it didn't need to be done…

The small defibrillator was charged and it ran loudly in his approach, panic lacing Maddox's blood. "I need you to live, or I'm good as dead!"

The suddenly Lorca moved; jumping up. "You're right!" He drive at the captain and knocked him back. But the surprise give Lorca the upper hand in the brief fight until he tangled the other with the wires and slammed it into Maddox's head; directing the pull charges to both sides of his brain….

Her breath held and her eyes widened; this was not to plan…

Maddox grunted, seizing on the floor but Lorca stood over him, a new sense of smugness in his posture. "Ava. Her name was Ava." He spoke, loudly. "And I liked her… but you know how it is." Lorca lent forwards and grabbed the man's gun, "Someone better came along." And with that, the phaser set to kill, Lorca fired it point blank to Maddox's head.

Michael gasped softly, moving back away from the gap and back up the vent… but her mind span as she went; this didn't make much sense…. Why would he do this? Why now? How did he know another captain's sister, let alone—

Michael stopped in mid crawl, the realisation suddenly felt like her gut had been doused in liquid nitrogen…

This Lorca wasn't from her universe… he was from here…

Dur due durr...

ehehe

I almost feel evil. :) It's one way to throw canon out the fucking window lol.

but you know. wouldn't be the mirror universe with vampires thrown in without a little bit of death, murder and a surprise now lol

Plus, i love the possibilities this now presents!.