= IV =
3 weeks later
Mira laid on the couch reading through the materials on the PADD in front of her that Khan had given her to sign and hand off to the CO. Of course he had wanted her to simply sign it and be off but she wasn't about to put her name on something she knew nothing about. And so here she lay, ignoring Khans glare. Mira would frown at what she was reading every once in awhile.
She understood the basics of what was on the screen and she could get the value but what made her frown was that Marcus was looking beyond advanced weapons and technology. No, he was apparently also looking into explosives.
'Cause guns aren't bad enough' Mira thought bitterly. This explosive was apparently water activated and could be designed to look like anything and not detectable on scanners. It could be as small as a ring according to Khan's notes. 'Next it will be a freaking torpedo!' With that thought, Mira cringed. Probably just jinxing herself to hell for that one but she had little doubt it hadn't crossed Marcus's mind already. Mira continued to go over the documents before her. She at least wanted to acquaint herself with it just in case, though it was a long shot, Khan would ask for her help.
As Mira thought some things over, she felt Khan's continuous glare as he worked on a weapon that lay in his lap. Spare parts and tools were scattered on the coffee table. He had started doing that 3 weeks ago when he received the weapons, bringing whatever weapon he was working on that day or week into their living space. He ignored Mira's protests and ensured her it was safe because he was the one handling it.
"I do not see why you wish to read through all of it, just sign it and get me what I require." Khan said finally, setting the weapon in his lap down on the floor. He crossed his arms over his chest and fixed her with an annoyed stare. Mira, at that moment, had finished re-reading and she shook her head. "I need to read these so I know what you're up to. I do have to send reports to Marcus you know." Mira said and shook her head. She turned herself so she was sitting up right instead of laying down like she had been and sighed as she looked at him. "And while my name goes on it, he's the one getting you what you want and I don't think he's going to give you access to explosives." Mira said looking at the documents on the PADD and then back to Khan.
"He's only allowing hand held weapons… for now." 'Though I'm pretty sure that will change once I hand this in.' Mira said, adjusting her statement mentally. She wasn't stupid. She had very little doubt that Marcus would eventually bump Khan up to something far bigger and far more lethal and so she sighed yet again and stood up. She hated this crap, they were a peacekeeping organization that was only meant to explore and find but apparently Marcus had different ideas. 'How that man became head of Star Fleet is beyond me.' Mira again thought bitterly. This really did suck. "I'll be back in a bit, don't kill Puffins while I'm gone." Mira said quickly as she holstered herself up from her seat and walked to the door. When she didn't get an answer or comment from Khan, she turned around to glare at him when he saw a contemplative expression on his face, taking a step back to open the door as she did.
"I mean it Khan, do not touch Puffins or shoot him or I will find some way to torture you." Mira said, trying to threaten him, before the door closed on her and thus blocking her view of Khan and his glare and pouting lips.
A week ago Puffins had escaped from her room. Mira still wasn't sure how he had accomplished that feat and somehow made his way into Khan's. Another feat she wasn't sure how he managed. To say that Khan was not pleased was an understatement. Mira hadn't even noticed her missing Puffins. She had been so tired from the day that she had simply gone into her room, changed, and crawled into bed. Not four hours later, she was being woken up rudely by Khan who had grabbed her wrist, pulling her from her bed and then dragged from her room into his.
Once in his room, Khan simply pointed to his bed and said nothing at all. Mira's mind still fogged from her dreams, stared in confusion at first as to what the hell was going on. She had simply looked at him with a raised eyebrow, showing she didn't understand what was going on. That was before her look of confusion turned into a full on stare. Khan had clearly been asleep because his hair, always neat and slicked back during the day, was now tousled and gel free from what she could make out. His bangs loose and hanging close to his eyes and cheekbones. Mira wasn't sure which she preferred the ever clean and immaculate Khan or the messy bed head but the way he looked now actually made him seem different to her somehow.
Mira, however, didn't look long at the state of his hair when she noticed the fact he was shirtless and only in sleeping pants that hung low on his waist. She just stared. She was curious if all Augments were likes this or if Khan just took particularly good care of his body. His body, from what Mira could see, was completely taut, all muscle but not over the top. It seemed that men of her generation either had two body types, over the top muscles that made them look like they were on steroids or slack and scrawny, no workout activity at all. Of course there was the random individual who would be perfect but it was a rarity to find. Khan was one of the rarities but again Mira had to wonder if it was just because of what he was or if he had been using the facilities gym without her knowledge.
Mira knew she probably shouldn't be staring so openly at him, no doubt going to hear about it in some manner at a later date but she just couldn't help herself. Mira was fully focused on him until he spoke that is. "Under the bed.", he spoke annoyance dripping from his words.
Mira looked up at him, not sure if the annoyance was directed at her for her obvious ogling of him or what had woken him up but Mira shrugged it off as she walked over and bent down. Once she had, Mira had simply started laughing. There lay her Puffins, minding his own business, very comfortable as he was curled up in what Mira assumed was one of Khan's shirts but he was clearly in the wrong room. Mira shook her head as she pulled him from his spot, picking up the shirt along with him and held him close, noting that he was getting rather big.
'I'll have to cut back on the food.' she thought as she gave him a small scratch and a kiss. "I wonder how he got in here." Mira thought out loud as she looked around and then back to Khan who did not look at all pleased. "I do not know, make sure that thing doesn't do it again or it will be dead." Mira raised a brow at him, giving him a bored look. "Puffins didn't do anything wrong, he's just a giant fur ball." Mira said to Khan and then turned her attention back to Puffins. "Isn't that right Puffins? He's just being a meanie." Mira baby talking the Tribble in her arms, who began to purr and laughed when she saw Khan's expression. A smile spread across her face as she stepped closer to Khan and held her Tribble out to him.
"See he's nothing but fur." Mira joked and laughed again when Khan back stepped away from the purring Puffins who wiggled in her grasp. "I think he likes you." Mira said, joking but being serious at the same time and Khan looked all the more disgusted. "Keep it away from me." Khan remarked not hiding the massive dislike he held for her pet from his voice. Mira raised a brow at him. "Are you scared of Puffins?" Mira joked and Khan gave her a blank stare. "No." He said plainly but Mira simply stared at him, her brow still arched as she questioned him and it earned her a sigh.
"I am not a fan of small furry things that are disgusting. I prefer cleanliness and that thing is anything but." Khan explained dryly and Mira shrugged as she brought Puffins back into her arms, scratching Puffins head. "Don't worry, he'll warm up to you." she commented only for Puffin but Khan rebuked her. "Not likely". Mira shook her head as she maneuvered Puffin in her arms to pull Khan's shirt from under him and held it out to Khan but he simply backed away from it, as if it was poisonous to him. "It can keep it." Khan said simply looking at his shirt in as much disgust as he did the Tribble.
"You are being such a baby, just wash it." Mira spoke in a bored tone as she extended her arm out more for Khan to take the shirt but he simply shook his head. Mira sighed. "Guess you've got a new blanket Puffins." she mumbled before kissing the ball of fur and walked out of Khan's room. Now slightly giggling from the situation, not understanding how he could not like Tribbles. Once back in her room, Mira put Puffins down in his bed and put Khan's shirt over him. She found it rather hilarious that Puffins took a shine to Khan and Khan didn't want to be in a mile radius of the little Tribble.
As Mira sat in her bed, she was about to lay down when she saw something sticking out of the shirts pocket. Quickly bending over and fishing it out, Mira looked at the trinket. It was a chain and tags 'Khan Noonien Singh' Mira read, it was his tags… sighing Mira placed on in her night stand drawer before laying down. 'I'll give them back tomorrow.' she thought.
Mira turned laughing at the memories that past through her mind but it all stopped when she saw who was now standing three feet in front of her. Her expression going from happy to shocked to worried and then to scared in a nano-second. Mira instantly stood up straighter and bowed her head. "Admiral Marcus" she said politely but he hadn't seemed to of heard her. If his angry glare was anything to go by, his mind was somewhere else and she could see the longer he stood there, glaring at her. And then finally the boiling rage came to the surface.
"What did you just call him?" Marcus asked her, jaw clenching with tense anger. Mira panicked as he asked her. She wasn't supposed to know about Khan. Marcus had threatened him that if he ever spoke a word to her about who he really was then he would kill some members of his crew. So, in a blind panic, Mira said the first thing that came to mind. "Puffin" and cringed horribly on the inside as she lied lamely.
She generally wasn't a good liar and while under stress she was a horrible liar but she should have been prepared. She should have come up with some story in case of situations like these but she hadn't. It seemed that her answer only made things worse however as Marcus started towards the door, waiting for it to open only seemed to further piss him off before he stormed inside, ignoring Mira completely. Mira took a second but once she corrected herself she was hot on his heels, already hearing yelling from the closed doors. It only took a moment for the door to slide open again for her. "I told you Khan, I told you! If you said one word to her about who you are, what you are, that I would kill them!" Marcus yelled, he was standing straight and his shoulders squared, probably to look taller than he was, Mira had thought but pushed it back when she heard the emphasis on them. Marcus had threatened to kill specific people in Khan's crew.
Mira looked to Khan as she saw horror take form behind his eyes for only a moment before he pushed it back down and his hate, his anger, taking over his expression completely. Mira's mind instantly went back of the picture of Khan she first saw, the picture she sometimes would look at whenever she didn't know what to do, the one that told her exactly who he was and the people who were in it. Were they the ones Marcus was threatening to kill? Were they the most precious to Khan out of his entire crew?... Mira knew even in families everyone has favourites, she very much doubted Augments were different in that aspect. Back then, Mira had scanned over all of the pictures before selecting the one she had looked at and remembered how it was the only one that he wasn't alone in. That alone was the driving force for her selection. Maybe those two were his favorites? His most treasured family members.
Khan stood taller, hands balling into fists at his side as he stared down his nose at Marcus. "You will not touch them!" Khan spat back, just as fierce as Marcus had. No, Mira thought, more than. "You disobeyed my orders. I said there would be consequences that I would kill the ones that meant the most to you. Can't get any better then your Second and Third officers can it?" Marcus roared and then laughed and Mira stared at him wide eyed. She had been right, at least about being the most precious. She wasn't sure if the woman and man in the picture were those most precious to Khan but still two innocent and defenceless people would be the ones who would pay for Mira knowing. For finding out the truth. Khan started forward but Mira, horrified at what he may do and lose if he continued, stepped in the middle. "He didn't tell me." she said quickly, drawing Marcus's attention and he simply shook his head at her.
"Of course he did, how else would you know? You aren't smart enough to crack my firewalls and get the information that is secretly stored on Khan." he spoke dismissing her as his gaze turned back to Khan. Mira shook her head. "No he didn't. I looked him up. His face I mean. I looked up his face. I had heard you one morning talking to Khan… Harrison... whatever. You were threatening him and I felt like something was going on behind my back so I looked and I saw a picture of him with his name and date tagged on it. That's how I know, he didn't tell me anything. He hasn't even confirmed that he is indeed Khan, he just never corrected me. He barely says a word to me unless it's for something he needs for his work."
Marcus had stopped glaring at Khan and turned it on Mira as she spoke. She did lie and she was really hoping it wasn't that obvious. Well she didn't lie completely. That is how she had found out but she left some key things out. Well a whole lot of things actually. Mira felt like she had done a good job of it, lying to Marcus about how much information she actually had on Khan. She didn't want to say anything more just in case she blew it with too fine detail. Marcus's glare softened as his gaze remained on her. The glare didn't go away entirely as he looked at Mira and then Khan and finally, he seemed satisfied and nodded his head at her.
"I've known you a long time Mira and I know when you are lying. So it seems, Khan, that your crew is safe. You got lucky. I know how Mira is and that sounds like something she would do. But if you pull anything, tell anyone, I will end them." Marcus threatened before turning to leave, signalling for Mira to follow him. Without so much as a glance to Khan, who stood behind her, Mira was off and following after Marcus. They walked in silence for a while, Mira deep in thought. Though it was more like deep in rage. This man was really beginning to test her patience. His constant lying. Belittling her talents, though she knew she wasn't good enough to hack into anything; much less Marcus's firewall, but it still annoyed her. The never ending threats to Khan. 'You already have his crew, like do you really need to bring it up every five seconds, to remind him he's stuck on your leash? I mean honestly. Freaking asshole.' Mira shouted in her head as she glared at the back of Marcus's head before she looked around and noticed that they had reached Khan's lab. "I came here to inform you both that I am widening his scope. Not just weapons anymore. I want him on ships, shields, whatever so long as he advances it." Marcus said coming to a complete stop, turning and facing Mira who stopped abruptly. Wiping the look from her face completely, before he had a chance to ever see it, she nodded her understanding.
Marcus seemed to think something over before he spoke again. "I am going to say this once and you will listen and not comment. When I am done I will walk away and you will return to what you were doing." Mira nodded her head again in understanding as Marcus continued to think over his words.
"I need that man's trust and I very much doubt he will trust me, at least not with the leash I placed on him. You though, he will trust. I don't care what you do or how you do it but you will get that trust." Marcus said. Mira interrupted, much to Marcus's displeasure, reading a subtext to his words she wasn't entirely sure of but she was hoping she had misread. "Sir, are you saying I should sleep with him?" Mira words sounding rather mortified but was silenced by Marcus who gave her a look she understood. That was exactly what he was saying and Mira shook her head.
"My father wont like that." Mira said making it sound very much like the threat it was meant to be but Marcus just laughed at her. "Do you think I give a shit what your Daddy has to say? You will do as I command and next time I say don't comment, you will not comment." Marcus countered and made his last words just as threatening as hers had been. Mira shook her head.
"You can't make me, my father can..." Mira didn't get to finish as Marcus had cut her off "Your father will do nothing because you WILL TELL HIM NOTHING, YOU WILL TELL NO ONE ANYTHING OF WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT KHAN NOONIEN SINGH OR ANYTHING THAT IS GOING ON HERE or do you want the world to know his dirty little secret and yours?" Marcus said stepping towards her, looking down his noise at her in disgust. Mira was getting very tired of seeing that look on everyone's faces. "The worst that will happen to him is some jail time but I wonder how he'll take it when you, his precious daughter, is shipped off to some lab to be experimented on and studied like an animal? Think about that before you threaten me again or even speak again. Oh and Doctor, you tell him about any of this and I'll crush your Father!" Marcus shouted at her and then turned on his heel and walked off and leaving Mira there alone.
She was nearly in tears as she watched his retreating figure disappear from her sight. Taking a deep breath and wiping at her eyes with the backs of her hands, she tried to calm herself down before getting back to her job. She headed to the security offices, trying to push the rush of thoughts circling in her mind to the back burner.
Once back in their quarters, Mira walked over and placed the PADD onto the couch next to Khan. Instead of saying anything like she normally did, her usual smart comment or joke at the expense of the CO, Mira had simply walked over to her room. She walked in once the door was open and locked it once it was closed; picking up Puffin as she went and laid down in bed. She had tried, naive as it was. Mira had tried to see the best in people, even people she didn't like, people like Marcus, even after hearing the horrors that he was committing, and she had hoped that no one was that cruel but she was incredibly mistaken.
She understood that there was grey in the world, nothing was black and white, not completely but this. This was some whole other colour that she didn't even know the name to.
