Admiral Pike strode onto the bridge of the Enterprise, Commanders Kirk and Spock just behind him. "Where are we going, Admiral?" asked Sulu.
"Jupiter Station, the one belonging to Section 31. The Co-ordinates are 23-17-46-11. This is not a drill - I regret to inform you that there is corruption at the highest levels in Star Fleet." Pike took a deep breath. He really didn't want to say the next part, didn't want it to be true: "Admiral Marcus has betrayed almost every code of behavior Star Fleet has. I can't go into details on everything now, although it will likely be all over every paper and newscast from here to Qo'noS by tomorrow. I will say this much - Marcus has found and woken Augments from the 20th century."
"Zhat! How?" yelped Chekhov.
"I don't know, but I do know we've got Khan Noonien Singh on that station."
Chekhov looked confused, full of questions but unwilling to challenge an Admiral. "Put the course in Mr. Sulu and take us out now", said Pike.
Sulu looked at Kirk. "Do it," seconded Kirk. Sulu nodded, his fingers flying over the keys in front of him.
"I take it that 'Uncle Khan' and Khan Noonien Singh are the same person?" asked Spock.
"Yes," said Pike.
"So we've been trying to help an ex-dictator and mass murderer," said Kirk, looking sick and all too obviously thinking of Governor Kodos.
"Which we did not know, and who was severely injured at the time," said Spock. "Admiral, what do we do with Khan and Marcus when we find them?"
"First to know is that they are not working together. We need to arrest Marcus and give the man a trial for this and other things. My sources suggest Khan wants himself and his cryofrozen crew out of Marcus' hands, and that he has already tried to escape once and killed to do so. Ideally I want him arrested for genocide and war crimes connected to the Eugenics wars."
The Enterprise began to move away from the dock, permission asked and given.
"Sir, isn't there a statute of limitation on crimes?" asked Uhura.
"Not for war crimes," said Kirk.
"We also need him as a witness against Admiral Marcus," said Pike. "
"So he's involved in the Admiral's schemes?"
"Or a victim of them," said Pike. Carol's letter really hadn't been clear. Not surprising, all things considered, but it made decision-making now twice as difficult. Khan certainly couldn't be left to run around loose, but Pike couldn't forget the state the man had been in when they'd found him and Jo. "I do not want him shot out of hand. Try to get him to come quietly if you can."
He hesitated. This could well get Khan killed, but better that than his own men. "Don't use standard stun on him. I suspect it doesn't work. Set to heavy stun at absolute minimum and assume it won't last more than a few seconds. Do the same for any other people that you think likely to be Augments. If this puts you at risk, use burn settings." There had to be a reason Marcus had not used stun on a man he clearly wanted to take alive.
"What about Admiral Marcus?" Kirk asked.
"We need to get him away from his men. His daughter Carol is on the station. She is on our side and I need to speak to her as soon as we find her." said Pike. "We'll broadcast the situation as we go in." That should at least spread confusion if it did not bring them to our side.
"Yes, Admiral." They continued fleshing out plans for what they'd do when they got there, but both Pike and Kirk knew full well that no plan survives contact with the enemy.
Admiral Marcus picked himself up after pitching forward on landing in his office on Jupiter Station, checking his left hand still functioned. Apart from its usual creakiness, it was fine. Vagaries of age. Somehow, he doubted Khan had had that problem on landing during his escape attempt.
Next, to find Smith-Kanawa and check that he was doing as ordered, then on to Marin... by the time Pike got here there would be nothing for him to find.
Khan pretended attention to the tactical dissertation in front of him while his mind strayed elsewhere. The showdown would be soon. Tomorrow at latest, if not today. He did not intend to sleep until it was settled. He couldn't wait to get started, and minutes felt like hours, each tick of the clock slow and stretched. Soon he would be free... or dead, that was always a possibility. But he preferred to go with the positive.
Behind him he heard Cato move to take a call on his communicator more privately. The man still hadn't figured out just how far away he could hear a whisper.
"You want me to what?" the man said, almost squeaking.
Khan's heart rate increased and he barely refrained from tensing. Darren did freeze. "Ok then."
Khan turned to face Cato. "What was that about?" he asked innocently.
"Oh, nothing you need to worry about. Err..."
Liar, Khan thought. You've just been ordered to 'terminate' me. Damn, it looks like our cover is blown. I need to wake my people now.
"Neville is sick, so they want me to take half that watch too. And you're to take the other," Cato said to Darren.
Khan began to turn back to his work... and whirled and lunged at Cato just as the man began to reach for the collar control and Darren whipped out his phaser and fired.
Khan knocked Cato down, the man hitting his head on the bookcase as he went, and Darren's stun bolt just clipping Khan's elbow. "You mind?" said Khan as he grabbed Cato's phaser and stunned him once to make sure he wouldn't come running after them.
"Sorry," said Darren. "Where can we hide him?"
"No time. It already camera. Follow me," said Khan, and took off at a fast walk down the hall. He thumbed his communicator "Carol, Delta-71 now." Events might be in motion, but better that most of the station stay out of them as long as possible.