Khan

Cora winced, dropping down behind a pillar to avoid the Klingon blasts...when, out of nowhere, a large laser shot past them, striking the attacking Klingons. They looked over to see a masked figure, a dark figure with a hood and cloth across his face, with a large weapon in one hand and a smaller phaser in the other, attacking the Klingons, protecting them as both sides started to attack.

Cora and Uhura gasped as Spock and Kirk and the rest of the crew ran out of the shuttle, firing, though Spock seemed to be heading right for her when the Klingons got in his way.

"Stay here!" Uhura shouted at her, before leaping over the pillar to go help the crew, knowing that Cora would be a sitting duck in a firefight without a phaser to use, knowing the girl would refuse to use one.

Cora gasped as a portion of the pillar beside her was stuck by an attack and exploded. She rushed to her feet, trying to get back to the crew amidst the attack. One or two Klingon jumped up before her but they quickly fell asleep as she ran past them, if she could get to the crew, if she could get them behind her she could use her abilities to incapacitate the Klingons, but they were ALL in range of her abilities and she wasn't quite at the point of picking and choosing a species to target just yet. Perhaps in a few years she would be able to do so, but it was beyond her at the moment.

She looked up, hearing a shout to see more Klingons descending…before more blasts rang out around her and she continued to run, "Spock!" she cried, making it to him.

"Cora!" he immediately turned, wrapped an arm around her to pull her closer as he moved her to the side, firing at a Klingon that had been chasing her, his arm tightening as he kept her near, firing rapidly at any and all Klingons that approached, needing to keep her safe. He could feel his heart racing, his blood flowing like ice water, his head pounding.

He could feel the Pon Farr thriving in such an atmosphere, the fighting, the aggression, the adrenaline rushing through him. This was what the Pon Farr truly needed to be calmed, to be conquered, not meditation. If he could just...expend it, if he could find a Klingon, truly fight them, hand-to-hand would be best, and beat them...the bloodlust would be satisfied. It wasn't enough to merely fire phasers set to stun at them, he...needed to truly face one down. But...with Cora there, it was that much harder, because he couldn't make himself leave her side, not now that she was in his arms again. He couldn't make himself turn away and go after a Klingon, to leave her defenseless...and a small part of his mind, the part that was clinging to logical thought, knew that he didn't want to expose her to that sort of violence again.

He knew what his anger did to her, how it startled and sometimes scared her when he lashed out. He didn't want her to ever thing he'd harm her.

They looked over when they heard a grunt to see Kirk had fallen…about to be attacked…when the masked man ripped off his mask to reveal himself to be Harrison, firing at the Klingon, saving him. Uhura ran to Kirk's side, helping him up, moving him to a side pillar as they joined him, all of them watching as Harrison attacked the Klingons, taking them all down single-handedly with a phaser and a knife and his bare hands.

He grabbed a gun that a Klingon had dropped and ran at them when Spock stood, aiming his own gun at him, "Stand down!" he ordered, a growl in his voice as he moved to stand before Cora.

"How many torpedoes?" Harrison asked them, as though not even noticing the weapon pointed at him.

"Stand down!" Spock repeated.

Harrison just fired at Spock's gun, knocking it out of his hands and asked them again, "The torpedoes! The weapons you threatened me with in your message. How many are they?"

"S-seventy two," Cora answered, feeling a desperation off him, the man needed to know, it was important to him, the exact number was one of the most important things to him. She watched carefully, seeing a range of emotions play across his face that they others might have missed. From shock to happiness to hope to…surrender.

He threw down his gun, "I surrender."

Spock hesitated before he reached out and grabbed the gun off the ground, aiming it back at Harrison.

Kirk grunted as Uhura helped him stand, "James T. Kirk…" Cora began, sensing what he was going to do.

But he held up a hand to stop her, looking at Harrison, "On the behalf of Christopher Pike, my friend, I accept your surrender…"

...and then he punched Harrison across the face, hard, but the man barely flinched, didn't bother to defend himself or attack back as Kirk continued to fight him, punching him and kicking him and trying to hurt him...but seemed to be struggling to do so.

"Captain Kirk stop," Cora ran forward, putting a hand on Kirk's arm and pulling him back, pouring calm into him, making him let out a breath, letting the anger fade away from him, enough where he wouldn't harm himself in fighting so hard.

"Captain?" Harrison looked at him.

Kirk took a breath and turned, walking off, Uhura moving to his side for him to lean on her as she helped him off, "Cuff him," he muttered to two other crew members, Spock and Cora watching as Uhura led him back to the shuttle.

Cora looked over, feeling Spock's eyes on her and offered him a small smile, opening her mouth to ask if he had been harmed...only for Spock to stride over to her and take her in his arms, holding her tightly to him as he embraced her. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, hugging him back, before she turned her head, burying it into the side of his neck, clutching him tighter, relieved to know that he was alright and that he seemed to feel better with her.

Spock closed his eyes, squeezing her tighter to him, feeling his heart both race and slow at the same time, slow in that she was safe once more, and race in that she was in his arms again. He bowed his head slightly, his face lightly burying in her hair as he breathed deep, inhaling her soothing scent. He felt himself swallow hard, trying to let her go but his mind and body refusing to do so and pulling her closer.

The Pon Farr had not abated with this minor battle, if anything...being in the middle of such an adrenaline filled moment and having no release for it, no finish...it had made it so much worse...

~8~

Spock stood in the back of the shuttle, in a small space that he had sealed himself into while the others brought Harrison into the Enterprise. He had claimed it was to change back into his Fleet uniform...however he was currently standing in the darkened room, his shirt, truly the only part of his uniform he'd changed, off, the blue cloth he was meant to use cast off to the side. It was a small bathroom of sorts and he was standing before the mirror, his hands braced on either side of the sink as he bowed his head, breathing hard, trying to gain control of himself, vainly it appeared.

It had been a sorry excuse to be alone, he knew, a rather feeble one. But it had been the only thing his mind could think of that would force him to let go of Cora. He hadn't strayed far from her on the way back to the Enterprise, he'd even...held her hand, as they flew back, something he did not normally ever do for an extended period of time, around others at least. But he hadn't been able to let go of her. His body was humming, buzzing, electrified from her touch. It burned him and spread through him instantly, leaving him feeling cold whenever she let go of him...and he wanted more of it.

He had found his attention wavering during the flight back, his duties starting to slack with his inability to focus on what he was tasked to do. He kept looking at her, his gaze wandering to her without his intention to do so. He struggled to return it to the task at hand and when the shuttle had touched down back in the hanger, he had been up and at Cora's side in an instant...something that had garnered odd looks from Kirk and had been what shocked him into realizing how...not himself he was acting.

He'd excused himself in that brief moment of clarity and made his way to the back of the ship, and there he was. Panting, struggling to stop himself shaking. It wasn't just his hands any longer, it was his entire body. He hadn't anticipated the battle with the Klingons would affect him THIS much. All it had served to do was increase his adrenaline, flood his body with energy and...the fact that Cora had been in the middle of it, it had made him all too aware that his mate was in danger and that HE had to protect her. She had, once more, become a focal point of his mind and thoughts. To be in battle, but have it revolve around his mate, was worse than to find his mind drifting towards her when he was completely calm.

"Spock?" he heard someone speak from behind him.

He turned suddenly, his eyes widening to see Cora standing before him, inside the room, he hadn't even heard the door open, he had been certain he'd locked it...but there she was, standing there in her Fleet uniform, her typical long-sleeved blue dress, black leggings and boots, her hair and eyes as vibrant as ever as she gazed upon him, "Cora..." he breathed, "What are you doing here?"

She stepped closer to him and he tried to back away...only to recall that the room was rather small, there was nowhere for him to go, "I wished to ensure you were well," she remarked, stepping closer to him till she was right before him, barely an inch of space between them, so close he could feel her warmth.

"I told you I was fine," he reminded her, and he had indeed reassured the crew he was alright when they'd taken off.

"I wished to see for myself that you had not been injured," she added, lifting her hand and gently placing it on his chest.

He felt himself shudder, his eyes falling closed as the warmth, the sensation of flames raced through him at her touch, "Cora..." he began, his voice shaking, wanting to warn her away from touching him, yet not trusting his voice to form those exact words and not something else.

Cora's hand drifted up his chest, across his shoulder towards his neck, lightly stroking it with her thumb, "Spock you do not need to lie to me," she whispered.

"Vulcans cannot..." his breath hitched, feeling her other hand move to rest on his other arm, "Lie..."

"Then you do not need to hide the truth from me," she corrected, gazing at him, her right hand drifting up to he cheek, gently tilting his head to look at her, "Look at me," she ordered lightly and his eyes snapped open, staring into hers, "Spock," she tilted her head, "You do not need to hide your feelings from me, I can feel them."

"My apologies," he swallowed hard, feeling her left hand running up and down his arm, feeling himself starting to shake as she stepped closer, till she was pressed against him.

"You do not need to apologize," she smiled, "I feel the same."

"You do?" he stared at her, feeling his heart racing more, his mind starting to go...fuzzy...starting to feel light-headed at her words, dizzy, or...as he was sure the humans would say...intoxicated, if only he knew what that felt like for a better comparison.

She merely gave him a smirk that nearly sent him to his knees and leaned in, pressing her lips to his.

His mind went blank instantly as his arms wrapped around her, lifting her up, lifting her closer to him as he kissed her deeply. He could feel it, the fire inside him, the desire for her, the...hunger, the need to be closer to her, closer than they were. He took a step towards her, wanting to be even nearer, only to realize he'd been making his way closer to her without realizing it, that her back was now pressed against the wall and it still wasn't close enough.

"Spock..." she murmured as she pulled away, both of them panting, "Spock."

He closed his eyes, resting his forehead to hers, feeling himself trembling at her using his name, feeling like he couldn't breathe at the moment, like he'd never be able to breathe again if he wasn't kissing her, and leaned in to continue, his mind not seeing that they were currently in a bathroom, on a shuttle, after a battle with the Klingons, but just that his mate was there, before him, and he wanted her...

"Spock," she breathed again as he moved to press his lips to hers once more...

"Spock!"

Spock jerked, looking around in alarm to see himself standing in the doorway to his room, to his and Cora's room, the girl in question standing before him, still dressed in her non-Fleet uniform, staring at him, holding the blue uniform she had been about to change into in her hands. He blinked rapidly, his head jerking from side to side as he felt himself grow cold as a dreaded realization hit him.

"Are you alright?" Cora asked him, frowning.

She had been about to change, Kirk having given them only a few minutes to do so before wanting to meet them all where the man, Harrison, was going to be held. She had been waiting for Spock, but he hadn't come out of the shuttle, so she'd gone to their room to get changed into her uniform and had just turned from pulling her dress out of a drawer when she'd heard the doors open and saw Spock standing there just...staring at her, silent, not saying a word.

But that wasn't what had bothered her, he did that often enough, what bothered her was that...his eyes...they looked dazed, cloudy, unaware. It was like he hadn't known where he was, like he wasn't aware that she was there but that he WAS staring at her. And...she felt something roll off him that shocked her, desire, for her. It had taken her breath away and it was just growing more and more powerful the longer he stared at her and...it made her uncomfortable as well in that...he didn't seem to realize he was feeling it or letting her feel it or even aware of anything that was going on. She'd called out to him nearly four times before he'd heard her.

Spock swallowed hard, looking at the ground...he had no idea how he'd gotten there or why he'd gone there when Kirk had requested they meet at Harrison's cell. He...he couldn't remember what had happened. The last thing he truly remembered was stepping out of the shuttle's control room...and he could have sworn he'd been in the bathroom of the shuttle...but now he was in their room, with no memory of how he'd gotten there. He closed his eyes tightly, it was another symptom of the Pon Farr.

The mating drives were pushing him towards her, taking him to her, to his mate, without him realizing it. Its own way of urging him to be with her. And that...whatever it was his mind had developed, had not helped. Vulcans, as far as he was aware, did not often 'day dream' as the humans would call it, preferring to remain focused in all areas of the mind, they did not let their thoughts drift. But...it appeared his human half was not going to be as much help as he had once hoped, it seemed it was allowing his Vulcan side to...fantasize.

"Spock?" Cora asked again.

He just looked at her, feeling his hands clench into fists as he forced himself to stay where he was despite the concern he saw on her face, the confusion, the worry for him, all emotion that made him want her more...

"Many apologies," was all he could say before he stepped out of the room and stormed down the hall leaving a rather confused mate in their bedroom.

~8~

Cora jogged through the halls of the Enterprise as she followed Kirk, McCoy, and Spock to deal with Harrison after the man had been led, under armed guard, into one of the holding cells, waiting to be spoken to.

"Why the hell did he surrender?" McCoy asked after they had finished telling him what had happened.

"I don't know," Kirk muttered, still very angry that the man hadn't been just killed on sight.

"He wants the torpedoes," Cora spoke, trying not to notice how Spock seemed to wince at the sound of her voice now, if only she had known the reason why, "He only surrendered after he found out the 72 were onboard," she added, "His expression, his emotions, he cares about the torpedoes more than himself," she glanced over as they entered the hall that held the cells, "Your greatest option in getting through to him Captain Kirk," she added, knowing he would want to speak to the man more than he wanted her to negotiate, "Will be to use the torpedoes as leverage."

He nodded, pointing at McCoy, "He just took out squadron of Klingons single-handedly. I want to know how. I want to know what we can do to stop him if he attacks the crew."

McCoy nodded, "Sounds like we have a Superman onboard."

"You tell me," Kirk ordered as they approached the glass window that made up the front of the cell.

McCoy moved a small circular device that was lodged in the side of the glass to the middle, widening it slightly, "Put your arm through that hole. I'm going to take a blood sample."

The man eyed them, before rolling down the sleeve of his black shirt and sticking his arm through, though his gaze was on Kirk, "Why aren't we moving, Captain? An unexpected malfunction? Perhaps in your warp core, immediately stranding you on the edge of the Klingon space?"

"How the hell do you know that?" McCoy stared at him.

"Bones," Kirk shook his head, seeing Cora frowning at the man.

"I think you'd find my insight valuable, Captain," Harrison defended.

"I think you'll find we won't fall for your crap," he countered, before turning to McCoy, "Are we good?" McCoy moved the hole away from Harrison, shrinking it as the man pulled his arm back in, "Let me know what you can find. Spock, Cora, with me," he turned to go.

"Ignore me, and you will get everyone on this ship killed," Harrison shouted at him, making Kirk stop.

"He is only trying to manipulate you Captain Kirk," Cora remarked to him softly, glancing back at the man, "He is trying to manipulate all of us, but…" she looked at Kirk, "He is unaware that I am an Empathic," for the moment at least.

It wasn't quite so odd that she wasn't always recognized despite her eyes. Most Cadets didn't know what she was at first till others told them or till they learned about the other alien species. Not many Empathics were seen off Hestia, it wouldn't be too difficult to assume he'd never encountered one before and merely thought she was a humanoid alien with odd eyes.

"As long as he remains unaware, he will not be able to trick me," she added, and even then it would be hard. There hadn't been a single person she'd heard of who had managed to lie to an Empathic and not have them sense it.

"I would not recommending engaging the prisoner further," Spock agreed.

Kirk took a breath, "Give me a minute."

"Cora," Spock looked at her.

She glanced at him, hearing him address her, and moved to follow Kirk, the captain rolling his eyes at that, knowing the both expected him to overreact or something and…it was probably a good thing Cora went with him then while Spock hung back, she tended to keep him as calm as Spock infuriated him.

"Let me explain what's happening here," Kirk began as he addressed Harrison, the man standing there, "You are a criminal. I watched you murder innocent men and women, I was authorized to end you. And the only reason why you are still alive...is because I am allowing it. So shut your mouth."

"Captain, are you're going to punch me again, over and over, till your arm weakens?" Harrison smirked, "Clearly you want to. So, tell me, why did you allowed me to live?"

"We all make mistakes."

"No…" Harrison laughed, "I surrendered to you because, despite your attempt to convince me otherwise, you seem to have a conscience, Mr. Kirk. If you did not, then it would be impossible for me to convince you of the truth."

Kirk glanced at Cora at that, the girl giving him a small, infinitesimal nod to listen, that Harrison seemed to notice, "2-3, 1-7, 4-6, 1-1, coordinates not far from Earth. If you want to know why I did what I did...go and take a look."

"Give me one reason why I should listen you," Kirk glared.

"Because your little girl told you to," he grinned, "Oh…" he frowned mockingly, "Or is she YOUR girl?" he glanced at Spock, seeing the man looking murderous for his mate being mistaken for another's, "Tsk, tsk," he shook his head at Spock, "A Vulcan wanting to murder," he sighed, "Perhaps you are but less than Vulcan," he guessed.

"Cora doesn't make the decisions around here," Kirk defended, even though Cora's sign had been to listen to the man, it didn't mean he had to do as the man asked.

"Then if you require another, I can give you 72," Harrison countered, "And they are onboard your ship, Captain. They have been all long. I suggest you open one up."

Kirk glared at Harrison once more, when Cora placed a hand on his arm, turning to lead him away, calming him in the process, "You really need to stop doing that," he muttered as they walked off.

"And you need to sit down before you have a stroke," she countered.

Kirk let out a small laugh at that.

~8~

"Are you out of your corn-fed mind?" McCoy hissed at Kirk as they all gathered on the Bridge, Kirk having told them what Harrison had told him about the torpedoes, how he'd contacted Scotty to look into some coordinates as well and how he was…curious to see what's in them, "You're not actually going to listen to this guy? He killed Pike, he almost killed you, and now think it's a good idea to pop open a torpedo because he dared you to do it?"

"There IS something about the torpedoes," Cora spoke up, "I…" she bit her lip, trying to think of a way to phrase it, "They give off an…odd feeling."

"Wait," Kirk looked at her, "You can feel torpedoes?"

"Anyone can feel a torpedo," Cora blinked, "They are solid objects."

McCoy gave a little laugh at Kirk rubbing his face at that, "I think he meant you're feeling something OFF them, Red."

"Oh," Cora nodded, "Yes. On Hestia, it is not uncommon for Empathics to, at times, feel the emotions of things that are not of our species. We sense animals and their emotions as well," it was why they were vegetarians, "But…at times we might also sense that of…plants or…rocks, other objects in nature, trees. It is rare, but there have been accounts of it happening. It is, quite what I imagine I feel when I pass the torpedoes, there is something there. Something alive about them."

Kirk nodded, pointing at her, "See?"

McCoy rolled his eyes, "That doesn't prove anything Jim."

"Why did he save our lives, Bones?"

"The doctor does have a point, Captain," Spock said.

Kirk looked at him, startled both at him speaking when he'd been relatively (almost unnaturally) silent and also for what he was saying, "You're agreeing with Bones? Over Cora?"

"Don't agree with me, Spock," McCoy agreed, "It makes me very uncomfortable."

"Perhaps you, too, should learn governing your emotions, doctor," Spock turned to him, not wanting to answer Kirk's question, it was difficult enough standing in the same room as his mate with other men around, he did not need the man to bring her up constantly, as though e weren't already focused on her, "In this situation, logic dictates..."

"Logic! My god. There's a maniac trying to make us blow up our own damn ship, and you're talking about..."

"Cor?" Kirk sighed, feeling as though that was probably the hundredth time he'd had to have her calm down Spock and McCoy since the Enterprise had been given to him, they did tend to get into the most arguments around the ship.

McCoy took a breath at Cora's calming aura, "Thanks Red."

"Look, the point is, we don't know why he surrendered but that's not it," Kirk continued, "So, if we're going to open a torpedo the question is how?"

"But Jim, without Mr. Scott onboard who exactly is qualified to just pop-open a four ton stick of dynamite?"

"The Admiral's daughter appeared to be have interest in the torpedoes and she is a weapons' specialist," Spock remarked, "Perhaps she could be of some use."

"What Admiral daughter?" Kirk frowned.

"Carol Marcus. Your new science officer concealed her identity to board the ship."

"And when were you going to tell me that?"

Spock blinked, "When it became relevant, as it just did."

~8~

The crew gathered in the Bridge to watch on the data on the viewscreen as Wallace and Bones landed a shuttle on an uninhabited planetoid nearby. Kirk had confronted Wallace about the torpedoes and she had agreed to open one for them. Apparently she'd been following her father's secret workings and had been trying to find out what was so special about those particular ones for a while. It was why she'd forged her way onto the ship in the first place. It was, apparently, the one project her father didn't give her clearance to deal with, which only served to make her curious.

"Captain on the Bridge," Sulu announced as Kirk entered.

"Mr. Sulu, doctors Marcus and McCoy landed on the planetoid, yet?" Kirk asked.

"Yes, sir. They're moving the torpedo into the position now."

"Good, any activity from the Klingons?"

"Not yet, but if we're stuck here much longer they will find us."

"Lieutenant Uhura," Kirk turned to her, "Did you let Starfleet know that we have Harrison in custody."

"Yes, sir," she nodded, "No response yet."

"Engineering to Bridge," Chekov's voice came over the comms. "Hello, Captain, can you hear me?"

"Mr. Chekov, give me some good news," Kirk sat at the chair.

"We found ze leak, sir, but ze damage is substantial. We are working on it."

Kirk tensed and glanced at Spock and Cora across the room, both of them on opposite sides of the room, which made him inwardly groan, it had looked like they'd resolved their issues after the Klingon attack, he'd never seen them closer, and now they were separated again, "Any idea what caused it?"

"No, sir but I accept full responsibility."

"Something tells me it wasn't your fault. Stay on it."

"Shuttle is standing by, Captain," Sulu called.

"Bones, thanks for helping out, Dr. Marcus asked for steadiest hands on the ship."

"You know, when I dreamt about being stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman, there was no torpedo," McCoy called over the communicators. They had no visual of the planet, but just the audio, which was making them all more nervous than they knew they should be, but Cora was doing her job in keeping them calm.

"Dr. McCoy, may I remind you, you are not there to flirt."

"So, how can these legendary hands help you Dr. Marcus?"

"Bones!" Kirk rolled his eyes, though he felt himself smile when he heard Cora laughing behind him.

"To understand how powerful these weapons are we need to open the warhead," Wallace spoke, "To do that, we need to access the fuel compartment. Unfortunately for us, warhead's on these weapons are live."

"Sweetheart, I once a performed an emergency c-section on a pregnant Gorn," McCoy told her, "Octoplets, let me tell you those little bastards bite. I think I can work some magic on your missile."

"Dr. McCoy, there is a bundle of fiber optic-cables against the inner casing, you'll need to cut the 23rd wire down. Whatever you do, do not touch anything else. Do you understand?"

"Right. The thought never crossed my mind."

"Dr. McCoy, wait for my word. I'm rerouting detonation processor. Are you ready?"

"And raring."

"Good luck."

They all held their breath, listening…when suddenly McCoy cried out in pain, the sound of metal locking down hitting them, "Sir, torpedo just armed itself!" Sulu shouted.

"The warhead is going to detonate in 30 seconds!" another crew member warned.

"What the hell happened?" McCoy was saying, "I can get my arm out."

"Target clear signal, beam them back right now!" Kirk ordered.

Cora looked around, trying to keep the calm going as the crew frantically worked to try and do something to help McCoy. But she frowned and blinked, turning around to Spock, feeling him grow confused, "What is it?" she asked.

He looked back at her, "Transporter cannot differentiate between Dr. McCoy and the torpedo. We cannot beam back one without the other."

Cora frowned, "But…the transporters are locked onto a life signal aren't they?" it was how they beamed people aboard, it focused on them and their vitals…if they couldn't tell the difference between McCoy and the torpedo…did that mean the torpedo was…alive? More alive than she thought they were.

"Dr. Marcus can you disarm it?" Kirk turned back to the viewscreen.

"I'm trying," Wallace panted, "I'm trying!"

"Jim get her the hell out of here!" McCoy shouted.

"No. If you beam me back, he dies. Just let me do it."

"10, 9, 8…" McCoy began to count down.

"Standing by to transport Dr. Marcus on your command, sir," Spock called.

"4, 3..."

"Shit!" Wallace shouted as a ripping noise followed…and then a metal clamp unlocking reached them again.

"Deactivation successful, Captain," Sulu reported.

Kirk let out a breath of relief at that, the relief in the room filling it and he knew it was Cora feeling that too, "Dr. McCoy, are you alright? Bones?"

"Jim?" McCoy began a moment later, a hesitant tone in his voice, "You're going to want to see this."

~8~

Down on the planet, McCoy and Wallace looked at each other and then…at the body hidden inside the torpedo.

~8~

Cora followed Kirk into the med-bay with Spock, the captain having requested she join him there after McCoy had suggested she might be useful. Apparently, there were bodies hidden in the torpedoes and the man thought she might be able to sense something off of them even as they slept. She had been a bit…surprised when Spock had moved to follow them, she was just…so confused.

At one moment it appeared he couldn't even look at her, at another like he couldn't stop staring at her. One time he wanted to be far away from her, another not let her out of his reach. She just…she didn't know what was going on with him, it was like everything he was feeling was shifting around so much and he kept trying to bury them. He was succeeding too, he was trying to control them in a way she had never seen someone control emotions before, hiding them, burying them, dimming them to the point where she wasn't getting a clear feel of them.

It must be taking him enormous effort and restraint though, he seemed to be struggling with doing so for so long. She didn't want to pry, she knew her abilities could be an invasion of privacy at times so she always tried to restrain them and not feel what someone wasn't projecting out at her. She just hoped that Spock would talk to her about it, to come to some sort of place in his emotions that he'd tell her what was wrong. Yes, she could feel emotions, but it didn't mean she could read minds, she wouldn't know what was causing them, only that he was feeling them.

"What have we got?" Kirk asked as they entered.

Cora frowned, staring into the torpedo, seeing a man asleep, "Is that…a body?" she looked at McCoy.

"Unfortunately," McCoy nodded.

"It's quite clever actually," Wallace added, "This fuel container was removed from torpedo and retro fitted to hide this cryo-tube."

"Is he alive?" Kirk asked.

"He is," Cora nodded, reaching out to place her hand on top of the glass of the cryo-tube, "I can feel it…he IS alive."

McCoy agreed, "But if we try revive him without the proper procedure, we could kill him. This technology is beyond me."

"How advanced, doctor?" Spock asked, pulling his gaze away from Cora to look at the doctor.

"It's not advanced," Wallace corrected, "That cryo-tube is ancient."

"We haven't needed to freeze anyone since we developed warp capability," McCoy added, "Which explains the most interesting thing about of our friend here. He's 300 years old."

Kirk stared at him a moment before looking at Cora, "Cor? Anything?"

Cora glanced at him before focusing on the frozen man, frowning, biting her lip as she tried to read him, "Many apologies Captain Kirk," she sighed, "While he is frozen, unconscious, and in stasis, I cannot get a proper read on him. He is not feeling anything at the moment nor is he aware enough to do so. If he is not feeling, there is nothing for me to read."

Kirk nodded, "Well I know someone you CAN read," he turned to lead her out, his hand just about to touch the small of her back when Spock grabbed his wrist stopping him. Kirk looked at the man, not saying anything as he didn't wish to alert Cora to what was happening behind her, or to the fierce glare Spock, of all people, was sending him. He pulled his arm away, gesturing the man on first, watching as Spock put his hand on Cora's back to lead her out.

Kirk frowned, watching them step out of the room and looked back at McCoy, "Bones…see if you can get access to those medical records the USS Bradbury took for Spock. Something's off."

"You see it too?" McCoy asked.

Wallace, though, glanced at them, "You mean he's not always like that?"

Kirk let out a small, scoffing laugh, "Oh he is, but he actually smiles once in a while," before he headed out of the med-bay after the others.

~8~

Kirk led Spock and Cora right up to Harrison's cell to see the man standing there, staring out at space, though he turned around when Kirk spoke, "Why there is a man in that torpedo?"

"Why are there people in all the torpedoes?" Cora corrected lightly from beside Kirk, standing in between him and Spock, though the two of them were off to the side slightly, giving Kirk the center spot.

THAT was what she was feeling off them, all of them, every single one gave her the same sensation as the one with the man in it. To take a lesson from Spock, logically that had to mean all the torpedoes had frozen people in them.

"Simple," Harrison remarked, "Because I put them there."

"Who the hell are you?" Kirk demanded.

The man sighed, "A remnant of the time long past," he answered, stepping closer to them, to look out at them through the glass wall of his cell, "Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war."

Cora frowned, tensing beside Spock as he glanced at her, watching her expression carefully as she intently watched and listened and sensed the man as he spoke.

"But we were condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries we slept. Hoping when we woke, things would be different. But as a result of the destruction of Vulcan your Starfleet began to aggressively search distant quadrants of space. My ship was found adrift, I alone was revived."

Kirk paused, glancing at Cora, the girl giving him only a small bite on her lip to indicate that there were portions that were truth and portions that were lies or that the truth the man was saying was not what really happened...that the intent behind it didn't match the words. It was a small system they had worked out. A nod meant truth, a shake meant lies, but a hesitant gesture, like biting her lip, meant there was too much of both for her to be able to tell him so without the other person noticing.

And it was true, the man was telling them the truth, what he was SAYING was true. But she couldn't help but feel like it wasn't the whole truth. They might have been created for that purpose, but there was nothing to say that was what they were actually used for. They might have slept and hoped for a new world when they woke, but she doubted it was a world at peace as opposed to a world at war for them to fight in, or a world in chaos for them to take control of.

Kirk took a breath and turned back to the man, knowing that he'd have to speak to Cora later about that, "I looked up John Harrison. Until a year ago he didn't exist."

"John Harrison was fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause," the man explained, "A smoke screen to conceal my true identity. My name...is Khan."

"Why would a Starfleet Admiral ask a 300 year old frozen man for help?" Kirk asked.

"Because I am better."

"At what?"

"Everything," Khan smirked, Cora shivering a little, it was…truth, the complete truth and that alarmed her, "Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat in a civilized time. And, for that, he needed a warrior's mind, my mind, to design weapons and warships."

"You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold, simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect," Spock cut in.

"And he is telling the truth," Cora whispered to them, making them look at her.

"And how would you know that?" Khan eyed her intently a moment before smirking, "Oh…an Empathic," he laughed, seeing her stiffen, seeing that he'd figured her out, "Do you not find it odd that Admiral Marcus, seeking help from me, with all the advancements I have given him...made no attempt to liberate your planet? It IS still a slave-planet isn't it?"

"Not even you would be able to best an Empathic," Cora remarked, "It would be illogical to try to liberate Hestia and face down an army of us when we are forced to fight."

Khan scoffed, "You overestimate yourself."

Cora shook her head, "You underestimate me."

Khan's lips pursed slightly, hearing a semi-challenging note in her voice, "Well you are interesting, aren't you?" he took a step closer, noting how the Vulcan tugged her back a step, as though he'd be able to escape the cell and attack her, "You are unlike the other Empathics, you have spirit."

"We're not here to discuss Cora or her planet," Kirk cut in, not needing to be Cora to see she was getting uncomfortable and Spock actually seemed to be getting angry at Khan's focus on her.

Khan gave Cora one more look before he turned his head to face Kirk instead, "He wanted to exploit my savagery," he told the man, glancing at Spock, "Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You…you cannot even break a rule, how would you be excepted to break bone?" Spock stiffened at that as Khan smiled and looked at Kirk once more, "Marcus used me to design weapons. To help him realize his vision of militarized Starfleet. He sent you to use those weapons, to fire my torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet. And then he purposely crippled your ship in enemy space, leading to one inevitable outcome, the Klingons would come searching whomever was responsible and you have no chance of escape. Marcus...would finally have the war he talked about, the war he always wanted."

"No," Kirk shook his head, "No…"

"Captain…" Cora breathed, Kirk looking at her for how she didn't follow it with 'Kirk', to see her staring at Khan, alarmed at how MUCH of the truth the man was giving them, before she turned her gaze on him, "He's…he IS telling the truth."

Kirk stared at her a long while, it was impossible to lie to an Empathic, they could tell, they could always tell, even the youngest Empathic with the best liar in the Universe could tell when someone was lying to them. And now…he had proof that Khan was apparently telling the truth, for whatever reason she hesitated in expressing truth or lie before...she was certain Khan was telling them the entire truth now.

Marcus was betraying Starfleet's purpose.

A/N: I hope you liked that little bit of Pon Farr popping up both in battle and after ;) ;) I remember in the actual episode dealing with Spock's Pon Farr that he found himself changing the ship's course to Vulcan without realizing he'd done it till others brought it up. I thought it would be interesting to have him wander across the Enterprise without realizing he was moving and end up with Cora. I wondered, during that moment in the show, if he didn't realize what he was doing, what did he think he was doing at that moment, so I went a little deeper into his mind here, seeing what he thinks is happening as opposed to what IS happening :)

I can say that we've seen a bit of his protective drive and attraction to Cora play up here. But the next chapter...we'll see another side to him }:)

And I can say we've only just begun to see Cora confront and react to Khan ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, it's definitely a happy coincidence for the Loki story :) But I'm glad it'll help make your birthday a great day :)

We saw a tiny bit of him defending her here, but just wait till Khan gets involved. Whether it'll be physically or verbally defending her from him, I won't say, it could be one, or both ;) Oh I've got many things planned for both Cora and my Kirk OC for the warp core, but I won't say what :) And thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the story :)

Lol, I can't update twice a day, sorry! It's mostly because I'm just barely scraping together time to edit the one chapter per day at the moment for this story and my DW story (so, technically, I am doing 2 chapters a day lol). I'm hoping when school is over in May I'll have more time to really put up more chapters :)

I think Cora feels the same, with wanting Spock to tell her what's on his mind instead of in his heart :) I think he does trust her, he's just worried she'll feel obligated to be with him to save him and he wanted it to be more special to her, because he knows it should be a very special moment for her as an Empathic and he doesn't want to taint it or cheapen what it would mean :( But she'll definitely figure it out very soon ;) As for Khan, I think he'll greatly enjoy the fact that she's an Empathic, he seems the sort to love a challenge :) I'm glad you're excited for the Thor stories :)

Lol, the Loki story will be up on the 22nd, so only a couple more days :)

Khan will definitely try to get to Cora, but as for if it'll be physically get to her or verbally/emotionally, we'll have to wait and see :)

Lol, I try to update my stories at least once a day, so 24 hours at most ;)

I think Spock's a little too gentlemanly to do that, but we can see the Pon Farr is really starting to get to him. I don't think he'll be able to hold out much longer after this chapter ;)