Okay, I managed to get another chapter in. This one doesn't really have a cliff hanger on the end like the others. I don't want to torture anyone all weekend by leaving the kind of a cliff hanger that was on the last chapter. Enjoy. :)
Chapter 22
Khan glared murderously at Kirk from the other side of the brig.
"You just murdered innocent people," Khan snarled. "They had no part in this!"
Kirk's blue eyes shimmered coldly: "Nor did the citizens of San Francisco, but that didn't seem to matter to you at the time, did it? You were the one that wanted to raise the stakes, remember? Per Starfleet regulations, you are now being transported back to Earth to await the trail, sentencing, and punishment for your crimes."
"And what will become of the children and my crew?" Khan glared at Kirk but there was little he could do to the Captain within the confines of his cell.
"Your crew? Lab rats, I guess. I'm sure the children will go into foster care until families can be found for them." Kirk paused, "And they aren't dead, the women." Shock coursed through Khan's body at Kirk's words. "Put them back into the brig," Kirk commanded unseen crew members.
Moments later, security officers escorted Silver Moon and Sharp Quill back into the cell beside Khan's.
"It was a trick…but…the bodies…?" Khan frowned.
Spock chose to jump into the conversation: "Belonged to Starfleet officers who desired to be buried among the stars. Your friends were put into the airlock next to the one holding the decoy corpses."
"A bluff, then." Khan's cold gaze settled on each of them in turn. "I will kill you both one day," The Augment promised solemnly.
"If you're not executed first," Kirk gave him a cold smile.
Kirk and Spock looked at each other and then left the room.
"Are you positive the brig will hold him, Captain?" Spock inquired a few minutes after the doors closed behind them.
"It'll work. Relax, Spock, everything is going smoothly. Go check on our guests in medbay; I'm going to look in on engineering."
"Captain?"
"The last time that bastard was on our ship the warp core malfunction; I'm making sure there won't be a repeat of that."
Spock nodded and left.
…
"Are you alright?" Khan asked Silver Moon and she nodded shakily.
"Yes."
"Silver Moon," he purred. "Everything is going to be okay. I'll get us out of this. I promise."
"I don't think so," she whispered. "Not this time. Khan," she looked at Khan and moisture ran down her cheeks. "They've got the children. They're going to hurt the children, I just know it!"
"Everything will be alright. The Captain is…he has integrity."
"He put us in an airlock! He was going to kill us!" She was getting frenzied. Khan crept forward and put his hand on the glass by her head. Her hand moved up to fit into his palm on the other side of the glass and she stared at how big his hand was compared to hers.
"Look at me," he commanded. Slowly, she raised her gaze to his eyes sharp blue eyes. "I will get us out of this," he repeated softly. "They will not hurt the children—I won't allow it. Now, get a hold of yourself, and Sharp Quill," Khan flicked his gaze the old woman who gave him a stony look. "If she starts to get hysterical again, smack her." Both the women smiled.
"With pleasure," Sharp Quill said and Silver Moon laughed lightly.
…
McCoy walked among the beds, counting heads. He frowned when he finished and counted again and then again. One was missing.
Oh, damn it all!
"Kirk," He pressed the Comm button. "I lost one."
…
Little Wolf crept down the hallway and slipped past the security officers. She wandered down another corridor and quickly hid behind a monitor as more officers walked by. It didn't take long for them to turn the corner, the moment she did, she moved on. She smirked as she moves about the ship, her walk turning into a casual skipping motion.
"Little Wolf?" A familiar voice sounded. The girl turned.
"Mom!" She rushed forward to hug the woman but smacked into a hard translucent surface. She fell onto her backside and blinked in confusion.
"Are you hurt?" Khan moved to the corner of his cell and frowned at her anxiously.
"No," she rose back to her feet and shook her head. "Why are you in there?" She put her hand on the hard surface to Khan's cell and then Silver Moon's. "Come out, and play! Come on!" She jumped up and down impatiently and the adults smiled sadly.
"We can't, honey," Silver Moon said softly.
"Why not?"
"Little Wolf," Khan crouched down so that he was here height. "Were are you kids being held at? Where are the others?"
"They're with the doctor." Little Wolf replied and worry began to gnaw at her insides. "Why? Why does it matter? Come out, and I can show you."
Khan smiled sadly. "We can't—not right now…but soon, alright? You need to go back to the room with the doctor and stay there. Wait for us to come and get you. Can you do that?"
"I don't want to go back alone," she whined and Khan saw tears pricking at her eyes.
"You need to be a big girl right now. If you can get here, then you can get yourself back. We can't come with you right now…we're…we're in time out. We're in trouble, but we'll come get you guys when we can."
"Promise?" Her lip trembled and a single tear fell.
"Yes. I promise." Khan said.
"It's alright, Little Wolf. We'll see you as soon as we get back out, but keep it a secret, alright? Don't tell the others that you saw us or tell anyone that you were in here," Silver Moon crouched beside Khan on the other side of the glass. "Can you do that, sweetie?"
"Yes," she nodded.
"Good, now go back and don't tell anyone about this." Silver Moon smiled sadly.
"When will you be there?" Little Wolf hovered near the cell door and Khan stiffened. Someone was coming.
"Get out of this room right this minute, young lady," he said sternly. "They're coming. Get back to the doctor's room and don't come back here. If you do, you'll be in big trouble—do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Then get out! What are still here for? Get back to your brother right this minute!" His voice sounded angry but he watched with sad eyes as their daughter slipped into the belly of the monster. For all he knew, they would never see one another again.
"Khan?" Silver Moon looked at him. Their eyes locked. "If you have to choose between Sharp Quill and me and the children, pick the children. Get them out first and come back for us if you have to. Don't let them stay in this place."
"I will not abandon you," he said firmly.
"If you save us and not the children, you will never see me again, is that clear? You get them first. Don't let them hurt any of those kids—especially" She glanced at a camera on the wall, "my babies."
He nodded: "fine."
Now all they had to do, he thought, was escape. Easier said than done.
…
"Captain, what are we to do with the prisoners Khan had captured?" Spock approached the Captain's chair and crossed his hands behind his back as he waited for Kirk to answer,
"Give them their own quarters. We'll drop them off on Earth when we deliver Khan to the proper authorities." Kirk picked up his PADD and started typing commands into it. He pulled up footage of the brig and watched Khan as he paced the length of his cell in frustration. The women were sitting silently on their bunks.
"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Spock inquired flatly.
Kirk glanced over at Spock. "With a lot of tranquilizers and Klingon restraints: unless you have any better ideas. Also, I want to triple the amount of security for the brig until we arrive at Earth. Oh, and did Bones ever find that missing child?"
"Yes, Captain. She had wandered down the hallway to find a restroom. She's back in the medbay as we speak."
"Good," Kirk flipped the PADD off. "I don't want those kids anywhere near that monster. Who knows what kind of thoughts he's already filled their heads with? Do you have any idea who wants to adopt them?"
"I conferred with Admiral Marcus shortly after we had Khan in custody. Admiral Marcus stated that a few sterile members of Section 31 were interested in gaining guardianship of them, but nothing is certain as of late."
Kirk nodded. "Okay, as long as they are getting good homes. I'd hate to think of them going to somewhere dangerous, you know?"
"Yes, Captain."
…
Spock entered the medbay. The children were playing with simple toys. A toddler, the one they called "Beaver", waddled over to him and raised his arms, indicating a desire to be held. Spock obliged and frowned when the boy's small hands tugged on his ears.
"You look funny," one of the females stated. "What are you?"
"I am a Vulcan."
"What's that?"
Spock thought for a second. "You would know me as an 'alien'."
"Like a Klingon?"
"Precisely. My name is Spock and you are?"
"Little Wolf. Why are your ears pointy?"
"It is a characteristic shared by those of my kind." Beaver's hands shifted to Spock's eyebrows.
Spock held the child away from him. Amused, the boy laughed and leaned forward, still reaching for Spock's face. Perhaps, he had miscalculated when he had agreed to hold the child…
"Is that why your eyebrows look funny?" Little Wolf asked.
"I am looking for Doctor McCoy." Spock put Beaver back on the ground. "Now, if you'll excuse me," Spock wandered away.
'That guy was weird,' Hawk said.
'You can say that again,' Fawn giggled.
'Hey, look, that idiot left the door open!' Hawk smiled. 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Let's get out of here!'
'No, we need to stay here!' Little Wolf said.
'Why?'
'How are Sharp Quill and my mom going to find us if we wander off?' Fox jumped in. 'We need to stay here. If we leave the room, they won't know where to look.'
'Fine,' Hawk agreed. 'We'll give them a week. If they still don't find us, then we'll look for them.
'I hungry!' Beaver complained. 'Want lunch!'