Chapter Seven: A Good Tyrant

There was a bar in London.

It was run by a former captain of Starfleet who welcomed any and all members of the organization into the poorly lit location. The wood framing of the place was shabby and the bar stools had peeled back layers of cushion exposed. Still cadets entered looking to find a woman willing to spend the night with a Starfleet officer. Many women came there if they were looking for strong powerful Starfleet men.

Marla merely came there to drink. Her conscious was slowly making its way into her mind. She had asked for a man's death. She chugged the bourbon down hard realizing what that meant. The lieutenant closed her eyes trying to envision the scene. Harrison would be taking quick steps toward a powerless Marcus. She clicked her glass against counter to awaken herself from that state. She asked the bartender for another.

"You don't look too well, sweetheart." The man had to be in his early sixties with a small lingering Scottish accent. "I don't know if I can serve you anymore." She looked to him with narrow eyes. She hadn't had many drinks that evening then again she couldn't recall the number she did have.

"I won't be denied my right to lose my senses." She wagged the glass in his face. The bartender just shook his head about to protest when a young man squeezed into the seat beside her.

"Well then how about me, Sir." His accent was upper class.

Marla looked at him noting the crew cut blonde hair, the blue Starfleet ensign, the remains of scruff, and the deeply crystal blue eyes. The bartender looked between the two before placing a shot glass on the corner and pouring it. The officer handed the man the money. When the bartender went to attend someone else where, Marla grabbed the shot. She downed it quickly seeing that his reaction was one of surprise.

"Didn't say that was yours." The cadet nearly chuckled with a smugness to him.

"I didn't think to ask." She told him. She glanced him over deciding he was decently handsome. "Are you a doctor?"

"Science officer." He corrected. "Ensign Richards." She saw he held out his hand. She didn't shake it. Formalities were always awful. Instead she swirled her finger around her empty glass. "Are you a member of Starfleet?"

"Yes," Marla had wanted to say no and begin the courtship with an affirmation that she enjoyed bedding officers, but lies weren't flowing like they should have tonight. "Lieutenant McGivers."

"You are too beautiful to be in Starfleet." He squeezed closer to her. He smelt awful. Like flowery cologne. "What ship are you on?"

"I work at the Kelvin Memorial Archives." She leaned across the bar retrieving a bottle from under the counter while the bartender's back was turned. She poured liquid into both glasses before placing it back as if she had never touched it. She raised her glass to him. "Cheers." He did the same clinging the glasses together. She threw back the drink, rum. It burned her throat enough to make her want to vomit, but she had resolve.

"What were we cheering?" He wondered aloud. Marla saw his eyes lingering slightly to her breasts. She was surprised men were still enchanted by her sickly body. She supposed a willing woman was as good as any woman.

"To our exploits tonight." She licked the bottom of the glass almost seductively. "I'm sure shagging you will be entertaining." Not much more could be said after that. Marla was prepared to lead Officer Richards away to her bedroom.

In the cab his lips were aggressively crushing hers as his hands snatched at her breasts eagerly. Marla rolled her eyes as it happened trying to move his hands lower to a more sensitive location. He insisted on toying with her breasts and chaffing her nipples under the dark lacey bra. Once they were inside her apartment Marla pushed him away. She took in a few breaths. He almost seemed predatory toward her.

"I think someone needs to slow down." She whispered running her finger over her lower lip.

"You wanted entertainment Lieutenant." He sneered softly. Marla took steady steps toward the officer looking up into his eyes. She did not care that her dress may have been too short or that her boots were too long and seductive. She did not intend to let this man move in any way, but what she wanted.

"Let me make this very clear to you Officer Richards." Her voice was clear and pristine. "You are here for my entertainment. Mine alone. If you wish to have your pleasure you will have to do that on your own time." He looked almost ridged by her words. "You are here because I allow it." She pushed her hand against his chest lightly. She maneuvered him backwards toward the bed. "Lie back and try to enjoy yourself enough to please me. Are we clear?" His head only nodded as Richards laid back.

Marla swallowed her bottom lip into her mouth before she shimmed out of her panties. She watched as the blonde man began to sit up to take off some article of clothing. Marla clattered to the bed pushing him down as she straddled his waist line. She leaned down gently kissing him allowing him to get comfortable before she bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

"Bitch!" She slapped him when he said the word.

"You don't get to decide what I give you." She began to unbutton his pants. "You shouldn't complain so much."

She wiggled them off allowing herself to assist him in becoming ready for her encounter. It didn't take much effort. She could see Richards was enjoying it far more. Marla positioned herself against Richards rocking her hips slowly downward. The warmth inside her welled up as she threw her head back. His pelvis thrust forward as she rocked against him. She bit her lip once more hoping to get there fast. She held a hand steady to her chest closing her eyes. He made grunts that seemed inhuman and unwarranted. He wasn't anything special. He was simply the first willing participant in the bar.

Marla felt a fire roar in her belly as she squeezed her eyes tighter. He didn't seem to do much, but lie there. She had instructed him to do so, but she often wanted someone to disobey her so she could put them in place. She loved being on top and in control. It was the only time she could be truly in control in her life. She let out something between a gasp and squeal as he pushed himself deeper into her. She was almost there, but he was quickening his pace too much. She crushed her fingernails into the fabric of his shirt. She heard him cry out a guttural animal noise signifying his efforts had been over. She pressed her hips faster against his hoping to achieve her own satisfaction before he went flat. She let out steady gasps.

"John." She found herself too careful with the name in between her breathes as her face erupted into a mask of undeniable pleasure. She was breathless when she finished. Her body was hot and burning from the sex given to her. His face seemed slated with passion. He reached up to touch her face. She swatted his hand away.

"I think it'd be best if you left." She concluded taking herself off his body. She put her panties back on recalling how she had managed to control the man enough to let her keep nearly all her clothing on.

"That's it?" He wondered aloud, not in anger, but in disappointment.

"Yes it is." She confirmed. "If you had lasted longer I'm sure something else would have come out of this encounter, but you were quite disappointing Officer Richards." She folded her arms across the white V-neck dress. He seemed angry with her.

"You rushed me." He insisted. Marla rolled her eyes.

"Please, if you put your mind to it you could have held on longer. I barely had time to realize what was happening." He came up to her and she waited. Men had hit her before when she criticized their performance in the bedroom, but she always hit back. "If you wish to strike me don't expect me not to strike back." He balled his hands up into fists before slowly backing away. He put on his pants as she watched.

"Who's John?" Richards asked. She shook her head and turned away from him. "Someone who won't fuck you I bet. He's got the right idea. You aren't that good in bed anyway." She chuckled at the response.

"That good?" She turned to look at him. "That doesn't bother me. If I am good. All that matters is that I got what I wanted. Despite your malfunction," She motioned toward his crotch now clad in trousers. "I managed to achieve my goal." She swallowed slowly motioning to the door. "Now would you kindly please get out of here."

He left without another word, but looked to her bitterly. Marla wasn't sure what men expected anymore. If they could simply be pleased by a sexual encounter so could she. She unzipped herself taking off her clothing ready to sleep naked and raw. As she crawled under the sheets she closed her eyes realizing what was happening to her. John Harrison had slipped his way into her personal life in a very unflattering way.

Marla had always been so fascinated with augments for years. There was no denial that yes sometimes she fantasied about their sexual practices. Or what it would be like to have one of those men. Perfection was in body and mind. Sex had to be perfect with these men. Marla shivered at the thought though. Speaking his name had been a controlled accident. She could have easily uttered his real name, but she had the strength enough to stumble out the fake one. John. John Harrison. Her mind was wrapped up in him once more.

Richards could only distract her for so long. She was back on her thoughts for the augment who seemed to have been allowing himself to accept that he needed her help. She wondered how to respond to the note. Marla hadn't been shocked that Harrison had thought to hand her a note similar to her strategy. She was immersed in their world long enough to begin to think like them. Paper was hardly looked at in a technological advanced world. She continued to stare at the sliver of paper looking it over again on her end table.

She had immediately noticed her own words on the paper he had torn off to craft his message. The section was describing the tyrant who had taken over much of Asia and the Middle East. It was Marla's early introduction to the man. She knew he probably did it on purpose to show her who he was, but if he truly knew her he would know by the nearly thirty pages she had devoted to the tyrant who marveled in Herman Melville that she had long figured out his identity. Saying it aloud or in her mind would only make her want to scream the name for all to hear.

"My favorite tyrant." She whispered placing the paper back on her table. Marla wondered if she should let it be exposed like that, but then again she was still dying. Her cares were becoming far less as the days gone on.

Beside she hadn't exactly made a decision on whether to honor the request. She understood that if she did not go through with attempting to help Harrison rescue his crew she would not get what she wanted. However Marla had to weigh the daunting truth. In her condition helping the augment would be very difficult. She even wondered how he had meant her to help. If she knew him correctly he had been planning an escape all along. He only simply needed one favor from her. What that favor was, the woman didn't know. If she failed at the task she was sure her death would come quite quicker then she would have liked to imagine.

Instead Marla McGivers decided to wait Harrison out a few days. She would be better prepared if she gained more information about him. If his desire to save his crew was valid or simply a point of loyalty. She'd at least have to understand it for herself. Marla could imagine Harrison understanding her hesitation. Besides getting so close as they did the day before would look suspicious. She would have to wait it out until she responded.

Marla wasn't sure why security had been heightened the next day. Or why they were giving her such a hard time. She imagined Starfleet was getting threats that week or Marcus suddenly found his right to be paranoid. It took her an extra thirty minutes to get into the work room. She was frustrated the moment she stepped inside. The only relief was the new weapons laid out on the table.

"You are quite late, Dr. McGivers." She shot a look at Harrison who appeared to be waiting for her. He had bright eyes and a coy smile on. She swallowed trying to regain her composure.

"I had to deal with some very handsy Starfleet intelligence." Marla nudged her thumb at the door. "Security has increased tenfold."

"Perhaps someone is unhappy with your peaceful organization." His eyebrow rose very slightly.

Marla just nodded approaching her work station where Harrison stood very still by. She nearly gasped when she saw what was laid out for her. Her hand went to her chest either way to try to control herself.

"I thought you would enjoy these." Marla could hear the smile in Harrison's voice as he came an arm's length from her.

"My God," Marla breathed. She was looking at rusted metal chunks that barely resembled weapons. She could see the make on the phasers and the five barrels that squeezed together. At least she thought they were five. She reached to touch them, but then hesitated. "Gloves?" She didn't expect Harrison to retrieve them from across the room, but he did. Perhaps he respected her enough.

Her fingers easily grazed Harrison's as she took the black gloves from his hands. Only then did she begin to touch the rusted metal pieces. The weapons were no bigger than her hand. She recalled talking to Harrison about these powerful weapons before. She had only known of one phaser being discovered. This was the one.

"Small, but powerful." She stroked the crusted edges with ease.

"I believe the request is to replicate and perfect it." Harrison concluded. "Such a waste not to restore."

"Who says we can't?" Marla snapped back at the augment. He seemed a bit stunned perhaps at the word we rather than her sudden vigor in the project. She looked back at the palm sized phaser. "Restore and renew."

With that she began to work on the weapon. She carefully removed the cover chipping away at the rust. In that moment she had unintentionally made Harrison her assistant. It was easy to do as he seemed to hover. Harrison was beginning to study her movements, how she fiddled with each part or carefully pressed pieces into one another. She could watch him watch her, but she couldn't do it in silence.

"Did you use these?" The phaser was bubbling in a solution meant to derust the product. She watched the rust peel from the metal carefully in the wide glass. It came off in curled strands. "In your lifetime?"

"Not asking about the war?" Marla slightly shook her head at his surprised words.

"Every moment for your people was war." She nibbled on her bottom lip trying to study the phaser's true coloring. "I think it's about time I stop referring to it with a name."

Harrison walked pass her to study the glass as well. He leaned downward looking at her through the clear liquid and container. His pallid eyes watched the bubbles rise. She unclenched her teeth from her lip sitting up straight. Harrison continued to stare at the product, but she could have sworn he had smiled.

"I did." He stated finally. "Very briefly. They were still rare to us."

"Not your design?" She concluded.

"We like our weapons big." Harrison smiled as he straightened his posture to meet Marla's eyes. She shifted them suddenly trying to focus on what she wanted out of him. She took an inhale which she saw made Harrison look away to smirk. "Shows our strength."

"Small weapons are easy to hide though."

"We had nothing to hide, Lieutenant." Harrison seemed to have his eyes fixated elsewhere. "We were violent so we created it in kind."

"And your crew?" Marla swallowed as she spoke. The mention of Harrison's crew caused his focus to shift to the ashen red haired woman. "Did they all have similar ideals? I understand you say we so strongly, but your crew . . . they all remained loyal."

"The crew," He said strongly with a deep hard look into the woman's eyes. "I have now," He stepped slightly closer to Marla. "Is mine. They are loyal to me. To each other."

"All that ambition though." Marla found herself suddenly wondering. "You were all created with perfection. Who was to say who led and who served?"

"We were not the same." He almost sounded bitter by hearing her words. He grew closer to her. She wanted that. Marla wasn't sure if she wanted to study how far she could push him or how loyal he was to his crew or if the closeness was something dangerously appealing. "All of us were created individually. We grew together, yes, but our goals separated and came together."

"And your crew had your goals in their heart?" Marla watched the bubbled begin to disappear. The weapon was a dark cooper. A cheap metal to use in those times. Especially if hundreds of small ones were being handed out to soldiers like candy.

"My goals became ours in time." Harrison's breath was steadying as if to compose himself. Marla let her gloved fingers squeak around the glass. "In times of war we unified." He stepped closer to her. His front was to her back, but she couldn't feel his body press her. Only his breath ruffling through her thinning shoulder length hair. "We were always unified."

"Did you," She tried to catch her breath. She closed her eyes, but that didn't help. She was imagining John bending her over the table and then . . . she quickly opened her eyes. "Meet them when you were young or when you started to deify your creators?"

"All at different times. All proving loyal to the cause." He was making himself distant once more. She could hear him snapping on gloves. He stared at her as he removed the blistering phaser from the solution. He examined it quickly lifting his brow, tilting his head, and puffing out his lips for good measure.

"Your first officer," Marla could see that suddenly Harrison had his eyes to her sternly. It was the wrong thing to say. "How did you meet him?"

"You are inferring that I am a captain, Dr. McGivers." Harrison said with a light airy tone in his voice. It made Marla slightly frightened to hear the change.

"I am concluding that you were and are the captain of the SS Botany Bay." She told the man with the phaser. "Much in the same way you inferred I was a doctor."

"My proof was a bit more solid, Lieutenant." Marla knew why. He had read her book, by Dr. Marla McGivers.

"You don't deny you led." She let her eyes stay on him firmly. She took an unmistakable set forward. "So answer the question, Captain. How did you meet your first officer?" She watched his face looking for any emotion to appear.

He almost looked pleased that she was taking the steps toward confrontation and assertion. Harrison rubbed his fingers over the weapon before he handed it to Marla, handle to her. She took it, but didn't break her graze. He already had. He began to cross the room suddenly as if he needed to escape his prison to remember.

"In prison." He muttered suddenly. "He was an Israeli prisoner of war since the first months of our rebellion. He murdered several units after his commanding officer was brutally killed. He dragged his body with him hoping to give him a proper burial and the deserved respect."

Marla McGivers hadn't expected the information to flow from Harrison's mouth so smoothly. Usually he would give her short quick answers or ones she had to answer herself. This was Harrison being personal. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign. Suddenly Marla found the weapon less appealing. Harrison was giving social details to augment warfare. Some she hadn't heard of before.

"You carry your dead?"

"Leaders are led into war. Even when they die their corpses are still meant to be protected." She watched Harrison's posture become relaxed. His hands were no longer crushed behind his back, but at his side comfortably. She could see now that his hair was getting longer. She wished she hadn't had noticed the stray hair hanging loose in the front. It made him look too appealing.

"And you rescued him from prison." Marla concluded trying to prompt a reason from Harrison's lips.

"His loyalty was unmatched." He stated letting his eyes wander. "I was planning a coup against Asia's current tyrant. I needed someone worthy at my side." Marla wondered how she would have fared back then. If as an English woman trapped in the muck of war she would have been brutally taken by the savages or killed on the spot. She had always imagined cracking a deal with them. Marla suddenly realized she was in the process of perhaps doing that now.

"He's important to you." She knew it. The baritone in his voice had been lighter when speaking about his crew. There was no doubt his loyalties were shining through.

"All of my crew is important." He said each word to make sure Marla got the message. Her response was needed as was her help. "Joaquin happens to have proved his worth more so than the others." She tried to sort through her Eugeneic Wars catalogue in her mind's eye. She couldn't recall the name of the steadfast augment being brought up. "They are my family."

"You had none growing up." She couldn't help herself. "What was that like?"

"Lonely." He admitted. She saw he didn't seem to want to look at her anymore. She rotated the weapon in her hands. "They created us from the best genetics. We were all lab rats in their mazes struggling to knaw our ways out."

"Did any manage to escape until the end?" He had lived in Kali. She kept having to remind herself that. He had been tortured with burns, bruises, scars, and cuts. They had tested his limits until he wanted death. They were similar in that way.

"Not from where I was raised." He finally let those eyes fall onto hers. "Not for long."

"I'm sorry." Marla immediately regretted saying it wrinkling her closed eyes. She quickly opened them again to see Harrison staring at her inquisitively.

"Have you ever lost someone you loved, Lieutenant? Someone important. Someone not in death."

Marla hesitated to reveal something to him. Harrison, despite his promises, appearance, and having the knack to fascinate her to no end, was still dangerous. If she said the wrong thing he could snap her, despite his promises. She wondered if they could control themselves well enough. Sometimes she had discovered stories of sudden outbursts. However it had never worried her before, though she had not been digging full steam into his past.

"My father." The words sputtered off her lips. She hadn't meant to reveal herself so quickly. She shivered realizing his plan had worked. He was too forthcoming. His trust had allowed her to feel comfortable. A noble strategy on his part. "His mind, though absolutely brilliant, was flawed." She wondered if she should reveal more. Marla stared at the weapon once more thinking over what her father had told her. Nail those bastards. "He developed or always had a mental disorder. He had frequent panic attacks with intense paranoia. Always thought people were watching him. He taught me and my brother how to use weapons and fight in order to protect ourselves 'from the wrong and unrighteous'."

Marla heard him softly chuckle. Somehow it calmed her. If her childhood amused him perhaps he would not think her enough to take her out. She knew Harrison would only harm her if she refused his bargain. Promise or no promise.

"He was committed to a mental hospital by my mother, who couldn't handle his intensity any longer. He had gotten to a point where he was . . . threatening and acting on his violent thoughts." Marla noted to the augment letting her eyes fall to him. She saw him bit his bottom lip as if to contain his amusement. He looked to the side before letting his eyes rest to her, comfortingly.

"It appear, doctor." His hands were behind him as he strolled forward so meaninglessly and casually. "We have more in common than I would have hoped for." His hands reached for the weapon. His wet gloved fingertips trailed along her palm as he retrieved the artifact. He leaned forward letting his lips close to her ear. "Good daughters listen to their fathers' concerns." Her eyes closed for a moment before opening looking to him in confusing. His chin only tipped in a nod.

It was a warning. She knew it.

Marla also knew what needed to be done.

Author's Note: Was it surprising how much Marla and Harrison opened up to each other? I actually didn't expect Harrison to react or say the things that he did. The sexual tension is still building. Perhaps it may or not be fulfilled soon. Let me know your thoughts on their budding relationship that seems a simply a matter of convenience.