Sorry, it took so long to update. Had religious stuff to do, you know how it is when you guys celebrate/observe a holiday. I'd like to thank Sassiebone for her support and reviews. They have been very encouraging and I love hearing from my readers. :)

WARNING: violence coming up. Immediately. No guts/gore, just blood and broken bones (none protruding).

Chapter 5

The next day, Khan watches out of sight while his new pet shadows a slave named Anna. The day passed uneventfully. As did the next week. Still, she said nothing and kept to herself. She did her duty swiftly and officiently before moving on the the next task.

And then everything changed.

She had snuck outside. Khan had watched eagerly from the window as she crossed the yard. One of his security officers/slave overseers instantly hit her in the side of the head, sending her sprawling. Khan finds himself wincing as he watches a line of blood burn down the side of her head, but soon he's hopping to his feet.

The woman jumps to her own feet with cat-like grace and lunges for the man's throat. He doesn't have time to react: one minute he's standing, the next he's on the ground gasping for air.

The woman kicks him cruelly in the rib cage over and over again and Khan can almost count the ribs as they break one by one. There's a shout and then more of Khan's security officers swarm her. One by one, she mercilessly throws them into the dust and beats them into submission. Her lithe body effortlessly avoids their blows before delivering her own.

A moment later, Khan watches motionlessly as half of his men hit the ground either unconscious or wailing in agony.

…

That night, he watches as she slips outside into the darkness. She moves silently through the inky shadows and easily evades detection by his gaurds…but…she doesn't try to escape. Instead, she heads for the horse coral and she watches as the horse in there, a mere skeleton, stares back at her. All of Khan's animals were like that: malnourished and sickly. It wasn't that he was unable to care for them, he simply didn't see the point in keeping them healthy. He didn't need them, not really. He had his crops and Star Fleet sent him enough money every month (as the judge had ordered) to help pay for the damages Marcus had caused. The animals simply made his plantation appear to be more of a harm rather than a new, makeshift prison…but it didn't help. Now, watching the woman watch the horse, Khan was reminded of his own cruelty. He should have fed it better, made sure it was healthy. It wasn't the animal's fault the humans had wronged him, stolen his family, and tortured him. It wasn't its fault that Khan's life was in shambles…but something needed to pay. If not Marcus, then something else. Something other than Khan.

The girl watches the animal and clicks her tongue quietly. The horse doesn't move, doesn't whinny. It simply hangs it head sadly.

And stares.

She sighs and then moves towards the tack room where the feed and supplies were held. What was she doing? Khan wondered. Is she going to feed it? Why? Why would she care? It wasn't her animal, her responsibility? Why care for something that wasn't yours? It makes no sense. No sense at all.

But then she came out, bucket in hand. Agilely, she climbs over the wooden fence and lifts the bucket to the horse's quivering nose. Seconds later, it's gulping down the food eagerly and stomping a tiny foot in content while she stokes its tangled tan mane.

And, for the first time, Khan heard her speak. It was a whisper, quiet and cautious, but words all the same. She gave it a shy but genuine smile and continued to stroke it. The horse didn't care. It was happy just to eat. She could kick it in the throat and it wouldn't care—it finally had grain! A full stomach!

"It's alright." She strokes its long, chestnut neck. "Slowly, don't eat too fast. My sister, Adva, would you. Yes…she would. She'd get all these burs out of your coat and shine you up all pretty. Hm? How would you like that? You'd have grain every day and never have to be hungry again…"

It nuzzles into her shirt and then plunges its muzzle back into the bucket. Khan smiles when he hears her laugh and he finds himself wanting to hug her close and joining in in her joy.

…

For weeks afterwards, Khan follows just out of sight as she returns every night to feed the horse, clean out its water, groom its dirty mane, and talk to it; and every morning she beats any guards senseless who dare to challenge her or neglect the animals (even the pigs, which seem to disgust her. Weird).

Soon, the guards begin to give her trail and watch her warily as she passes them by. They travel in groups of three to four to avoid being along should she suddenly get the urge to 'spar'. By this point, Khan was sure he couldn't get any of them to approach her even if he held them by gunpoint.

…

"What do you think you're doing?! You're going to get us all killed!" One slave complains and I shrug. "No one talks back to the guards, let alone fights them! He's going to kill you!" She looks fearfully at the large house where the Warden AKA "Khan" resides.

"So?"

"'So'? Do you want to die?"

"I want to be free."

"Free? The only freedom for people like us is death! Get used to it, girlie: your life doesn't matter. Your hopes, your dreams, your family—forget about them."

I lean in close to her face and snarl angrily: "Make me."

And then I'm walking away. The other slaves try to warn me to behave as well but I won't hear any of it. Why should I? This is their life to live, not mine. Let them serve the Warden. Let them watch as their children and friends are sold off one by one; that will not be my life—not if I have anything to say about it. I already have enough supplies squirreled away to make it far enough to get home.

I serve no man, let alone someone as cruel as the Warden. He's not human. He has no humanity, no compassion. No one, not even children are able escape his rage. He lets his animals starve and his unpaid workers, the slaves, are barely better off than his cattle! Well, not me! He can play as many mind games as he wants—he will NOT crush my spirit. I will return to my sister and I will do everything I can to keep her and my daughter away from people like that lunatic.

…

Unknown to Khan, she plans her escape right under his nose. During the day she works dutifully and fights brawls with both his workers and his servants (ending each one victoriously) that they were foolish enough start.

The night she leaves, Khan didn't even register her disappearance. His house was clean: the kitchen, library, study…everything was just…spotless. He figured she had wandered off to do some other chore or was again visiting the animals…but she wasn't, and….strangely, he found himself…missing her.

But that couldn't be right, could it?

He was Khan Noonien Singh—he needed no one outside of his own family. What was one measly slave, some lowlife human, to him? There were thousands of others just like her out there.

But why did he feel so empty? So…lonely?

She had broken (and stolen) his property, won the trust of his slaves, and scared his workers shitless *(please excuse the language)*!If anything, he should be rejoicing that she was finally out of his hair! But he wasn't! He was miserable!

"Abram!" He shouts to his supervising guard. A tall man with olive skin stepped forward and kept his head bowed respectfully. "I'm leaving. I don't know when I'll be back. Keep everything in order."

"Yes sir." He salutes and marches stiffly away.

And then Khan is packing up a bag with clothes and supplies. She would travel bag to the town he saw her in on that first day. If he could get there, he would find her, he just knew it. And then, then he would make sure she never escaped again—even if he had to break her legs.

…

I run wildly and a small thrill at my newfound freedom. Finally! I'm out of there! Now I need to find Adva and escape before the Warden decides to drag me back. Then all I need to do is stay ahead of The Enemy and everything will be alright. We will be alright.

But first, I've got to get there.

I run faster. My heart pounds hard within my chest and lungs expand widely to take in more oxygen. Tonight, I'll travel as far as I can and then rest in the forest out of sight. If I'm lucky, he hasn't noticed yet. So long as the Warden remains in the dark, I have a better chance of getting away, but, by now, he's probably already noticed. In which case, I better move faster.

"So, kid. How are you liking freedom so far?" I ask the young slave girl running behind me and she whoops.

"Do you think he'll be mad when he catches us?"

Oh, he's probably already furious. Don't you worry any about that, I think darkly.