Something wasn't right. At the twenty four hour mark, Kirk had hailed the Toyotomi, expecting to witness gruesome bloodshed as he had narrowly missed the deadline, but there was no response. That wasn't like the man he knew. The man knew would have been thrilled to gloat about his little victory and to finally have an excuse to take a person's life. Equally as troubling was the communication with the Portland. It had been terse and sudden, quite out of the ordinary.
"Hail the Toyotomi again," Kirk ordered. "We may be expected, but the last thing I want to do is surprise Khan."
A response this time. The bridge of the Toyotomi appeared onscreen, and to Kirk's great relief Captain Tanaka was still alive. "Please, forgive the delay, Admiral." Khan said with acid in his voice, particularly sharp and taunting in the way he pronounced 'admiral.' "We had a slight interruption. Admiral…I thought you were a man of honor, yet you sent your friends to do your dirty work for you."
"Where is the landing party from the Portland?" Kirk demanded.
"Our esteemed guests are quite safe, I assure you." Khan had a slight smile like a cat toying with its prey. "But our more pressing concern is with our deal."
"I'm here, I can beam down momentarily. I've kept up my end of the bargain."
"Have you, Admiral?" Khan stepped closer to Tanaka, and the hostage's eyes grew wide with fear. This was not a Starfleet captain who had to make peace with the fact that their life could be on the line. This was just a man who wanted to take a group of eager scientists out to research the stars. "Our conversation may be delayed, but the deadline we agreed on has passed."
Kirk leaped out of his seat and shouted. "Khan, no! Be reasonable!"
"Admiral." Khan grabbed Tanaka by the upper arm and forcefully yanked the man to his feet. "I am being perfectly reasonable." With one arm Khan held his captive still, and with the other he violently jerked the man's head to the side. The sound of a human neck snapping was sickeningly unmistakable. "I except to see you in five minutes."
"Khan! What have you done?"
"Wasting time is against your best interest, Admiral. You will come alone."
"We never agreed to that, I need a landing party of five." More than he knew he would get, but that gave him something to work with.
"Two escorts is the most I will allow."
"That I can work with. End transmission." The screen went blank, and Kirk wasted no more time. "Spock, Bones, meet me in the transporter room."
"Admiral, wait." LeFevre called. "Before you go I just wanted to say, give 'em hell. You know, Wayne Gretzky said that you miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
"I like that. Who was Wayne Gretzky? A philosopher?"
"No, sir. A hockey player."
"Jim, has it occurred to you that we're walking right into a trap," Even as the trio entered the transporter room, McCoy found some new grievances to air.
"Of course it has, Bones, but Khan's made it clear that he's going to keep killing hostages until I'm standing right in front of him."
McCoy looked toward Spock. "You've been awfully quiet. What's your logical take?"
"I agree with Admiral Kirk's assessment." Spock replied in his usual calm manner. "We are assuming a great personal risk and are likely to be killed or to become hostages ourselves. However, there is no alternative that would not place undue risk on civilian life. Logic dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, doctor."
"Nothing like Vulcan optimism to improve your mood," McCoy grumbled as he stepped onto the transporter pad.
"We can't afford to waste any more time," Kirk said as he and Spock stepped into place. "Energize."
By the time the trio beamed aboard the Toyotomi, the wreckage looked like a carcass that was beginning to get picked over by scavengers. They were greeted by a gang of augments, and while Kirk was tempted to show them that sometimes the best negotiation strategy was a smile and a phaser set to kill, this situation was too delicate with too many lives caught in the balance to go in with phasers firing. Instead he held his hands open in front of himself as a universal sign to show that he meant no harm…yet.
"Follow me," one of the augments commanded in a gruff voice before leading the trio silently through the wreckage.
The bridge of the Toyotomi was still more intact than the rest of the wreckage, Khan sat in the captain's chair as if he owned the place, and Captain Tanaka's body still laid lifeless on the floor.
"Admiral Kirk. Welcome. What a pleasure to see you again after one quarter of a century." In stark contrast to Khan's polite words was the way he carried himself like a circling shark.
"I'm not in the mood for this, Khan. I've waited long enough, what is it you want?"
"Only that to which I am rightfully entitled." It was unsettling, the way that Khan spoke so calmly.
"And what, may I ask, the hell is that?" McCoy snapped. One of the augments raised his arm as if he meant to strike the doctor, but after Khan shot him a knowing look he stood down.
"A less ambitious man might have found a way to be satisfied with the hand I have been dealt." Khan mused. "We have learned how to thrive on this planet, raised families….but at a great cost. This planet is not an easy place to live. I've lost several dear friends along the way, and also my beloved wife."
A shiver went down Kirk's spine. Marla McGivers was dead. "And that's what this is about?"
"Only in part." Khan continued "You denied me that which I deserve: an empire that reaches beyond the stars."
"If I may join the discussion…." Spock paused to look around. Neither Khan nor any of the augments seemed to protest. "You chose exile on Ceti Alpha V, quoting Milton to state that it is better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven. By my own observation, you seemed almost excited to face the challenge of taming a planet."
Khan seethed, but managed to keep control of himself, clenching his jaw and drumming his fingertips on the arm of his chair to keep his rage in check. "Is that the story you've been telling yourselves all these years? Don't lie to me about what happened, I remember it well. You backed me into a corner where I had no choice but to accept your terms. I assure you that anything else you may have perceived was only grace in the face of defeat. But of course your real intentions were always to sweep us under the rug never to be thought of again."
"Khan…I promise that isn't true." Kirk spoke softly, doing what little he could to deescalate a situation that could easily spiral out of control.
"Isn't it? Twenty five years with no communication, and I only recently learned that Starfleet has no records of our existence."
"Khan…" Kirk still spoke softly, but with the boldness of a man who wasn't going to back down easily. "You have my condolences for Marla's death, but I need to know what exactly it is you want."
"Were you not listening? I made myself quite clear."
"Khan, I can't give you 'an empire that reaches beyond the stars.'"
"No, but you can give me what I need to set it into motion."
"I can't do that either."
"Not with those strict rules and moral codes to which you are so attached, no, but I am not asking for anything impossible. I leave the decision to you, Admiral. What matters more, your principles, or the lives of those civilians you came so far to save?"