Chapter Text
Three hostages were safe, but their priority was always to save the civilians. McTavish and his team began to head toward the bridge, grateful that the ship was small but they still had no idea what to expect on this final push.
“Enterprise to away team,” LeFevre’s voice came in over the communicator.
“Go ahead,” McTavish answered.
“We have new information that may allow us to simply beam up the hostages.”
“That would have made everything much easier if we had known a little while ago.”
“We still need you down there, it’s not so simple. The sensors can differentiate them from the augments, but there are too many to beam up at once. We need you to secure the area to prevent a massacre once hostages start to vanish.”
“Understood. Can you tell how many there are, and their location?”
“Thirty human lifesigns, on the deck directly above you.” Damn. There were originally forty crew aboard the Toyotomi. “And eight augments.” Double damn, outnumbered two to one.
“I can’t say I like those odds, but at least we aren’t wandering around clueless in the dark. We’ll talk again soon, that’s a promise. McTavish out.”
McTavish looked at his team. Even though Dougherty had the least combat experience amount them, her presence would be missed. “Well, you all heard the captain. They’ve got the advantage of numbers, we’ve got better weapons and can take them by surprise. I don’t like the idea of setting phasers to kill when so many civilians are around, but we don’t have a choice. Perfect precision is a necessity.”
“Commander, are you open to suggestions for strategies?” Theeravit asked.
“Of course. No one of us is smarter than all of us.”
“What if we lured them away from the hostages?”
McTavish nodded. “That was going to be my plan, for two to go out ahead and engage, then retreat to encourage the augments to chose where the rest of us will be waiting.”
“Commander, I want to lead the advance,” Theeravit suggested, eagerly. “And I would like Lieutenant-Commander Zh'izaolit to accompany me, but I trust your judgment if you think another choice would be better.”
“Very good. We’ll all go up together, and the two of you can take the lead.”
The party moved slowly and quietly up to the next deck, well aware of the enhanced senses of the augments and of the fact that if they were seen or heard too soon they would lose the element of surprise. All four paused together at they’d of a long corridor before McTavish spoke. “This is where we split. I wish I had a few encouraging hockey analogies to share. Just keep your eye on the ball…or puck.”
With a smile and a nod, Theeravit and Zh'izaolit continued on, still slow, careful, and quiet until they passed the door. Two augments stood on the other side, and Theeravit greeted them with a shot from his phaser, but he missed. As planned, Theeravit and Zh'izaolit turned to sprint back to where McTavish and Torot were ready for them. What they hadn’t planned for was the speed with which the augments could move, and the two of them were close enough to overtake Theeravit and Zh'izaolit. Theeravit was quick enough to turn around and fire his phaser, killing one. The other, however, got close enough to Zh'izaolit to tackle her to the ground. Theeravit aimed his phaser at the assailant but hesitated, not trusting his aim when the two of them were so close. His hesitation proved to be a mistake, however, when the augment jerked Zh'izaolit‘s head to break her neck. No reason to hesitate anymore, Theeravit took lethal aim. Now six remained.
Three more augments began to follow them down the corridor, and these were armed with phasers.
“How in the hell did they get phasers?!” McTavish shouted as he fired. A miss.
“Presumably, those are the weapons taken from Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.” Even when literally under fire, Torot was calm and steady.
Theeravit fired his weapon, a hit, but their advantage didn’t stay for long. One of the armed augments fired his own weapon and killed Theeravit instantly.
Two to five, two of whom were armed. There was no good way out of this. McTavish ducked behind cover and pulled out his communicator.
“McTavish to Enterprise. Start beaming out those civilians now.”
“Is the area secure?”
“It isn’t, and it’s not going to be, but the augments are more interested in killing us, so get those people out of here!”
Perhaps it had been a mistake to send Katya to retrieve Maya, Khan’s reasoning had been that his daughter might be more receptive to someone she trusted, but Katya had always been too gentle. It was a very real possibility that they had run away together, but in a way that could be its own form of justice. The two of them could not survive on their own.
He was ready to give the order to send someone else to go find them, someone with a stronger heart and a clearer head, when he heard the sound of phaser fire nearby. Khan sprung out of the captain’s chair and to his feet, ready to take action, but only a moment passed before her regained his calm. He had his ship, everything here was now just a means to make Kirk feel the sting of remorse for his actions: non-essential no matter how satisfying it felt. He went ti the computer console and hailed the Portland. “Khan to Portland. I need to be onboard. Now.”
“Enterprise to McTavish.”
The civilian hostages were all safely onboard the Enterprise, but no one from the landing party was responding.
“Enterprise to Theeravit.”
still no response
”Enterprise to Zh'izaolit.”
Nothing. They had come to rescue the hostages, the hostages were safe, yet their challenges were only just beginning.
“Enterprise to Torot.”
Silence again. Even the non-responsive away team seemed like a small problem next to the fact that the Portland was under control of the augments.
“Captain…” Kirk was the first to speak, his voice soft and heavy with pity. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, Admiral, not yet.” LeFevre spoke with desperate determination. “I haven’t given up on them yet, even though we have other priorities for now.”
“Captain, the Portland is hailing us.”
“On screen.” LeFevre sounded annoyed, not wanting to be interrupted and also lacking the patience for another conversation with Albrecht in her compromised state.
Instead of Albrecht sitting in the captain’s chair it was none other than Khan Noonien Singh. LeFevre’s heart jumped, but it was Kirk who spoke first.
“Khan!” Kirk shouted. “What have you done with Captain Albrecht?”
“Not to worry, Admiral.” Khan was cool and confident as ever. “This is still her ship, so it serves my interests to keep her alive…for now. But it seems we all have what we want. I have my ship, you are back aboard yours, you have the surviving hostages safe and sound. I will only make one more request, to be allowed to leave this place quietly, and you will never hear from me again.”
“We have your daughter.”
Khan paused, conflicted, but the moment passed. “You can keep her. End transmission.”