Meeting Khan

Captain James Kirk was suffering a headache.

Well no, that wasn't the thing here. With Spock in his crew, headaches were fairly frequent, he just wasn't the one usually having them.

First off, he was having the worst day, week - or something - of his life. His admiral, his beloved mentor, was dead in an act of vengeance by a former starfleet employee. Then, said avenging employee had to get the Romulans involved. In terms of boxing, that was hitting below the belt. Then, when they finally caught the escapist bastard, through a complicated mixture of magic, guns and Scotty's engineering, he started to tell a story that was partly insane very, very unbelievable. Mainly because it was a difficult mix of truth and lies.

"I don't trust him, captain," Lillian, former queen of Arren-turned medical officer, said. She looked uncharacteristically pale as she gazed at the projected image of Khan in the screen. "He is so clouded with rage and determination."

Kirk knew what she meant, even as he sighed. Lillian respected his authority in the ship so much that she sometimes didn't offer anything when asked. For her to speak her opinion freely, without being prompted, showed how much she was shaken by the prisoner. Also, to disregard her advice would be stupid, because Lillian could just somehow feel a persons intentions by being around them. It was, apparently, a gift that her ancestors were famous for.

"I know," Kirk said. "I don't trust him either. But we have to check it out. We can't listen to just one side of things though. That would be plain bias, but we have the duty to investigate this."

Lillian nodded, saying nothing else. She knew about duty and honor, probably better than any other person on the ship.

Getting the other side of things was easier said than done.

The only one with the ability to apparate stealthily was Hermione Granger, former Lady in waiting. She was good with it, but convincing her to leave her queen alone in the enterprise was a job in itself. When she finally did leave to investigate Admiral Marcus, she gave Kirk a threatening look that spoke volumes.

Really, it was a miracle that the woman still saluted him when he passed by her in the hallways. She never did like him after he made her queen an oathbreaker.

Stuff that, he didn't even mean to do that!

Surprisingly, it was the blonde bastard, otherwise known as Lucius Malfoy, who clarified Kirk's confusion.

"Khan reminds them of Tom," Lucius said, looking faintly irritable as he looked at the prisoner through the camera's. "He's handsome, feels angry and all his actions so far speak of a cold ruthlessness. And there's his voice too. Tom could sway people to what he wanted by just talking. Just give him magic and you'd probably have another megalomaniac."

Kirk exhaled through his nose. That was a serious comparison. Lucius didn't exaggerate, unlike Hermione. Lillian would never say anything bothering her until it spilled over, and by then it would be too late.

"What do you think?" he asked the former Head of Security.

The blonde shrugged, a fluid motion that was a bit irritating with how graceful it was. "If I were you, I wouldn't give him any liberties. There's something about him that feels...different. Not magical and not exactly a half-blood."

Well, that was enlightening. Kirk wanted to bash his head on a table.

And then Hermione returned from her jaunt with a grim face and things suddenly became more complicated. He didn't need to look at Lucius or Lillian to know that both of them were vindicated at being right. The unsaid I told you so was blatant on their faces, it was practically yelled.