Authors note: If you don't know Lily-Lee, you can picture her as an Australopithecus with a good brain and a four-nostriled sense of chemical analysis. Her species have stationary territorial males and females that migrate in groups. If you need more details, check out "The four-nostriled creature" (M-rated).

Chapter 1 - Don't Change Horses In Midstream

Captain Kirk, Mr Spock and Lily-Lee had been chased running from the SS Botany Bay. They came to a slow-flowing, oil-stained river and had to stop. Khan and his gang were after them. Kirk took a look back over his shoulder. Maybe they still had a minute.

"Can we cross this stream?"

"I can't swim, I'm too heavy." said Lily-Lee and put one hairy finger down in the water to estimate the temperature.

"Impossible, your mass is approximately one third to one quarter of any other crewmember."

"Well, I mean I'm too dense." She shot an irritated look at Spock.

"I agree, sometimes you are."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? I can spot a sarcastic homophone as well as a human you know, so watch it!"

Kirk saw Khan coming over the hill with his men around him. "There is no time for an argument. Can we cross or not?"

"I agree with the captain. Try not to let your primitive ways interfere."

"PRIMITIVE? I'm just as contemporary as you are! When was the last time YOUR species underwent any major adaptive changes?" Lily-Lee was starting to look really angry and backed away from the group in Khans direction. Kirk tried to catch her by the arm and hold her back. Khan could hear what they said and motioned to his crew to hold back for a moment. "I don't need to take any insults from you. If I don't get the treatment that a lady deserves, I can leave for a new territory at any time."

"Lily-Lee, get back here!"

"Let her go, captain. Her animalistic migratory patterns are surfacing. Very untrustworthy crewmember."

Khan had a pleased grin across his face. "Yes, yes, come closer, little one." He gave some whispered orders to a few of his men and they scurried away to the east. "Welcome to the realm of Khan, lady." Khan took her hand with a gentlemanly gesture and a mocking smile towards Kirk. "Bad captainship, Kirk. Can't keep your crew loyal?" Kirk and Spock got ambushed from both sides and were knocked unconscious.

"You two, take care of the prisoners and make sure they cannot escape. Use the 'T'-room, that should be sufficient. And welcome in, my dear. The place is a little worse for wear but I assure you we would never DREAM of treating you with anything but respect. So, a migratory species, are you? What can we do to make you feel at home here and become one of us?"

"Traditionally, this would be the time to mate with the large male. That is, you."

"I see." Khan glanced down at the hairy little creature. "Well, I'm not a person to judge a book by its cover, so . . ." Lily-Lee gave him her biggest smile that showed all her ape-like canines. Khan winced. ". . . but I am faithful to my dead wife and have promised never to mate with another."

"My lord, can I? I mean if you're not going to . . ." Khan grabbed the interrupting man by the shoulder and took him aside. He leaned down and spoke in a sharp whisper.

"Nobody is allowed to get his precious superhuman seed mixed with this pre-human being. Understood? Nobody!" Khan let the man go and came back to Lily-Lee, who was taking off her backpack. It contained some supplies. "It seems that we cannot follow every tradition here, but is there anything else we can do for you?"

"Well, you could let me cook you a meal. I have some fresh food here."