[FFML] [Nadesico] The Wrath of Khan

[Historian�s Note: This story diverges from the standard Nadesico timeline after the end

of episode #8.]

In our last chapter: It has been three months since the crew of the Nadesico came under the command of the United Space Forces. Most of the crew remains on Earth, undergoing testing and evaluation while the Nadesico undergoes refit in Space Dock. While Yurika struggles to whip her crew into shape, Ryoko finds herself struggling with her newfound feelings for cook/pilot Akito Tenkawa. Does she love him? Or is it something else? While all this is going on, Jun has been reassigned to the USF Reliant, currently surveying the inner planets to find a suitable test site for the mysterious �Genesis Project.� While investigating the wreckage of an escape pod on Mercury�s dark side, Jun and Capt. Winfield make a shocking discovery....

Nadesico II:

The Wrath Of Khan

[Adapted from Nicholas Meyers' screenplay for Star Trek II]

Khan Noonian Singh, genetic superman extroardinare., looked at Jun with a degree of skepticism.

�Do I know you from somewhere?�

Jun sweat-dropped. �Uh, I�m not sure, I doubt it.....�

Capt. Winfield looked perplexed, �Mr. Aoi, who is this man?�

Khan�s eyes brightened. �Aoi? Jun Aoi? That�s who you are.�

�Jun, how does this man know you?�

Khan interrupted before Jun could speak, �You never told him? Never told the tale to amuse your captain?�

�Well....�

�You see captain, five years ago, I and my crew were the secret leaders of the Chinese Republic.�

Jun grew angry. �You were the shadow government of China, you mean. You see captain, the man standing before you is Khan Noonian Singh.�

�The genetically engineered superhuman?�

�The one and only,� Khan said. �You see captain, I and my crew are the end product of over 100 years of genetic engineering by the Tedan Tippedai Corporation. We were to be the prototypes in a secret army that they commanded.�

�But you betrayed the Corporation and struck out on your own,� Jun spat.

�Yes, it was very easy. But then, someone with by genetic superiority would have no problem escaping from Tedan Tippedai and taking over a country like China.�

�Twenty million people died because of you, all in the name of �genetic superiority!� Jun found himself quite angry. �Only through the struggle of human rights dissidents was the U.N. finally alerted to your existence!�

�And when they found out of my existence, what did they do? Did they come to me and beg me to lead them, as they should have done? No. Instead they sent an invasion force, and routed me and my followers from our home, forced to flee into space.�

Capt. Winfield looked confused. �But Jun, how do you know this man?�

�I was only fourteen at the time, but Admiral Misamaru was in charge of the fleet sent after Khan�s escape ship. The admiral took his daughter, Yurika, with him, and I was allowed to come along with her.�

�You mean Capt. Yurika,� Winfield asked.

�Yes, the same. We were there on the bridge during the battle, Khan must have seen me during a ship-to-ship communication with the Admiral�s flag ship. Khan lost the battle.� He turned to Khan, �We saw your ship explode.�

�But I did not die. I and thirty of my followers were able to board this escape pod, and land here on Mercury�s dark side, away from the prying eyes of Earth. And it was here, that we struggled to survive. Some of my crew tried to mutiny, but I had ways of changing their minds...�

Khan strode over to what looked like a fish tank, flipping the lid off of it.

�Over the last five years, I have had the time to indulge in some �recreational� genetic engineering.�

Khan produced a pair of tongs and began to rummage through the sand held inside the fish tank. Finally, he clamped down on something and pulled it out of the sand. To Jun�s horror, it was some sort of bizarre arthropod that looked like a cross between a slug and a scorpion.

�These creatures are quite unique. As adults, they are harmless, but when they are young....That is another thing, indeed.�

One of Khan�s followers took Jun and Capt. Winfield�s helmets and flipped them inside out, while Khan pried two of the arthropod�s young from it�s underbelly.

�Their young, when inserted in the human ear, wrap themselves around the inner cortex of the brain. It makes the victim extremely susceptible to suggestion. A truly disgusting form of mind control, as I�m sure you�ll soon agree.�

Khan dropped one of the young into each man�s helmet, then deftly slammed it onto their heads.

It was like fire to Jun, as the creature crawled inside his ear. He had never experienced such pain before. It was like laying in a dentist�s chair, as the novocaine took effect and you plunged into an endless world of numbness. Finally, the pain ebbed.

�Now,� Khan said with a smile, �you will tell me about your mission....�

*****

It was another quiet night in northern Japan, Yurika noted. It was, strange, to be back in her old bedroom at her father�s house. It didn�t seem like hers. It felt like it belonged to someone else, someone who hadn�t ordered the deaths of dozens of Martian colonists in a vain attempt to save her ship. God, she felt so old.

There was a soft knock at her door, and she idly wondered who it was as she got up to answer it.

�Oh, hello Akito,� she said in a sullen tone.

Akito Tenkawa was shocked at her greeting. He had figured that she would throw herself at him while screaming �AKITO! AKITO! AKITO!� at the top of her lungs.

�Uh, hello Yurika.�

�What brings you by, this late at night?�

�Oh, well...� he sheepishly handed her a wrapped package.

�Happy birthday,� he said lamely.

She smiled slightly. �Thank you. I�m sorry, come in.�

She unwrapped the package. �Martian ale, why Akito, this is....illegal.�

Akito grinned, alcohol brewed on Mars was much more intoxicating than their Earth counterparts, something to do with the lighter gravity. As such, they were banned on Earth to avoid increased bouts of alcoholism and drunken driving.

�Yeah well, forgive me Captain, but you look like you could need it.�

Yurika nodded, wincing slightly as his referral to her as �Captain.� She grabbed two glasses and poured the ale. Akito smiled as she grimaced while drinking.

�Dammit Yurika, people have birthdays everyday, so why are we treating yours like some sort of goddamned funeral?�

�Akito, I don�t want to talk about it...�

�What is your problem?�

�It�s nothing....I....I just feel so old.�

Akito face-faulted. �Old? You�re only twenty-one, Yurika!�

�I know, but how many other twenty-one year-olds have had to order the destruction of a colony, send pilots to their deaths, defy the orders of their government?� A tear slid down Yurika�s face.

�Yurika, I had no idea...I....�

�Just go, get out of here!� Akito was shocked at Yurika�s sudden flare of emotion, she was never angry.

�I...�

�Please, just leave!�

�I�m sorry, happy birthday, Yurika.� Yurika waited until the door had closed before crying.

*****

Ruri Hoshino sat on the ship�s bridge, idly going through the Nadesico�s cargo lists. It was boring work, making sure that the requisition department was able to procure all the items necessary to run the ship. Ruri found it more enjoyable to run through the lists of �items declared� by the crew, things that they were bringing aboard after their last shore leave. It was downright hilarious to see some of the items the crew brought aboard. Case in point....

Megumi looked over at Ruri�s padd and asked, �What�s Akito bringing aboard?�

Ruri keyed in a few commands and showed Megumi, a list of various Gekiganger wall scrolls, posters, and model kits that Akito had bought on Earth and would be storing in his personal quarters.

Megumi crinkled her nose. �Tell me, Ruri, could you ever imagine yourself as an anime character?�

�What do you mean?�

�I mean, could you ever picture yourself on wall scrolls, posters, videos, action figures, resin kits, and plush UFO-catcher dolls?�

Ruri studied Megumi for a second, trying to imagine a store full of merchandise, all with her likeness on it.

�No Megumi, I couldn�t.�

�Oh, just wondering.�

*****

�MY TENKAWA! MY TENKAWA! MY TENKAWA!�

For not the first time, Akito found himself in the Nadesico�s archives room, going through various comm tapes of Ryoko�s missions.

He freeze-framed as Hikaru and Izumi mockingly chanted �My Tenkawa� at Ryoko, after she had accidentally said the phrase during their last mission.

�Great,� Akito thought, �another girl that has the hots for me.� Why couldn�t they just leave him alone?

He pulled the comm-tape out and plopped another in, this one from the previous day�s training mission.

�Akito...�

She had said it so softly, the Aestivalis�s mic almost didn�t pick it up, but still, there it was.

�She is quite pretty,� Akito said to himself.

�I am?� The voice came from behind him, Akito suddenly realized that the door was open.

To be continued.........

*****

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