Why, [Jim begins tersely, his smile mocking and a little derisive.] is it working?
[Every instinct in him is screaming for him to fold his arms and back away. The tiny hindbrain part of him that knows that Khan's got a bigger stick than he does. Jim's never backed down from a fight in this life, but this man held his crew's lives in his hands and was going to kill them all and Jim was powerless to stop him. Not even just powerless, he was a liability.
He's an idiot, coming here. He's not even sure what he thought he could accomplish. All he knows is that he can't communicate over the damned console. He's always been better at face to face. Where you have access to all a person's cues and vulnerabilities.
But Khan's reading him at the same time, and that's... not a good idea. There's no fear to him, but there's plenty of rage, and Khan's better at chess than he is. Savagery, he'd called it.
This man killed Pike. Jim's wearing the man's 'Fleet ring on his left hand, but Khan's already noticed it, there's no point taking it off now.]
I came, [he says, slow and deliberate. He's trying to swallow down the rage in exchange for negotiation.] to make you an offer. When we go home, we return to the exact moment of our departure. You know. Theoretically. And I'm from a point in time you'd find really interesting. I'm in a position to secure your entire crew, and I'm willing to work with you to rescue them. Without bloodshed.
[He's had time to think about it. As much as he hates Khan, as much as he wants him dead,-- is there nothing you would not do for your family? No. There isn't. He'll play chess with Khan for them, knowing it's a losing game.]
But in return, there's a few things I want from you.
Action;
[Every instinct in him is screaming for him to fold his arms and back away. The tiny hindbrain part of him that knows that Khan's got a bigger stick than he does. Jim's never backed down from a fight in this life, but this man held his crew's lives in his hands and was going to kill them all and Jim was powerless to stop him. Not even just powerless, he was a liability.
He's an idiot, coming here. He's not even sure what he thought he could accomplish. All he knows is that he can't communicate over the damned console. He's always been better at face to face. Where you have access to all a person's cues and vulnerabilities.
But Khan's reading him at the same time, and that's... not a good idea. There's no fear to him, but there's plenty of rage, and Khan's better at chess than he is. Savagery, he'd called it.
This man killed Pike. Jim's wearing the man's 'Fleet ring on his left hand, but Khan's already noticed it, there's no point taking it off now.]
I came, [he says, slow and deliberate. He's trying to swallow down the rage in exchange for negotiation.] to make you an offer. When we go home, we return to the exact moment of our departure. You know. Theoretically. And I'm from a point in time you'd find really interesting. I'm in a position to secure your entire crew, and I'm willing to work with you to rescue them. Without bloodshed.
[He's had time to think about it. As much as he hates Khan, as much as he wants him dead,-- is there nothing you would not do for your family? No. There isn't. He'll play chess with Khan for them, knowing it's a losing game.]
But in return, there's a few things I want from you.