Title: I Saw a Light out in the Distance:
Fandom: Star Trek: the Original Series Mirror Universe
Rating: PG
Characters: Mirror Kirk, Mirror Spock,
Content notes: description of torture
Summary: When Ragna is kidnapped by a Starfleet individual as leverage, she sees her husband in new light. (Outsider PoV)
Author note: for gen bingo: Abduction and kidnapping

Why does this happen to me? Ragna thought as the rough ropes cut into her wrists bound behind her back. The kidnapping still felt unreal - Only this morning she was safe at home, kissing her husband and children goodbye. Will she see them again?

Stay calm, she said to herself. Where am I?

She was locked up in a room that smelt of dust and trash. The furniture was sparse except for a view screen before her. Her kidnapper acted alone, but was very strong - her throat still burnt after nearly being choked to death.

"My husband is a government minister. You had better let me go."

He laughed. "I'm counting on this." Then he pressed a button.

She gasped as her husband's face appeared on the viewscreen. "What are you... Ragna?"

"Karl? It's me!"

Karl's face reddened. "Let my wife go! Do you know how important I am? I can have you killed in no time!"

Her kidnapper looked amused. "We'll have to see who dies first: me or your pretty wife."

She was too shocked to respond as he cut off her little finger.

"Stop it! What do you want?"

"If you want your wife back, give me the specimen you people keep in Lab Six." The man’s posture was impossibly stiff. Military type? Ragna wondered.

Karl froze. "There's no Lab Six. I don't know what you're talking about ---"

She screamed as the man cut off her ring finger and held it up to the screen. "Nice ring. Too bad you can't keep it."

"What else do you want? Money? Position? I can..." Karl stuttered.

The man interrupted. "You know what I want. If you keep testing my limit…”

"Karl, save me!" Ragna begged as she felt sharp blade against her right ear.

"All right! You win!"

"You're a monster," she said after the man reaching an agreement with Karl.

The man only smiled. "People called me much worse names before. They don't live long. Now get into the car."

Ragna shivered and remained silent during the car trip, as she couldn't risk getting him angry.

---

When she finally met Karl at the arranged place, she started to cry. Soon I can return home to him and my kids.

"No funny business," the man warned, his arm in an iron grip around her waist.

"Let my wife go," Karl said. "I brought what you want."

"Prove it."

Karl sighed and pushed something out of his car. It was a humanoid alien with pointy ears, who stumbled as he tried to stand

Her kidnapper stared at the alien, tightening his arm around her. "What kind of drug did you use on him?"

"You have no idea how dangerous he is," Karl said. "It's necessary."

The man aimed his phaser at Karl. "Hands up. No extra move."

As the alien walked towards them, Ragna's kidnapper loosen his arm around her so Ragna ran for freedom.

Then the alien knocked Karl down. She was about to scream, but her world darkened after a hit to her head.

---

She woke up to a headache. Both Karl and her were tied up and gagged in an unfamiliar place.

"I expected you to do better than falling for their trap. You disappoint me," Ragna's kidnapper said to the alien. Despite his words, his hands were gentle as he checked up the alien.

"I apologize. I will have appropriate punishment and repayment arranged when we return."

"You had better for the trouble you cause me. I could have used the agonizer on you now." The captain shifted so that the alien could lean on him.

The alien said dryly, "Thank you for your generousity." However, Ragna noticed his soft look towards the captain.

Starfleet, Ragna tensed up at the mention of agonizers. What trouble do Karl and I get into?

"Someone is joining us." The man turned to her, his dagger shone in his hand.

Ragna trembled. "No, please no..." she tried to say, but only made incoherent sounds through the gag.

"Captain," the alien put a hand on him. To her amazement the captain put his dagger back.

---

To Ragna’s relief Karl woke up later, struggling against his restraint.

“I should have thanked you for your hospitality to my first,” the captain said, his voice cold as the polar ice.

Karl mumbled through the gag. The captain glanced at the alien, who removed Karl’s gag.

Immediately Karl burst out, “It’s from people higher up. If they know what you do to me…”

“Really?” the captain interrupted, exchanging a knowing look with the alien. “Then I must pay you back well. How can I be rude to a friend of the empire?”

Karl’s face was white as a sheet. “No, you won’t dare. The minister will punish you.”

“Don’t worry. I will make sure the minister knows how eagerly you work with the empire’s finest.”

“You can’t!”

“Too bad now even your wife knows. I wonder what the minister will think about your loose tongue.” The man’s voice was sweet as poisoned honey. “You have a choice: you or her?”

“Karl?” Ragna felt cold as Karl looked at her with hard calculating eyes.

Karl sounded feverish. “Ragna, surely you’ll understand the value of my job. You have always been so considerate, so loving.”

He wants to sacrifice me. Ragna thought. Never mind how much I toiled and suffered for this selfish jerk.

“I think we can make an agreement, gentlemen,” Karl said.

Ragna’s skin tightened at his smile and interrupted, “I know all his passwords and where his secret files are. I am also the president’s goddaughter, so I am more useful than him. If you give me a pad, I can access this planet’s confidential database for you”

Karl was shouting obscene but Ragna ignored him. She had to return home because her children needed her.

The captain raised an eyebrow. “You are an impressive woman, Mrs Hester.”

“Ms. Wesley.” Ragna stressed her maiden name.

The captain shook his head emphatically. “We can discuss further in a more comfortable place.” He flipped open his communicator. “Transporter Room, four to energize.”

As Ragna felt the effect of the transporter beam, she planned to return home alive no matter the cost. Karl would understand.