I don't know why the paragraphs aren't separated in the last one -- let me know if it doesn't work again. Anyhow, enjoy this one, I know I did.
Cough, cough on a secondary note, this was originally published as 'Take Down', which it isn't... 'Take Down' will be the next one, but apparently, I'm inexplicably confused. )
"How are the modifications coming, Trip?" Archer asked alte in the morning.
"Not so bad, actually, Cap'n." he answered, "I had to make a few last-minute modifications to keep from blowin' us sky-high, but everythin's really comin' together, I'd say. We should have it online in about two hours, to be generous."
"Good. Let me know if you need any more resources. I'll be on the Bridge."
"Alright." Trip waved the Captain through the doors without a second look, completely engrossed in his work.
x x x
On the Bridge, suddenly Ensign Mayweather called out, "There's a ship, just decloaked off our port bow, intercept course!"
There was barely a split second to react before the ship rocked uncontrollably from a huge concussive force. Then it was gone.
T'Pol immediately jumped to action. "Mr. Reed, status report."
"I'm not reading any damage, excepting shielding has gone offline. I think they just brushed shields with us."
"Casualty report?"
"A few bumps and bruises – nothing critical."
T'Pol nodded.
"Commander." Hoshi called from across the room, "I'm only reading 82 lifesigns aboard – we're missing someone."
"Where's Captain Archer?" Travis noted, "He usually makes it up here by now."
T'Pol sighed – maybe they weren't so lucky after all. "T'Pol to Captain Archer." She paused, "Captain, please respond."
Opening Theme
"Trust"
"What do you mean you lost the entire Captain?" T'Mir shouted in Malcolm's stout face.
He looked away for a minute. "And you've lost only part of a Captain before?" he spat dryly, "That's not the point. We need to find him before I'll continue on with this mission of yours."
"How do you even know he's alive."
"We have to be sure."
"This mission is important for Earth, for the quadrant. Do you really want to put all that at risk for Archer?"
"The Captain is important for this crew."
"T'Mir studied him for a full minute, an annoying curiosity and confidence in her eyes. Then finally, she said, "I"m glad you realize it, Lieutenant. I would not ask this crew to carry on without its captain.
"In the years following the disaster at Mett, some computer files were recovered. They published all the personal logs they could find in a comprehensive journal. Each and every one painted the Captain in only the best light, many people claimed he was a hero owed a life's debt. I wanted to be sure I could say the same of you."
"Of me."
"I trust you've already begun trailing their warp signature."
"Yes." Malcolm nodded, "It wasn't too difficult to discern."
"Let me know if you find anything new, I may be able to be of some help."
"Thank you." he nodded curtly.
T'Mir left the Bridge quietly and efficiently.
"I am loyal to the Captain!" he called in the last second to deafly closing doors. Malcolm laid his hands on the table and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Travis laughed from his console on the far side of the Bridge. "You're a braver man than I am, Lieutenant."
Malcolm nodded, coming back to his station, "I don't know why she scares me so much. She's just a girl."
"You can't blame yourself, Lieutenant, event eh Captain's afraid of her. I think it's in her eyes."
T'Pol entered at that exact moment, sending the two officers to rapt attention at their stations. She pretended not to notice ans sat with quiet grace at her science station.
She spoke a moment later, to everyone's surprise. "You are wrong, Ensign, she is employing an effective voice technique. I would command that she stop, but it has been very useful, and I am 'pleased' that she is able to use it so proficiently."
Malcolm and Travis exchanged glances that clearly muttered, Vulcans.
x x x
"What do you want?" the Captain shouted, banging on the plexiglass barriers. There was no one to hear him, but he recognized the technology well enough: Ferengi.
x x x
"The warp engines are goin' full, and we should be able to maintain 5.3 for a day or so, providing the modifications hold." Trip reported to the group of officers standing in the Situation Room.
T'Pol nodded, "At that speed, we should reach the Ferengi ship in approximately sixteen hours."
The doors opened unexpectedly, and all the Bridge officers turned their heads.
"Had you forgotten to invite me." T'Mir asked boldly, making her way to a seat at the centre table, "Don't forget that I can be useful."
The room was uncomfortably quiet.
"Well, who are we dealing with, have you identified the vessel?" she prompted.
T'Pol took the initiative to answer. "The signature is Ferengi. We made these scans of the vessel in the 3.6 seconds it was decloaked."
There was a series of visual photos, taken from the bow sensor recorder. They were all very close, an average of 50 metres away.
T'Mir looked at them for a moment. "It looks like a Proctor Class." she told them, "They must be very new, I cam across them at a Station in Kronos Prime.
"The Ferengi are religiously obsessed with profit. They went through a period – I suppose in a few years time – when the favoured mode of acquisition was to kidnap a high-ranking officer or dignitary, and demand the ship or it's contents as ransom.
"Oh." was the general response in the room as the officers nodded in understanding.
"It would be best to be on guard, it was uncommon, but pirate with large fleets could ambush ships without warning."
"They changed course just a half-hour ago." Malcolm brought up, "In this direction, away from their known space." He dragged his finger across the screen, tracing out a path on a map of the quadrant.
"Wait," she stopped him, "I know that system."
"I thought ya lived int eh desert – how'd ya get all the way out here."
"I bartered parts for shuttle upgrades at a station here, around the third planet. It was an unsavoury place, but I'd imagine it's still there."
x x x
"Hey!" the Captain yelled. He'd seen a shadow move across the far corridor, and it looked humanoid. "Hey!" he called again, rising up to his feet.
There was a haunting cackle, as more shadow-shapes appeared, and three Ferengi came up to the holding cell. A deliriously happy, wicked smile spread over the first male's face. "Captain Archer." He let the name hang in the air, making a show of looking around the room, as though all the profit he had coming was already tangible in the air.
"How are you doing, Captain?" the Ferengi sneered, "I'd certainly hate to deliver damaged cargo – much less profit that way. Lucky for us, the Klingons are offering the same price for you, dead or alive."
He cackled again, holding his belly in mirth. Archer saw him nod to one of his flankmen, who reached to a panel in the wall. There was a hissing noise, and coloured smoke began pouring out of the environmental panel above him. Then he collapsed.
