Hi, sorry this took a while, but I just did a 25 kilometre hike over a load of fking mountains! Over two days (18 km the first day and 8 the next) I'm finding that muscles I never knew I had are in agony. Still feel I good I did it :-)
Chapter 9
The door chimed and Archer jumped, looking up from his consol.
"Come in!" he called. The door hissed open and Shran came in. He looked angry and like he was struggling to keep it down. "Shran? What can I do for you?"
"I just thought you should know that the Caxtonians fell through. I know Telev told you about them." His voice was tight and he fought to get the words out.
"Oh, pity." he said, unsure what else to say. Shran sighed loudly and turned away from him. His hand was stroking the dagger at his hip unconsciously, and it made Archer very nervous. He cocked his head to the side and studied the pictures of the different Enterprises.
"Clever. Show the heroic path of the name Enterprise." he muttered, "The name history is unlikely to forget." Archer stared at the Andorian, fascinated by him. He was so different from the Shran he knew and had befriended. So much more thoughtful, aware of things beyond the here and now, quieter and more reflective, but also much more frightening in some ways. Shran turned his head and stared at the dog that stared back in confusion. Archer smiled, he knew Porthos liked Shran, and he knew his Shran liked Porthos, he'd snuck him cheese once, don't ask Archer how the man had known about Porthos and cheese.
"He knows I'm not the Shran he's met before." Shran said, his voice was so soft and gentle all the time. "Clever beagle." He looked at Archer, "Porthos?"
"That's right."
"Your counterpart had a dog, called Porthos, but he was a Rottweiler. T'pol told me he was always growling, an unfriendly creature."
"Not this guy." assured Archer, glad he could try to show Shran that they were not dangerous. "He's a softie, loves cheese, can't fetch, and always jumps onto my bed at night." Shran's lips twitched but then froze. He stared hard at Porthos as the little beagle came up to him and jumped on his hind legs, resting his front paws on Shran's knees. He gave a soft 'woof' of greeting. Archer smiled fondly, mentally promising to give his faithful pet some cheddar later. Shran slowly crouched down and reached out hesitantly to pet him. Porthos, as if understanding the significance of this moment, stayed still. Finally Shran's blue hand made contact and he began to stroke the silky fur on the top of the dog's head. There was a silence in the room that hurt Archer's ears as he waited, watching Shran's shoulders relax somewhat.
"What's he like? The other Shran?" Archer hesitated, unsure how he could answer that.
"He's a good man, an honourable man… but I'll admit he can drive me mad sometimes." Why did he say that? Shran stared at him curiously. "He likes to push things as far as he can and he can make them more complicated than is necessary. Oh that reminds me." He hadn't forgotten, but hadn't been sure how to bring it out. He reached down and produced a bottle full of blue liquid. Shran stood up and cocked his head to the side.
"Is that blood?" he asked calmly. Archer's eyes went huge
"NO! God no! It's Ale, Andorian ale." The white eyebrows rose up slightly in intrigue. "Your counterpart gave me a few bottles, I thought you might like some, your counterpart seems to always have some on him."
"I don't drink." Shran stated, "Never been given the opportunity."
"Oh." Archer felt awkward and slightly annoyed, he was going out of his way to be friendly and accepting of the situation and Shran kept making him feel stupid.
"I appreciate the gesture captain." Shran reached out and took the bottle. He stared at it in fascination. "This was made on Andoria?"
"Yeah. I think so."
"What's it like?"
"Uh, it's something of an acquired taste and very potent." Shran looked at him,
"I meant Andoria. What's it like?"
"Uh you don't know?" Archer regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth. Shran's eyes clouded and he looked away.
"I was born and raised in one of the multi-species camps in the Rigellian system. I've never been able to go to Andoria, I've only ever seen the planet in pictures." he said coldly, now staring out the window, the bottle being held tightly in his grip by his side.
"It's beautiful." Archer said. Shran looked at him. "It is honestly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been." Shran set the bottle down on the desk and walked over the window. He rested his hands on the sill and stared out it. Archer continued. "The planet is a moon of a gas giant that is an amazing mixture of blues, green, and whites with countless rings. The whole planet is covered in ice. In the Northern Wastes the gas giant dominates the sky and the sun shines on the ice that stretches as far as the eye can see, and it reflects like diamonds and crystals. The moons around Andoria and the gas giant give it this amazing mystical magical aura. I was only there once on a mission, with your counterpart. We were looking for the Aenar." Archer stopped, he could see Shran's reflection and had been watching it while he spoke. It had become hungry as he'd described the planet, not mad, just needy and a few tears had gone down his cheeks, disappearing under his jaw. Then when he'd spoken of the magical feel a ghost of a smile had appeared on his lips. But when he'd mentioned the Aenar… the face had grimaced violently and the head had bowed. Finally Shran spoke,
"You've met an Aenar?"
"Yes, they are an intriguing people. Serene, peaceful."
"I wish I'd met one. No chance of that now."
"Why not?" Shran drew in a deep breath and then spoke slowly
"When the Terrans took over Andoria they found the Aenar would refuse to do anything they said. They just refused and turned away. Because there were so few of them…" Shran swallowed hard, "they decided to just get rid of them. They bombed the Northern Wastes. There's nothing but a crater left of the Aenar." Archer reeled and stopped breathing in horror. His people had committed genocide, what's more, he doubted they cared. He thought of the Aenar, he thought of sweet young Jhamel and shuddered to think of that all just being gone. Shran rested his forehead on the window and took in another deep breath. He seemed so tired again.
"I'm so sorry for what these Terrans- these humans have done." Archer said passionately. Shran said nothing, only rolled his forehead against the glass. "I wish there was a way I could help you."
"Get home," Shran said blankly, "keep doing what you are doing in your universe. That's all you can do."
"Shran…" Archer tried to speak, but Shran cut him off, whirling around,
"No! Don't say anything! I can't listen to kind words coming from you! I just can't hear the care within you. Terrans are evil! They are soulless monsters! That is that! Nothing else!" The Andorian tore at his hair and growled in frustration, tears leaking out of his eyes. He was a broken man struggling to keep the pieces together, holding together by sheer will. He gave Archer a wretched look and bolted out of the room. Archer noted that he'd taken the ale with him.
Thy'lek wasn't sure how he'd managed to get off the bridge but he found himself in the lift going down. He was clutching the bottle of Andorian ale to his chest. He stared at it reverently, not because it was an alcoholic drink, but because it was Andorian, it was the colour of Andorian blood, it was made on Andoria, from materials grown on Andoria. The primitive part of him, the animal part that consciousness and self awareness repressed and disregarded purred in delight at touching something from his mother planet. He doubted Archer could ever comprehend how important it was to him. The lift stopped at the wrong floor and the door opened. Commander Tucker was on the other side.
'Oh spirits! Give me a break!' he yelled in his mind even as he nodded to the Terran as he stepped into the small space. They went down in silence for a few moments, Thy'lek praying for a quick exit, but it was denied as Tucker stopped the lift and turned to him.
"Can we talk?"
"I'd rather we didn't Commander." heanswered curtly, hoping the Texan would take the hint.
"Look I know the Terrans here have treated you horribly but you need to give us a chance to prove to you that some humans are good. Let us show you we can be kind and caring."
"Commander, I am really not in the mood for this conversation but since you'll no doubt hold me here till we do I will tell you right now that we cannot give you that chance." Thy'lek said calmly.
"But we're good people."
"COMMANDER WILL YOU TAKE A HINT!" Thy'lek exploded, the frustrations and stresses of the last few weeks finally caught up with him. "The reason we will never give you a chance is because if we do it will require that we see Terrans in a different light, which would mean that we'd run the risk of not being completely dedicated to annihilating the Terrans here. Can't you comprehend how dangerous that is? We need to hate Terrans; it's the only way we will win this fight! The Resistance needs to be fuelled by that hatred to continue! Seeing you all being kind and nice is more distressing than you could ever comprehend, we cannot and will not give up our hatred simply to make some people who are passing through a little more comfortable! IS THAT CLEAR TUCKER?" Tucker stared at him in shock and then nodded slowly. He pressed the button to allow the lift to continue. Thy'lek growled in anger, the Commander's response was too good-natured, he should have tried to kill Thy'lek not accept the yelling. It meant that Tucker was a reasonable and understanding man. Could other Terrans be the same? Thy'lek snarled this time making Tucker jump. He was already wondering. He needed to get off this damn ship, why did he ever come up here in the first place? Oh yeah to get away from the control room. He had nowhere to escape to till nightfall when he could go home and be with T'pol and Soval.
'You're being selfish!' his mind told him scornfully, 'You are the leader and you need to just suck it up! No one else is complaining. No one else is trying to run away. You're the only one. It's pathetic!' he winced at the acid undertone. He wanted to win, he did, but how could he bring about victory when he wasn't sure what kind of victory he wanted. He'd just said to win they needed to hate and it was true, no matter what outcome of victory occurred they needed to hate Terrans with all their collective being. But what did he want to happen after they won?
Did he want to eliminate all Terrans? At times yes he did.
Did he want Andorians to rule over the Empire? Tempting for the simple factor that they would control their own lives.
Unity? All species united under a flag of peace? Yes that was a desire that he very much wanted to fulfil… but how could they? How could all the species work together when they only had battles to commemorate their unity, no scientific discoveries made, no artistic beauties created… bitterness, hatred, misery, they were the things that made up this universe, would always make up this universe. Once again the old question reared. Did this universe need to be so for the other one to exist? He glanced at the silent Commander Tucker beside him. He would never be able to survive this universe; he couldn't because he was too kind-hearted. Thy'lek thought of the Tucker that he'd killed, that man wouldn't have survived in the other universe, he'd have gotten himself killed because of his attitude. Yet the two Tuckers would survive in their own universes because they were the right kind of person for the universe. That meant that Thy'lek was also the right kind of person for this universe, bitter, hating, miserable. He was no different from Terrans really, he had no real issue about killing people, torture, he wasn't fond of it but he did it. It hit him hard, like a torpedo. He knew that the law of science rang true.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
They were the opposite reaction, they were the reason the Federation could exist because they countered it. He knew then that T'pol's dream would never come true here. It just couldn't. This universe would forever be rampaged by dominating, enslaving empires, the Terrans might fall, but another species would take their place. As long as the Federation was peaceful, the Empire would rule cruelly. Thy'lek and T'pol's efforts would never alter that; no one can change the laws of science. The Federation would never be real for them but… it didn't mean they had to stop fighting. If you can't change the laws of science then you can't go against them! You can't fight them! So they would continue to fight, they would continue to Resist because it wouldn't change the fact that the Federation would exist somewhere for someone!
Thy'lek blinked and started in surprise when he saw that he was at the transporter pad. He smiled as he stepped onto it feeling oddly light. He couldn't explain it, but knowing it was out of his hands, that his actions wouldn't reach other universes, that they would be going with nature, with science, made everything so much easier. He felt his skin tingle and then blue light filled his gaze and the Enterprise faded away becoming the familiar transporter pad outside the control room. He smiled at the woman at the consol who nodded back looking a little bewildered. He continued on to the control centre and entered with a smile.
"Thy'lek! The master of perfect timing." Telev smiled, although he looked a little confused, "We just got a communiqué."
"The Tholians?" he asked blandly.
"No, it's coming from Earth." His antennas stiffened in surprise. "We don't know who it's from but it's encrypted, we can't break it. All we're seeing is a symbol." Curious Thy'lek came closer and stared at the screen. His eyes widened, on the screen was an achingly familiar symbol. A triangle within a circle, and in the triangle was a half snowflake design pointing up.
"I know that symbol." he whispered shocked, "It's Lissiel."
"Lissiel? She's your sister that's the uh…" Telev decided not to finish his sentence. Thy'lek nodded, he hadn't seen this symbol in years. He reached out and keyed in a command. The symbol changed, now the triangle was the outward shape, enveloping the circle and the half snowflake pointed down instead of up. The symbol flashed blue and then vanished, giving way to words. Unfortunately the words made no sense. "What is this all about?"
"I don't know but Lissiel wouldn't send me something unless it was vitally important."
"Is that a code?"
"Yes. I can crack it too. Give me a PADD." Telev gave it to him and he downloaded the message onto it. He then began to walk away.
"Uh Thy'lek?" he paused and looked at his fellow Andorian, "What's that you've got in your hand?" He still had the Andorian Ale in his grip! He smiled at it and said
"Andorian Ale my friend." Telev looked shocked,
"As in from Andoria?"
"Mm-hm. Archer gave it to me, my counterpart gave it to him."
"Are you going to drink it?" He pursed his lips in thought and then said
"I'll see." He walked off to his office of sorts, like everywhere else it was sparsely furnished. Thy'lek sat in the corner on the floor and he started to decode the message. He admired his sister's inventiveness, one would assume that the code was amazingly complex and difficult but in reality it was a simple basic code created by a child. It was so simple no one would be able to figure it out.
He smiled remembering how he and Lissiel would have whispered conversations at night in the code, saying whatever they wanted about the guards and the subjects of their conversations never realised. One of his brothers, Senkrad, would join in too but he was always too nervous about getting caught to enjoy it. Thy'lek's smile faded as he thought of his siblings. He'd had three brothers and two sisters at one point in his life. Now he had just the one sister. Trenach, his eldest brother, had been shot for stealing some food for Sakrana, his sister, who'd been ill. Sakrana died a little while later because the guards refused to let her be treated. Sanakral had died in some fight with the Klingons, Thy'lek wasn't clear on details. Senkrad… Senkrad had killed himself, unable to live in this universe. So it was just him and Lissiel now. His parents, he never knew what had happened to them; he just knew they were dead. Andorians had telepathic bonds with their families, sensing them, knowing if they were alive or not. His father died first and then his mother followed him like any spouse would. Thy'lek barely remembered them, but he did remember his Lissiel, his caregiver, his friend, his sister.
The PADD beeped and he looked down at it. The decryption was done, the message could now be read. He read it and with each line his eyes got wider. He jumped to his feet and made for the door when something gave him pause. He reread the line about the Terrans' involvement with bringing Enterprise here. How was that possible? The Tholians were the only species who knew how to open the singularity. So how… Thy'lek's brain clicked into gear. Oh fool he was! Of course! The Tholians were working with the Terrans! Why? Because Thy'lek Shran, the man who'd destroyed the Defiant, their treasure, and apparently also biggest idiot of the universe, was with the Resistance. It was that simple. There was probably the fear that if the Resistance worked then they wouldn't be able to have alien slaves anymore too but mainly this was for revenge. Thy'lek would bet everything he held dear that the Tholians had been the ones to open a singularity, to draw Enterprise in. The Resistance fleet interrupted the process and forced the Tholian and accompanying Terran ships to flee. Why did the Tholians bother to talk to them? To confirm that Enterprise was there, and to get an idea of where the base was, Thy'lek wasn't fool enough not to use jamming and scattering beams to hide the exact location. They wouldn't give them the information because they knew it would keep him busy, because they knew he would realise the consequences of not sending them home and that he would care about it. Oh it all seemed so clear now. He'd played right into their hands. How much of an idiot was he? He clenched his fist and slammed it against his chest, hitting himself for his stupidity. Then he suddenly shouted wordlessly and grabbed the chair near him and flung it across the room. It shattered against the wall. He kicked the table over screaming in rage and fury.
He didn't notice the door opening till Gral grabbed his arm. He wrenched it free, snarling and raised his hand to strike the Tellerite. He froze when he saw Gral staring at him like he was a stranger. He looked at his raised hand and felt horror as he realized what he'd been about to do. Spirits he was no better than the Terrans! He felt his control slipping away, and before he knew it he was kneeling, his forehead pressed to the ground like he was praying and he started to cry. His emotions overwhelmed him and he couldn't stop. He'd failed! He'd been played like an instrument; the Terrans had completely used him. He'd failed the Resistance. More… he'd failed T'pol.
"So you're saying this should work?" Archer looked at the two T'pols sceptically.
"Theoretically yes, it should open the singularity and send you back." T'pol said.
"But I thought you didn't know how to open the singularity."
"We don't, not a new one at any rate."
"Explain that." T'pol stood up and went to the viewscreen. She brought up schematics and began to explain.
"This is the recordings we took of the singularity when we were pulled in. What we propose to do is simply repeat the process."
"You mean go back the same way we came." Trip asked, pointing at the screen. T'pol nodded
"Essentially yes, we believe that because the singularity was already opened that there should be a kind of imprint that we can copy and the area is… weaker."
"If it is weaker we should be able to reopen it and get back to our own time and universe."
"What's the difference between using the original one and creating a new one?"
"The calculations needed are extremely precise, one miscalculation and you could end up in the wrong universe or time frame. Using the original template means that those calculations are already preset."
"I'm afraid I'll have to take your word for it." Malcolm shook his head, mind baffled by the whole thing.
"Once we went through, detonating a torpedo within the singularity should seal it properly."
"So what are we waiting for? Lets go!" Trip smiled.
"We cannot." T'pol said regretfully.
"Why not?" Archer asked.
"There is a large scale battle occurring in that area of space between the Terran Empire and the Klingons, you would not be able to open the singularity while they are present. You'd be shot at instantly." T'pol said patiently. Suddenly she cocked her head to the side and her eyes glazed over, a slight crease appeared between her eyes. She stood up abruptly and said
"Excuse me." and then left without another word.
"Did she look worried to you?" asked Archer of his own T'pol. She hesitated before saying blandly
"I believe so."
T'pol hurried down the corridor, wishing she could take the transporter. She managed to catch a shuttle just before it left the ship. She insisted she needed to go to the base and one of the soldiers graciously agreed to stay behind so that she could fit. She was tense the whole way down, griping the edge of her seat tightly, feeling the metal begin to give way to her. She was the first out of the shuttle and rushed to the control centre. Her whole being was screaming at her that Thy'lek needed her, her husband needed her and she didn't say a word to Telev who greeted her as she rushed into the office Thy'lek used. She stopped short in shock. He was on his knees bent over so his forehead touched the ground, his fists were hitting his head sharply and he was moaning as if in agony. She saw in the lighting that the ground was wet from tears. Next to him looking thoroughly awkward was Gral. He looked at her in great relief but she ignored him as she had ignored Telev. She went and knelt beside her mate and wrapped her arms around him, trying to make him sit up. He clutched her arm in his hand tightly and a sob escaped him again. She was vaguely aware of Gral making a hasty exit as she stroked the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair. She listened as he cried
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"Thy'lek what are you sorry for?"
"I'm sorry for failing you! Oh T'pol ashaya! I'm such a fool!" he sobbed,
"You have never failed me Thy'lek."
"Oh yes I have! They played me! Played me like a board game!" She reached down and took his chin in her hand, pulling him up to meet her eyes. His face was stained with tears and his eyes were stormy ocean of emotion. She'd never seen him loose control like this before. She pushed away the feelings that were pressing against her and stroked away the tears on his face.
"What do you mean nelai?"
"The Terrans, the Enterprise! It was all a ploy!" he cried, "They knew I would try to send them home, they knew it! It was all done to distract me so that I wouldn't pay attention to anything else. The Tholians are in an alliance with them, they all are! Oh I'm such an idiot! I should have seen this! My sister risked her life to send me a message with information I should have known! Oh T'pol I'm so sorry!" he wept anew. She hugged him tightly and rocked him like he had for her so often before. She felt tears in her eyes and fought them rationalising that it was Thy'lek's emotions affecting her and not her own. She couldn't admit how distressing it was to see her love in such agony. He was the strong one, he always had been. Then Thy'lek spoke again,
"The Emperor, he wants the slaves to be killed."
"Which ones?"
"All of them!" he shrieked "All of them until we give in. Until we surrender."
"But we cannot, our son-"
"I know, I know ashaya. I know what they would do, probably smash his head against the bulkhead." She flinched as the horrible image flashed in her mind, her stomach churned. "They'll kill every child here." he whispered in horror. She thought of the other children in the nursery, there were twenty in all, almost half of mixed breed. Denobulan and Orion, Vulcan and Betazoid, Andorian and Rigillian, there was even one child that was Andorian and Tellerite. They would all be killed, brutally murdered because of their parents' involvement. She tightened her hold and whispered the only thing she could think of that might help him.
"T'pol and I believe we have a way to send them home." He started in surprise. "Once they are gone we will no longer be played by the Terrans."
"They have an idea where the base is T'pol. We may have to move it."
"Only as much as the Tholians know and that is a very large section of space to search." She gently stroked his antennas, soothing him. He was beginning to calm, his breathing was evening out and his emotional control was returning. He sat back on his heels and smiled at her sadly.
"I'm sorry T'pol, I know that couldn't have been pleasant for you to feel. I shouldn't have lost control like that."
"You are too self-punishing, you always are." she said calmly, feeling better now. "No one is always in control Thy'lek. Not even a Vulcan." He laughed, although his eyes still seemed clouded. He wiped at his face and they stood up. There was a tentative knock on the door and Thy'lek called for the person to enter. Telev stuck his head in nervously.
"Is this a bad time?"
"No, why?"
"We, uh, were wondering if you had that message decoded. Was it the reason you, according to Gral, completely lost it?"
"Yes, it was." Thy'lek's antennas drooped again, "Come and I'll explain it to you and the others, I'm not proud of it, but you need to know. I should have listened to you all." Telev smiled at him consolingly.
"I'm sure it's not as bad as you may think." T'pol and Thy'lek followed him out into the control room.
"Trust me, it's as-" Thy'lek suddenly gasped and his knees gave way. T'pol and Telev just managed to catch him. He groaned and then cried out, clutching his head, "LISSIEL!"
Hope no one got too confused here, but it was really hard to put the thoughts into words here. Please review because I'm really worried that chapter was too confusing.
Night's Darkness
