Author's Note: Again, I've put up two chapters just because. Hope you like both and please R/R.
Summary: Even if the California can find the right planet, can they find the way to get to Shiloh?
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Chapter Ten:
Hide and Seek
**Ajtowea Palace, Shiloh's Room**
They entered his room and found that nightclothes had been brought to him while he was out. They weren't much more than a silky pair of pants, but they would do nicely on a planet as hot as this. The normal temperatures, as he was told, ranged from 90 to 110oF.
Deacon removed the bandages on his shoulder and found that the wound was almost healed but, like its purpose, it would leave a nice scar. Next, he checked the new cut across his stomach. It had stopped bleeding and begun to heal. The cut on his cheek was nothing major for it was not that deep. He would live without any real treatment for it.
Shiloh laid down in his bed while Deacon got into the make-shift one made for him in Shiloh's room so he could be there at all times.
After a moment of silence, Shiloh turned on his side and said, "Deacon, while I was out there, no one seemed sick. I don't understand."
Deacon mimicked Shiloh's position. He smiled at his inadequate choice of words earlier and thought of new ones. "It is an illness of the mind and soul, not that of the physical body."
"The mind and soul?"
"Remember the prophet I told you about? There were hundreds more in that time. They created thousands of prophecies, those the A'j'ay now use to base their lives on. The boy in the prophecy was supposed to happen fifty years ago. They were scarred and needed the messiah to lead and guide them. The creation of you was kept secret so no one would reject you."
"They need me to keep them from going insane. Right?" Deacon nodded solemnly. As Shiloh turned on his back he remarked, "I heard once that insanity is worse than death. You're always dying little by little. A piece of you gone as you slip away in your mind."
"Good night, Shiloh."
"'Night." But Shiloh didn't sleep, he thought about their discussion. He could understand why it would be kept a secret; that was logical. But something didn't fit. Something kept nagging at the back of his mind. He was so tired that he ignored it, figuring that he could think about it in the morning.
**The California, Bridge**
The next day, just as promised, a Taso ship came and picked up something from the planet. Then, only an hour later, they left and the California followed them using the codes given to them.
Seven hours later, they arrived at another planetary system. The Taso ship stopped at a brown and turquoise planet. Being careful to stay in a geosynchronous orbit of the planet, they scanned it. The planet was populated by Taso. Not a single Human nor Vulcan signature was found.
"They lied," Archer mussed.
"No, they've got one more stop," Trip stated. "That will be the planet we want."
"How do you know?" Archer asked.
"They've only unloaded one third of their cargo. The other two thirds must belong to their masters and that's where they're taking it."
"Keep an eye on them, Lieutenant. If they go to Warp, follow them," T'Pol order.
"Yes, ma'am."
**Ajtowea**
The next morning, Shiloh entered the huge dining area. They had invited him to eat breakfast with them, and he had accepted.
Their foods were very different from anything he had ever seen before. They had an interesting and somewhat disgusting look but an exotic taste. The smell, to his sensitive Vulcan nose, was very bizarre and yet pleasing.
He sat down and was served a plate of, what looked like, messed up fruit. There were orange grape-looking things, along with a green and purple apple thing, and a red orange kind of thing.
Not wanting to offend them, he took a bit of the apple and it tasted a lot like grapes. When he tried the other two, they all tasted like other fruits.
The next course came and he ate some of it. Again, finding the food appealing. Throughout the meal, he listened to the others talk. A trait shared by his human counterparts rather than Vulcan.
"Is there any place you wish to visit today?" Ti'en asked him as the dishes were removed.
"I heard of a...temple in which the prophecies were kept. I was wondering if I would be permitted access to that place."
Ti'en, who seemed a little taken aback, nodded his head and simply answered, "Of course."
Deacon walked him to the Temple of Time, which is what they called it. "Are you sure this is what you want to see?"
"Yes, I'm very intrigued by this."
Deacon sighed.
They walked in and the sheer beauty of the place startled him. The place was almost as big as the front hall to the palace. Golden walls and ceiling surrounded him and drapes fell into his face. The walls were covered in a text that he had never seen before.
He walked over to a wall and ran his hand over it. The imprints that text made tickled him figure tips. "What does it say?" He asked Deacon.
"This one is about...the A'j'ay's defeat of the Goundo."
"How about this one?" Shiloh asked as he moved to another panel on the wall.
"The discovery of the Taso. The one next to it tells how the alliance between them will falter, and the A'j'ay will conquer them like the Goundo," Deacon replied.
"This is amazing. Do prophets still add to this place?" Shiloh asked as he wandered around the room.
"No, now being a prophet can mean anything from life imprisonment to being an example. If you are one, it is not discussed." Deacon's words grabbed Shiloh's attention.
"There are no more prophets then?"
"None that are known of. Plenty exist. That panel speaks of you," Deacon said as Shiloh walked up to another part of the wall. "The panels follow a timeline order. From here on, all the prophecies have something to do with you."
"No pressure," Shiloh muttered. Shiloh wandered aimlessly around the room, Deacon translating the text for him. They stayed there for almost four, five hours. Eventually, they headed back to the palace, Shiloh stopping to greet a local or look at a shop he had not previously been to.
"How did you like the Temple of Time?" Karu Gabi asked as they entered the hall.
"It was...fascinating."
"I am glad you liked it. But there is another important matter I must speak to you about."
"Yes, what is it?"
"We have detected a ship entering the system. It is neither ours nor any of our allies. Perhaps you would know it?" He handed him a small computer padd, not unlike what Starfleet uses. It had a picture of a ship on it, presumably that of the one that entered the system. When he saw it, he almost dropped dead. "Do you know these people?"
"It's Starfleet."
**Shuttle Pod**
They had to wait an hour before they left. Careful to stay out of their scanning range, they followed them to the next system. Ten planets orbited a gas giant; five M-class; three inhabited.
There was a golden brown and crystal blue planet with huge patches of green. It had multicolored rings and made the colors of the planet gleam. Another was gold and turquoisey blue. It, too, had rings only they were purple and gold. The third planet was tan and green with silver rings.
The first one, with the colorful rings, was the one that the Taso ship headed for and the only one that looked familiar to Trip. They waited in a geosynchronous orbit until it left, but while they waited, they ran a few scans of the planet to make sure it was the one.
There were only two major cities, ten smaller towns, and fifteen or so small settlements throughout the entire planet. In one of the largest cities, there were about seven hundred unknown signatures, a human, and a human/Vulcan.
"That's where we go. As soon as they leave."
"Yes, sir," Travis responded. Their plan was to get in at night and run. They couldn't beam through the atmosphere, it was too risky with the rings and what they are made of. Instead, they were calling upon Travis's extraordinary piloting skills.
They had decided that only Archer and Trip would try to get him and that Travis would have to wait in the Shuttle Pod. The least number of people that went down, the better. Malcolm and T'Pol would stay onboard the California and make some excuse for being there if they were caught. Fight if necessary.
The Taso ship finally left when it was about three in the afternoon on the planet. Archer and Trip met Travis in the Shuttle Bay. They were all dressed in the basic clothing of the people that lived there.
The trip down was seemingly long and uneventful. They decided to land in a remote area not far from the city. There were hundreds of trees around so it was easy to hide. Travis wished them good luck and got in before they covered up the door with leaves and brush like they had done to the rest of the shuttle.
Then they started for the city, hoping to be able to fit in correctly. The inhabitants seemed to speak English, so that wouldn't be a problem. They walked to what appeared to be the main road. Tons of people were walking up and down it as they looked at the stores. With their hoods up, Trip and Archer easily blended in with the mass of people.
**Ajtowea**
The ship they had detected that came into the system had gotten into orbit but did nothing to try and communicate with them. By four, Shiloh had become sick of hearing all about the ship. They could not beam him out or down here and they weren't going to negotiate. The A'J'ay weren't going to attack, Shiloh had made sure of that.
He needed to get out. He and Deacon went outside just to get away. They walked through the shops again; no real attempt to find and buy anything.
Shiloh was keeping his eyes opened; his real motive for going out there was to see what was going on. What he didn't tell them was that the Starfleet crew had probably brought a shuttle down to see what they were up against.
He looked over the crowd and noticed two people. They seemed out of sorts; [ "place"?] their hoods were up and they seemed to just walk aimlessly around heading nowhere and yet with a distinct purpose to find something.
"Deacon, do you see those two. Over there?"
"Yea, what about them?"
"Notice the way they walk. They're heading nowhere yet everywhere." Shiloh stopped Deacon and turned him so he was facing him. "Go over there and try to get a look at their faces. Come back and tell me what they look like."
"All right. But how?"
"Ask them something. Get their attention. Whatever."
Deacon just nodded and walked over there. He got right next to them and tried to hear what they were saying. Their voices were muffled so that was hard but he did over hear:
"I can't g...solid readin' down her...is crowd. But his signature w...that buil...when we were on the ship."
"All right, let's he...hat way. See if we c...et in or at least get some recon in...r later."
Just then, Deacon bumped into them. "Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to. I'm really sorry."
"That ok."
He looked right at his face. The man under the hood looked remarkably like Shiloh. His blue eyes and facial structure matched Shiloh's but his blonde hair was not a trait shared by them. He walked back to Shiloh whose look urged him to talk. "The man I bumped into looks a lot like you."
"My dad?"
"I would assume so. I was listening to what they were saying. They talked about heading to the palace. Maybe we should get back. You should talk to them before they do something stupid."
"Good idea." They turned and headed for the palace.
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Please R/R.
Summary: Even if the California can find the right planet, can they find the way to get to Shiloh?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Ten:
Hide and Seek
**Ajtowea Palace, Shiloh's Room**
They entered his room and found that nightclothes had been brought to him while he was out. They weren't much more than a silky pair of pants, but they would do nicely on a planet as hot as this. The normal temperatures, as he was told, ranged from 90 to 110oF.
Deacon removed the bandages on his shoulder and found that the wound was almost healed but, like its purpose, it would leave a nice scar. Next, he checked the new cut across his stomach. It had stopped bleeding and begun to heal. The cut on his cheek was nothing major for it was not that deep. He would live without any real treatment for it.
Shiloh laid down in his bed while Deacon got into the make-shift one made for him in Shiloh's room so he could be there at all times.
After a moment of silence, Shiloh turned on his side and said, "Deacon, while I was out there, no one seemed sick. I don't understand."
Deacon mimicked Shiloh's position. He smiled at his inadequate choice of words earlier and thought of new ones. "It is an illness of the mind and soul, not that of the physical body."
"The mind and soul?"
"Remember the prophet I told you about? There were hundreds more in that time. They created thousands of prophecies, those the A'j'ay now use to base their lives on. The boy in the prophecy was supposed to happen fifty years ago. They were scarred and needed the messiah to lead and guide them. The creation of you was kept secret so no one would reject you."
"They need me to keep them from going insane. Right?" Deacon nodded solemnly. As Shiloh turned on his back he remarked, "I heard once that insanity is worse than death. You're always dying little by little. A piece of you gone as you slip away in your mind."
"Good night, Shiloh."
"'Night." But Shiloh didn't sleep, he thought about their discussion. He could understand why it would be kept a secret; that was logical. But something didn't fit. Something kept nagging at the back of his mind. He was so tired that he ignored it, figuring that he could think about it in the morning.
**The California, Bridge**
The next day, just as promised, a Taso ship came and picked up something from the planet. Then, only an hour later, they left and the California followed them using the codes given to them.
Seven hours later, they arrived at another planetary system. The Taso ship stopped at a brown and turquoise planet. Being careful to stay in a geosynchronous orbit of the planet, they scanned it. The planet was populated by Taso. Not a single Human nor Vulcan signature was found.
"They lied," Archer mussed.
"No, they've got one more stop," Trip stated. "That will be the planet we want."
"How do you know?" Archer asked.
"They've only unloaded one third of their cargo. The other two thirds must belong to their masters and that's where they're taking it."
"Keep an eye on them, Lieutenant. If they go to Warp, follow them," T'Pol order.
"Yes, ma'am."
**Ajtowea**
The next morning, Shiloh entered the huge dining area. They had invited him to eat breakfast with them, and he had accepted.
Their foods were very different from anything he had ever seen before. They had an interesting and somewhat disgusting look but an exotic taste. The smell, to his sensitive Vulcan nose, was very bizarre and yet pleasing.
He sat down and was served a plate of, what looked like, messed up fruit. There were orange grape-looking things, along with a green and purple apple thing, and a red orange kind of thing.
Not wanting to offend them, he took a bit of the apple and it tasted a lot like grapes. When he tried the other two, they all tasted like other fruits.
The next course came and he ate some of it. Again, finding the food appealing. Throughout the meal, he listened to the others talk. A trait shared by his human counterparts rather than Vulcan.
"Is there any place you wish to visit today?" Ti'en asked him as the dishes were removed.
"I heard of a...temple in which the prophecies were kept. I was wondering if I would be permitted access to that place."
Ti'en, who seemed a little taken aback, nodded his head and simply answered, "Of course."
Deacon walked him to the Temple of Time, which is what they called it. "Are you sure this is what you want to see?"
"Yes, I'm very intrigued by this."
Deacon sighed.
They walked in and the sheer beauty of the place startled him. The place was almost as big as the front hall to the palace. Golden walls and ceiling surrounded him and drapes fell into his face. The walls were covered in a text that he had never seen before.
He walked over to a wall and ran his hand over it. The imprints that text made tickled him figure tips. "What does it say?" He asked Deacon.
"This one is about...the A'j'ay's defeat of the Goundo."
"How about this one?" Shiloh asked as he moved to another panel on the wall.
"The discovery of the Taso. The one next to it tells how the alliance between them will falter, and the A'j'ay will conquer them like the Goundo," Deacon replied.
"This is amazing. Do prophets still add to this place?" Shiloh asked as he wandered around the room.
"No, now being a prophet can mean anything from life imprisonment to being an example. If you are one, it is not discussed." Deacon's words grabbed Shiloh's attention.
"There are no more prophets then?"
"None that are known of. Plenty exist. That panel speaks of you," Deacon said as Shiloh walked up to another part of the wall. "The panels follow a timeline order. From here on, all the prophecies have something to do with you."
"No pressure," Shiloh muttered. Shiloh wandered aimlessly around the room, Deacon translating the text for him. They stayed there for almost four, five hours. Eventually, they headed back to the palace, Shiloh stopping to greet a local or look at a shop he had not previously been to.
"How did you like the Temple of Time?" Karu Gabi asked as they entered the hall.
"It was...fascinating."
"I am glad you liked it. But there is another important matter I must speak to you about."
"Yes, what is it?"
"We have detected a ship entering the system. It is neither ours nor any of our allies. Perhaps you would know it?" He handed him a small computer padd, not unlike what Starfleet uses. It had a picture of a ship on it, presumably that of the one that entered the system. When he saw it, he almost dropped dead. "Do you know these people?"
"It's Starfleet."
**Shuttle Pod**
They had to wait an hour before they left. Careful to stay out of their scanning range, they followed them to the next system. Ten planets orbited a gas giant; five M-class; three inhabited.
There was a golden brown and crystal blue planet with huge patches of green. It had multicolored rings and made the colors of the planet gleam. Another was gold and turquoisey blue. It, too, had rings only they were purple and gold. The third planet was tan and green with silver rings.
The first one, with the colorful rings, was the one that the Taso ship headed for and the only one that looked familiar to Trip. They waited in a geosynchronous orbit until it left, but while they waited, they ran a few scans of the planet to make sure it was the one.
There were only two major cities, ten smaller towns, and fifteen or so small settlements throughout the entire planet. In one of the largest cities, there were about seven hundred unknown signatures, a human, and a human/Vulcan.
"That's where we go. As soon as they leave."
"Yes, sir," Travis responded. Their plan was to get in at night and run. They couldn't beam through the atmosphere, it was too risky with the rings and what they are made of. Instead, they were calling upon Travis's extraordinary piloting skills.
They had decided that only Archer and Trip would try to get him and that Travis would have to wait in the Shuttle Pod. The least number of people that went down, the better. Malcolm and T'Pol would stay onboard the California and make some excuse for being there if they were caught. Fight if necessary.
The Taso ship finally left when it was about three in the afternoon on the planet. Archer and Trip met Travis in the Shuttle Bay. They were all dressed in the basic clothing of the people that lived there.
The trip down was seemingly long and uneventful. They decided to land in a remote area not far from the city. There were hundreds of trees around so it was easy to hide. Travis wished them good luck and got in before they covered up the door with leaves and brush like they had done to the rest of the shuttle.
Then they started for the city, hoping to be able to fit in correctly. The inhabitants seemed to speak English, so that wouldn't be a problem. They walked to what appeared to be the main road. Tons of people were walking up and down it as they looked at the stores. With their hoods up, Trip and Archer easily blended in with the mass of people.
**Ajtowea**
The ship they had detected that came into the system had gotten into orbit but did nothing to try and communicate with them. By four, Shiloh had become sick of hearing all about the ship. They could not beam him out or down here and they weren't going to negotiate. The A'J'ay weren't going to attack, Shiloh had made sure of that.
He needed to get out. He and Deacon went outside just to get away. They walked through the shops again; no real attempt to find and buy anything.
Shiloh was keeping his eyes opened; his real motive for going out there was to see what was going on. What he didn't tell them was that the Starfleet crew had probably brought a shuttle down to see what they were up against.
He looked over the crowd and noticed two people. They seemed out of sorts; [ "place"?] their hoods were up and they seemed to just walk aimlessly around heading nowhere and yet with a distinct purpose to find something.
"Deacon, do you see those two. Over there?"
"Yea, what about them?"
"Notice the way they walk. They're heading nowhere yet everywhere." Shiloh stopped Deacon and turned him so he was facing him. "Go over there and try to get a look at their faces. Come back and tell me what they look like."
"All right. But how?"
"Ask them something. Get their attention. Whatever."
Deacon just nodded and walked over there. He got right next to them and tried to hear what they were saying. Their voices were muffled so that was hard but he did over hear:
"I can't g...solid readin' down her...is crowd. But his signature w...that buil...when we were on the ship."
"All right, let's he...hat way. See if we c...et in or at least get some recon in...r later."
Just then, Deacon bumped into them. "Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to. I'm really sorry."
"That ok."
He looked right at his face. The man under the hood looked remarkably like Shiloh. His blue eyes and facial structure matched Shiloh's but his blonde hair was not a trait shared by them. He walked back to Shiloh whose look urged him to talk. "The man I bumped into looks a lot like you."
"My dad?"
"I would assume so. I was listening to what they were saying. They talked about heading to the palace. Maybe we should get back. You should talk to them before they do something stupid."
"Good idea." They turned and headed for the palace.
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Please R/R.