Act 3: Retribution
As it turned out, dealing with V'Las was something easily accomplished, aided by several facts:
1) Norik's testimony, verified by mind probe, made it clear that the genetically altered kvo'ratt had been created on V'Las' orders, and that these same kvo'ratt had killed Humans aboard the Enterprise.
2) Whatever V'Las' logic, his logic was faulty and his actions risked alienating an allied species, humiliating the High Command, and lastly, his acts were acts of war. Now the Human StarFleet was no match for the Vulcan Navy, true, but the Andorians would no doubt be quick to extend offers of allegiance and assistance to the Humans if war broke out between Earth and Vulcan, and that was not something the High Command would willingly see happen.
3) Lastly, V'Las' actions were disturbing, and hinted at concealed purposes and alliances, and a mind probe would see those things brought to light.
Accordingly, the four other members of the High Command's executive council made it clear to the Director of the V'Shar, that he was to get to the bottom of this matter in any way he deemed appropriate, and conclude it without embarrassing the High Command. Afterwards, the High Command would make some concessions to the Humans, in order to atone for V'Las' actions, and then elevate a junior member of the High Command to it's executive council of five, and things would return to normal.
So there was no need to play games here with V'Las. His protection detail was formed of V'Shar officers, and those officers were under the purview of the Director of the V'Shar, so when a direct order came down the line that the detail should allow five people through the security net in order to speak with Administrator V'Las, the orders were obeyed.
So it was that V'Las was interrupted in his work, at close to 10AM by three Humans and two Vulcans, to V'Las' surprise and displeasure. Still, V'Las retained enough presence of mind to press a button which would summon both his secretary, and his security detail into the room - to either satisfactorily explain the presence of these intruders into his office, or remove them all.
V'Las watched the intruders for the next few moments, as they spread round his desk in a semi-circle. He recognized none of the Humans, nor the male Vulcan, but the female Vulcan was T'Pol, and her last assignment had been the Human starship, Enterprise, and for the first time, V'Las felt unease - if she was from the Enterprise, it took no great leap of imagination to assume that these Humans were also of the Enterprise.
What the hell is taking Security so long to respond? thought V'Las, for he'd heard no weapons fire, no disturbances at all, and it should not have been possible for these people to pass Security without any effort at all.
"What do you want?" said V'Las brusquely, his left hand moving in the process, in order to come closer to one of the drawers in his desk, a drawer which concealed a phaser.
"We're here to discover your role in the kvo'ratt infestation aboard the Enterprise, V'Las," said the oldest Human present here.
"And you are?" said V'Las.
"Jon Archer, former captain of the Enterprise."
"Well, I am not sure where you got the impression that I had any sort of involvement with that matter," said V'Las, "but you are mistak—"
"We're about to find out, now," said Archer.
"And you?" said V'Las, looking at T'Pol. "You're an officer of the Vulcan Navy, subject to the authority of the High Command. I am the head of the executive branch of the High Command. You're actions are treasonous, T'Pol, and will carry a price."
"If you are indeed innocent of involvement in that matter," said T'Pol, "I will accept any punishment the High Command sees fit to levy against me, Administrator."
"And you?" said V'Las, looking at the male Vulcan.
That Vulcan did not have a chance to answer, for Malcolm drew a phaser and shot V'Las right in the torso, tired of the pointless conversation.
"So let's get to it," said Malcolm.
When V'Las regained consciousness, he found himself restrained to his chair by some bands. What followed next was not pleasant. A physical interrogation under the influence of truth telling drugs and physical pain compliance measures, and then a forced mind meld at the doing of the unknown male Vulcan, and when it was all over, V'Las knew his time as administrator and leader of the High Command was over, for he'd reasoned things out, and realized that the other members of the High Command's executive council and the Director of the V'Shar, stood in support of these actions. He would be lucky to escape with merely an enforced retirement, and V'Las suspected that he'd actually face house arrest for the rest of his life, perhaps even a secret prison.
"So what now?" said V'Las, furious and frightened, though managing to conceal those emotions to a great degree.
The dark haired Human who'd shot V'Las before, shot him again, with his phaser set to it's weakest setting. It left V'Las conscious, but barely able to stand, after which the dark haired human cut V'Las' restraints and stood the Vulcan to his feet with the blond haired Human's help, while Archer adjusted the power settings on the phaser which Malcolm had set down, and then aimed the phaser at the plate glass, wall to ceiling windows of V'Las' office. It took three shots to completely shatter the thick glass, and then suddenly a blast of heat, and wind entered V'Las' office, as the two Humans walked V'Las to the edge.
V'Las knew better than to plead for his life: if things had come to this, his fate was already determined, though he managed to turn to Malcolm and spit in the Human's face. His gesture meant nothing apparently, for the Human only smiled in return, and then V'Las felt only the wind and the fear as he tumbled some 1,800 feet from his office, to the ground below. His death was instantaneous.
"…and so," said the news reporter standing in front of the High Command's HQ building some five hours after V'Las had plunged to the ground, "the tragic suicide of Head Administrator V'Las brings to a close a long and distinguished career, and it is certain that his memorial service will be one of the grandest in many years. For MindNet news, I am V'Sel Tosik, signing off."
"Good riddance," said Trip, knowing that with the V'Shar in charge of the investigation, V'Las' death would be written off as a suicide without any sort of real investigation.
"Oh, aye," said Malcolm, and Archer nodded in agreement with the sentiment.
"I got a call from Admiral Forrest hours after V'Las' death," said Archer. "The Vulcan mind probe of V'Las drew some interesting facts from the recently deceased administrator. Turns out he was an agent for the Romulans, and this kov'ratt incident meant to be a wedge between Earth and Vulcan. Apparently they even tried introducing them on Earth, but the kvo'ratt couldn't live long anywhere but our harshest deserts, they're so well evolved to Vulcan's climate and ecology, and even there they died eventually."
"We don't know that for certain, do we?" said Trip. "These things could have found a niche in Earth's deserts. It's not impossible."
"Nothing's impossible, Trip. Maybe they did, but even so, they can't leave those places, Trip," said Archer. "Hell, nothing lives there anyway. We'll be searching for signs of them for decades, but for now I wouldn't sweat it. No one's found signs of any young kvo'ratt, so the Romulans may have overlooked something. Could be that they can't breed anywhere but Vulcan. We'll see, but either way, that's a problem for another day."
"I have also heard," said T'Pol, "that the mind probe yielded V'Las' connections, and the V'Shar is on the hunt for them all. V'Las was most useful to us all, before his... suicide."
"Forrest offered me a ship and told me I'd make Commodore in a few years. Trip's getting bumped up to captain and getting his own ship as well if he takes up with StarFleet once again, and Malcolm's getting bumped up to full commander. Since T'Pol is a member of the Vulcan Navy, I have no idea if she will benefit by her actions in this matter, but I suspect she may."
Archer's words did not surprise anyone there: they'd all resigned together, and even the dimmest light bulb in the room would have known that they were on a mission of vengeance, and had resigned lest their actions bring dishonor to Earth, or StarFleet, but now that Malcolm had reported in to Harris, Harris in his turn had whispered into some ears on the Admiralty commission in order to assure them that the kvo'ratt incident had been avenged, and that these people should be offered commissions by a grateful StarFleet. Nothing was clearly stated, yet the admirals all knew what Harris meant, and chose to reward the avengers of the Enterprise incident.
"I believe that I will resign my commission with the Vulcan Navy," said T'Pol, "and take up service with StarFleet. Mr. Tucker will need a Science officer if he takes command of his own ship."
"And a Tactical officer," said Malcolm, and Trip nodded back, glad to have Malcolm on his ship.
"So it's over," said Trip.
"It's over," said Archer.