Hirgev heard the doors open. Two people came in, but she saw only Yathai, her beautiful suewa, her 'other-self'. The one being for whom she cared more than for the baby, the one person who had been constant.
Without thought she turned over in the bed, half-extending her hands towards the other woman and gesturing her overwhelming feelings in the hope that Yathai would see them and respond.
How many memories they had made together, how much they had shared. How different the future could have been, but for the cunning of that hiu'eri down on the planet and all the rest of his kind. Now what remained for them? At best, as things stood, they could hope only to survive – just two among the fleeing, hunted remnants of the ruling class, whose only value now lay in any mature eggs that could be harvested from their dead bodies.
They had both known how desperate their plight had become, on that last day. Nothing else could have driven her to ask what she had of Yathai. She had shuddered at the bare thought of it: to send her other-self into the arms of one of The Enemy, to ask her to expose herself to whatever beastly cruelties were necessary to satisfy his desires! But there had been an odd rapport between the two of them, on the previous day – the last day, though none of them could have guessed it then, of their happiness; afterwards, Yathai had spoken with wonder of how easy he had been to talk with, how knowledgeable and courteous. Observing them closely, in between talking on her own account with the other members of the diplomatic delegation from the ship, Hirgev had been surprised herself that the Humans' somewhat reserved Weapons Master had been so superficially polite; she had expected an arrogant boor, determined to establish the inferiority of their hosts' technological achievements from the start. Nevertheless, she had neither been deceived by his assumed gentleness nor blind to the possibilities his obvious attraction to Yathai offered.
At first it had been a vague hope that the latter might incline him towards sharing Starfleet technology more readily and freely than he might otherwise have done, but a very little questioning of Yathai afterwards had shown her that he was aware of where his duty laid boundaries, and determined to observe these – doubtless deeming the Merixa quite unworthy of such benefits. When the news of the imminent assault broke out, however, a far more deadly scheme had occurred to her almost at once. Once on board his ship, the lieutenant had all that technology at his fingertips.
"Weapons Master." Captain Archer's harsh voice interrupted Hirgev's reflections so that she abruptly stopped gesturing and glared at him. "My ship's doctor will be monitoring you every moment. And if he sees the slightest suggestion that you intend any repetition of your previous behaviour toward my lieutenant, he will put a stop to whatever you're doing – immediately."
Ah – she was so sad! Even her beautiful slender obisteh were drooping, wilting down across the pale cheeks. Hirgev had not known she would look like this, or she might even have been less forceful in the conversation they'd had only a few minutes ago. And yet, necessity is the cruellest of all masters. They could not pass up their last opportunity for the sake of some unexpected weakness.
The Humans, it seemed, did not know that their prisoner-guests shared a bond, one which was the reality of the warped echo by which Yathai had taken control of Lieutenant Reed. Between lovers, this was a channel for comfort and affection – and occasionally, when the need was there, for a stern reminder of the realities of their situation.
Hirgev had been startled by the initial resistance she had encountered. Anger had flooded through her, making her thoughts turbulent and hurtful. Too much so, for Yathai had had no defence against them. The sudden collapse had told her too late how damaged her other-self was, so that her kindness had also come too late, when the mischief was done and past undoing. There had been almost no response to the cajoling and encouragement as Yathai was escorted towards Sickbay, and that in itself was unheard-of.
Still – Yathai knew her duty; the other had only been a moment's foolishness, a natural consequence of the stresses of the past two days. Hirgev now watched with pride as her other-self walked towards the unconscious lieutenant. Drugs would not protect his mind with the two of them linked against him; all his knowledge would be open to them, so that even as Yathai pretended to restore him they could plunder all of that technological expertise he possessed. With that in their possession, their position back on Javna would be very different. There would be little difficulty in convincing the new regime that their knowledge was far more valuable than their eggs, and entering into negotiations accordingly. The fact that ripping the information from the Human by force would inflict on him neurological trauma so great that once they relinquished control of him he would be left as a drooling idiot for the rest of his life was only a minor complication; after all, he was one of The Enemy.
Watched closely by the captain and the doctor, and by the female weapons officer who had brought her here and remained vigilant beside the door, Yathai touched her fingers to Reed's forehead. Hirgev restrained another surge of irritation at the sorrowful droop of her other-self's shoulders. She had not asked how it had been, during that ghastly experience when Yathai had been required to endure the Human's lust. In truth, she had not wanted to know, and the other woman had seemed understandably anxious only to forget it. Now was her chance to avenge herself for everything he had done to her; why then was she hesitating?
He was gentle, Yathai said suddenly through the bond.
He is one of The Enemy, Hirgev reminded her yet again, careful now to keep the tone of her thoughts calm and persuasive rather than hectoring. This must be done, beloved, for both our sakes. And for the child's.
It was not how you said it would be. He was ... even when he realised, he did not want to hurt me.
In war, there are always casualties. He understands that.
We are not at war with them. We offered them friendship.
Yathai, this is our only chance! Does our love mean nothing to you?
Does my honour mean nothing to you?
The sudden retort was so shocking that Hirgev actually hesitated. She looked around a little blindly for the child, but the foolish ensign was occupied with wrapping the infant warmly in a blanket and cooing over it, and was paying no attention whatsoever to what went forward.
He would understand, she said, just too late to be convincing.
No. He would not.
Yathai bent closer. Beyond her, the captain took up a carefully neutral stance, but his face was closed and wary. The doctor seemed more interested in the settings for the scanner above Lieutenant Reed's head, which he was adjusting. The woman from the Armoury team was still beside the door, motionless and watchful. The only other person in the room was the diminutive nurse, who was standing opposite the foot of Hirgev's bed, glancing casually from time to time at the monitor above the head of it in between watching what her superior was doing.
There was a pause. Hirgev watched her other-self's fingers trace the outline of Reed's left cheekbone, so bare and ugly without the obisteh to lend it character. Her own had now coiled up tightly against her flawless skin, faithful indicators of her strange reluctance.
They will grow suspicious, beloved, she said gently, trying not to betray the sudden cruel stab of the jealousy she felt as well as the impatience. If I could do this for you, I would. I am sorry that it is so difficult for you.
You were willing enough that I should suffer the thing that you feared, said Yathai bitterly. I did not hear you offering to share it with me, even only in my mind, giving me comfort. You did not care that I was alone and afraid. You did not care that I gave up my honour.
But this is nonsense! Hirgev was aghast. It is war, and in war such things happen, as I told you! How can you doubt that I love you?
I am doubting many things. You said that he would be rough and cruel, and care nothing, and you were wrong. I even begin to wonder if all of The Enemy of our own kind are alike. I wonder if we have created the thing we hate, and feed it with our own hatred. I wonder if it is indeed as he said – that we are achieving nothing but destroying ourselves through our own folly.
Yathai was staring down at him now. Their faces were so close that she must be able to feel his slow, even breaths, but still her gradually uncoiling obisteh hovered and danced in an agony of reluctance and indecision.
He was sedated. That had been part of the plan, that if they could somehow reach Enterprise and opportunity offered, Yathai should use her hold on him to provoke him into a reaction that would lead his own kind to drug him into helplessness. It could not, therefore, be fear that held her immobile. She had only to reach out and take his mind, and with it, their future. They could simply say afterwards that something had gone wrong, that somehow the lieutenant's brain had been damaged by the procedure that for a Merixan brain was completely harmless.
Humans were soft, weak. Even if they suspected the truth, what could they prove? They would not take revenge. Hard words would break no heads.
So why in the names of the Four Hells was Yathai hesitating?
Hirgev decided to try a different tack. Your compassion is commendable, she said soothingly. We will be merciful. The instrument on the table beside you will kill him. When we are done, use it. No-one will be close enough to stop you. They could say that Yathai had felt so terrified by the lieutenant's returning consciousness that she'd thought he would attack her when he woke up, and had used it instinctively in self-defence. After all, how was she to know that what it contained would kill him? She had not been present when the doctor said so.
Yes. Yathai was still staring. As if even beneath the weight of the sedation he was aware of her, his eyelashes fluttered; his eyes half-opened for a moment, and his lips moved slightly. But he was too weak to resist. He sank back safely into oblivion. Yes, she whispered again. He would rather die than be a traitor.
Realising instantly what Yathai meant to do, Hirgev was swept by a blinding rage. As the other woman's hand darted to the hypospray, she flung all of her power of command into the bond. It should have been directed at the Human, helping to shatter him, but instead it would be directed at her beloved, and could hardly be less devastating in effect.
As focussed as she was, she hardly heard the sharp cry of warning from the nurse; but she heard the scream from Ensign Sato, who leaped to her feet and flung the bundle in her arms to the deck plating with a violence that was surely enough to kill.
The child – the child! Molten horror froze her for the instant it took Yathai to seize the hypospray and press it to Lieutenant Reed's neck. The small hiss of it discharging was loud in the sliver of silence before Sickbay exploded into shouting and movement, in the midst of which the lieutenant's arms flashed up and seized Yathai, grabbing her to him even as he rolled violently off the bio-bed, doubtless with the intention of murdering her.
Screeching with fury and terror, Hirgev lunged out of the bed. She had hardly got to her feet before she saw the ensign lift a booted foot and with absolute precision stamp down on the helpless bundle on the deck in front of her.
Absolute disbelief paralysed her. That any female ...any! ... would–
It was the last conscious thought she had before a phase pistol shot took her squarely in the back.
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