Star Trek-ISS Enterprise-Darkness Reflection

Jonathan Archer couldn't move, the would be Emperor had been poisoned by the slut Hoshi Sato and traitor Travis Mayweather. Archer felt weak, helpless. Yet within him a burning furnace of rage within him kept him clinging to life, he'd been so close. It would take a short Sato awhile to get past the codes he's installed to have full control over the ship, so he had to move fast. Using the former Captains private and secure comm. Archer contacted the one man he thought might still be loyal.

"Commander Tucker, do you read me?"

"...I'm reading you Sir, what are your orders?"

"Does the traitor Phlox still live?"

"I was just about to finish him Sir, this scum tried to sabotage your ship."

A rush of pride flowed through Archer despite the pain and rage, his ship.

"Do nothing of the sort! For the moment I need him alive, bring him to me and tell the scum to bring every anti venom in his possession. There are traitors in our midst Commander...do this for me and I promise you will be rewarded, my first officer...with T'Pol, if she still lives, will enjoy a new life as your pet."

"By your command Sir, where are you?"

"Come to my quarters, quietly, understood?"

"On our way."

Yes he would live; his mind was already filling with the delicious justice he would inflict. Phlox would build four agony booths-for himself, Sato and Mayweather. With one spare...the other three would be permanently occupied. He grinned, it was grimace due to the pain, but the he was far from through. He hadn't decided yet whether he would keep his word to Tucker, or what to do with T'pol. She disgusted and fascinated him, he had never quite decided whether or not sex was on the agenda. She was simply too good to be allowed to die, at least for now, despite all she had done. Archer heard footsteps approaching and prayed it was Tucker. He braced himself in case it wasn't. Fear clutched at his chest, icy and black, but he would not die begging. He was a soldier. It was Tucker and that slime Phlox. Tucker ran towards him, eyes wide with shock at what he saw.

"By the Empire, Captain what happened?"

"The traitors...they have poisoned me Tucker...I know in the past I might not have completely believed in your loyalty, but now I say this; help me here and now and you will never have to prove yourself again...the reward I mentioned it but one of many..."

For the slightest moment Tucker seemed conflicted, before he turned and pointed his rifle at the good doctor, he almost leapt forward and began to work, scanning Archer's vitals and trying to detect the poison. Phlox stinking tongue stuck out in concentration.

"Borga plant, a few minutes more and you would be beyond help..."

Archer felt a shot in his arm, a strange coolness descended upon him. The burning agony retreated suddenly, his shaking hands steadied themselves and his eyes fully focused, another shot of steroids would keep the rest of his weakness at bay until he had time to rest. Archer rose, his features twisting with hate as he hit the doctor across the temple before kicking him, knocking him out cold. Tucker grinned then handed him one of the Defiant's phasers. Archer noticed that Tucker himself still used a rifle,

"First things first Commander Tucker, we need to storm the bridge. We shoot to kill, no hesitation, the rest of the crew will not fight so long as we act quickly."

Archer gave up on the agony booth idea, indulgences like that would have to wait. It was time to retake his ship, kill the traitors and bring order and victory to the Empire. They moved quietly, knowing full well they could not be tracked by the ships sensors as of yet. Coming to the bridge Archer grinned. Sato was stood, out in the open and arrogant alongside Mayweather, they were drunk on power. Archer set the phaser on maximum; Tucker aimed the rifle at Mayweather. They were ash in less than five seconds, neither had time to move. Archer blasted Mayweather's body to ash too.

Entering the bridge phaser raised, Archer looked about him. The fear in their eyes delighted him, finally they respected and feared him, and finally they saw him for what he truly was. With a rage filled shout he declared:

"I am the Emperor and no other!"

They all looked at him, and then slowly-a few of them at first, Tucker among them, then all of them saluted him.

"Send a one way hail to Terra Prime, tell them they have five minutes to declare me Emperor and swear their loyalty to me, and broadcast it across the Empire. The pretender, currently on the throne and all of the elites loyal to him are to be executed immediately. Otherwise Terra Prime will pay the ultimate price, as will anyone else that defies the Emperor. Oh and fire a warning shot...destroy the Imperial Palace. "

Tucker moved over to the weapons console without hesitation, locking the planetary torpedoes upon the palace. He looked up at Archer, who scowled, only to see Tucker smile.

"I thought perhaps Sir...you would like the honour...as our Emperor, of launching the torpedoes...of making history."

I was about to shoot you for hesitating...ever the loyal dog Tucker, he thought with some humour. Yet the dog was right, Archer moved towards the control with a certain amount of drama, eying the crew who's eyes were wide with either fear or admiration. He would show he had the strength.

"On screen Commander, we should be able to see the explosion even from up here. Two torpedoes that will be more than enough...the rest will be for our dear friends in the rebellion."

Archer pressed the button, watched the torpedo descend...watch as the explosion glowed like a little sun down upon the planet as the Imperial Palace, the largest, most heavily fortified and shielded building in the Empire was consumed utterly. Within minutes the USS Defiant was being hailed by every military figure of any significance on Earth, within an hour all across the Empire they were hailing him with oaths of loyalty and begging for orders. Everyone and everything, was exactly where he wanted them.

"I go to my quarters, remain in orbit above Terra Prime. We will meet in two hours to plan our attack on the rebels. Commander Tucker, you will install additional security to the ships controls, nobody shall command this ships full power except me. Bring First Officer T'Pol to my quarters immediately!"

Archer's will was done without question or hesitation.

She stood before him, the traitor, the women who'd almost single headedly brought down the Defiant with her thinking. He wanted to kill her, he wanted to beat her and strangle her. Archer had a better idea though, he would break her instead...and she would love him. With T'pol's brilliant mind on his side, he couldn't lose and he knew exactly how to get her on his side again and to eventually love him.

"You are a traitor T'Pol...I should kill you."

"That is the logical course of action, yes."

Archer had to smile in disbelief and much as he hated to admit it admiration. She was brave, unafraid of even the worst he could do. Archer sat, then gestured that he gave her permission to sit on the sofa opposite him, which she did.

"I have seen a more logical...a more brilliant course of action...one that will ensure your loyalty, and explain why I have chosen to allow you to live rather than devising a painful execution for you. Your only concern and motivation regarding your recent...misdemeanours...have been out of loyalty to your people, yes?"

She looked at him coolly and the nodded, too terrified to speak.

"Now...there is only one way to stop your rebellion and theirs. You will be my consort and your planet's special representative. If I give you my word that no Vulcan's will be killed, from this moment on, if their deaths are preventable and they are not in direct rebellion, will you aid me in securing their loyalty? Killing them will only further inspire others to rebel. You have read as I have that Vulcans and Humans are equals in the other universe. What if I now said you could stand at my side, as special representative for them?"

"...Stand at your side?"

"I told you before I never had a problem with your people; you want what is best for them don't you?"

"I do."

"Then you see it is logical. Nobody but me can give you that guarantee; so long as I live your people are safe, with you at my side you can help them prosper under my rule. Surely you see, it's the only way?"

"Yes...I...I do. You are right...this civil war could destroy us all. I swear my allegiance...I will live to do your will, Emperor."

"Come here."

She stood, walking towards him with her usual casual grace. She was Vulcan...but now he looked at her properly, as though for the first time, he saw she was beautiful. She stripped, knowing his intent, and Archer favoured her with a smile. He took her with furious lust, again and again, being a Vulcan she didn't tire quickly. When they were finished, she was looking at him, her usually cold eyes alight with bliss and satisfaction. T'Pol put her soft lips to his ear and spoke the words he had waited for.

"You are my Emperor...I will stay by your side...my devotion will be my people's salvation...and your satisfaction."

"Once Tucker has finished working on the ship I want you to kill him, he has too much knowledge of it's systems. Once the ship is mine, he is the only one who could wrest it from me."

T'Pol smiled, bit his ear gently, raking her nails down Archer's chest.

"All will be as you desire...I promise."

Alone now in his quarters while T'Pol went to assist and keep an eye on Tucker, Archer felt confident. He would keep his word to T'Pol, the Vulcan's would once again give the Empire their absolute loyalty and he would have hers and...perhaps in time...her love."

Suddenly there was a flash, as a being dressed like himself inexplicably appeared in his quarters.

"Greetings Emperor...no don't bother calling security, or trying to shoot me. I am Q, I and those I represent have power you can't even imagine. We are the gods that your primitive little culture so wisely worships, albeit in typically crude and distorted forms...nevertheless, we are most pleased with you."

Archer was silent, regarding the being in front of him, it was stern and well...godly. Human looking, yet it's words rung with both truth and assurance.

"It is...an honour to meet you Q. Yet I must ask why you have chosen to...honour me with your presence?"

Archer chose his words carefully, even he knew that this alien or god was not to be offended or tested. It favoured him with a smile.

"Ah...a life form that treats me with the proper courtesy and respect...we Q evolved very early on n the Universe Archer, we are bored...very bored. I proposed to the Q Continuum that we do something about our boredom. So we decided that you would be our agent, our source of amusement if you will. We've killed beings ourselves before but that's boring now too, but we've never concentrated power in the hands of one such as you to watch the results...Oh don't look like that! We've had a hand in giving you your ship and the throne of the Empire as compensation, if you will; all you have to do now is follow your present course of action. Crush the rebels and conquer the universe, it is your destiny! There are wonders out there to sate desire's subtle and gross Archer, but they are only for those who are brave...and who has been braver than you in recent years...we have watched you, we have seen. Paint the Universe red Archer with the pain and suffering of the weak, bring order to the strong and deserving under your rule. Rest assured, I'll be here to give you a little helping hand along the way."

With that it disappeared, Archer was left alone smiling in the dark. So, it had been his destiny after all...

The plan had not taken more than ten minutes to form, the ISS New Enterprise, as it was now called, being invulnerable would lead the assault while the lesser ships would orbit the rebelling planets to ensure their shipyards were destroyed and the leaders of their world's rebellions would be brought to Imperial Justice. The crew were too afraid now of Archer to comment on his appointment of T'Pol as his official consort. The Vulcan's has sent messages to the ship asking for clemency and offering themselves once again to the Empire, with their unconditional surrender. Archer, as per his promise to T'Pol, had dealt with the Vulcan's sternly yet mercifully. The Vulcan's for their part executed the known leaders of the rebellion without trial in a show of support and willingness to repent their sins. Tucker completed most of the security work and found his neck promptly broken by T'Pol, Archer found the swift brutality of her actions very reassuring. Terra Prime's leaders had begun purging those loyal to the old Emperor-now dead-and any who resisted Archer's new rule. All over Star Fleet the old, decrepit Captains and Admirals were being replaced by strong new blood, strong new battle hardened warriors who could truly help the Empire gain victory. Some were old war buddies, but they all swore their loyalty to him. Fear would keep them all in line, fear of this ship and it's fighting Emperor and his deadly consort and body guard. It was a glorious day for the Empire...there would be greater glories still, Archer could feel it in his heart, looking out at the stars.

"Set a course for the Terran frontline, order the rest of our ships to orbit rebel planets."

"As you command."

"Engage."

"Space...the unlimited frontier. These are the voyages of the star ship Enterprise and it's continuing mission to colonise strange new worlds, to seek out and conquer new life under our civilisation. To boldly wage war where no man has ever been before."