Dislaimer: Star Trek Enterprise is the property of Paramount Pictures, not mine.


Chapter 6

The Communicator

A rattle of the heavy cell door brought both men out of their silent contemplation. Whatever needed to be said had been said some time ago by both of them and the last few moments were full of quiet between them.

The guards came in, efficiently binding their hands and leading them outside to the courtyard with the gallows and towards their planned meeting with the Reaper.

Both men walked with head held high, maybe still hoping that there was a last-minute rescue on its way.

Hope goes last was replaying over and over in Jonathan Archer's mind.

The sight of the gallows might have changed that.

Their steps started to shorten seemingly of their own volition, as the reality of the imminent death loomed ominously

Captain Archer suddenly turned to General Gosim, Commander of the installation and their chief interrogator. And as it seemed their executioner as well.
The surrounding soldiers immediately stiffened, hands going to their weapons, ready to intervene.

"He is my Tactical Officer. He can tell you everything you want to know about the Alliance's troop deployments, their weapons," everyone in the courtyard could see that Archer was pleading for his subordinate's life, trying to buy him few more hour, if nothing else.

"Captain." The man in question looked as uncomfortable with his superior's outburst like anyone else.

"You don't need to kill him," Archer tried to move the General to clemency one last time.

There was a moment of surreal quiet, uncomfortable for everyone.

"General?" One of the soldiers hesitantly broke the hush that had fallen over the courtyard.

The man in question looked extremely discomfited and somewhat nervous but indicated that they should proceed with the execution.

Both humans were taken to the gallows, and the nooses were fitted.

Archer was remorsefully staring at his Tactical officer, detachedly noting the shaking chin and frantic swallowing. It is OK to show fear, Malcolm. No one will fault you for it now, in the end.

The courtyard's pre-morning stillness was disturbed by the soft whoosh of an incoming vehicle.

There was a wind disturbing the dust, seemingly coming from nowhere. The soldiers were bewildered by this, shielding their eyes from the flying dust.

Archer whipped his head to stare forward, hoping against all hope. He recognized the sound – it was a shuttlecraft setting down. Not visible would mean they managed to make the Suliban cell ship work. Trip, I owe you one!

Out of thin air, an arm holding a phase pistol appeared and took a shot.

The man standing next to Jonathan fell with a surprised grunt, not having time to pull the lever that would have plunged the Enterprise's captain to his death.

Archer was ready to cheer his people on for their persistence in the face of insurmountable odds.

The sound of the gallows grate opening next to him brought him back to the harsh reality with the swiftness of a fist driven into solar plexus.

He half-turned, as much as the noose allowed for before starting to strangle him, shouting his officer's name in denial.

Then there was the feeling of a knife between his wrists, freeing him and Trip's voice in his ear: 'Jon, go!"

The resulting skirmish was unclear in Jonathan Archer's memory afterward. He remembered being showed down the gallows stairs and into the Suliban cell ship by T'Pol. Trip appeared some indeterminable time later, stubbornly dragging the body of Malcolm onboard. Jonathan remembered the mad scramble in the tiny cell ship towards them, forcefully dragging the limp body from Trip to himself. He detachedly recalled that there was a howl reverberating through the ship, his hands shaking and removing the noose from Malcolm's neck hurriedly. The sight of the noose utterly sickened him, but the red abrasion underneath was even worse. Then there was a sharp pinch at the juncture between his shoulder and neck and merciful blackness.


Author's note: I am going on a vacation for a week, so enjoy your early update, people.

All reviews are answered and the future ones are welcome, as usual.