Civilized Savages
By Didi
Disclaimers: Star Trek is owned by the late and great Gene Roddenberry. I own nothing within this story except the improbable idea behind it. Paramount owns the rights to the show and I do wish they would run of the wonderful reruns of the older series. Please don't sue me cause I have no money and will have to pay you in lint.
Summery: When one of their own goes missing, Enterprise crew goes on a search as to why.
Acknowledgement: To my darling Julie who loves Star Trek and is always willing to listen to me either rag or rave about episodes. Always know that you're opinion is more important than the stupid producers.
RATING: Rated R for content.
Note: This was written before last night's episode, "Sleeping Dogs," so I didn't know that the Klingons don't have any life pods. So please cut me some slack!
~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Fourteen
~~~~~~~~~~
Klingon Warbird Kollarg
"Ramming speed?!?" Hoshi shouted at the top of her lungs over the roar of the engines and the hissing of the live wires hanging everywhere. "Are you people nuts!"
Klaang turned to look at the young ensign with deep eyes that seem to be considering all the options in the world, except the one that would reverse their present course. He pulled M'Pai over to him and said something too softly for Hoshi to hear as she made her way over to the Captain.
"You cannot possibly mean to do something so... so...." She didn't know the word for 'suicidal' in Klingon, so she opinioned for something equally applicable. "Something so stupid!"
M'Pai grinned at her. "It is a good day to die."
Hoshi stared at him opened mouthed. "It is not a good day to die!" She turned to look at the captain of the ship. "You promised to return me to my ship. How can you do that if you are dead?"
Klaang nodded his head and motioned to M'Pai who merely nodded his head and grabbed Hoshi by the arm. "We return you to your ship now."
"What?!?" She turned her head and got one last look at Klaang as he watched them go. "What are you people talking about?!?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Enterprise - Bridge
The blinding light had everyone on the bridge, and everyone throughout the ship for that matters, shielding their eyes from the intense blaze. It was so bright that the pain it caused for anyone unfortunate enough to be looking out a space portal to suffer some retina damage that Dr. Phlox would be treating for the next week to come.
"Missile intercepted, sir," Reed called out through the intercom, one of the few people that had been safely shielded away from the light. "One of the Klingon's Bird of Prey fired an intercept beam."
"Really?" Archer asked, surprised as hell. From where he was sitting, the Klingons, though holding their own, certainly didn't look to be any position, not to mention inclination, to help them out. "Anyone want to speculate why they would..."
"Incoming message," Ensign William looked up clearly startled. "Klingon lead ship, sir."
"Put it through."
The massive head of wild hair and sharp teeth appeared on the screen only long enough to growl out a few incomprehensible words to...no, at Archer before abruptly cutting off.
Turning to Ensign William, who was scrambling through the computer translating the message, Archer did some growling of his own. "What the hell was that?"
Ensign William took an extra moment to double-check himself. "He said, 'Pick up your woman.' Whatever that means."
"Captain," T'Pol's cool voice carried smoothly through the near panic of the other, younger crewmen. "The Klingon lead ship has release a life pod."
"They've what?" It took a moment for Jonathan to understanding what the Vulcan was saying. "Scan for..."
"It is humanoid. Earth human to be exact." She answered smoothly and with a slight tilt of her head.
Archer's eyes lit up like a kid's eyes at Christmas. With a quick twist of his lips, he touched the intercom. "Trip, I need you to..."
"Way ahead of you, sir." Trip called out through the system even as he raced toward the shuttle bay. "We can try the grappling. It's safer than putting another ship out there."
"Agreed," Archer said nodded his head. "Get Mr. Reed to assist you with that."
"Shouldn't he be at the armory in case..." Trip suggested.
"The Klingons appear to be giving the life pod and ourselves plenty of cover." T'Pol answered quietly.
Reed's voice came through clearly. "Give me two minutes."
"With the kind of fire being used out there, Hoshi may not have two minutes." Archer called out. "Mayweather, can you get us any closer?"
"Yes, sir," Mayweather answered as he pushed the ship closer to the life pod that was moving steadily toward the Enterprise.
The rest of the crew held their collective breath at the sound of the grappling hooks shot from their bays, reaching desperately for the small pod. The first one miss by a mere three feet, but the second one caught. Strong magnetic forces clasped together and everyone sighed as the small object was pulled into the safety of the shuttle bay.
Archer waited until the shuttle bay door closed before giving his next order. "Trip, get her to Dr. Phlox." He smiled as he turned toward his pilot, "Ensign, I think maybe we should be leaving this little domestic dispute. Get us out of here at warp..."
"Captain!" Hoshi voice came through the intercom, a little shaky but definitely strong.
"Ensign Sato," Archer grinned, relaxing for the first time in a while. "It good to hear your..."
"We have to help them," Hoshi said urgently as commander Tucker helped her out of the life pod, which the Klingons had padded for her before literally stuffing her into it. "Klaang plans on ramming his ship into the Kocklond's ship." She winced as she forced her cramped up legs to move, with a concerned Reed and Trip following behind, both ready to catch her if she should fall.
"Hoshi, what are you saying?" Archer asked quietly, holding up a hand to stop Mayweather who had been inputting his orders, ready to high tailed it out of there.
"We have to help the Klingons." Hoshi said, having to shop when the heavy Klingon armor she was still wearing tripped her up. "Help me get this off," she pleaded.
Trip and Reed pulled the plating from the arm and shoulder, neither one brave enough to reach for the leg and chest guard.
"Hoshi, they abducted you and..."
"I know but they had their reasons." She was slightly annoyed with the fact that she was standing here having to defend the very people that caused her so many headaches not too long ago.
Reed was getting peeved over the fact that Hoshi was sticking up for those...those... "What possible reason could they have for..."
"Captain, the Kocklonds were trying to assassinate the Klingon High Council. Klaang and his crew were simply trying to prevent the massive destruction of their empire." Hoshi pleaded with Reed and Tucker with her tired eyes. "Please, I truly believe that the Klingons have been wronged in this."
Tucker groaned while Reed merely sighed. "Captain," the armory officer said rather reluctantly. "I think you might want to listen to her."
Hoshi offered a smiled of gratitude. "Thank you."
Reed shook his head and helped her toward the bridge once more. "Don't thank me, just don't make me regret sticking up for you."
"Ah can't believe we're doing this," Trip muttered darkly as he jogged along side them.
Archer turned in his chair the three officers came through the door. He raised a brow at Hoshi's new fashion statement but otherwise welcomed her back with a gesture toward her station, which was quickly vacated by a grateful Ensign William. "Mr. Reed, why don't you see about armory and Trip, get those shields running at full again. People, we're going in."
By Didi
Disclaimers: Star Trek is owned by the late and great Gene Roddenberry. I own nothing within this story except the improbable idea behind it. Paramount owns the rights to the show and I do wish they would run of the wonderful reruns of the older series. Please don't sue me cause I have no money and will have to pay you in lint.
Summery: When one of their own goes missing, Enterprise crew goes on a search as to why.
Acknowledgement: To my darling Julie who loves Star Trek and is always willing to listen to me either rag or rave about episodes. Always know that you're opinion is more important than the stupid producers.
RATING: Rated R for content.
Note: This was written before last night's episode, "Sleeping Dogs," so I didn't know that the Klingons don't have any life pods. So please cut me some slack!
~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Fourteen
~~~~~~~~~~
Klingon Warbird Kollarg
"Ramming speed?!?" Hoshi shouted at the top of her lungs over the roar of the engines and the hissing of the live wires hanging everywhere. "Are you people nuts!"
Klaang turned to look at the young ensign with deep eyes that seem to be considering all the options in the world, except the one that would reverse their present course. He pulled M'Pai over to him and said something too softly for Hoshi to hear as she made her way over to the Captain.
"You cannot possibly mean to do something so... so...." She didn't know the word for 'suicidal' in Klingon, so she opinioned for something equally applicable. "Something so stupid!"
M'Pai grinned at her. "It is a good day to die."
Hoshi stared at him opened mouthed. "It is not a good day to die!" She turned to look at the captain of the ship. "You promised to return me to my ship. How can you do that if you are dead?"
Klaang nodded his head and motioned to M'Pai who merely nodded his head and grabbed Hoshi by the arm. "We return you to your ship now."
"What?!?" She turned her head and got one last look at Klaang as he watched them go. "What are you people talking about?!?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Enterprise - Bridge
The blinding light had everyone on the bridge, and everyone throughout the ship for that matters, shielding their eyes from the intense blaze. It was so bright that the pain it caused for anyone unfortunate enough to be looking out a space portal to suffer some retina damage that Dr. Phlox would be treating for the next week to come.
"Missile intercepted, sir," Reed called out through the intercom, one of the few people that had been safely shielded away from the light. "One of the Klingon's Bird of Prey fired an intercept beam."
"Really?" Archer asked, surprised as hell. From where he was sitting, the Klingons, though holding their own, certainly didn't look to be any position, not to mention inclination, to help them out. "Anyone want to speculate why they would..."
"Incoming message," Ensign William looked up clearly startled. "Klingon lead ship, sir."
"Put it through."
The massive head of wild hair and sharp teeth appeared on the screen only long enough to growl out a few incomprehensible words to...no, at Archer before abruptly cutting off.
Turning to Ensign William, who was scrambling through the computer translating the message, Archer did some growling of his own. "What the hell was that?"
Ensign William took an extra moment to double-check himself. "He said, 'Pick up your woman.' Whatever that means."
"Captain," T'Pol's cool voice carried smoothly through the near panic of the other, younger crewmen. "The Klingon lead ship has release a life pod."
"They've what?" It took a moment for Jonathan to understanding what the Vulcan was saying. "Scan for..."
"It is humanoid. Earth human to be exact." She answered smoothly and with a slight tilt of her head.
Archer's eyes lit up like a kid's eyes at Christmas. With a quick twist of his lips, he touched the intercom. "Trip, I need you to..."
"Way ahead of you, sir." Trip called out through the system even as he raced toward the shuttle bay. "We can try the grappling. It's safer than putting another ship out there."
"Agreed," Archer said nodded his head. "Get Mr. Reed to assist you with that."
"Shouldn't he be at the armory in case..." Trip suggested.
"The Klingons appear to be giving the life pod and ourselves plenty of cover." T'Pol answered quietly.
Reed's voice came through clearly. "Give me two minutes."
"With the kind of fire being used out there, Hoshi may not have two minutes." Archer called out. "Mayweather, can you get us any closer?"
"Yes, sir," Mayweather answered as he pushed the ship closer to the life pod that was moving steadily toward the Enterprise.
The rest of the crew held their collective breath at the sound of the grappling hooks shot from their bays, reaching desperately for the small pod. The first one miss by a mere three feet, but the second one caught. Strong magnetic forces clasped together and everyone sighed as the small object was pulled into the safety of the shuttle bay.
Archer waited until the shuttle bay door closed before giving his next order. "Trip, get her to Dr. Phlox." He smiled as he turned toward his pilot, "Ensign, I think maybe we should be leaving this little domestic dispute. Get us out of here at warp..."
"Captain!" Hoshi voice came through the intercom, a little shaky but definitely strong.
"Ensign Sato," Archer grinned, relaxing for the first time in a while. "It good to hear your..."
"We have to help them," Hoshi said urgently as commander Tucker helped her out of the life pod, which the Klingons had padded for her before literally stuffing her into it. "Klaang plans on ramming his ship into the Kocklond's ship." She winced as she forced her cramped up legs to move, with a concerned Reed and Trip following behind, both ready to catch her if she should fall.
"Hoshi, what are you saying?" Archer asked quietly, holding up a hand to stop Mayweather who had been inputting his orders, ready to high tailed it out of there.
"We have to help the Klingons." Hoshi said, having to shop when the heavy Klingon armor she was still wearing tripped her up. "Help me get this off," she pleaded.
Trip and Reed pulled the plating from the arm and shoulder, neither one brave enough to reach for the leg and chest guard.
"Hoshi, they abducted you and..."
"I know but they had their reasons." She was slightly annoyed with the fact that she was standing here having to defend the very people that caused her so many headaches not too long ago.
Reed was getting peeved over the fact that Hoshi was sticking up for those...those... "What possible reason could they have for..."
"Captain, the Kocklonds were trying to assassinate the Klingon High Council. Klaang and his crew were simply trying to prevent the massive destruction of their empire." Hoshi pleaded with Reed and Tucker with her tired eyes. "Please, I truly believe that the Klingons have been wronged in this."
Tucker groaned while Reed merely sighed. "Captain," the armory officer said rather reluctantly. "I think you might want to listen to her."
Hoshi offered a smiled of gratitude. "Thank you."
Reed shook his head and helped her toward the bridge once more. "Don't thank me, just don't make me regret sticking up for you."
"Ah can't believe we're doing this," Trip muttered darkly as he jogged along side them.
Archer turned in his chair the three officers came through the door. He raised a brow at Hoshi's new fashion statement but otherwise welcomed her back with a gesture toward her station, which was quickly vacated by a grateful Ensign William. "Mr. Reed, why don't you see about armory and Trip, get those shields running at full again. People, we're going in."