"Broken Promises"
Chapter 2-
Nes covered her ears to block out the shouting in the yard. She fell down on her bed, burying her face in the blankets. She rolled over and began to rub her cheek where the bruise was blatantly visible this morning.
She hadn't really thought her father and brother would do anything to Trip. She only thought the visitors would be run off her planet and back to their starship.
"Please," Nes whispered. "The gods that be, do not let my brother, Cly, hurt Trip."
She began to cry, wishing she had not done this to him. Nes had taken an instant liking to the one called Trip. He listened to her dreams and answered her endless questions. She had always hoped one day she would travel the stars. But that was what some of the males did on Alijor, the ones that weren't farming like her father. The females kept the homesteads secure and took care of the young ones. Trip had told her to keep dreaming and maybe one day she would get her wish.
Tor, her younger brother, had also taken to Trip easily. In fact, it was he who spoke up and chastised Nes the previous night when she named Trip as the one. If only she had not panicked and blurted his name out. But she did. And she could not take it back now without causing more harm to another.
----------
"Get out here!" Cly yelled at Trip.
Trip swallowed hard and backed further into the shed, hitting the wall. He didn't like Cly's tone, nor the chain he held in his right hand.
"You best not make me come in there and drag you out." Cly's voice changed to a quieter, yet still menacing, pitch.
"Cly," Trip heard the tremble in his voice and silently cursed himself for it. "Please just let me talk to Nes?"
"Cly!" A voice called from behind Cly.
Trip's heart skipped a beat as he recognized Archer's voice. Cly turned and Trip could see the captain, Malcolm and T'Pol standing next to Rul and Tor.
"Let us talk to him." The captain pleaded.
"Cly," Rul now spoke up. "It is the right thing to do."
"Right?" Cly exclaimed. "What rights does he have?" Cly jerked his thumb at Trip. "And what rights did he deny Nes?"
"Cly!" Rul pressed. "Move aside!"
Reluctantly, Cly stormed out into the yard as the three Enterprise crew moved into the shed. Trip, by that time, had sunk down to a crouching position with his back up against the shed wall.
"Are you all right?" Archer asked, as Reed closed the shed door.
"Yes, sir." Trip nodded, still looking at the ground.
"You really aren't making this easier on yourself." Archer told him. "Rul says you haven't denied Nes' accusations. In fact, you haven't said much of anything."
Trip's head came up and his eyes stared into the captain's. "Do ya think I did what she said?"
"Hell, no." The captain shot back. "But I don't know why you haven't defended yourself."
"All I can tell ya is that I walked her home from the cookout in the woods last night." Trip began. "We talked and she wanted to stay at the edge of the woods for awhile, so I left her there. And I walked back to camp."
"Malcolm and I never heard you come back." Archer told him. "We were already asleep."
"Well, she and I talked a long time." Trip explained. "But she was fine when I left her, Cap'n. I never laid a hand on her. Geez, she's like a teenager ta me, sir. I wouldn't ever try anythin'..."
"All right, calm down." Archer said.
"Did you have a disagreement during your talk?" T'Pol asked, flatly.
"No," Trip answered.
"Well, then why would she point her finger at you?" Reed asked, impatiently. "Something had to happen to sour her towards you."
"What're ya sayin', Lieutenant?" Trip's voice became angry now. "Huh?"
"Easy, easy." Archer intervened, placing a hand up toward Trip. "We're just trying to get to the bottom of this."
"We should take Doctor Phlox's suggestion, Captain." T'Pol turned to him. "DNA evidence would clear the commander from any crime."
"They won't let Nes go up to Enterprise." Trip scoffed. "Or let the doc come down here and examine her."
"Why not?" Reed asked. "If it will answer some questions..."
"No!" Trip yelled, slamming his fists into the wall, the tin reverberating loudly.
There was silence as Archer stared at his friend with total confusion. He turned his attention to T'Pol and Reed.
"Go outside and talk to Rul." Archer told them. "See what you can do."
"No!" Trip screamed louder.
"You settle down!" Archer hollered back, pointing a firm finger at him.
"I won't let the doc touch me!" Trip said anxiously.
"He doesn't have to, Trip." Archer reminded him. "He's got your DNA on file. All he needs is Nes' cooperation. T'Pol, Malcolm go on."
T'Pol nodded and Reed followed her outside. The captain turned and looked back at Trip, who hung his head again.
"What's going on, Trip?" Jon asked him. "I've got to believe you're trying to protect something and not hide it."
"She's just a kid, Cap'n." Trip said, thoughtfully.
"I know," Archer agreed. "But what's going on here? Really going on."
"I've never lied to ya, Cap'n." Trip started. "And I'm not about ta start. Just don't ask me anymore questions I can't answer."
"We could beam you out of here." Archer mused. "But that wouldn't solve anything. They'd always still believe what Nes said about you. And you'd be running away from something, wouldn't you? Something else."
Trip sunk down to the ground, sitting with his legs drawn up. "Please, Cap'n? I told ya I can't..."
The door to the shed flung open and Cly stood there with Rul, Tor, T'Pol and Reed close behind.
"Go and get your doctor!" Cly barked at Archer. "But he stays here!"
"T'Pol can go get Phlox..." Archer started to say.
"No!" Cly yelled. "All three of you go! No one stays behind, but that one."
Archer turned back to Trip, who just looked up at him with tired eyes.
"We'll be back before you know it." The captain told him and moved out past Cly.
Cly slammed the shed door closed and locked it. Archer turned to Rul with determination in his eyes.
"He better be untouched when we get back, Rul." Archer warned.
"I will do my best, Captain." Rul told him. "But my son is larger than I am. And I am old."
As they made their way back to the shuttlepod, none of the three glanced back. They needed to show in their body language that they were not afraid the Srolls would do anything but wait for their return.
"We have to hurry, Captain." T'Pol said. "There is the electrical storm approaching, remember?"
"Yeah," Archer nodded. "I know." He retrieved his communicator from his sleeve pocket and activated it. "Archer to Enterprise."
"Enterprise here, Captain." Hoshi's voice floated out.
"Have Doctor Phlox meet us in launchbay two." Archer told her. "Tell him we need that DNA test."
"Aye, sir." Hoshi replied.
TO BE CONTINUED
----------
Chapter 2-
Nes covered her ears to block out the shouting in the yard. She fell down on her bed, burying her face in the blankets. She rolled over and began to rub her cheek where the bruise was blatantly visible this morning.
She hadn't really thought her father and brother would do anything to Trip. She only thought the visitors would be run off her planet and back to their starship.
"Please," Nes whispered. "The gods that be, do not let my brother, Cly, hurt Trip."
She began to cry, wishing she had not done this to him. Nes had taken an instant liking to the one called Trip. He listened to her dreams and answered her endless questions. She had always hoped one day she would travel the stars. But that was what some of the males did on Alijor, the ones that weren't farming like her father. The females kept the homesteads secure and took care of the young ones. Trip had told her to keep dreaming and maybe one day she would get her wish.
Tor, her younger brother, had also taken to Trip easily. In fact, it was he who spoke up and chastised Nes the previous night when she named Trip as the one. If only she had not panicked and blurted his name out. But she did. And she could not take it back now without causing more harm to another.
----------
"Get out here!" Cly yelled at Trip.
Trip swallowed hard and backed further into the shed, hitting the wall. He didn't like Cly's tone, nor the chain he held in his right hand.
"You best not make me come in there and drag you out." Cly's voice changed to a quieter, yet still menacing, pitch.
"Cly," Trip heard the tremble in his voice and silently cursed himself for it. "Please just let me talk to Nes?"
"Cly!" A voice called from behind Cly.
Trip's heart skipped a beat as he recognized Archer's voice. Cly turned and Trip could see the captain, Malcolm and T'Pol standing next to Rul and Tor.
"Let us talk to him." The captain pleaded.
"Cly," Rul now spoke up. "It is the right thing to do."
"Right?" Cly exclaimed. "What rights does he have?" Cly jerked his thumb at Trip. "And what rights did he deny Nes?"
"Cly!" Rul pressed. "Move aside!"
Reluctantly, Cly stormed out into the yard as the three Enterprise crew moved into the shed. Trip, by that time, had sunk down to a crouching position with his back up against the shed wall.
"Are you all right?" Archer asked, as Reed closed the shed door.
"Yes, sir." Trip nodded, still looking at the ground.
"You really aren't making this easier on yourself." Archer told him. "Rul says you haven't denied Nes' accusations. In fact, you haven't said much of anything."
Trip's head came up and his eyes stared into the captain's. "Do ya think I did what she said?"
"Hell, no." The captain shot back. "But I don't know why you haven't defended yourself."
"All I can tell ya is that I walked her home from the cookout in the woods last night." Trip began. "We talked and she wanted to stay at the edge of the woods for awhile, so I left her there. And I walked back to camp."
"Malcolm and I never heard you come back." Archer told him. "We were already asleep."
"Well, she and I talked a long time." Trip explained. "But she was fine when I left her, Cap'n. I never laid a hand on her. Geez, she's like a teenager ta me, sir. I wouldn't ever try anythin'..."
"All right, calm down." Archer said.
"Did you have a disagreement during your talk?" T'Pol asked, flatly.
"No," Trip answered.
"Well, then why would she point her finger at you?" Reed asked, impatiently. "Something had to happen to sour her towards you."
"What're ya sayin', Lieutenant?" Trip's voice became angry now. "Huh?"
"Easy, easy." Archer intervened, placing a hand up toward Trip. "We're just trying to get to the bottom of this."
"We should take Doctor Phlox's suggestion, Captain." T'Pol turned to him. "DNA evidence would clear the commander from any crime."
"They won't let Nes go up to Enterprise." Trip scoffed. "Or let the doc come down here and examine her."
"Why not?" Reed asked. "If it will answer some questions..."
"No!" Trip yelled, slamming his fists into the wall, the tin reverberating loudly.
There was silence as Archer stared at his friend with total confusion. He turned his attention to T'Pol and Reed.
"Go outside and talk to Rul." Archer told them. "See what you can do."
"No!" Trip screamed louder.
"You settle down!" Archer hollered back, pointing a firm finger at him.
"I won't let the doc touch me!" Trip said anxiously.
"He doesn't have to, Trip." Archer reminded him. "He's got your DNA on file. All he needs is Nes' cooperation. T'Pol, Malcolm go on."
T'Pol nodded and Reed followed her outside. The captain turned and looked back at Trip, who hung his head again.
"What's going on, Trip?" Jon asked him. "I've got to believe you're trying to protect something and not hide it."
"She's just a kid, Cap'n." Trip said, thoughtfully.
"I know," Archer agreed. "But what's going on here? Really going on."
"I've never lied to ya, Cap'n." Trip started. "And I'm not about ta start. Just don't ask me anymore questions I can't answer."
"We could beam you out of here." Archer mused. "But that wouldn't solve anything. They'd always still believe what Nes said about you. And you'd be running away from something, wouldn't you? Something else."
Trip sunk down to the ground, sitting with his legs drawn up. "Please, Cap'n? I told ya I can't..."
The door to the shed flung open and Cly stood there with Rul, Tor, T'Pol and Reed close behind.
"Go and get your doctor!" Cly barked at Archer. "But he stays here!"
"T'Pol can go get Phlox..." Archer started to say.
"No!" Cly yelled. "All three of you go! No one stays behind, but that one."
Archer turned back to Trip, who just looked up at him with tired eyes.
"We'll be back before you know it." The captain told him and moved out past Cly.
Cly slammed the shed door closed and locked it. Archer turned to Rul with determination in his eyes.
"He better be untouched when we get back, Rul." Archer warned.
"I will do my best, Captain." Rul told him. "But my son is larger than I am. And I am old."
As they made their way back to the shuttlepod, none of the three glanced back. They needed to show in their body language that they were not afraid the Srolls would do anything but wait for their return.
"We have to hurry, Captain." T'Pol said. "There is the electrical storm approaching, remember?"
"Yeah," Archer nodded. "I know." He retrieved his communicator from his sleeve pocket and activated it. "Archer to Enterprise."
"Enterprise here, Captain." Hoshi's voice floated out.
"Have Doctor Phlox meet us in launchbay two." Archer told her. "Tell him we need that DNA test."
"Aye, sir." Hoshi replied.
TO BE CONTINUED
----------