**********
GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT
Chapter IV
**********
"Stop, please," Trip moaned. He could no longer stand, his legs too weak to hold his weight. His arms and shoulders felt like they were on fire but there was no way to relieve them of the weight they were bearing. Trip lifted his head and forced his eyes to focus on Tol. The First Advisor stepped away from the console and stood in front of the engineer. He ran his hand down Trip's chest again.
"You're strong, Commander. I can understand why Kaitaama was attracted to you."
"Why did you hurt her?"
Tol chuckled and shook his head. "She was so happy when she left your ship. I had never seen her so happy before. I knew what she'd done. What you'd done. She betrayed me, Commander. As soon as she ascended to First Monarch, I was going to ask for her hand in marriage. It was going to be perfect. She laughed at me when I told her. Kaitaama should never have laughed at me." Tol dropped his hand to his side and seemed deep in thought. "She should have never laughed at me," he repeated quietly. He took a step closer to Trip. "You shouldn't have touched her. She was mine!"
Trip could hear the cracking of the bone as he slammed his head into the bridge of Tol's nose. The man screamed in pain and stumbled backwards, his hands covering his face. When he removed them, Trip could see the dark blood flowing freely. Tol stumbled to the console then shot Trip an icy glare before he reached up and pushed a button. The next scream Trip heard was his own.
**********
Jon heard and instantly recognized his friend's voice as they rushed into the prison complex.
"By the gods, no!" Kai cried as they ran, following two of the Sovereign Guard down the corridor. When they reached the last room, one of the guards punched the keypad by the door.
"Shoot the panel!" Kai commanded when the door didn't open. Both guards raised their rifles and fired. Sparks flew everywhere as the panel disintegrated. The door slid open to reveal a bruised and bloodied Trip hanging in the center of the room, his body jerking helplessly.
Jon gasped in horror at the sight. He instantly moved toward his friend. Phaser fire sounded and he turned to see the First Monarch gripping a rifle. He followed Kai's gaze and saw a man slumped against the wall behind a console, tiny wisps of smoke coming from the gaping hole in his chest. The next shot hit the console, sending sparks flying again. Trip's body stopped jerking and the young man hung limply, swinging slightly from the momentum of the jolts. Jon grabbed the engineer around the waist and held him up, trying desperately to relieve the weight from his arms. One of the guards reached up and released one of Trip's wrists. He lowered his arm gently then moved to free the other wrist. T'Pol and Kai both worked to free Trip's ankles. Jon carefully lowered himself to the floor, keeping his friend in his arms. He frantically felt Trip's neck for a pulse then squeezed his eyes shut in relief. He was alive. He quickly removed the electrodes still attached to Trip's chest and stomach then pulled his friend close.
"Jittar, Tamry." Kai shouted as he motioned to his guards. They stepped forward and reached down to pick up the commander. Jon glared at them, refusing to let Trip go.
"You've done enough! We'll take him back to Enterprise," he said through clenched teeth.
"Captain, my personal physician is only across the compound. He is very skilled. Please let him help."
"Captain, Commander Tucker needs immediate attention," T'Pol said evenly, the softness of her voice clearly conveying her concern. She knelt beside the captain, her eyes never leaving Trip's face. "He may not live long enough to reach Enterprise."
Jon looked down into the still face of his friend and realized she was right. He nodded and the two guards carefully lifted Trip between them. They all moved into the corridor, leaving Tol's body slumped in the corner.
**********
"I can't tell you how sorry I am, Captain," Kai said. Jon looked at him, still feeling the anger in the pit of his stomach. They waited outside one of the guest chambers while Kai's physician, Dr. Weyn, treated Trip. T'Pol stood next to him, lost in her own thoughts. Kaitaama sat in one of the chairs that stood against the hallway wall, and Jon noticed the young woman's coloring was better even though her expression conveyed her worry for Trip.
"Please, Captain, I ask for your forgiveness," Kai continued. Jon briefly wondered how many times the proud First Monarch had ever admitted to being wrong. He sighed and leaned back against the wall.
"You believed the word of your best friend. I guess I would do the same thing in your place," Jon admitted reluctantly, thinking of Trip. "What did your guard say? The one who backed up Tol's story?"
"He said that Tol promised him a powerful position in the government after he married Kaitaama. He will be punished, you have my word." Kai looked down at his daughter. "I don't know why Tol ever thought I'd approve of such a union. I want my daughter to love and be loved. I want her to have what I had with her mother." He reached down and gently touched his daughter's cheek. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it in response. Her dark eyes still looked haunted and Jon wondered sadly if she'd ever be able to let a man close enough to love her after what had happened.
"Is that your wife?" asked T'Pol, looking up. She had moved to stand below a large portrait that hung on the wall in the hallway. The woman in the picture was strikingly beautiful.
Kai nodded. "Yes, that's my Tiama. She died almost ten years ago now. We both miss her terribly."
The door to the guest chambers opened and the physician motioned the group into the room.
"How is he, Doctor?" asked Jon, immediately moving to Trip's bedside. The young engineer's face was horribly bruised, his left eye swollen badly. Jon reached down and grabbed Trip's right hand, grasping it firmly in his own. He was surprised when his friend's eyes slowly opened and focused on him.
"He'll live," Trip responded in a weak voice. Jon smiled and squeezed Trip's hand.
"He's a very lucky young man," said the physician. "Are all humans as stubborn as he is?"
"Don't answer that, Cap'n."
"No, Doctor. They are not." T'Pol responded from where she stood at Trip's other side. Jon chuckled softly as Trip somehow managed to give her one of his patented "what the hell is that suppose to mean" looks. The knot he'd had in his stomach finally began to loosen.
"I'm so sorry, Commander," Kai said. He stood at the foot of the bed, his daughter close beside him. Kaitaama's eyes met Trip's and held them for several moments before she looked away. Again, Jon was struck by how much the attack had changed her.
Trip closed his eyes. "You were just trying to find some justice for your daughter, sir. Any father would have done the same thing."
"But I was too quick to judge you and I will never forgive myself for that, Commander. If you'd died, I...." Kai's voice faltered and the room fell silent.
"Well, my patient needs to rest so if you all wouldn't mind?" said the doctor motioning towards the door.
"I'll see you later," Jon said, giving Trip's hand one more reassuring squeeze. He turned to follow the First Monarch and Kaitaama from the room but paused in the doorway for to wait for T'Pol. The science officer remained at the side of the bed looking down at Trip. Her face gave no sign of emotion so it surprised Jon when she slowly placed her hand over Trip's where it rested on his stomach. His friend opened his eyes and looked up at T'Pol in surprise. He then slowly turned his hand to gently grasp her fingers.
"Get well, Commander."
**********
TO BE CONTINUED...
GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT
Chapter IV
**********
"Stop, please," Trip moaned. He could no longer stand, his legs too weak to hold his weight. His arms and shoulders felt like they were on fire but there was no way to relieve them of the weight they were bearing. Trip lifted his head and forced his eyes to focus on Tol. The First Advisor stepped away from the console and stood in front of the engineer. He ran his hand down Trip's chest again.
"You're strong, Commander. I can understand why Kaitaama was attracted to you."
"Why did you hurt her?"
Tol chuckled and shook his head. "She was so happy when she left your ship. I had never seen her so happy before. I knew what she'd done. What you'd done. She betrayed me, Commander. As soon as she ascended to First Monarch, I was going to ask for her hand in marriage. It was going to be perfect. She laughed at me when I told her. Kaitaama should never have laughed at me." Tol dropped his hand to his side and seemed deep in thought. "She should have never laughed at me," he repeated quietly. He took a step closer to Trip. "You shouldn't have touched her. She was mine!"
Trip could hear the cracking of the bone as he slammed his head into the bridge of Tol's nose. The man screamed in pain and stumbled backwards, his hands covering his face. When he removed them, Trip could see the dark blood flowing freely. Tol stumbled to the console then shot Trip an icy glare before he reached up and pushed a button. The next scream Trip heard was his own.
**********
Jon heard and instantly recognized his friend's voice as they rushed into the prison complex.
"By the gods, no!" Kai cried as they ran, following two of the Sovereign Guard down the corridor. When they reached the last room, one of the guards punched the keypad by the door.
"Shoot the panel!" Kai commanded when the door didn't open. Both guards raised their rifles and fired. Sparks flew everywhere as the panel disintegrated. The door slid open to reveal a bruised and bloodied Trip hanging in the center of the room, his body jerking helplessly.
Jon gasped in horror at the sight. He instantly moved toward his friend. Phaser fire sounded and he turned to see the First Monarch gripping a rifle. He followed Kai's gaze and saw a man slumped against the wall behind a console, tiny wisps of smoke coming from the gaping hole in his chest. The next shot hit the console, sending sparks flying again. Trip's body stopped jerking and the young man hung limply, swinging slightly from the momentum of the jolts. Jon grabbed the engineer around the waist and held him up, trying desperately to relieve the weight from his arms. One of the guards reached up and released one of Trip's wrists. He lowered his arm gently then moved to free the other wrist. T'Pol and Kai both worked to free Trip's ankles. Jon carefully lowered himself to the floor, keeping his friend in his arms. He frantically felt Trip's neck for a pulse then squeezed his eyes shut in relief. He was alive. He quickly removed the electrodes still attached to Trip's chest and stomach then pulled his friend close.
"Jittar, Tamry." Kai shouted as he motioned to his guards. They stepped forward and reached down to pick up the commander. Jon glared at them, refusing to let Trip go.
"You've done enough! We'll take him back to Enterprise," he said through clenched teeth.
"Captain, my personal physician is only across the compound. He is very skilled. Please let him help."
"Captain, Commander Tucker needs immediate attention," T'Pol said evenly, the softness of her voice clearly conveying her concern. She knelt beside the captain, her eyes never leaving Trip's face. "He may not live long enough to reach Enterprise."
Jon looked down into the still face of his friend and realized she was right. He nodded and the two guards carefully lifted Trip between them. They all moved into the corridor, leaving Tol's body slumped in the corner.
**********
"I can't tell you how sorry I am, Captain," Kai said. Jon looked at him, still feeling the anger in the pit of his stomach. They waited outside one of the guest chambers while Kai's physician, Dr. Weyn, treated Trip. T'Pol stood next to him, lost in her own thoughts. Kaitaama sat in one of the chairs that stood against the hallway wall, and Jon noticed the young woman's coloring was better even though her expression conveyed her worry for Trip.
"Please, Captain, I ask for your forgiveness," Kai continued. Jon briefly wondered how many times the proud First Monarch had ever admitted to being wrong. He sighed and leaned back against the wall.
"You believed the word of your best friend. I guess I would do the same thing in your place," Jon admitted reluctantly, thinking of Trip. "What did your guard say? The one who backed up Tol's story?"
"He said that Tol promised him a powerful position in the government after he married Kaitaama. He will be punished, you have my word." Kai looked down at his daughter. "I don't know why Tol ever thought I'd approve of such a union. I want my daughter to love and be loved. I want her to have what I had with her mother." He reached down and gently touched his daughter's cheek. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it in response. Her dark eyes still looked haunted and Jon wondered sadly if she'd ever be able to let a man close enough to love her after what had happened.
"Is that your wife?" asked T'Pol, looking up. She had moved to stand below a large portrait that hung on the wall in the hallway. The woman in the picture was strikingly beautiful.
Kai nodded. "Yes, that's my Tiama. She died almost ten years ago now. We both miss her terribly."
The door to the guest chambers opened and the physician motioned the group into the room.
"How is he, Doctor?" asked Jon, immediately moving to Trip's bedside. The young engineer's face was horribly bruised, his left eye swollen badly. Jon reached down and grabbed Trip's right hand, grasping it firmly in his own. He was surprised when his friend's eyes slowly opened and focused on him.
"He'll live," Trip responded in a weak voice. Jon smiled and squeezed Trip's hand.
"He's a very lucky young man," said the physician. "Are all humans as stubborn as he is?"
"Don't answer that, Cap'n."
"No, Doctor. They are not." T'Pol responded from where she stood at Trip's other side. Jon chuckled softly as Trip somehow managed to give her one of his patented "what the hell is that suppose to mean" looks. The knot he'd had in his stomach finally began to loosen.
"I'm so sorry, Commander," Kai said. He stood at the foot of the bed, his daughter close beside him. Kaitaama's eyes met Trip's and held them for several moments before she looked away. Again, Jon was struck by how much the attack had changed her.
Trip closed his eyes. "You were just trying to find some justice for your daughter, sir. Any father would have done the same thing."
"But I was too quick to judge you and I will never forgive myself for that, Commander. If you'd died, I...." Kai's voice faltered and the room fell silent.
"Well, my patient needs to rest so if you all wouldn't mind?" said the doctor motioning towards the door.
"I'll see you later," Jon said, giving Trip's hand one more reassuring squeeze. He turned to follow the First Monarch and Kaitaama from the room but paused in the doorway for to wait for T'Pol. The science officer remained at the side of the bed looking down at Trip. Her face gave no sign of emotion so it surprised Jon when she slowly placed her hand over Trip's where it rested on his stomach. His friend opened his eyes and looked up at T'Pol in surprise. He then slowly turned his hand to gently grasp her fingers.
"Get well, Commander."
**********
TO BE CONTINUED...