20th October 2002 - 16th November 2002

CHAPTER TWO: Face Off
Rating: PG

Malcolm stood motionless for several seconds, staring at the now blank viewing screen in horror. Without warning he pushed off the back of Travis's chair and within a second was behind his console, loading torpedoes into their bays.
"Lieutenant, I would advise against firing weapons upon Tsul's vessel, as the captain is probably still alive and on board their ship," T'Pol said with deadly seriousness in her voice. Malcolm's head snapped up, his eyes glaring hard and cold as he looked at her.
"I can't sit here and do nothing!" he hissed back angrily. T'Pol lifted her chin ever so slightly, as though she had been physically hit by the force of the emotion in the words Malcolm had just projected. He opened his mouth to shoot off another retort, but a buzzing sound on Travis's console caught him mid-breath.
"They've just launched our shuttle," the helmsman stated, and both T'Pol's and Malcolm's eyes shifted to look at Travis. T'Pol moved swiftly to her station and ran a quick scan on the shuttle. "I'm detecting one biosign. It's human."
"The captain," Malcolm breathed softly. T'Pol moved from her station to Hoshi's and opened a hailing frequency to the shuttlepod.
"Enterprise to shuttlepod two," she stated clearly. When there was no reply after a second hail she moved from the communication console to the turbolift. There she pressed a communications button and said, "Dr. Phlox, have a medical team meet me in shuttlebay two." After an affirmative from the doctor she fixed Malcolm with a solid glare, and then she was gone.
Malcolm looked down at his weapons display and cursed silently to himself. "Sir, we're receiving a hail," Travis said and the helmsman quickly got stood up and moved to Hoshi's station since the communications officer was no on duty - and with good reason: two women on the bridge would have most likely angered the Jaar even more. Malcolm got to his feet as soon as Tsul's face reappeared on the viewscreen.
"What do you want now?" Malcolm growled coldly, barely able to restrain the anger he felt at seeing the Jaar captain again. Trip's body had since been moved from where he'd fallen, and that didn't help his feelings of rage. Tsul smiled broadly at Malcolm this time, apparently pleased at something.
"We return your captain. It is good your female has gone. It is best if you leave now. We still have target your warp core," Tsul said with a hint of dark mirth.
"We're not leaving without Commander Tucker," Malcolm answered flatly.
Tsul sneered and shook his head. "He has sacrifice himself for your people. Do not make that in vain," the Jaar captain replied. Malcolm tightened one hand into a fist as he listened to Tsul.
"It is customary to my people to return the dead to our homeworld, and to bury them there." Malcolm was speaking through clenched teeth, but Tsul seemed unimpressed.
"Why should we respect your tradition if you did not respecting ours? No. I think we keep Second in Command."
"I'd advise you return my man to me, immediately Tsul, otherwise this little chat is going to turn very ugly very fast." The tactical officer turned as he heard Jonathan's voice behind him, and saw the captain exiting the turbolift. He was alone. T'Pol apparently had enough sense not to come back onto the bridge since her presence would only further anger the Jaar. Malcolm moved back to his tactical station as Archer walked to the center of the bridge. Sitting down at his console, the armoury officer rechecked his weapons and was pleased with the result; if Archer wanted a showdown he was ready to cooperate. "Polarize the hull plating, Mister Reed," Jonathan said without moving his eyes off Tsul. The lieutenant nodded and double-checked all the displays for the plating. He felt infinitely relieved that Archer had returned safely. Getting an order from the captain helped him not think about Trip. Instead, he could focus on the weapons, a job that he didn't allow his feelings get involved in.
"You are knowing we have your warp core targeted," Tsul said coolly but his haunting yellow eyes were narrowed nonetheless. "Why risk all crew life for one?"
"There is no one man or woman on this vessel who is more important to me than another. We all came out here together, and we're going to go home together. The way I see it, you can return him to us without a fight or we can settle this with fire power." Archer took a breath and then steadily said, "Mister Mayweather, prepare for evasive maneuvers." The captain kept his eyes locked on the Jaar as the helmsman moved from Hoshi's communication station back to his navigation console.
"I am fail to see why you are wanting a dead man; he is no good for engines anymore," Tsul remarked, his voice remaining steady but sounding like he was beginning to doubt. His eyes flickered from Mayweather to Archer.
"He is a good friend and comrade. I want to honour his death and return him to his family," the Enterprise captain answered, stone-faced. "What good is he to you?"
Tsul straightened up in his chair, apparently ruffled by the question Archer asked. The three men on Enterprise's bridge waited for an answer, but Tsul seemed suddenly at a loss for words. He gripped the arms of his chair and simply glared.
"They're firing weapons, sir," Malcolm stated, and seconds later the ship was rocked by an impact. Archer remained on his feet, his brows beetling in tightly controlled anger. "Hull plating holding," Reed reported.
Archer stepped forward, toward the view screen. "What do you want with Commander Tucker?" he demanded after a moment's silence.
"They're firing again," Malcolm announced, and as he did, the ship lurched at Travis's command. It was too close to maneuver to avoid the attack entirely, but the impact was less, striking the starboard side instead of directly hitting their nacelles. The captain swayed with the motion, but remained standing. Something was up. Archer could feel it, but what it was he didn't know.
"Answer me!" the captain shouted, his tone hard and angry. Tsul lifted his chin, glaring down his nose at Archer. "Why should you punished my people with death for helping to fix your engines?"
"You have nothing to demand with anymore, Captain!" Tsul finally shouted back. "And as for fixing engines, he did not even get so far as that!"
"So you killed the only man who could help you not be a sitting target?" Archer retorted. Tsul straightened, his face void of expression, but did not reply. "You're not going anywhere any time soon," Archer continued after Tsul's moment of silence. "And I've got nowhere more important to be than here."
Tsul inclined his head in the slightest. "You will not firing, lest you destroy your precious Second in Command body," he finally stated, trying to sound sure of himself but failing.
Archer fixed Tsul with a steady glare and then calmly said, "Fire torpedoes, Lieutenant." Malcolm didn't need a second command and within seconds the Jaar ship shook from the weapon blasts Enterprise had fired at it.
"You cannot penetrate our shields," Tsul said confidently, lacing his fingers together in front of him. He leaned back in his chair, smirking.
"I've got all day," Archer answered with a mirthless smirk. "Bring the phase cannons online, Mister Reed."
"Already active, sir," Malcolm replied.
"Fire."
Tsul's ship rocked more, but it was obvious their shielding was still holding. Archer crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at the Jaar. "We can and will whittle away your shields until they come down. I'm fairly certain you can't fire back without lowering them, and you're certainly not going anywhere with that faulty engine of yours." Archer shrugged casually. "I've got all the time in the galaxy."
Malcolm, showing his true tactical prowess, then began to fire at the shielding on the Jaar vessel, focusing on one area with a weapons rotation spread, the intent to weaken the shields at that point. Behind Tsul, one of his own officers reported, "Shields down to sixty-three percent."
"You will come to regret this fire on the Jaar!" Tsul hissed and the transmission promptly cut off. Archer's shoulders dropped a hair, but he remained standing.
"Sir?" Malcolm asked.
"Keep firing," Archer replied. He finally took a breath and returned to his seat. Malcolm returned to his tactical endeavors and before too long one of the blasts hit the Jaar ship directly, penetrating through their shields.
"Direct hit, sir," the tactical officer announced, his voice carrying a hint of surprise in it. Archer straightened; they had worn down the shields faster than he had expected.
"They're down already, Lieutenant?" he asked.
"I can't be sure, but I think they've lowered them," Malcolm replied and rechecked his weapons readout.
"Incoming hail, sir," Travis said, getting up to move to Hoshi's station.
"Oh, so now they want to talk do they?" Archer commented. "Cease fire," he added, waving his hand a little with the order. He waited a moment for good measure then nodded to Travis to bring up the hail. "Decided to play it our way now?" Archer asked as soon as Tsul's visage appeared on the screen. Tsul said nothing, but his face was solemn and he looked very upset.
"We have had committee and will exchange fifty of our womens for your departure. Please be wise and accept," the captain of the alien vessel stated. Behind him, several women dressed in flowing robes knelt with their heads bowed nearly to the deck floor. Archer stiffened in his chair but did not get to his feet.
He wanted to chide Tsul for his attempt at 'compensation' but held his tongue, hearing T'Pol's disapproval in his ear even though she was not present. "Your trade is unacceptable," he replied instead. "What I want is my man. I suggest you cooperate now, before I get angrier."
Tsul stiffened this time and with a wave of his hand he dismissed the women behind him. He watched them depart from the corner of his eye and then looked back to Archer sternly. "You drive hard bargain. Why should I risk loss of Enterprise help verses your weapons? Either way, my people die if we sit here and no engines."
"I fail to see how that's my problem. I sent you help in the form of my chief engineer, and you killed him," Archer answered back, his tone harsh, cold and direct.
"We make new deal," Tsul said at last, and leaned forward, interlacing his fingers as he did so.
Archer wanted to say he wasn't interested in Tsul's deals anymore but instead he merely inclined his head, not yet trusting his tongue. "Your second in command for Enterprise's engineering computer information. Then my people can fix engines alone."
This offer was the best yet, and although Archer was not pleased with having to turn over Starfleet technological information, he was willing to do so in exchange for Trip's body. It was better than risking more death. He made an impressive pause while he pretended to think it over then nodded. "Agreed then, but on the condition that you return my man to me first. Then I will transmit the engineering information."
"How do I know you will not leave first!?" Tsul angrily countered.
"You have nothing to believe but my word," Archer answered darkly, reiterating his own words from earlier. "And so far my word has been a lot more than trustworthy than your own. The choice is yours," he added and leaned back in his seat.
Tsul studied Archer for a very long time before finally hissing and calling to one of his female aids. "Send them the second in command!" he shouted at her. She bowed her head and then turned and hurried off. Tsul looked back over the channel at Archer, his eyes narrowed to menacing amber slits. "You drive hard bargain, Captain, for such a foolish price."
"And I wonder why you would risk your life for a dead man you don't know," Archer replied in a soft growl. The communication link between himself and Tsul ended.
"Sir, they're launching a small shuttle," Travis stated, once more back at his station.
Archer reached over and held down his commlink. "Doctor Phlox, get a medical team together and meet T'Pol in shuttlebay two," he stated. After an affirmative reply, he switched commlinks, "T'Pol, meet Doctor Phlox in shuttlebay two. I'm on my way," after her acknowledgement he got to his feet. "Travis, send the engineering data files on my word. Malcolm, you have the bridge."
With that, he smoothed out his uniform and exited into the turbolift.

Phlox and T'Pol were already inside the shuttlebay by the time Jonathan made his way down to join them. The small shuttle the Jaar had sent over had just been secured in. Phlox was standing by and T'Pol was directing a detail to open the pod. The shuttle itself was just a little larger than Trip himself, acting more like a coffin capsule than any sort of real transport. Archer hit the comm. button on the wall and ordered Travis to transmit the engineering information to the Jaar. As soon as Travis replied, Archer released the commlink and moved towards the shuttle.
Trip was neatly laid out in the pod with his arms folded ceremonially over his stomach. He looked relatively peaceful, and Jonathan was grateful to see his suffering appeared eased in the end. Seeing Trip with an expression of pain on his face would have been very difficult to bear. He wanted to help but Phlox already had the detail carefully lift the engineer out of his capsule and bear him onto a stretcher. Phlox then performed a quick scan of the prone body and shook his head sadly. He looked up at Archer and said, "I'll let you know of any developments, of course. For now, I'd like to take him to sickbay so I may examine him before the autopsy." Archer, too choked up to say anything, simply nodded.
He remained standing by the now empty capsule as he watched Phlox and his team carry Trip out of the shuttlebay. After several moments of cold silence, T'Pol spoke. "It might be best if you returned to your quarters to reflect, captain." Archer lifted his chin having almost forgotten T'Pol was standing behind him. He turned at last to look at her, trying to keep his emotions in check.
"There will be time for that later," he stated at last. "Right now, my crew needs me." With that, he took a breath and started forward, heading back to the bridge.

"Mister Mayweather," Archer said quietly as he stepped onto the bridge. Malcolm and Travis looked at their captain as he spoke. Hoshi had arrived in his absence, and she watched him, too; her eyes looked wet and red, as though she'd been crying. Apparently, although she had not been present, someone had informed her of Commander Tucker's death. Archer met each of their eyes and held their gazes meaningfully before he looked at the stars on the viewing screen. "Lay in a course for Earth, warp three." He sat down into his captain's chair, feeling as though he carried a heavy weight on his shoulders.
There was silence on the bridge for several long moments as Archer's words dissipated in the air, and then Travis nodded and replied, "Aye sir."
Once the ship was turned around and on its new course heading, Archer got to his feet and smoothed his uniform out. "Due to today's events you may all be excused from your duties." He opened his mouth as if to say more, looked at them all again, then smiled sadly. "He will be greatly missed."
T'Pol entered the bridge at that moment with three officers flanking her to relieve Malcolm, Travis and Hoshi of their positions. Travis took a deep breath and got to his feet with a nod to his replacement. Hoshi got up very quietly, her arms wrapped around her middle, and departed just as softly. Archer and T'Pol exchanged glances. Malcolm clenched his jaw. "I'd like to remain at my station, sir," the tactical officer announced.
Jonathan looked at Malcolm tiredly but instead of arguing with the lieutenant he simply nodded. He knew Malcolm and Trip had become close friends and that Malcolm would probably drive himself mad in guilt over the affair if left to himself in his quarters. Malcolm was the sort of man who needed to occupy himself with work at a time like this. "Granted," Archer answered quietly. He remained where he was until Malcolm looked at him. "It wasn't your fault, Malcolm." Malcolm gave Jonathan a curt nod, but said nothing. The crew shifted, and Archer left T'Pol in charge of the bridge.
He didn't return to his own quarters yet though, and instead made his way down to sickbay. He knew he should be writing a full report on the encounter with the Jaar and talking to Starfleet about the incident, but at that moment all he wanted to do was see his friend and say goodbye.

Sickbay wasn't as sterile and motionless as Archer expected it to be, and no real somber mood filled the air. He stood for several moments just inside the doorway, wondering at the buzz he heard in the air. Then Phlox darted past, heading from one side of the room to the other. "Ah, Captain, good to see you!" Phlox called from out of view. Archer's brows beetled as he approached, wondering at Phlox's cheerful disposition. He knew the Denobulan generally had a positive outlook on life, but in the shuttlebay the doctor had seemed more subdued.
"Something the matter, Phlox?" Archer asked as he rounded the corner. He paused in his tracks upon seeing Trip's body laid out on an examination table. The engineer's uniform and dress shirt had been opened and his blue undershirt had been cut away to reveal his chest. There was a dark bruise on the lower half of his stomach and another one partially visible around his neck. Phlox had attached several electrical output wires onto his stomach, chest, and forehead but the thing that shocked Archer the most was the breath mask over Trip's nose and mouth.
"No, sir. Actually, nothing is the matter. Which I suppose is a problem in and of itself," Phlox answered smoothly. He checked several of the wire outputs and seemed to think about something.
Archer remained confused and shook his head. "I don't understand," the captain finally confessed.
"Mister Tucker," Phlox said simply and then waved his hand over the body. "Aside from some bruises, he is perfectly fine. I see no reason why he should be dead."
"What?" Archer asked as he stepped forward and looked down at Trip's face.
"He had an electrical charge course through his body, the impacts of which would seem to have left these marks," Phlox stated, gesturing two the two bruises. "However, bruises are very uncharacteristic of an electrical injury, which lead me to believe he had been hit with more than just energy. So far, however, my scans revealed nothing abnormal. I feel the bruises must have been inflicted after the initial attack. The attacks were charged enough to overload his system and render him unconscious, but I see no way that it could have killed him."
"You mean he's alive?" Archer demanded.
"Well, technically, yes," Phlox answered and waved the scanner in his hand for emphasis, "and no."
"I'm getting impatient, Doctor!"
Phlox began talking rapidly. "Judging by Mister Tucker's wounds, the voltage he received was not enough to kill him. I postulated that the energy flows contained some sort of radiation charges or other compound that would cause death, but found none. There are no poisons, no other wounds, no other toxins in his system, and no sign of trauma. In fact, his brain is still giving off some waves."
Archer was quiet for a long while as he processed this and then asked, "So you're saying he's just . . . asleep?"
Phlox shrugged. "I wish I could say so, but if this is a coma, it is unlike any coma I've ever seen."
Archer nodded to the mask over Trip's face. "He's breathing?" he inquired.
"Not on his own, Captain," Phlox stated and nodded to a monitor. "After I examined him and realized he might not be dead, I took the liberty of hooking him up to life support."
"Why didn't you notify me sooner?" Archer asked.
"I tried. Sub-Commander T'Pol informed me you were already on your way," the doctor replied. Archer wondered for a brief moment how the Vulcan had known he was planning to head to sickbay instead of his quarters.
"Captain," Phlox said softly. Archer looked back to him. "Although Commander Tucker is not technically dead, he was without oxygen for quite some time." He paused for a moment and then proceeded. "Even if he does regain consciousness he will most likely be severely brain-damaged."
Archer swallowed hard and looked back down at Trip. He wasn't sure what was worse: knowing Trip was dead, or knowing he was techincally alive and that the onus of whether or not to take him off life support would fall to him. He clenched his teeth and nodded resolutely. "Do what you can, Doctor," he finally said. Phlox nodded and returned to work. Archer walked to the nearest commlink and hit the button. "T'Pol," he said.
"Yes, Captain?"
"What do the Vulcan databases tell us about the Jaar?"
"Very little, sir," she replied.
"I want you to get on the line with the High Council. Find out whatever you can about the Jaar, but focus on their execution methods. And let me know if anything about Tsul turns up," Archer commanded. "I just can't believe they would kill their only means for survival and then so vehemently refuse to give him up if he wasn't still useful to them. Get anything you can."
"Yes, sir," T'Pol replied over the link. Archer let go of the comm. and looked back to Phlox.
"I'll be in my quarters, writing out a full report. Contact me if there is any change," he informed the doctor.
Phlox offered him a smile and nodded. "But of course, captain."
Archer looked back to Trip and took a deep breath. For now, the goodbyes would have to wait.
He turned his back on the medical room and tightly closed his eyes, hoping to block out the image of Trip's body that seemed to be burned into his vision. It was an attempt made in vain. He opened his eyes once more, let out the breath he held, and departed sickbay quietly.

To be continued . . .

Special thanks to DNash for being my awesome beta-reader.