Chapter Seven
The away team beamed to the planet and surveyed the area, making sure they were safe. Lieutenant Reed was especially on guard, given the fact that they already had been in hostile situations with the aliens. Travis kept an eye on Hoshi; he knew she was out for revenge. And so was Malcolm; Captain Archer had told him to watch out for her.
Hoshi knew that the two men were watching her closely and she didn't particularly care. She would do what she needed to do.
***
Earlier:
Captain Archer paced his small quarters and spoke privately to Malcolm before he called Travis in about the away mission.
"I need you to watch out for Hoshi. She wants to get back at the Tralki who abused her and Ensign Cutler," Archer ordered.
Malcolm questioned allowing Hoshi back on the planet.
"If she's feeling vengeful, then why send her on the mission to figure out who really owns the artifacts?"
Archer sighed and leaned against his desk.
"She personally asked me, I wasn't going to turn her down. She works well when she's under pressure," he said. "Her language skills might also come in handy."
"That seems reasonable, sir," Malcolm answered.
"I reminded her that she is a Starfleet officer first, so I need you to watch out for her. I don¹t want Hoshi to go gung-ho on everyone. This is a diplomatic mission."
"Diplomatic, sir?" Malcolm questioned. "These people aren¹t the diplomatic type."
Archer held up his hand as he called for Travis to come in and join the conversation.
"I was just telling Lieutenant Reed that this is a diplomatic mission first and foremost, we only use force if the team¹s safety is in question."
"Well, we've only gotten to see their angry side. We came to their planet to take something away from them," Travis said. "Maybe they will be more reasonable if we let them know we were deceived."
"We don¹t know much about the Tralki. We know the artifacts didn¹t originally come from them and that they are violent and mistreat their women," Archer said "But that's all we know about them."
Travis gave Captain Archer a curious look.
"But didn't they steal the artifacts?" he asked.
"We can't assume that, Ensign" Malcolm said rather briskly. "I am more concerned with their propensity for violence."
Travis nodded. He agreed.
They spoke for a while longer about what the mission entailed and then Malcolm and Travis were dismissed. They would be leaving with Hoshi within the hour.
***
Now:
It didn't take long for the away team to get the attention of the Tralki. A group of five came down from their tree houses and soon had the three-member away team surrounded.
"We come in peace," Lieutenant Reed said as a greeting. "We just want to know who the artifacts belong to."
One of the aliens looked the group over and then answered, "We will not speak to a female." He pointed to Hoshi with a gangly finger, his crooked yellow nail seeming to impale the linguist.
"She won't speak then," Malcolm replied. "I will be doing the speaking and you can speak for your group. Deal?"
The alien nodded, knowing his shrill voice bothered the delicate ears of the humans.
"So whom do the artifacts belong to?" Malcolm asked.
The Tralki shoved his finger toward himself. "Us," he breathed.
Hoshi elbowed Travis, who then in turn elbowed Malcolm.
"How is that possible?" Malcolm coughed, rubbing his gut. Travis gave him an apologetic look. "We know they are not native to your culture."
"We found them on a dig in the caves," the alien replied.
The rest of the aliens nodded in agreement.
"We came to this area fifty years ago. Dug in the caves and found the artifacts."
"Are they from your ancestors?"
The Tralki lowered his head in almost a shameful manner and shook it. He was about to speak up when someone else came down from the trees. He was dressed ornately, unlike the other five. The away team identified him as the king of these people. Hoshi clutched the butt of her phase pistol, which was still holstered.
"Humans!" the king screeched.
The away team grasped their ears in pain.
"What do they want?" the king asked, drawing his knife. Malcolm shook his head, letting his team know not to draw their weapons just yet.
"They wish to be diplomatic with us. They now know the artifacts don't belong to the Andorians."
"We also are going behind the Andorians' backs. We haven't discussed out findings with them because we wanted your side of the story first."
"There was a time when my people used our technology against those who used to inhabit this area of the planet. When we found out that they were no match for us and they just wished to preserve their people, it was too late," the king replied and then pointed to his face. "They poisoned us, causing us to look like we do."
The away team stepped back. This was a lot of information in one moment.
"What happened to them?" Malcolm asked
"They told us to treat our women with respect!" he sneered. "They do not deserve to be equal! Then they told us they would harm us more, so we bombed them."
Travis and Hoshi exchanged startled looks. Malcolm merely inclined his head.
"It was over one hundred years ago," the king said almost sadly.
"We wiped them out," the Tralki nearest to the king said. "There are only the artifacts left of their culture now."
"What about the Andorians?" Travis spoke up.
"I thought that one was the only one of you to speak," the Tralki asked, pointing a finger at Malcolm.
Travis shrugged; Malcolm gave him an authoritative glare.
"The Andorians came here looking for treasures and that is what they found," the king replied.
Travis watched Malcolm and the king discuss the situation. The Tralki destroyed an ancient civilization and the Andorians wanted their belongings for money. So did the Tralki. They were both equal scoundrels in Travis' mind.
Hoshi thought otherwise. She couldn¹t help but glare at the Tralki the entire time they had been there. At least the Andorians didn¹t kill a group of people in revenge just because they retaliated when attacked and then told the invaders they had no morals. As far as the linguist was concerned, they hadn¹t changed their ways since
Malcolm picked up his comm, about ready to ask to be beamed up, when the king interrupted his motion.
"Wait! Give us back the artifacts!" he cried out, causing the away team to grasp their ears once again.
"We have to discuss this with our captain and then we will talk to you again," Malcolm replied.
The king again brandished his knife, while his people drew their guns. When the Tralki grinned, their revoltingly yellow teeth showed.
"You will stay here until the artifacts are returned," the king replied, "or we will kill you where you stand."
Malcolm's only reply to the king was a quick nod of his head.
The away team beamed to the planet and surveyed the area, making sure they were safe. Lieutenant Reed was especially on guard, given the fact that they already had been in hostile situations with the aliens. Travis kept an eye on Hoshi; he knew she was out for revenge. And so was Malcolm; Captain Archer had told him to watch out for her.
Hoshi knew that the two men were watching her closely and she didn't particularly care. She would do what she needed to do.
***
Earlier:
Captain Archer paced his small quarters and spoke privately to Malcolm before he called Travis in about the away mission.
"I need you to watch out for Hoshi. She wants to get back at the Tralki who abused her and Ensign Cutler," Archer ordered.
Malcolm questioned allowing Hoshi back on the planet.
"If she's feeling vengeful, then why send her on the mission to figure out who really owns the artifacts?"
Archer sighed and leaned against his desk.
"She personally asked me, I wasn't going to turn her down. She works well when she's under pressure," he said. "Her language skills might also come in handy."
"That seems reasonable, sir," Malcolm answered.
"I reminded her that she is a Starfleet officer first, so I need you to watch out for her. I don¹t want Hoshi to go gung-ho on everyone. This is a diplomatic mission."
"Diplomatic, sir?" Malcolm questioned. "These people aren¹t the diplomatic type."
Archer held up his hand as he called for Travis to come in and join the conversation.
"I was just telling Lieutenant Reed that this is a diplomatic mission first and foremost, we only use force if the team¹s safety is in question."
"Well, we've only gotten to see their angry side. We came to their planet to take something away from them," Travis said. "Maybe they will be more reasonable if we let them know we were deceived."
"We don¹t know much about the Tralki. We know the artifacts didn¹t originally come from them and that they are violent and mistreat their women," Archer said "But that's all we know about them."
Travis gave Captain Archer a curious look.
"But didn't they steal the artifacts?" he asked.
"We can't assume that, Ensign" Malcolm said rather briskly. "I am more concerned with their propensity for violence."
Travis nodded. He agreed.
They spoke for a while longer about what the mission entailed and then Malcolm and Travis were dismissed. They would be leaving with Hoshi within the hour.
***
Now:
It didn't take long for the away team to get the attention of the Tralki. A group of five came down from their tree houses and soon had the three-member away team surrounded.
"We come in peace," Lieutenant Reed said as a greeting. "We just want to know who the artifacts belong to."
One of the aliens looked the group over and then answered, "We will not speak to a female." He pointed to Hoshi with a gangly finger, his crooked yellow nail seeming to impale the linguist.
"She won't speak then," Malcolm replied. "I will be doing the speaking and you can speak for your group. Deal?"
The alien nodded, knowing his shrill voice bothered the delicate ears of the humans.
"So whom do the artifacts belong to?" Malcolm asked.
The Tralki shoved his finger toward himself. "Us," he breathed.
Hoshi elbowed Travis, who then in turn elbowed Malcolm.
"How is that possible?" Malcolm coughed, rubbing his gut. Travis gave him an apologetic look. "We know they are not native to your culture."
"We found them on a dig in the caves," the alien replied.
The rest of the aliens nodded in agreement.
"We came to this area fifty years ago. Dug in the caves and found the artifacts."
"Are they from your ancestors?"
The Tralki lowered his head in almost a shameful manner and shook it. He was about to speak up when someone else came down from the trees. He was dressed ornately, unlike the other five. The away team identified him as the king of these people. Hoshi clutched the butt of her phase pistol, which was still holstered.
"Humans!" the king screeched.
The away team grasped their ears in pain.
"What do they want?" the king asked, drawing his knife. Malcolm shook his head, letting his team know not to draw their weapons just yet.
"They wish to be diplomatic with us. They now know the artifacts don't belong to the Andorians."
"We also are going behind the Andorians' backs. We haven't discussed out findings with them because we wanted your side of the story first."
"There was a time when my people used our technology against those who used to inhabit this area of the planet. When we found out that they were no match for us and they just wished to preserve their people, it was too late," the king replied and then pointed to his face. "They poisoned us, causing us to look like we do."
The away team stepped back. This was a lot of information in one moment.
"What happened to them?" Malcolm asked
"They told us to treat our women with respect!" he sneered. "They do not deserve to be equal! Then they told us they would harm us more, so we bombed them."
Travis and Hoshi exchanged startled looks. Malcolm merely inclined his head.
"It was over one hundred years ago," the king said almost sadly.
"We wiped them out," the Tralki nearest to the king said. "There are only the artifacts left of their culture now."
"What about the Andorians?" Travis spoke up.
"I thought that one was the only one of you to speak," the Tralki asked, pointing a finger at Malcolm.
Travis shrugged; Malcolm gave him an authoritative glare.
"The Andorians came here looking for treasures and that is what they found," the king replied.
Travis watched Malcolm and the king discuss the situation. The Tralki destroyed an ancient civilization and the Andorians wanted their belongings for money. So did the Tralki. They were both equal scoundrels in Travis' mind.
Hoshi thought otherwise. She couldn¹t help but glare at the Tralki the entire time they had been there. At least the Andorians didn¹t kill a group of people in revenge just because they retaliated when attacked and then told the invaders they had no morals. As far as the linguist was concerned, they hadn¹t changed their ways since
Malcolm picked up his comm, about ready to ask to be beamed up, when the king interrupted his motion.
"Wait! Give us back the artifacts!" he cried out, causing the away team to grasp their ears once again.
"We have to discuss this with our captain and then we will talk to you again," Malcolm replied.
The king again brandished his knife, while his people drew their guns. When the Tralki grinned, their revoltingly yellow teeth showed.
"You will stay here until the artifacts are returned," the king replied, "or we will kill you where you stand."
Malcolm's only reply to the king was a quick nod of his head.
