Chapter Nine
"You deliberately used us to get these artifacts and in the process endangered my entire crew, Shran!" Captain Archer yelled at the viewscreen image of the unrepentant Shran.
"All for the greater good; these people do not deserve these priceless antiques! They have no care for their women who bare their young. They wiped out an entire civilization because they were so arrogant and prideful, Archer!" Shran yelled back. "Don't tell me you want me to give them back."
The look on Shran's face grew angrier the more he thought about it.
Archer gnawed on his thumb as he tried to figure a diplomatic way out of the situation the Andorian had put him in.
"Just give them back," Archer said wearily. "The ship they are sending to collect the artifacts is old and of no threat to you. Please just give it all back and then go away."
Shran nodded and replied, "I will have it beamed into space and they can collect it."
"Thank you."
Hoshi terminated the connection and then wanted to turn around and yell at Archer for letting the Tralki get what they wanted. She wanted to tear apart that world for all the evil they had done. You're a Starfleet officer first and Hoshi Sato second. The words repeated themselves over and over in her mind.
Malcolm glanced up at Archer. "They've beamed the artifacts into space, Captain. The Tralki scout ship is approaching them."
***
"We've beamed them out, sir. The Tralki scout ship is approaching them," an Andorian officer informed Shran.
"Charge weapons," Shran said furiously.
***
"Sir, the Andorians are charging their weapons!" Malcolm shouted.
Archer jumped out of his chair but could only watch as the Andorians fired two shots at the artifacts.
Archer looked out at the empty space where the priceless artifacts once floated. There was no debris left after the second blast. Nothing. It was as if the artifacts had never existed. At first Archer was astonished and then he became angry, perhaps even furious at Shran for double-crossing him.
The Andorian vessel immediately went to warp as soon as the damage was done, disappearing as completely as the artifacts had done a second before.
"Should we follow?" Travis began to ask before the ship went to warp. "I'm unable to follow them, sir. They're gone."
"We are being hailed by the Tralki scout ship, sir," Hoshi said.
Archer sighed and slumped back down into his seat. "Open a channel, Hoshi."
Hoshi, biting her tongue to keep from arguing, reluctantly followed orders.
"I thought you would be returning the artifacts!" an angry Tralki appeared on the viewscreen. "You have betrayed us! We wanted those back and you just watched as they fired upon them. You didn't even follow them…"
Archer motioned for Hoshi to close the connection; she happily followed his order this time.
"Connection closed, sir. They are sending subspace messages to us. Most of them just angry words and derogatory comments such as 'you stupid jackasses‚'" Hoshi said.
"Take us to warp, Ensign Mayweather," Archer ordered. " I've had enough of the Tralki screeching and Andorians scheming for one week."
"Aye, sir. Warp it is," Travis tapped in the orders on the console and flew them away from the source of Archer's throbbing headache.
THE END
"You deliberately used us to get these artifacts and in the process endangered my entire crew, Shran!" Captain Archer yelled at the viewscreen image of the unrepentant Shran.
"All for the greater good; these people do not deserve these priceless antiques! They have no care for their women who bare their young. They wiped out an entire civilization because they were so arrogant and prideful, Archer!" Shran yelled back. "Don't tell me you want me to give them back."
The look on Shran's face grew angrier the more he thought about it.
Archer gnawed on his thumb as he tried to figure a diplomatic way out of the situation the Andorian had put him in.
"Just give them back," Archer said wearily. "The ship they are sending to collect the artifacts is old and of no threat to you. Please just give it all back and then go away."
Shran nodded and replied, "I will have it beamed into space and they can collect it."
"Thank you."
Hoshi terminated the connection and then wanted to turn around and yell at Archer for letting the Tralki get what they wanted. She wanted to tear apart that world for all the evil they had done. You're a Starfleet officer first and Hoshi Sato second. The words repeated themselves over and over in her mind.
Malcolm glanced up at Archer. "They've beamed the artifacts into space, Captain. The Tralki scout ship is approaching them."
***
"We've beamed them out, sir. The Tralki scout ship is approaching them," an Andorian officer informed Shran.
"Charge weapons," Shran said furiously.
***
"Sir, the Andorians are charging their weapons!" Malcolm shouted.
Archer jumped out of his chair but could only watch as the Andorians fired two shots at the artifacts.
Archer looked out at the empty space where the priceless artifacts once floated. There was no debris left after the second blast. Nothing. It was as if the artifacts had never existed. At first Archer was astonished and then he became angry, perhaps even furious at Shran for double-crossing him.
The Andorian vessel immediately went to warp as soon as the damage was done, disappearing as completely as the artifacts had done a second before.
"Should we follow?" Travis began to ask before the ship went to warp. "I'm unable to follow them, sir. They're gone."
"We are being hailed by the Tralki scout ship, sir," Hoshi said.
Archer sighed and slumped back down into his seat. "Open a channel, Hoshi."
Hoshi, biting her tongue to keep from arguing, reluctantly followed orders.
"I thought you would be returning the artifacts!" an angry Tralki appeared on the viewscreen. "You have betrayed us! We wanted those back and you just watched as they fired upon them. You didn't even follow them…"
Archer motioned for Hoshi to close the connection; she happily followed his order this time.
"Connection closed, sir. They are sending subspace messages to us. Most of them just angry words and derogatory comments such as 'you stupid jackasses‚'" Hoshi said.
"Take us to warp, Ensign Mayweather," Archer ordered. " I've had enough of the Tralki screeching and Andorians scheming for one week."
"Aye, sir. Warp it is," Travis tapped in the orders on the console and flew them away from the source of Archer's throbbing headache.
THE END
