Chapter Two
Jon awoke with a start then sat up in confusion. He looked around at the dimly lit room, feeling strangely disoriented. He was alone and for some reason, he knew he shouldn't be. The captain dropped his head into his hands, his mind fighting to remember. He'd been with Trip and Corporal Woods when they'd boarded the Tozran transport vessel. The Tozrans had seemed grateful for their arrival, greeting them with hearty handshakes. Then Jon remembered very vividly the horror of watching the young MACO falling to the floor, blood gushing from a chest wound, a Tozran standing over him holding a blade. After that sight, there was nothing.
Slowly Jon stood up as realization hit him like a fist to the gut. Trip. He moved to the door. There was no handle or keypad on his side so he pounded on the metal with his fists. He stopped and listened but the only sound that reached his ears was the hammering of his heart.
"Hey!" the captain yelled but again, there was no response. "Trip! Can you hear me?"
Silence.
Jon turned and began to pace, fear gripping his belly. As he moved, he looked around. There was absolutely nothing in the room and the only light came from a small inset bulb in the middle of the ceiling. He looked up at it, noting absently that the light dimmed and brightened at regular intervals.
A sound at the door made him turn quickly and Jon stepped forward as it slid open.
"Stand back!"
A Tozran male entered carrying a phase pistol. Two others followed him dragging Trip between them. They dropped the engineer in a heap then left the room without a word.
Jon knelt at Trip's side, his finger instantly searching for a pulse in one slack wrist. He closed his eyes and exhaled in relief when he felt movement under his fingertip. Gently, he turned his friend over so that he was lying on his back. In the dim light, he could clearly see the commander had been beaten. The captain carefully lifted Trip and held him against his chest, keeping him off the cold, hard floor.
"I don't remember it," Trip mumbled. "Please stop." He started to struggle.
"Hey, hey," soothed Jon. Trip's head shifted against his chest. "You're okay, Trip."
"Cap'n?"
"Yeah. Just take it easy."
Trip's eyes opened and he looked up at the captain. He grimaced briefly then attempted to sit up.
"Stay still, Trip. You're hurt."
The engineer shook his head. "I'm all right," he managed but he settled back down against Jon without much protest. "Woods?" he asked.
"He's not here. I think he's dead," replied Jon.
Trip closed his eyes and grimaced again.
"Who are these people?" asked Jon.
"They didn't exactly introduce themselves, Cap'n," Trip replied without rancor. "They just asked a lot of questions about B'Rat Ud."
"The chemist?"
Trip nodded and opened his eyes. "Wanted to know how we knew him." The engineer shifted slightly then let out a stifled moan.
"Hey, take it easy," Jon said quietly. He reached a hand down and gently probed Trip's ribs. "Feel like anything's broken?" he asked.
The engineer gritted his teeth but shook his head. "They also asked about the formula he gave us," he gasped. "Wanted me to give it to them. I don't think it's for Trellium-D, sir."
Jon remained silent.
"I didn't tell them anything, Cap'n."
The captain looked down at the younger man. "I know that, Trip," he replied.
Trip looked a bit puzzled.
"Don't you think after ten years I'd know how stubborn you can be?" Jon smiled.
Trip pursed his lips. "I'm not that stubborn," he muttered.
Before Jon could respond, the door opened again. The same Tozran who entered before walked in.
He motioned with his pistol. "Get on your feet!"
"Looks like it's my turn," Jon whispered. He carefully lowered Trip to the floor then stood.
The Tozran pointed at Trip. "You, too!"
"No," the captain said sharply.
The man pistol-whipped Jon across the face, sending the captain to his hands and knees.
"Hey!" shouted Trip.
Jon shook his head to clear the fog. He turned to see Trip standing, swaying back and forth on his feet. The captain stood and moved to his friend's side to help him, ignoring the throbbing in his head.
They were taken down a short corridor and into another room where an older female Tozran awaited them. The woman was short but Jon could see by her bearing that she was the one giving the orders.
"You're wasting your time," said Trip angrily.
"I don't think so, young one," replied the woman. She nodded her head at two other men who stepped forward and grabbed Jon's arms. He struggled but the Tozrans held tight, their strength surprising given their compact stature.
Trip dropped to his knees without the captain's support. "Leave him alone!" he demanded betweens gasps. A woman stepped up behind him and grabbed his hair, yanking his head back.
The older Tozran circled Jon, looking over the captain. "So you two are not merely fellow officers, are you? You're friends."
Jon looked beyond the woman to a video display screen embedded in the opposite wall. He recognized the room from which they'd just been taken realizing suddenly that the light had also been a surveillance camera. Jon's eyes moved to Trip who met his gaze steadily.
"So how important is this man to you?" asked the Tozran casting a quick glance at Trip. "He's your captain, yes, but how close a friend is he?" She slammed her fist into Jon's stomach. The captain doubled over but was immediately stood up straight by the two men holding his arms. He was hit again, this time across his right jaw and Jon's vision blurred.
"Stop it!" shouted Trip.
Jon looked at his engineer. The younger man was still on his knees, the female Tozran holding him by the hair. Another male quickly joined her, grabbing the commander's arm and twisting it behind his back. Trip was struggling against their firm hold.
The captain turned his attention to the Tozran who'd hit him. "Who are you people and what do you want from us?" he asked as he spit out a mouthful of blood.
The older woman smiled. "I'm T'Maan Ru, leader of the Tozran Revolutionaries. And what I want from your young friend here is the formula given him by one B'Rat Ud."
"I already told you," Trip insisted. "I don't remember it!"
Jon took a painful breath. "I take it the formula isn't for synthesizing Trellium-D?"
T'Maan laughed. "Is that what he told you? B'Rat always did have a sense of humor!" Her wide face grew serious. "No, Captain. It isn't for synthesizing Trellium-D." T'Maan knelt in front of Trip and studied him. "It's a chemical compound needed for a weapon we've developed." She stood then and faced Jon. "You see, Captain, you and your engineer landed yourselves right in the middle of a rebellion."
Jon looked at Trip then back at T'Maan. "Why don't you just get the formula from B'Rat?"
The Tozran sighed dramatically. "Alas, my dear brother is dead. He couldn't withstand my methods of torture. He never was very strong."
"Your brother?" gasped Trip.
T'Maan turned and knelt before him again. She drew her stubby index finger down Trip's cheek. "Before he died, he did tell me that he gave the formula to you, young one." Her powerful fingers closed around Trip's throat. "Now give it to me!"
"T'Maan," warned the man who held the commander's arm.
The woman released her death grip then backhanded the engineer hard across the face. She stood and turned back to Jon, her eyes burning with anger. She pulled a baton from her belt and flipped a switch imbedded in its side. The tip turned white and Jon instinctively tried to pull away. T'Maan touched the tip to Jon's arm and he couldn't help but cry out at the sudden burst of pain that shot through him.
"Stop it!" shouted Trip. He pulled against the two Tozran's who held him, all his own injuries long forgotten.
T'Maan smiled down at him then touched the wand to Archer's side. The captain cried out in agony and his legs gave out.
"Stop! Please!"
The woman squatted down beside Trip. "Will you give me the formula?" she asked as she tapped the baton against one palm.
Trip tried to calm his breathing. "You said, you said it was for a weapon. I can't---."
"I am losing patience, young one. Will you give me the formula or not?"
"I can't---," Trip began.
T'Maan stood and placed the tip of the baton against Archer's shoulder. The captain threw his head back and yelled out again.
"Stop!" demanded Trip angrily.
The woman brushed the baton against the captain's arm and he choked back another harsh scream.
"Please, stop. I'll give you the damn formula."
T'Maan stopped and looked down at Trip. "It had better be right, young one, or your friend here will die!"
Before Trip could answer, the ship rocked violently and the lights flickered. A claxon sounded over his head.
"Damn it!" cursed T'Maan. "Take them back to their cell!"
The ship rocked again, throwing everyone to the floor. Sparks cascaded down over them and flames licked the walls.
Trip quickly gathered his senses and grabbed for the baton from T'Maan's hand. Her fingers closed around thin air as Trip pulled it from her grip. In one smooth motion, the engineer braced himself over her, flipped the switch and pressed the tip to T'Maan's neck. She screamed and thrashed violently under him then fell suddenly silent.
The commander rolled to his side then onto his feet. The other four Tozrans were just gathering themselves. Trip yelled and charged the two nearest to him, swinging the heavy baton like a club. He caught the female Tozran across the side of her skull, dropping her instantly. Trip dropped to one knee, pulled the pistol from her holster then rolled, barely avoiding phaser fire. He turned squeezing the trigger at the same time. He hit one Tozran male in the head then turned his aim to the remaining two. He fired, catching one in the chest and the other in the shoulder before the ship rocked again.
Trip was sent sprawling to the floor, the pistol knocked from his grasp. He looked up quickly to see Archer a few meters away. The captain was beginning to stir. No one else was moving.
"Cap'n!" Trip gasped. He crawled to his friend's side, choking on the acrid smoke that was filling the air. "Cap'n, you alright?"
"I, I think so," managed Archer. He sat up with Trip's help then looked around still clearly dazed.
"Come on, sir. We gotta get out of here," urged the engineer. He stood and pulled Archer to his feet.
"Do you know where the docking port is?" coughed Archer.
Trip shook his head. "I was hoping you did."
The captain looked at him with a blank expression.
Trip turned his head. "There's got to be a schematic I can pull up." He moved to a console and hit some buttons.
Finally, he found the information he wanted then turned back to the captain. Archer was kneeling, retrieving a couple phase pistols from the floor. He stood and turned.
"Cap'n!" shouted Trip.
As if he were seeing it played out in slow motion, Trip watched in horror as the Tozran whom he'd hit in the shoulder pushed a blade deep into Archer's side. The captain instantly dropped to his knees, his hands covering the spreading dark patch on his uniform. The Tozran stepped back still gripping the bloody weapon. He looked at Trip and smiled.
Trip lunged letting out a yell of pure fury as he flipped on the baton he still wielded and rammed the end into the Tozran's stomach. The tip pierced flesh and kept going. The man screamed and blood exploded over Trip's hand, splatters of the deep crimson covering his uniform.
The ship rocked again and the lights went out completely. Only a second passed before the emergency power came on. Trip released the baton and watched strangely detached as the Tozran fell to the floor.
Then he was at his friend's side. Archer's eyes were open but Trip could tell his captain wasn't aware of what was happening. The engineer grabbed a pistol, tucked it into his uniform then pulled the captain to his feet. Trip gasped as he took Archer's full weight over his shoulder then quickly moved out into the smoke-filled corridor. He pulled out the pistol and held it tightly before him.
Thankfully, those remaining alive were busy elsewhere so Trip made it to the docking port without incident. One quick look out a small view port told him that the 'pod was no longer docked. The commander cursed harshly then stepped to a console and pulled up another schematic.
"There's an escape pod, Cap'n," Trip said. "Just hang on."
The commander moved down the corridor as quickly as he could. Flames licked at him and he felt a burning sensation on his left calf. Ignoring the searing pain, he kept going until he reached a little door. He shot the keypad with his pistol and the door slid open to reveal the tiny pod. He almost wept with relief as he carefully stepped into the tiny vessel.
Trip lowered Archer to the floor then sat in the pilot's chair. He took a guess and pulled a lever. The instant nauseating feeling of dropping hit him and he knew he'd guessed right. Going on pure instinct, Trip managed to get the little pod's propulsion system activated.
As they pulled away, he caught a glimpse of the Tozran ship hovering to his right. The little ship was burning then in one brilliant burst of light, it ceased to exist. Trip braced himself as the little 'pod was sent tumbling by the shock wave.
Continued