Title: Nightmares.

Author: soultoast

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Pretty much the whole damn third season.

Disclaimer:  I own my pretty computer, but that's it.

Pairings: Unnamed, unrequited, but you'll figure it out.

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He turned the corner, prepared to meet the  Reptilian boarding party.  A flash of disruptor fire stuck the bulkhead beside him.  Sparks erupted as he dove onto the floor.  He quickly rolled onto his knees, his phaser at the ready.  He counted three before he fired, killing one Xindi instantly.  Behind him, a group of five MACO arrived.  They immediately got into position and fired, killing the other two.

"There are reports of Xindi in engineering!" he shouted as he moved down the corridor.  He didn't wait for a response; he knew the MACO would follow him.  His communicator beeped.

"Yes?!"

T'Pol's whisper was drowned out by crackles.  "Xindi… on the bridge…"

The line died as his heart stopped in his chest.  He turned and faced the MACO behind him.

"Get down to engineering!  I'm going to the bridge!"

Sargent Kemper nodded and led his men down the corridor.  He bolted towards the Jeffries tube.  He practically tore the hatch off as he opened it.  He slipped inside and climbed up the ladder.  His senses were heightened from the adrenaline coursing through his veins.  His hands were clammy, squeaking from his tight grip on the rungs of the ladder.  He quickly reached the bridge Jeffries tubes and entered the security code.  H crawled quickly until he reached the desired hatch.  He gently raised the hatch a centimeter pressed his ear against the small crack.  He raised his scanner; the readings indicated that the Captain's ready-room was empty.  He quietly hopped out of the tube.  He raised his scanner; there were two Xindi on the bridge.  He flattened himself against the wall beside the door.  He punched in his override code, then punched the door open.  He fell to his knees and fired at the Xindi who guarded Captain Archer.  T'Pol used the distraction and attacked the Xindi near her.  She quickly kicked his weapon out of his hands.  She then grasped the alien's head and twisted it.  A muffled crack sounded from the Reptilian's neck as he collapsed onto the deck.

Archer went over to Travis, studying the Ensign's wounds.  They needed a pilot if they were going to survive this attack.  T'Pol immediately went to the communications consol and hailed engineering.  Trip answered and confirmed that they'd stopped the boarding party.  An audible wave of relief descended upon the NX-01.  His senses were still heightened, and he could almost hear the shouts of joy as he rounded the Captain's chair.  He stared at the floor beside the communication's console.  She lay on the ground, her velvet eyes staring blankly up.  A dark burn on a chest told the story of her death.  He felt his knees give out.  His hand shot out, catching the Captain's chair.  He dropped his phaser and stumbled across the suddenly empty bridge.  He reached her body and knelt beside her.  He gently stretched out a hand and brushed his fingers against the black silk of her hair.  As tears fell from his stoic eyes, a sob tore from his throat.  The pain covered his chest and stomach like a lead blanket.  He couldn't breath.

The pain and fear screamed through his mind, waking him up.  He quickly opened his eyes: the clock on his desk read 0400.  He still had two hours until his shift.  Malcolm quickly sat up.

"Lights," he called.  The bright lights turned on immediately, stinging his eyes.  He grasped the security report that sat on the bedside table.  He resumed his reading at the highlighted section.  There were some things that he felt he shouldn't dwell on, the least of which being the imagined death of a fellow officer.  As he became engaged in his reading, he tried to push from his mind all the things that wouldn't happen, and those that he wouldn't allow.