*****
The smoke had cleared from the bridge and Hoshi shifted uneasily in her chair. What was she to do? There really wasn't much for her to do except coordinate communications between Enterprise and the T'Vala. At least Captain Archer had taken her aside and briefed her regarding Malcolm's status.
"I know you have feelings for the Lieutenant Commander," Jon stated, putting up his hands as his com officer tried to protest. "I spoke with Admiral Forrest and I just thought you ought to know what is going on. Lita Mukai is not Malcolm's wife. She never was. She's a traitor and wanted on several counts of espionage. I'm not going to go into anymore details, but I just wanted to let you know that we are going after him once the warp engines are back online."
She clenched her fist on her console, rage over how stupid she had been. She should have asked more questions. She should have trusted her instinct.
"Sir, the mains are back on line. We can manage warp two at this point," Commander Tucker's voice rang out.
Archer turned to his science officer. "T'Pol, any luck tracking down their warp trail?"
Hoshi stared pensively at the Vulcan and held her breath.
"There is a faint signature heading twelve zero nine mark two," T'Pol remarked after completing her calculations.
Archer nodded. "Travis, lay in a course, warp two."
"Aye, sir," replied Travis.
"Sir, there's an incoming transmission from the T'Vala," Hoshi called out.
"Put them through."
"Captain, I'm perplexed by your reasoning. Your intake manifolds are still ruptured, yet you're at warp and heading into Nausican space. Your logic is flawed," Captain R'bora stated.
"Your concern is noted." Archer looked at Hoshi and moved his hand across his throat.
Nodding, Hoshi terminated the communication.
--
"Hello, Malcolm," Mukai greeted.
Shaking his head as partial memories surfaced, Malcolm grimaced. His hands were tied above his head and his legs were tied to something he couldn't see. The amber lighting in the shuttle highlighted the dreadful feeling that seeped into his wakening state. His head throbbed as if he had hit it when he fell down.
"I always did enjoy you when you were playing the strong silent type," Mukai stated wickedly, tracing her hand over his flank. "I'm almost tempted to offer you the same deal I gave you so long ago. I'm a sucker for a strong lover. Nausicans just don't do a thing for me."
Her hands wondered lower as she continued to check him for weapons. "That was quite an act you put on back there for Captain Archer. You almost had me believing that you have amnesia. That must have been really convenient for you."
Malcolm listened to her words, most of them not making any sense to him.
Mukai kneeled in front of him and completed her search. Finally satisfied, she sat back on her haunches and looked up at him. "You know, I could make life very pleasant for you. We could pretend it's like old times."
Sighing, she stood up and leaned into him. "Don't you remember the incredible sex we would have after the adrenaline rush of a mission?"
She darted her tongue across his earlobe and Malcolm pulled away, innately repulsed.
Anger flashing in her eyes, Mukai pulled back. "Just close your eyes and pretend I'm that com officer, Malcolm," Mukai taunted. "You always did have a propensity for Asian women."
The conversation still wasn't making any sense to him, but he finally managed to speak. "What do you want?"
Scoffing, Mukai started pacing in front of her captive. "I need to know who knows I'm alive. I've spent too much time and effort covering up my tracks to have some dead lover turn up and ruin things for me."
"What do you mean?" Malcolm said and shook his head, still trying to piece together the memory with what Mukai was saying.
Just then a klaxon sounded and Mukai ran to the console and checked on it. Shutting off the alarm, she spun around with a look of murder in her eyes. "I don't have time for your lies."
This time, Malcolm saw the butt of the phase rifle coming at him, knocking him into unconsciousness.
--
How could he have been so stupid? All that time, he had suspected Captain Zamora, but now he realized it had all been a set up. Malcolm glared at the woman hovering over him as she desperately tried to sway him to betray everything he believed in.
She sat in the shade of the Nausican transport ship, while he sat in the desert sun, tied and bound, and stripped of clothing to his waist.
Persuasive drugs had been wasted on him, part of his operative training. He licked his cracked lips and squinted up at the sun.
"I offer you a second chance, Malcolm. We could disappear together and live out a life unimaginable. The Nausicans have been very generous." Mukai held the desperation out of her voice. He was an exciting lover and she shuddered as she thought of her exile on Nausica without companionship.
His ire stirred, Malcolm grinned, trying not to wince as his lip cracked further. "You make it sound like retirement, Lita. I'm not ready to retire."
Furious, Mukai jumped up and ran at him, his mocking tone irritating her. She backhanded him, her anger growing as he kept refusing her. Her knuckles were swollen so she picked up her rifle and bashed Malcolm repeatedly in the head.
The nightmare turned to darkness as he succumbed to unconsciousness.
--
"Sir, we're in range," Travis announced.
"Bring the grapplers online," Jon instructed and hit the com panel on his chair. "T'Pol –"
The Vulcan looked up from her station. "I'm detecting minimal shielding…two life signs…weapons signatures that match the Nausican designs."
Hoshi sat by listening to commands being issued, waiting pensively.
"I believe we can disable the shielding with a modulated phase cannon burst and –"
"Do it," Archer interrupted his overly cautious officer.
T'Pol sighed heavily, "It could result in a hull breach, sir. Judging on the size of the Kami, death would be immediate."
Hoshi cursed under her breath, somehow remaining calm. Never had she felt as useless as she had at that point. She was poised to monitor communications between the two ships, but she knew she would not be called upon to do so.
Archer cursed. The transporters wouldn't work with the Kami's shields up. The grapplers would just bounce right off, as well. There was no other choice.
"Prepare the modulation, T'Pol. Stand by."
*****