Trip was lost in thought. He was somewhat ashamed of the way he'd spoken to his captain, and his friend. But this was the only way he could get through this, the only way he ever had, by separating his two lives. Essentially he thought, he was two separate people. The thing is, both of us have just been thrown together, and we don't mix all that well, he thought.
I wonder what he's thinking? Jennifer thought as she trudged up the sandy path just behind him. They had been walking for almost two hours now. Of course they'd had to make sure they were out of sight when leaving the city, which meant taking the scenic route. Thankfully the caves, rocks and boulders of the area they were now walking through hid them from anyone who was looking from the town in their direction.
We've been walking for ages Hoshi thought. She was having trouble keeping up, she wasn't as suited to this sought of thing as the others, she needed rest. She thought longingly of her bunk back on Enterprise. Soft and warm, ready for her to-
Everyone stopped. Trip and Archer headed for Hoshi, but Archer got there first. "You all right?"
"Fine sir, thank you." He pulled her back to her feet and dusted off her uniform. Jennifer had already turned away and begun walking again. Trip gave Hoshi a concerned glance, then satisfied that she was okay continued walking as well.
Archer however stayed where he was standing. "Are you going to tell us where we're going?" Trip had stopped but hadn't turned round. "Well?"
"A cave."
Archer moved forward so he was facing Trip. "Trip, please just tell me." He tried to look in his friends eyes, but they were focused firmly on the ground in front of his feet.
"There's nothing to tell." He said half-heartedly, still staring at the point just in front of Archer's feet.
Jennifer who'd been watching with a look of disgust on her face, laid a hand on Trips arms and looked him square in the eyes. She then turned to the captain. "We're on a mission."
Now thoroughly confused Archer managed to get a few words out. "A mission?" She nodded. "On whose orders?"
She took a deep breath. "The leaders of the resistance."
Hoshi couldn't disguise her confusion. "The what?"
"See I told you we needed a better name. Chris had an idea, but you didn't let him-"
"That's because it was crap" Jennifer snapped at Trip "I mean Marquis? People'll think we fly through space in a tent" she scoffed. Trip crossed his arms sulkily.
Archer hadn't heard a word, he was lost in thought. "You are part of the resistance?" he asked in disbelief "The resistance to Starfleet? The people who sabotage our outpost, injuring and occasionally killing our people?" There was a nasty edge to his voice now, and his eyes were blazing with anger.
"No" Trip paused at the look of relief on his friends face, then continued "They aren't under our orders, if we find that any of our people are behind anything like that," he paused again "they're punished."
"They use our name, and blame us, its not fair." Jennifer chipped in.
He couldn't' believe this, two of his officers, Starfleet's best . . . He glanced at Hoshi, she looked thoroughly confused. He could understand why, she was too young to remember most of the attacks on their bases, and even if she hadn't been they were always hushed up. His eyes then drifted to Malcolm, who looked completely bored by the new information they'd all just received. Archer made a mental not to question him as well once he'd finished with Trip and Ensign James. "So, you're a rebel organisation against Starfleet, but you're not the ones who attack our outposts?" he asked.
"Tha's about tha size of it." Trip replied.
"Why in hells name would you join a group like this Trip? You've been in Starfleet for over 12 years! What the hell were you thinking?" Trip mumbled something too quiet for anyone else to hear. "Sorry Trip, didn't quite catch that."
"I was only 15 when I joined." He said.
"15? But that doesn't make any sense. The first we heard of them was long after that, 8 maybe 9 years."
"Do you really think Starfleet would have known as soon as they had thought up the idea?" Malcolm asked.
"Well no but . . . wait a second, when who thought up the idea?"
Trip had had enough, this line of questioning was getting a little to close to home. Apparently Jennifer had had the same idea, because before he could say anything she had. "We need to get going, we don't want to be late." She said. They turned round and started to walk again.
"Wait! Aren't you gonna answer my question?" Archer demanded.
"No!" both Trip and Jennifer shouted together, and quickened their pace up the hill. Hoshi jumped back slightly at the force of their response into Archer, he steadied her by placing a hand on her arm. Malcolm walked straight past the pair of them without looking at either of them and followed Jennifer and Trip along the dusty path.
"Are you at least going to tell us where we're going?" he asked to their backs.
When he received no response he decided all they could do for now was follow, as it seemed them weren't going to get anymore answers. Which he thought wasn't so bad, his brain was still reeling from the last ones they'd given him.
I wonder what he's thinking? Jennifer thought as she trudged up the sandy path just behind him. They had been walking for almost two hours now. Of course they'd had to make sure they were out of sight when leaving the city, which meant taking the scenic route. Thankfully the caves, rocks and boulders of the area they were now walking through hid them from anyone who was looking from the town in their direction.
We've been walking for ages Hoshi thought. She was having trouble keeping up, she wasn't as suited to this sought of thing as the others, she needed rest. She thought longingly of her bunk back on Enterprise. Soft and warm, ready for her to-
Everyone stopped. Trip and Archer headed for Hoshi, but Archer got there first. "You all right?"
"Fine sir, thank you." He pulled her back to her feet and dusted off her uniform. Jennifer had already turned away and begun walking again. Trip gave Hoshi a concerned glance, then satisfied that she was okay continued walking as well.
Archer however stayed where he was standing. "Are you going to tell us where we're going?" Trip had stopped but hadn't turned round. "Well?"
"A cave."
Archer moved forward so he was facing Trip. "Trip, please just tell me." He tried to look in his friends eyes, but they were focused firmly on the ground in front of his feet.
"There's nothing to tell." He said half-heartedly, still staring at the point just in front of Archer's feet.
Jennifer who'd been watching with a look of disgust on her face, laid a hand on Trips arms and looked him square in the eyes. She then turned to the captain. "We're on a mission."
Now thoroughly confused Archer managed to get a few words out. "A mission?" She nodded. "On whose orders?"
She took a deep breath. "The leaders of the resistance."
Hoshi couldn't disguise her confusion. "The what?"
"See I told you we needed a better name. Chris had an idea, but you didn't let him-"
"That's because it was crap" Jennifer snapped at Trip "I mean Marquis? People'll think we fly through space in a tent" she scoffed. Trip crossed his arms sulkily.
Archer hadn't heard a word, he was lost in thought. "You are part of the resistance?" he asked in disbelief "The resistance to Starfleet? The people who sabotage our outpost, injuring and occasionally killing our people?" There was a nasty edge to his voice now, and his eyes were blazing with anger.
"No" Trip paused at the look of relief on his friends face, then continued "They aren't under our orders, if we find that any of our people are behind anything like that," he paused again "they're punished."
"They use our name, and blame us, its not fair." Jennifer chipped in.
He couldn't' believe this, two of his officers, Starfleet's best . . . He glanced at Hoshi, she looked thoroughly confused. He could understand why, she was too young to remember most of the attacks on their bases, and even if she hadn't been they were always hushed up. His eyes then drifted to Malcolm, who looked completely bored by the new information they'd all just received. Archer made a mental not to question him as well once he'd finished with Trip and Ensign James. "So, you're a rebel organisation against Starfleet, but you're not the ones who attack our outposts?" he asked.
"Tha's about tha size of it." Trip replied.
"Why in hells name would you join a group like this Trip? You've been in Starfleet for over 12 years! What the hell were you thinking?" Trip mumbled something too quiet for anyone else to hear. "Sorry Trip, didn't quite catch that."
"I was only 15 when I joined." He said.
"15? But that doesn't make any sense. The first we heard of them was long after that, 8 maybe 9 years."
"Do you really think Starfleet would have known as soon as they had thought up the idea?" Malcolm asked.
"Well no but . . . wait a second, when who thought up the idea?"
Trip had had enough, this line of questioning was getting a little to close to home. Apparently Jennifer had had the same idea, because before he could say anything she had. "We need to get going, we don't want to be late." She said. They turned round and started to walk again.
"Wait! Aren't you gonna answer my question?" Archer demanded.
"No!" both Trip and Jennifer shouted together, and quickened their pace up the hill. Hoshi jumped back slightly at the force of their response into Archer, he steadied her by placing a hand on her arm. Malcolm walked straight past the pair of them without looking at either of them and followed Jennifer and Trip along the dusty path.
"Are you at least going to tell us where we're going?" he asked to their backs.
When he received no response he decided all they could do for now was follow, as it seemed them weren't going to get anymore answers. Which he thought wasn't so bad, his brain was still reeling from the last ones they'd given him.