AN: There will be one final chapter, the epilogue, even got the title "Home Sweet Home", but probably another day or two as I'm going to be busy. I was able to get this out before the family woke up and got going today. Hope everyone has a great fourth!!

About the eye color, all I can say is Doh! I figured it was blue or brown, couldn't remember which, went with a guess and as my luck holds, I guessed wrong LOL! I won't forget next time. Again, thanks for the reviews and comments. You can't grow as a writer without people being willing to give their feedback!

Chapter 14

Changing Plans

Travis was sleeping, lost in a world of smiling Rudy Bays' and transporters mangling bodies. He turned restlessly, the covers twisting in his legs. The persistent beeping of the comm. broke into his world of nightmare and delight.

"Yes?" He tried to sit up but found his legs were trapped in the bedding.

"Ensign Mayweather, report to the shuttle bay immediately. The rescue has been...moved up." T'Pol said.

The sleep fell from his body, his mind alert. He shoved the blanket off, "Yes Ma'am."
"What happened?" Reed asked. Trip and Hoshi had been brought back not long after leaving. They couldn't have been gone for more than fifteen minutes.

"I don't know. I'm still trying to figure it out." Trip answered, staring at the door.

Hoshi was coming out of her stupor, "They saved us."

"Saved who, Ensign?" Archer stood up, towering over Hoshi.

"Us...me. He was going to kill me."

"Who? Luvox?"

Trip turned away from the cell door, "He was going to shoot her to get me to talk. He was seconds away from pulling that trigger with one of those guards jumped Luvox and killed him."

"Conspirators?" Archer asked Malcolm.

Reed grimaced, "Either that or they truly are mental."

"My vote is both." Trip was tired. The adrenaline from earlier was wearing off. He walked over by Reed and sat. "He said our people would be coming for us."

Archer stood up straighter, "Really?"

"Oh yeah."

"When?"

"I didn't get a chance to ask."

"Trip..."

Trip waved his hand, "Soon."

Archer sighed. Soon wouldn't be fast enough.
The shuttled disengaged from Enterprise, and drifted lazily away, before thrusters began to steer her with purpose. Travis and Ensign Sadie sat in the front; Travis working the controls and Sadie sitting tense beside him.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Sadie asked, looking nervous.

"Does a Starship have warp engines?"

"Good. Because I don't want to screw this up."

"Relax, we won't be over our target for...another ten minutes." Travis tapped a dial, altered course. "Weapons ready?"

Sadie nodded. "Just say the word."
T'Pol acknowledged the crewman manning the transporter station, then lifted the communicator, "Mr. Shurone, we are ready."

"Power is going down in 5...4...3...2...1. Good luck Sub-Commander." A voice answered, then cut-off.

The four security members took position on the pads, followed by T'Pol.

"You may beam us now, crewman."

The room began to fill with a progressively louder electronic hum. The men on the pad fought to hold still and not show outward signs of discomfort. There wasn't anyone on Enterprise that felt comfortable with this process.

The crewman watched the five members disappear in the shimmering effects. He silently wished them luck, and began the wait.
Archer was the first to hear it. "Quiet!" He motioned for the three to stop talking, "Do you hear that?"

Everyone strained to pick up the sound and identify it. It began softly then grew louder.

"It's the transporter!" Hoshi said, stepping towards the cell door.

The others came to the same conclusion a half-second behind Hoshi, crowding at the bars to see out. T'Pol and four security officers appeared in their line of sight.

"T'Pol!" Archer smiled, "I take it this is a break-out?"

"Break-out?" T'Pol asked.

Archer smiled wider, "I'll explain later. Get us out of here."

"If you would step back," she instructed, leveling her phaser at the lock.

They jumped out of the way, the lock exploding after only three hits. Archer grabbed the door and pulled it open.

"Where to now?"

"Nowhere Captain."

Archer's eyes narrowed, "What?"

"We will be beaming back to Enterprise."

Hoshi paled.

Archer nodded, he took the communicator from T'Pol. "Archer to Enterprise." That felt good.

Soon the elation turned to concern. "Archer to Enterprise." He repeated, louder, as if that would solve whatever interference blocked the signal.

"T'Pol?"

She took the communicator back, "Enterprise, respond." She turned the dial, "Enterprise, this is T'Pol, please respond."

Trip sighed, "I take it this wasn't part of the plan."

T'Pol raised an eyebrow, "No Commander, it was not." She looked down the corridor, "Power must have been restored to the other sections all ready. They are blocking our signal."

Four faces fell. The easy escape was gone before they had time to appreciate the idea of going home.

"There's another way." T'Pol flipped the communicator open, "Ensign, where are you currently located?"

"About...four miles to your right, Sub-Commander." Travis responded. "We've taken out three of the four targets and are en route to the last."

"Belay that Ensign, I need you to change course. We are unable to beam back, we need a ride Travis." Archer had snagged the communicator from T'Pol, understanding her plan.

"Understood Captain, ETA...five minutes." The channel closed.

Archer looked at his people. Hoshi, Trip and Malcolm bruised, filthy, exhausted. "Let's go."

T'Pol and the security men filed ahead; clearing the corridor as they went, though there were few Taltaxin's left in the building. The plan of drawing out the personnel by creating chaos around the city had proven effective.

They exited into a darkening alien world; the two suns barely visible above the horizon. The light from the shuttle appeared overhead, their ride to freedom. Archer couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face, "Looks like you'll be getting that steak soon Trip."

"I don't think so Captain."

Archer couldn't believe it, "Veen." He turned around and saw the Prime Minister standing with a very large complement of his ministry guard.

"We found Luvox's body. While I appreciate you taking care of an annoyance for me, I really can't let you leave."

Archer was mad. He was actually about two shades of emotion past mad. He stormed up to stand directly in front of Veen, beyond caring if his guards tried to take him out. Veen struggled to stay in position, Archer's actions taking everyone off guard, both Enterprise personnel and ministry.

"You're like a cockroach Veen. You slither around in the dark, doing your dirty work where no one can see you. Do you know what a cockroach is?" Archer didn't wait for him to answer, "It's a slimy insect on my planet, crawls in the dirt and debris of human waste. Kind of fitting, don't you think?"

Veen turned bright red, "I still got you Captain. I won."

An explosion to his left sent everyone ducking for cover. Travis was firing from the shuttle. T'Pol yanked Archer back, dragging him away from Veen. Another explosion, and Veen's guards dodged back towards the building, leaving Veen alone and exposed. Archer grabbed T'Pol's pistol, and stood straight.

"Not this time." He fired.

Veen fell, face first.

"Captain!" Malcolm yelled, alarmed.

"He's not dead. Just stunned. He doesn't deserve to die. Let him live with his failure. Maybe word of what happened will get out and his people will wake up to what a snake they have in power."

"Captain."

"I know..." He turned to T'Pol, handed her weapon back, "Let's go home."