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CHAPTER TWO

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"I won't warn you again, Captain."

Jon straightened his posture, lifted his chin and looked straight at the raven-haired man whose face appeared on the bridge view screen. "I will not leave without my engineer," he replied evenly.

"As I've stated before, I do not know the whereabouts of your officer," stated the Triaxian, his brilliant blue eyes blazing. "Now do as I've instructed and leave our space."

"We were able to track the vessel which abducted the commander to this region," said Commander T'Pol. She stood at Jon's side, her hands clasped firmly at the small of her back. "If you check your sensors, you should be able to-----."

"I am not interested in checking our sensors, Vulcan," replied the alien officer tersely. "I'm growing weary of this conversation."

"Weary?" repeated Malcolm Reed incredulously. He stood from his station. "You've got to be joking."

Jon shot his subordinate a reproachful glance then returned his eyes to the view screen. "Chief Shipara----," he began.

Shipara's eyes narrowed. "I have warned you more than once, Captain," he announced angrily. He nodded his head toward someone Jon could not see.

"They're targeting weapons!" cried Travis Mayweather.

"I will not hesitate to blow your ship out of our space, Captain," warned Shipara. "We will contact you if we happen upon your officer. Now leave!"

As if to punctuate the Triaxian's threat, Enterprise shook violently from a sudden burst of weapons fire. T'Pol moved quickly to her station amidst a cascade of sparks, but Jon stood still, his eyes fixed on Shipara.

"Captain," said Travis, his voice hushed but tense. "They're targeting our warp core, sir."

Jon inhaled sharply through his nose then turned his head to glance at the young man. "Move us out of Triaxian space, Ensign." He looked back at the man whose face still filled the large screen. "I have no doubt you know where my engineer is, Chief, and I intend to find him with or without your help."

"Don't threaten me, Human."

"It is not a threat, but a simple fact." Jon nodded at Ensign Hoshi Sato who immediately cut the transmission. The angular Triaxian ship appeared backed by a sea of bright stars.

"They're powering down their weapons, sir," said Malcolm tightly.

The captain nodded at his lieutenant as he moved to his chair. He sat on the edge, trying to force his thoughts away from Trip to focus on the steps he needed to take in order to find him. Eight hours, he thought, only eight hours had passed since Trip had mysteriously disappeared from the bridge in front of Jon's very eyes, but already it seemed like a lifetime ago. T'Pol had managed to pick up the warp trail of a tiny vessel just after the commander had vanished. That vessel had been Jon's only hope.

"We're outside Triaxian space, Captain."

Jon snapped out of his reverie. "Hold us here, Travis," he directed. He turned his head to Malcolm, his eyebrows raised in question.

"The Triaxians haven't moved, sir," replied the armory officer.

Jon nodded then turned to T'Pol.

"I am unable to track the warp trail from this distance, Captain," the first officer responded. "It will begin to dissipate within the hour."

Jon held his science officer's eyes, seeing in them her internal struggle; she was just as worried about Trip as he was. She'd come a long way to gaining control since the events of the Expanse, but her emotions were still closer to the surface then before their trek into Xindi space. He still wondered what had happened to her.

"I believe Chief Shipara knows very well where Commander Tucker is," continued T'Pol.

"I agree," replied Jon.

"I'm picking up several ships patrolling the border, Captain. We won't be able to move in undetected," said Malcolm.

"What about a shuttle pod?" asked Travis.

"Highly doubtful, Ensign," replied T'Pol.

"Why are the Triaxians being so hostile?" inquired Hoshi.

"They are a very xenophobic species," explained T'Pol. "They have trade agreements with only a handful of species, including a tenuous one with Vulcans, but otherwise they keep very much to themselves."

"But why won't they help us find Commander Tucker? It just doesn't make sense," said Travis with a shake of his head.

"I don't know," replied Jon. "But we will find him." He stood, a tight knot forming in his stomach. He wondered what was happening to Trip, if he was all right or if his captors were hurting him.

The captain swallowed hard. "Hold on, Trip," he whispered. "I'll find you. Just hold on."

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"Run!"

The commander looked back over his shoulder at Archer. His friend was running toward him, a look of utter fear covering his face.

"Run!" yelled Archer again.

Then Trip saw it. The creature was coming fast and at a frightening speed, cresting the hill Trip and Archer had just climbed. Trip dropped the fruit he'd pulled from a tree and forced his legs into action. He could hear his breathing heavy in his ears, his heart pounding in his chest, and the scream of the monster just behind him. Fear like he'd never experienced before threatened to overwhelm him.

Then suddenly it was before him. The creature loomed, its bulk blocking out the sun, capturing Trip and Archer in its dark shadow. It lifted a claw-tipped paw and swiped at the captain, knocking him off his feet.

Trip was instantly at his friend's side, hauling him back up. "Come on, Cap'n," he urged. He pulled the captain along until he regained his footing, then the two ran on side by side. Trip risked a glance over his shoulder only to find the creature gone. He slowed, his eyes scanning the desolate landscape surrounding him. He knew just moments ago, they'd been in a grove of fruit trees, but now there was nothing but dried, scorched earth.

"Trip?"

The engineer glanced at Archer. "Something's wrong, Cap'n," he whispered.

"What do you mean?" asked the captain. "Where'd it go?"

Trip shook his head. "I don't know," he replied as he stopped. His eyes took in the empty horizon. There was absolutely nothing in all directions. "I don't get it."

Archer stopped, too, then leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees. He held Trip's eyes steadily then his gaze dropped to the engineer's torso. "You're bleeding," he remarked worriedly.

Trip looked down to see dark red blood soaking the front of his tan shirt. "That's impossible," he replied incredulously. "The creature attacked you, not me."

Archer stepped forward and gently lifted Trip's shirt. "It's deep, Trip. You're losing a lot of blood."

The commander shook his head in disbelief. "What's happening, Cap'n?"

"Trip."

Trip looked up to see Archer falling to his knees, his hands clutching at the red-soaked rent in his own shirt, his eyes wide with pain.

"Cap'n!" cried Trip. He knelt, catching the captain and gently lowered him to the ground. "Hold on, sir, I've got you."

"Trip," gasped Archer.

A piercing scream cut the hot air and Trip swung around to see the creature running toward them.

"Run, Trip," breathed the captain. "Run."

Trip turned back to his friend. "No way am I leaving you, Cap'n," he replied with conviction. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder to look at the monster then reached to pick up the captain.

"No," said Archer. "Go."

"To hell with that, sir. Now come on."

"Trip."

"I said no, Cap'n. I'm not leaving you, not for anything, you hear me?"

"You have to," hissed Archer. He grabbed Trip's hand and the engineer froze.

The captain's skin was ice-cold.

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Trip struggled to free himself from the darkness of the strange world in which he found himself, but he couldn't. He focused on the pain that flowed through his blood, hoping it would hold him from drifting again, but he still couldn't escape the blackness.

"He knows."

At the strange melodious voice, Trip stopped his struggles. He tried to find his own voice, tried to yell at them to stop hurting him, to leave his mind, but to no avail.

"You need to try harder."

Two voices, Trip thought. He fought again to rise and break the surface into consciousness, but the cold hands were holding his head again and a sudden heavy weight began pulling him down further and further, until there was nothing but cold black silence.

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T'Pol closed her eyes and attempted to center herself. The effort to suppress the roiling emotions was taking its toll on her and she wondered briefly how long it would be before she could no longer contain them without meditation. She'd done well in recent weeks to leave the Expanse behind her. Her marriage to Koss had ended and she had devoted herself to following the path of Surak. She'd also accepted that her relationship with Trip was over, as a human lover was not on her Vulcan path. A human and Vulcan pairing, as Trip had said himself, simply stood no chance of succeeding.

Trip.

The first officer opened her eyes and focused on her plasma screen. He was out there somewhere and she would not stop searching until he was safe and back on Enterprise at her side. That final thought startled her – 'at her side'. No, she silently reprimanded, Trip did not belong at her side. It was illogical.

"I'm picking up an approaching ship, Captain."

T'Pol looked across the bridge at Reed while Archer stood from his chair and stepped over to the lieutenant's station. She dropped her gaze quickly back to her own monitor as she pulled up the sensor readings on her own screen. The small vessel looked somehow familiar.

"Hoshi," directed the captain. "Hail them."

"Aye, sir," replied the ensign.

"Captain," said T'Pol. "I recognize this ship. I believe it belongs to the trader we happened upon three years ago."

Archer's brows furrowed. "Trader?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. His name was D'Marr, if I recall correctly."

"He's responding, sir," said Hoshi.

T'Pol turned to the large view screen to see the smiling, light blue face of D'Marr peering at the bridge's occupants.

"Captain Archer!" greeted the alien cheerfully. "What a pleasure to see you again!"

T'Pol saw the flash of recognition cross her captain's face.

"I see your explorations have finally brought you to Triaxian space," continued D'Marr.

"Unfortunately, we're not here for a social call," said Archer. "Commander Tucker is missing."

"The commander? Oh yes, I remember him well. He was quite interested in Triaxian silk as I recall," replied D'Marr, his eyes darting momentarily to T'Pol. Then his expression changed to one of concern as he looked back at Archer. "He's missing?"

The captain moved down in front of Travis and nodded. "Yes. D'marr, we could really use your help."

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"They're called the Taipra Ku."

"Taipra Ku?" repeated Malcolm. "Then they're not Triaxian?"

D'Marr shook his head. "No, Lieutenant," he replied. "The Triaxians allow them to stay out of fear."

"I've never heard of this species," said T'Pol. "Why would they want the commander?"

Malcolm crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the tall alien shift uncomfortably on his feet. They'd waited two days to rendezvous with D'Marr, agreeing to meet on the dark side of an uninhabited planet just outside Triaxian space. The trader had come aboard and had immediately been ushered to the situation room.

"More than likely for their research," D'Marr replied uneasily.

The armory officer swallowed hard. "Research? What kind of research?" he asked.

"It's only stories, really, legends."

"I don't care about the stories right now," said Archer. He leaned forward placing his fists on the table's edge. "I want to know where they've taken Trip."

D'Marr nodded. "They have a small space station about five light years from the Triaxian border. I've seen it only a few times and only at a distance. I don't know how secure it is or if it's armed."

"We'll worry about that when we get there," replied Archer tersely. He turned to look at Dr. Phlox. "Doctor?"

"With Commander T'Pol's help, I've managed to create for each of us a device that will fool the Triaxian sensors into thinking our bio-signs are Zeenian. But I must warn you, Captain, if the Triaxians look too closely at their scans, they will discover that what they're really seeing are simply copies of D'Marr's bio-sign."

"I guess we'll just have to hope they don't look too closely then, won't we?"

The Denobulan pursed his lips then nodded.

"Okay, then," said the captain. "Malcolm, gather three of your best and be in the launch bay in thirty minutes. Phlox and I will meet you there. T'Pol, you'll have the bridge."

"Captain."

Malcolm looked across the table at the first officer, picking up the almost pleading tone in her voice. In any other case, Malcolm knew she'd accept Archer's order dutifully, but this was Trip and like the lieutenant himself, T'Pol wasn't about to remain onboard when their chief engineer's life was at stake.

"T'Pol," replied Archer gently. "We don't know what's happened to Trip. For all we know, he may be----."

"I would like to accompany you, Captain," interrupted the Vulcan. "I need to, sir."

Archer hesitated then finally nodded. "Given the size of D'Marr's ship, Malcolm, you'd better make that two of your best then."

"Aye, sir."

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CONTINUED